What budget for activities and outings Kyrgyzstan?
Kyrgyzstan applies a double entrance fee to major monuments and museums, with tourists paying much more than locals. This is a common practice in Central Asia. In spite of this, tour prices are still very affordable compared with France, but beware: you'll often have to pay a supplement to take photos, another to film, and yet another to benefit from a guided tour or audio guide. Outside Osh and Bishkek, cultural sites are few and far between, and nature is freely accessible, so your budget will be mostly devoted to hiking, travel and supplies.
Budget-wise, it all depends on the parameters of your trip. Following a well-established trek in a well-served area frequented by many visitors every year won't cost you much. But going off the beaten track in a 4x4 and hiring the services of a competent guide to set foot around a deserted high-altitude lake can be very expensive... That's the advantage of Kyrgyzstan: you can opt for local transport and set off on a self-guided walk in the wilderness without paying a kopek, or you can treat yourself to the experience of a lifetime by paying €6,000 to climb Peak Lenin! The choice is yours..
Throughout the country, you can find handcrafted souvenirs for next to nothing: small ceramics from the Ferghana Valley, silk scarves embellished with felt, knives... Felt is the main material used for "small souvenirs": stuffed animals, hats or clothes of all kinds, but real shyrdaks require more work and are much more expensive.
What budget to eat Kyrgyzstan?
You can eat for less than nothing in small neighborhood tchaikhanas, but the menus will always be more or less the same: soup, tomato-onion salad, chachlyks, laghmans or plov washed down with tea, and always for the equivalent of a handful of euros. You'll find more choice in bazaar canteens, with the advantage of being assured of fresh produce. But these usually only operate at lunchtime. In the big cities, the bill can rise a little faster in restaurants reserved for the intelligentsia or expats. But you can now find some very good mid-range restaurants offering fine local specialities for budgets that are still very reasonable: expect to pay between €15 and €25.
What is the budget for accommodation Kyrgyzstan?
Kyrgyzstan's hotel offer is growing year on year, particularly in Bishkek, where you can now find the full range of hotels and B&Bs, for backpackers, charm seekers and businessmen alike. In the country's other cities, such as Jalalabad and Osh, the choice is already more limited, while Karakol, a major meeting place for backpackers from all over the world, is seeing a steady growth in guesthouses. Elsewhere in the country, you can rely on the extensive CBT (Community based tourism) network, which runs a sufficient number of B&Bs and yurt camps to cater for groups and individuals alike, and for all budgets.
A good night's sleep in Kyrgyzstan starts at $20 a night, including breakfast. You can spend more for a comfortable stopover in town, but elsewhere, that's the price for sleeping in a yurt!
Travel budget Kyrgyzstan and cost of living
The following budgets are per day and per person. They have been established to help you plan your expenses according to the type of trip you are planning.
Economy budget: around €40 (overnight stay in Spartan comfort, meals in the bazaar and bus travel). True ascetics will spend much less.
Comfort budget: around €90/day/person (you can take shared cabs and rent a chauffeur-driven car from time to time, sleep in more comfortable rooms and enjoy one restaurant a day).
Luxury budget: from €180/day (luxury hotel in the capital and chauffeur-driven car for excursions, restaurant meals).
Generally speaking, eating out and making short trips are not expensive in Kyrgyzstan, as are nights in a yurt or, very often, with a local. The bulk of your expenses will come from renting a car with driver, organizing treks and staying in superior hotels.
