{"id":2204,"date":"2026-03-08T10:39:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T07:39:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cbtkyrgyzstan.kg\/?p=2204"},"modified":"2026-03-09T18:40:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T15:40:08","slug":"world-nomad-games-expedition-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cbtkyrgyzstan.kg\/en\/summer-travel\/world-nomad-games-expedition-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"WORLD NOMAD GAMES EXPEDITION 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

TOUR OVERVIEW<\/strong><\/p>\n

Somewhere between the thunder of hooves and the cry of a golden eagle, you’ll understand why Central Asia’s greatest cultural celebration takes place here. The World Nomad Games \u2014 held on the windswept steppes and crystalline shores of Kyrgyzstan \u2014 is unlike anything else on Earth. This seven-day expedition places you at the very heart of it: from the grand Opening Ceremony at Kyrchyn Jailoo to the electrifying equestrian showdowns at Cholpon-Ata, before retreating to the serene alpine silence of Song-K\u00f6l lake.<\/p>\n

You’ll witness Kok-Boru \u2014 the ancient horseback sport that predates civilisation as we know it \u2014 alongside eagle hunting demonstrations, traditional wrestling, archery, and nomadic horsemanship that has shaped this region for millennia. This is not a spectator holiday. This is a front-row seat to living history.<\/p>\n

TOUR AT A GLANCE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Dates<\/strong><\/td>\nSeptember 1\u20137<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Duration<\/strong><\/td>\n7 Days \/ 6 Nights<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Group Size<\/strong><\/td>\nSmall group \u2014 intimate experience<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Start \/ End<\/strong><\/td>\nCBT Office, Bishkek (Gorkiy St. 58)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Destinations<\/strong><\/td>\nBishkek \u2192 Tamchy \u2192 Kyrchyn Jailoo \u2192 Cholpon-Ata \u2192 Song-K\u00f6l \u2192 Bishkek<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Accommodation<\/strong><\/td>\nGuesthouse & Yurt Camp (B&B)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Activity Level<\/strong><\/td>\nEasy to Moderate \u2014 suitable for all fitness levels<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Best For<\/strong><\/td>\nCulture seekers, adventure travellers, photography enthusiasts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
DAY<\/strong><\/p>\n

1<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sep 1<\/td>\n

Bishkek to Kyrchyn \u2014 The Journey Begins<\/strong><\/p>\n

Your adventure opens with a morning departure from Bishkek’s CBT office, where your guide will meet you and set the tone for what lies ahead. The drive north toward Lake Issyk-Kul is itself a curtain-raiser: sun-baked plains giving way to the first glimpse of the Tian Shan range. After a hearty lunch at a guesthouse in Tamchy, you’ll make the final transfer to Kyrchyn Jailoo \u2014 a sweeping highland valley that transforms, every four years, into the epicentre of nomadic civilisation. As the yurts rise against the mountains and the smell of open fires fills the air, the World Nomad Games are about to begin.<\/p>\n

\u2726\u00a0 Highlights: <\/strong>Scenic Bishkek\u2013Issyk-Kul drive\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Arrival at Kyrchyn Jailoo\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 First views of the nomadic camp<\/p>\n

\ud83d\ude90\u00a0 Drive: <\/strong>Approx. 6\u20137 hours total<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfe0\u00a0 Stay: <\/strong>Guesthouse & Yurt Camp, Kyrchyn\u00a0\u00a0 \ud83c\udf7d\u00a0 Meals: <\/strong>Lunch (Tamchy) \u2022 Dinner \u2022 Breakfast included<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
DAY<\/strong><\/p>\n

2<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sep 2<\/td>\n

The Opening Ceremony \u2014 Nomadic Civilisation Awakens<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today is one of the most spectacular days in Central Asian travel. The Opening Ceremony of the World Nomad Games transforms Kyrchyn valley into a canvas of colour, tradition, and pride. Thousands of performers in ancestral dress flood the grounds as nations from across the world parade beneath the Kyrgyz sky. Then the Games begin in earnest: watch in awe as eagle hunters command their birds of prey in Burkut Saluu, hold your breath during the breathtaking long-distance horse marathon, and absorb the ancient ritual of Ordo \u2014 a game of skill and strategy played with sheep knucklebones that predates chess. Your evening returns you to the warmth of a yurt, the day’s images still burning bright.<\/p>\n

