WELCOME TO KYRGYZSTAN!
Tour route: Osh city - Uzgen city - Osh city
Once, in the 2nd century BC, on the way from the Ferghana Valley to the legendary Kashgar, ancient
travelers with all their caravans of camels and horses chose a place to rest - the town of Uzgen - a
settlement between the Kara-Darya and Yassy rivers. For a whole millennium, Uzgen was an important
transit point for various travelers and adventurers, hunters for oriental spices, and in the middle of the
11th century, the Karakhanids founded one of their capitals here. The Karakhanid state was one of the
powerful states of the medieval East, and the city of Uzgen was a center of trade, construction and
crafts.
The architectural complex of Uzgen is depicted on the national currency of Kyrgyzstan, in denominations
of 50 soms.
Tour program: - Meeting at the hotel "Rayan"
- Transfer to Uzgen. Visiting a historical and cultural monument - a minaret and 3 mausoleums of the
Karakhanid Epoch of the 11th - 12th centuries.
- Lunch (lunch box).
- Visit to the rice cooker. In Uzgen, unique Uzgen rice "Devzira" is grown, which is famous not only for its
amazing taste, but also for its special nutritional properties: its digestibility rate is 98%!
- Visit to the Uzgen bazaar.
- Return to Osh. Reminder for actions in emergency situations:
If you are in an emergency, or witness an accident, fire, burglary, you can call 112 to report the problem.
112 - A single call number for emergency response services.
Number 112 is available free of charge from both fixed and mobile phones.
Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic: +996 312 26-62-61
Duty ATC: +996 312 22-97-78, 102
Tourist police +996 500 17 07 93
101 - Fire Department
102 - Police
103 - Ambulance
104 - Gas emergency service
We recognize that the sexual exploitation of children is a worldwide problem. In all our actions and
operations, we actively oppose all types of sexual exploitation of children around the world.
Please report cases of sexual or any other form of exploitation and harassment, especially of children
and adolescents, to your guide.
REMINDER TO TOURIST.
Official language:
Kyrgyz. Russian has official status.
Customs regime:
Visa-free regime for 68 countries.
Foreign currency worth over $3,000 must be declared in writing
Permitted to import:
Photo, audio, video and office equipment, household appliances and electrical appliances - 1 item of
each item per person.
Medicines - 500 g per person.
Printed publications, video, CDs, film - 10 pieces of each item per person.
Carpets - 2 pieces.
Opening hours of shops, banks, museums:
Grocery stores are usually open from 9 to 21.00, department stores from 9 to 19 seven days
a week.
Banks are open from 9 to 16 from Monday to Friday, closed on Saturday and Sunday.
Museums are open from 9 to 17 seven days a week
Money, currency exchange:
Currency can be exchanged at bank offices, at currency exchange offices (they usually work around the
clock). Not only US dollars and euros are accepted for exchange, but also Russian rubles, Kazakh tenge,
Uzbek sums.
Credit cards are accepted for payment in most banks and in some major hotels and shops. In the
province, it is almost impossible to use non-cash means of payment.
Mobile communication and Internet:
All populated areas of Kyrgyzstan are covered by GSM networks of mobile operators. However, it is
worth knowing that due to the large number of mountains and in remote areas, there may be no
connection. In large cities, there is an Internet connection of the 3G and 4G standard. Many
establishments have free Wi-Fi.
Public transport:
Moving within the country in Kyrgyzstan is not difficult - all regions are interconnected by good roads.
There are also regular flights between the northern and southern parts of the country.
Public transport is represented by buses, trolleybuses, fixed-route taxis. A single railway line, just over
60 kilometers long, leads from Bishkek to the border with Kazakhstan and further towards Moscow.
There are airports in Bishkek, Osh, Jalal-Abad, Batken, Tamchi.
Road safety:
A significant number of tourists visiting Kyrgyzstan invariably note that the level of driving in the country
is at a rather low level. Therefore, when coming to Kyrgyzstan, it is important to remember that the
rules do not replace common sense. When crossing the road, always look around, and when driving a
car, be as careful as possible.
When cycling, try to ride closer to the curb, dismount when crossing intersections and pedestrian
crossings.
Taxi ordering:
It is better to use taxi services than to get into the first car on the street.
Pickpockets:
Theft is not a particular problem in Kyrgyzstan, nor is fraud. However, in crowded places - in public
transport, at the market, etc. - Valuables must be kept with you and under supervision. This applies to
both wallets, mobile phones and other gadgets, as well as bags with luggage, backpacks, etc.
Walks at night:
In large cities, walking at night can be quite a good pastime. However, it is better to beware of poorly lit
places, as well as drunken companies.
Alcohol and soft drugs:
Kyrgyzstan is a country with quite a large amount of alcohol consumed per person. However, according
to the law, you can not be in public places in a state of intoxication. It is also forbidden to drink alcohol
in public places, with the exception of bars, cafes and restaurants.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the problem of drugs. Hemp, opium poppy (!), ephedra and some
other plants grow freely and in large quantities in the wild on the territory of Kyrgyzstan, which can be
classified as narcotic drugs or raw materials for their production. You can often find hemp bushes even
in large cities, including Bishkek. However, possession of narcotic substances in Kyrgyzstan is a criminal
offense, and therefore, by picking and taking these plants with you, you are breaking the law. Therefore,
it is better to refrain from such actions, even for the purpose of photographing or anything else.
