What It’s Really Like Staying in a Yurt in Kyrgyzstan With Kids
Updated: Sep 5
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.
Before arriving in Kyrgyzstan, we thought staying in a yurt would be a special one-off experience.
We quickly discovered that once you leave the cities, yurts are simply one of the best — and sometimes only — places to stay.
We stayed in yurts beside Issyk-Kul, near Tash Rabat and high in the mountains at Song Kul. Some were beautifully decorated and surprisingly comfortable, while others were very basic.
Here’s what it’s actually like staying in a yurt in Kyrgyzstan, what you should know before your first stay and some of the places we’d recommend.
What Is It Actually Like Staying in a Yurt?
Yurts vary enormously.
Some of ours had four proper single beds, colourful carpets covering the walls and thick doonas. Others had large sleeping platforms and very basic facilities.
Most had:
● Beds, mattresses and plenty of blankets
● A small stove for heating
● Shared toilets outside
● A separate dining yurt
● Breakfast included
● Optional home-cooked dinner
● Very limited or no Wi-Fi
● Limited electricity in remote areas
Despite experiencing freezing temperatures and even snow, we were always incredibly warm once inside the yurt.
Just don’t expect luxury bathrooms. 😂
At some camps, the toilet may be quite a walk from your yurt — something worth remembering before you settle into bed for the night!
If you'd prefer a yurt with a few more comforts, our yurt stay in Jyrgalan was fantastic. It had proper, spotlessly clean bathrooms with heated floors — absolute luxury after a day in the mountains! You can check prices and availability for the Jyrgalan yurt here.
Yurt Etiquette
There are a few things worth knowing before staying in a traditional yurt.
Take your shoes off before entering.
You’ll generally leave them outside the door so you don’t bring dirt or mud onto the carpets.
Don’t step on the threshold.
Traditionally, you step over the doorway rather than directly onto it.
Enjoy the tea.
Tea is a huge part of Kyrgyz hospitality and you’ll often be offered tea when you arrive or during meals.
Dress respectfully around local families.
You don’t need to dress extremely conservatively, but these are often family-run camps rather than hotels.
And don’t worry if you don’t speak Kyrgyz or Russian. We managed with a combination of smiles, gestures and Google Translate — when we actually had phone reception!
Best Places to Stay in a Yurt in Kyrgyzstan
Issyk-Kul
Issyk-Kul is probably the easiest place to experience your first Kyrgyz yurt stay.
There are numerous camps around the lake, particularly along the quieter southern shore, and they’re generally easier to reach than the remote mountain camps.
Our first ever yurt stay was here and it was a great introduction: proper beds, thick blankets, dinner available and breakfast waiting for us the next morning.
Best for: First-time yurt stays, families and road trips around Issyk-Kul.
Tash Rabat – Ak-Sai Yurt Camp
This was one of our favourite yurt experiences in Kyrgyzstan.
We hadn’t booked anywhere. We simply arrived near Tash Rabat and found Ak-Sai, now called As a Nomad.
We were the only guests staying that night.
Our hostess was worried about the girls walking outside to the toilet after dark because of wild animals in the area. We had no phone reception and she spoke no English, so after a hilarious round of charades we finally understood what she was trying to tell us.
A little while later she returned carrying a portable toilet and put it inside our yurt for the night.
It was a small gesture, but one we’ll never forget. She was so incredibly kind and thoughtful, and even with no shared language, she made us feel completely cared for. That warmth and genuine hospitality stayed with us long after we left — and it’s one of the reasons we’d recommend staying here in a heartbeat.
Best for: Tash Rabat, remote mountain scenery and a more traditional yurt experience.
Song Kul
If you’re only going to stay in one yurt in Kyrgyzstan, Song Kul would be my pick.
It’s remote, spectacular and completely unpredictable.
We arrived during a snowstorm and couldn’t even find the camp we’d planned to stay at. The snow was so heavy & visibility became so bad that we lost the road! Eventually we spotted another tiny yurt camp and pulled in.
They weren’t expecting guests but warmly welcomed us anyway.
That night we could hear strange noises circling our yurt.
The following morning we stepped outside to find fresh snow covering the entire landscape — and dozens of horse prints surrounding our yurt.
We had been the only guests, and our yurt was the only one with a warm fire burning inside.
During the storm, the horses had gathered around it.
It remains one of my favourite memories from our entire Kyrgyzstan trip.
Best for: Incredible scenery, horses, hiking and an unforgettable Kyrgyzstan experience.
What to Pack for a Yurt Stay
Don’t make the same mistake we did at Song Kul and underestimate how cold the mountains can become!
Even if it’s warm elsewhere in Kyrgyzstan, pack:
● Warm jacket
● Layers
● Beanie
● Warm socks
● Easy slip-on shoes for toilet trips
● Head torch
● Power bank
● Small amount of cash
● Toiletries
● Offline maps
● Downloaded Google Translate languages
A head torch and slip-on shoes are particularly useful when the toilet is 100 metres away and it’s pitch black outside!
The yurts themselves can become surprisingly warm once the fire is going, so layers you can easily remove are ideal.
Are Yurts Good for Families?
Absolutely! Our girls loved them!
Yurts usually have plenty of sleeping space and staying in one feels like a giant family sleepover.
Our evenings were spent playing cards, reading books and warming ourselves around the fire.
The main thing I’d check when booking with younger children is the bathroom situation. Some camps have relatively modern shared bathrooms, while remote camps may have very basic outdoor toilets.
Do You Need to Book Yurts in Advance?
Not always.
We booked some accommodation ahead but also simply turned up at yurt camps along the way.
However, I’d book ahead at Song Kul during the main summer season.
For remote areas, download the location before leaving because phone reception can disappear completely.
We had no reception around Tash Rabat and very limited connectivity in several other mountain areas.
Would We Stay in Yurts Again?
In a heartbeat.
They weren’t luxurious. Sometimes the toilets were a long walk away, electricity was limited and we had absolutely no idea what was happening.
But that was part of what we loved.
If you’re planning a trip through Kyrgyzstan, don’t just stay in a yurt for the novelty.
Stay for a few nights.
It’s one of the best ways to experience the country.
Planning a Family Trip to Kyrgyzstan?
If you’re planning your own family adventure through Kyrgyzstan, you might also enjoy reading:
From packing for unpredictable mountain weather to navigating long road trips and remote yurt stays, these guides share more of our experience travelling through one of the most unforgettable countries we’ve ever visited. We truly hope they help you plan your own adventure.
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, crazy mountain roads, snowstorms and endless landscapes that felt a world away from home.
The yurts gave us 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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