\u2726\u00a0 Highlights: <\/strong>Grand Opening Ceremony\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Burkut Saluu \u2014 Eagle Hunting\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Ordo \u2014 Traditional Knucklebone Game\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Horse Marathon<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfe0\u00a0 Stay: <\/strong>Yurt Camp, Kyrchyn\u00a0\u00a0 \ud83c\udf7d\u00a0 Meals: <\/strong>Breakfast \u2022 Lunch (at Games) \u2022 Dinner<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
DAY<\/strong><\/p>\n

3<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sep 3<\/td>\n

Into the Games \u2014 Full Immersion<\/strong><\/p>\n

A full day at Kyrchyn gives you the freedom to roam the Games at your own pace. Wander between disciplines, chat with athletes who have travelled from Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and beyond, and explore the craft market where artisans display centuries-old weaving, felt-work, and metalwork. Traditional archery competitions draw focused, respectful crowds \u2014 these are athletes of extraordinary skill. By evening, the valley campfires flicker to life and the sound of the komuz \u2014 Kyrgyzstan’s ancient three-stringed lute \u2014 drifts through the cool mountain air.<\/p>\n

\u2726\u00a0 Highlights: <\/strong>Full day at Kyrchyn Games\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Traditional archery\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Nomadic craft market\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Evening cultural atmosphere<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfe0\u00a0 Stay: <\/strong>Yurt Camp, Kyrchyn\u00a0\u00a0 \ud83c\udf7d\u00a0 Meals: <\/strong>Breakfast \u2022 Lunch (at Games) \u2022 Dinner<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
DAY<\/strong><\/p>\n

4<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sep 4<\/td>\n

Cholpon-Ata \u2014 Kok-Boru and the Hippodrome<\/strong><\/p>\n

A two-hour morning drive along the northern shore of Issyk-Kul \u2014 one of the world’s largest alpine lakes \u2014 brings you to Cholpon-Ata, the lakeside resort town that hosts the Games’ most dramatic competitions. The Hippodrome here is the stage for Kok-Boru: an ancient and ferocious team sport played on horseback, in which riders battle to carry a goat carcass across the opposing team’s goal. Raw, fast, and completely unlike anything you’ve seen before \u2014 it is the undisputed highlight of the Nomad Games. The day also features Kurosh, Kyrgyz-style belt wrestling that prizes technique as much as brute strength.<\/p>\n

\u2726\u00a0 Highlights: <\/strong>Scenic Issyk-Kul lakeshore drive\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Kok-Boru at the Hippodrome\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Kurosh wrestling\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Sport & Recreation Centre events<\/p>\n

\ud83d\ude90\u00a0 Drive: <\/strong>Approx. 2 hours<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfe0\u00a0 Stay: <\/strong>Guesthouse, Cholpon-Ata\u00a0\u00a0 \ud83c\udf7d\u00a0 Meals: <\/strong>Breakfast \u2022 Lunch (at Games) \u2022 Dinner<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
DAY<\/strong><\/p>\n

5<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sep 5<\/td>\n

Horsemanship & Heritage \u2014 The Final Day of Games<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cholpon-Ata’s final day at the Games delivers equestrian spectacle at its finest. Horse racing here is not the genteel affair of European tracks \u2014 these are nomadic riders at full gallop, children among them, in a tradition that stretches back over a thousand years. Er-Enish, wrestling on horseback, requires riders to unseat their opponent while controlling their mount \u2014 a test of balance, power, and nerve in equal measure. Spend the afternoon exploring Cholpon-Ata’s famous petroglyphs, ancient rock carvings left by Bronze Age nomads who were drawn, just as you are, to this extraordinary landscape.<\/p>\n

\u2726\u00a0 Highlights: <\/strong>Horse racing\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Er-Enish \u2014 wrestling on horseback\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Cholpon-Ata petroglyphs<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfe0\u00a0 Stay: <\/strong>Guesthouse, Cholpon-Ata\u00a0\u00a0 \ud83c\udf7d\u00a0 Meals: <\/strong>Breakfast \u2022 Lunch (at Games) \u2022 Dinner<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
DAY<\/strong><\/p>\n