Health and vaccinations:
Before traveling to Kyrgyzstan, it is recommended to get vaccinated against viral hepatitis A.
When leaving the city, it is advisable to have a supply of medicines.
To prevent food poisoning, it is recommended to eat at stationary food outlets.
National features:
It is customary to treat the elderly and women with respect.
Give up your seat on public transport to older people, passengers with children and women.
When meeting strangers outside the city, on country roads, in the mountains, it is customary to greet
each other.
Oriental hospitality is widespread.
Special rates may be offered for visitors. You can bargain.
When entering the house, you should take off your shoes.
The style of clothing is quite democratic, but when visiting places of worship, you should not wear too
open or short clothes.
Tips:
Tipping is about 10-15% (large restaurants include it in the bill automatically). But in general, in
accordance with the Islamic canons of hospitality, tips are not accepted.
Electricity:
The mains voltage is 220 V,
Availability of public toilets:
There are public toilets in public place.
LIST of items prohibited for import into the Republic of Kyrgyzstan:
1 All types of weapons and ammunition.
2 Narcotic and psychotropic substances, as well as devices for smoking opium and hashish.
3 Printed works, cliches, negatives, filmed films, photographs, films, video cassettes and video discs
with recordings of films and other video programs, manuscripts, gramophone records and other sound
recordings, drawings and other printed and pictorial products containing information that could harm
political, economic interests of the country, state security, public order, health protection, morality of
the population.
LIST of items prohibited for EXPORT from the Republic of Kyrgyzstan:
1. All types of weapons and ammunition for them, as well as military equipment.
2. Narcotic and psychotropic substances.
3. Canceled securities.
4. Works of art and antiques (paintings, sculptures, drawings, watercolors, various types of
engravings, miniatures, porcelain, crystal, ceramics, wood, leather, precious and non-precious stones
and metals, bones, folk art crafts, carpets, tapestries, furniture, artistic clothing and footwear,
numismatics, artistic weapons, books, manuscripts, records, musical instruments, tools, postage stamps,
etc.) and other items of significant artistic, historical, scientific or other cultural value.
Note:
The items specified in this paragraph may be exported only with special permits of the Ministry of
Culture of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan with the payment of a customs duty in the amount of 100 percent
of the assessment indicated in the export permit.
5. Films, cassettes, discs with recordings of films, video programs containing information that could
harm the interests of the state, as well as the rights of citizens.
6. Horns of saigas, deer, spotted deer and red deer, as well as skins of spotted deer and snow leopard
Note:
1) The items specified in this paragraph may be exported by foreign trade organizations with special
permits;
2) Foreign tourists holding hunting licenses are allowed to export the said items as hunting trophies.
7. Other items, the export of which is prohibited in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of
Kyrgyzstan
Movement across the customs border of objects of flora and fauna listed in the Red Book of the Kyrgyz
Republic, as well as their derivatives, is punishable by imprisonment for a term of three to seven years
with confiscation of property. A derivative should be understood as a derivative of something, a product
of something. For example: skins, souvenirs made from bones, and other materials of rare animals.
Prohibited souvenirs:
The following items of historical, scientific, artistic or other cultural value are not subject to export
(shipment) from the Kyrgyz Republic:
1. Cultural values, regardless of the time of their creation, protected by the state and included in
the protection lists and registers in the manner prescribed by the legislation of the Kyrgyz
Republic.
2. Cultural values representing artistic, historical and other cultural value and classified in
accordance with the legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic as especially valuable objects of cultural
heritage of the peoples of the Kyrgyz Republic, regardless of the form of ownership and the time
of their creation.
3. Cultural values permanently stored in state and municipal museums, archives, libraries, other
state repositories of cultural values of the Kyrgyz Republic.
4. Values associated with historical events and the development of society and the state, as well as
those related to the life and work of prominent personalities.
5. Components and fragments of architectural, historical, artistic monuments and monuments
of monumental art.
6. Items and their fragments obtained as a result of archaeological excavations (authorized and
unauthorized) or archaeological discoveries and finds.
7. Icons and objects of religious worship made before the middle of the 19th century and having
significant historical or artistic value.
8. Unique items of all eras, made of gold, platinum, natural precious stones (diamond, ruby,
sapphire, emerald, pearl, alexandrite), which are over 50 years old.
How to be a responsible tourist?
One of the goals of our project is the development of sustainable tourism in Kyrgyzstan.
• Try not to harm nature and places where you travel. Do not leave trash behind and treat the
nature and architecture of the places you visit with care. When traveling to remote locations, use
biodegradable shampoos, soaps, laundry detergents and sunscreen. If possible, take other
people's trash with you.
• Try to use the services of local residents, buy local products and souvenirs. By investing in the
local economy, you support people's livelihoods, culture, and self-reliance.
• Respect the culture and traditions of the local people.