What It’s Really Like Staying in a Yurt in Kyrgyzstan With Kids
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Staying in yurts across Kyrgyzstan became one of the most magical parts of our family travels. Between snowstorms, mountain silence, horses surrounding our yurt at night and evenings spent huddled beside the fire, yurt life slowed us down in the most beautiful way.
When we first arrived in Kyrgyzstan, I remember saying to the kids, “How exciting would it be if we got to stay in a yurt?”
What I didn’t realise at the time was that across most of Kyrgyzstan, yurts aren’t a novelty — they’re simply where you stay. Hotels are few and far between once you leave Bishkek, and before long, sleeping in yurts became part of our everyday life.
And honestly, it ended up being one of the most magical parts of travelling through Kyrgyzstan with kids.
Our First Night Staying in a Yurt
Our very first night staying in a yurt was along the shores of Issyk-Kul, and we were all so excited.
After a warm day spent exploring beside the lake - and a super chilly dip - we finally arrived at our little yurt camp feeling equal parts curious and excited.
I still remember stepping through the tiny doorway and feeling so surprised by how cosy and beautifully decorated it felt. Colourful woven carpets covered the walls, thick blankets were neatly folded on each bed, and sunlight streamed through the circular opening in the roof. Four single beds were arranged around the outside of the yurt, giving us all our own little space while still feeling tucked together inside.
Dinner is usually offered as an optional add-on at most yurt stays, and many cater to dietary requirements. That first night felt incredibly peaceful and surprisingly comfortable.
By morning, breakfast was already waiting for us, along with steaming tea and another beautiful day ahead exploring Kyrgyzstan.
At that point, we still thought staying in a yurt was going to be a one-off experience.
We had no idea yurts would soon become one of the most memorable parts of our entire journey.
What Staying in a Yurt Is Actually Like
Before travelling to Kyrgyzstan, I imagined yurts as basic temporary shelters. But the reality was far more comfortable and beautiful than I expected.
Every yurt we stayed in was different and unique.
Some were decorated with colourful woven carpets, embroidered wall hangings and layers of thick blankets. Others were much simpler, with dirt and grass floors. Some had four single beds placed around the edges, while others had enormous raised sleeping platforms that could easily fit an entire family, and more!
No matter how different they looked, every yurt felt warm, cosy and welcoming.
There is always a small fire burning inside on the cold nights and despite the freezing temperatures outside, the yurts stayed incredibly warm. We could sleep in singlets and shorts. Even during snowstorms, once you were inside beneath the blankets, you barely noticed the weather at all.
At the very top of the yurt was a small opening in the roof that could be adjusted for airflow and light. During the day, sunlight would pour through the opening.
There’s something incredibly peaceful about sleeping in a yurt. The quiet of the mountains, and being completely surrounded by nature made every night feel special.
Staying in Yurts With Kids
Our girls absolutely loved staying in yurts.
For them, every yurt felt like a giant sleepover adventure. They played cards under blankets, read books beside the fire and fell asleep exhausted after long days exploring mountains, lakes and valleys.
One thing that stayed with me throughout Kyrgyzstan was how deeply cared for we felt, even in the most isolated places.
During our stay near Tash Rabat, our yurt hostess became quite concerned about us needing the toilet during the night. She couldn’t speak English, and we didn’t have any phone reception - so no Google Translate. We communicated mostly through gestures and charades.
Eventually, we realised she was worried about us — and especially the girls — walking outside alone after dark because of wild animals roaming the area at night. We were the only guests staying that night.
A little while later, she returned carrying a small portable toilet and placed it inside our yurt so we wouldn’t need to go outside during the night.
It was such a simple act of kindness, but one that summed up Kyrgyz hospitality perfectly. Even in these incredibly remote mountain settings, people looked after us so well.
The Food and Hospitality
One of the loveliest parts of staying in yurts was the sense of community.
Usually, one yurt would act as the dining room where guests gathered together for meals. Breakfast was always included, and most places offer homemade lunches and dinners for an additional cost.
The food was always warm, wholesome and filling after long days outdoors. Fresh bread, homemade jam, soups, tea, dumplings and simple traditional meals shared around long tables while everyone warmed themselves beside the fire.
Even with language barriers, we were constantly met with kindness and generosity from the hosts. As Kyrgyzstan is still an untouched destination - we were often the only guests staying, which made the experience feel even more personal and special.
Snowy Nights in Song Kul
By the time we reached Song Kul, we'd stayed in many yurts, but never expected an experience like this...
As we drove higher along the steep winding roads up to Song Kul, it started snowing. By the time we reached Song Kul, the snow had become so thick we couldn't see the road ahead of us.
Somewhere out in the white expanse was the yurt camp we had originally been trying to reach, but visibility had disappeared completely and we had absolutely no idea where we were going anymore.
Eventually, through the snow, we spotted another small yurt camp. They weren’t expecting guests that night, but without hesitation they welcomed us in and gave us a yurt to stay in.
Looking back now, I’m so glad we never found the original road.
That evening, a snowstorm rolled across the lake and we all retreated inside for the night, gathering around the warmth of the fire while snow whipped across the plains outside. The toilets were quite a walk away, so we made one final freezing trip before settling in properly beneath layers of blankets.
Throughout the night, we could hear strange noises outside the yurt. Soft crunching sounds in the snow. Movement circling around us. But wrapped up warm inside, we eventually drifted off to sleep.
When we woke the next morning, the entire world had transformed.
Snow covered everything around us, thick and untouched beneath a pale morning sky. And all around our yurt were horse prints.
Dozens of them.
Our yurt had been the only one occupied that night, the only one glowing with warmth and fire inside, and during the storm the horses had gathered around us in the darkness. Their tracks surrounded the yurt completely, right up to our door.
It felt almost surreal standing there in the freezing silence, looking out across Song Kul while snowflakes still drifted softly from the sky.
We were wildly underprepared for the cold. We definitely hadn’t packed enough layers, and our fingers and faces froze almost instantly outside. But somehow none of it seemed to matter.
The kids were ecstatic. We all were.
There was something about Kyrgyzstan — the snowstorms, the horses, the yurts, the sheer unpredictability of it all — that made us let go of the little discomforts and simply enjoy where we were.
The next morning, our hosts pointed towards where the road should have been hidden beneath the snow, and after following it carefully, we eventually found the yurt camp we had originally been trying to reach. It turned out to be not far away at all.
Why We Loved Yurt Life So Much
Looking back now, the yurts became so much more than just a place to sleep.
They slowed us down.
Without busy schedules or endless distractions, our evenings became simple in the best possible way. We read books together, played cards and reminisced about the extraordinary things we’d seen that day — wild horses, mountain roads, snowstorms and endless landscapes that felt a world away from home.
The yurts gave us something hotels rarely do: connection.
Connection to the families hosting us, to Kyrgyz culture, to nature, and to each other.
Life in Kyrgyzstan has a way of making you slow down. And somewhere between the quiet mountain nights, shared meals and the warmth of those small round shelters, I think we all found a version of family life we didn’t realise we’d been missing.
Even now, back home, it’s one of the things we miss most.
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