6<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sep 6<\/td>\n

Song-K\u00f6l \u2014 The High Lake at the Roof of the World<\/strong><\/p>\n

Leave the Games behind and ascend into an entirely different Kyrgyzstan. The morning drive via Kochkor village and over the Kalmak-Ashuu pass takes you above the treeline and into open alpine meadow \u2014 jailoo \u2014 where herder families have summered for generations. Song-K\u00f6l lake appears at 3,016 metres as if conjured from a dream: a vast mirror of blue-grey water ringed by rolling green hills, unmarked by development, lit by a sky that feels impossibly close. Horses graze freely at the water’s edge. The afternoon is entirely yours \u2014 walk the shoreline, photograph the herds, or simply sit with the silence. Your yurt camp dinner tonight, cooked over an open flame, will taste like the finest meal of your life.<\/p>\n

\u2726\u00a0 Highlights: <\/strong>Kalmak-Ashuu mountain pass\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Song-K\u00f6l lake arrival\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Free afternoon in pristine alpine landscape\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Traditional yurt camp dinner<\/p>\n

\ud83d\ude90\u00a0 Drive: <\/strong>Approx. 5 hours<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfe0\u00a0 Stay: <\/strong>Yurt Camp, Song-K\u00f6l\u00a0\u00a0 \ud83c\udf7d\u00a0 Meals: <\/strong>Breakfast \u2022 Lunch \u2022 Dinner<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
DAY<\/strong><\/p>\n

7<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sep 7<\/td>\n

Song-K\u00f6l to Bishkek \u2014 A Farewell to the Steppe<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wake early to see Song-K\u00f6l at its most luminous \u2014 mist lifting off the water, horses silhouetted against the morning sky. After breakfast, the descent begins. Your route home takes you over the dramatic 33 Parrots pass, where a stop reveals a small waterfall tumbling through birch forest \u2014 a last gift from the mountains. Before re-entering Bishkek, the tour pauses at the Burana Tower, a solitary 11th-century minaret rising from the Chuy valley plain, all that remains of the ancient Silk Road city of Balasagun. It is a quietly moving reminder that these steppes have been at the crossroads of civilisations for over a thousand years. Your expedition concludes on arrival in Bishkek.<\/p>\n

\u2726\u00a0 Highlights: <\/strong>Morning at Song-K\u00f6l lake\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 33 Parrots mountain pass\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Waterfall stop\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Burana Tower (10th\u201311th century)<\/p>\n

\ud83d\ude90\u00a0 Drive: <\/strong>Approx. 5\u20136 hours<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfe0\u00a0 Stay: <\/strong>Tour ends in Bishkek\u00a0\u00a0 \ud83c\udf7d\u00a0 Meals: <\/strong>Breakfast included \u2022 Lunch at caf\u00e9 (own expense)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

WHY THIS TOUR<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The World Nomad Games happen only once every two years, and Kyrgyzstan \u2014 the homeland of nomadic culture \u2014 is their spiritual home. This itinerary has been designed not merely to observe, but to immerse: you’ll sleep under felt-and-timber yurts, eat from fires, travel roads that are empty save for herds of horses, and stand within arm’s reach of traditions that the modern world has almost entirely forgotten. From the thunder of Kok-Boru to the hush of Song-K\u00f6l at dawn, every day of this journey earns its place. This is adventure travel at its most authentic \u2014 and the window to experience it is brief.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TOUR OVERVIEW Somewhere between the thunder of hooves and the cry of a golden eagle, you’ll understand why Central Asia’s greatest cultural celebration takes place here. The World Nomad Games \u2014 held on the windswept steppes and crystalline shores of Kyrgyzstan \u2014 is unlike anything else on Earth. This seven-day expedition places you at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,14,10],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-2204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-summer-travel","category-upcoming","category-events"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-30 20:22:45","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cbtkyrgyzstan.kg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cbtkyrgyzstan.kg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cbtkyrgyzstan.kg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbtkyrgyzstan.kg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbtkyrgyzstan.kg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2204"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/cbtkyrgyzstan.kg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2210,"href":"https:\/\/cbtkyrgyzstan.kg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2204\/revisions\/2210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cbtkyrgyzstan.kg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbtkyrgyzstan.kg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbtkyrgyzstan.kg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2204"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbtkyrgyzstan.kg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=2204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}