The ultimate Kyrgyzstan packing list - The most important things for your luggage.

Unique culture and spectacular landscapes in Kyrgyzstan are waiting for you! We have the perfect packing list for your Kyrgyzstan trip compiled for all seasons.

Travel documents

1. Valid passport (check the validity and renew it if necessary)
2. Copy of passport (save digitally or keep separately from original)
3. Visa if necessary (not required with German or European passport)
4. Insurance policy Health insurance abroad (online)
5. Vaccination card (check if you need to refresh your vaccinations)
6. Flight ticket (printout or e-ticket)
7. Travel credit card
8. Cash
9. List of emergency contacts and allergies, if applicable.

Electronics

1. Mobile phone with charger (from EU no adapter necessary)
2. Headphones
3. Powerbank* or Solar charger*
4. Flashlight*/Headlamp* (preferably USB rechargeable)
5. Optional: Camera with charger
6. Optional: Laptop/tablet/E-Reader*/Kindle with charger
7. Optional: Multiple socket

Toilet bag

1. Toothbrush*
2. Toothpaste*
3. Dental floss*
4. Deodorant*
5. Hairbrush*
6. Shaver*
7. Shower gel/soap*
8. Shampoo*/Conditioner (is alternatively available in the hotel)
9. Nail care
10. Face lotion
11. Tweezers*
12. Lip protection with UV protection*
13. Hygiene articles
14. Optional: Make-Up

First Aid Kit

1. Hand disinfectant* or cloths
2. Painkillers (e.g. ibuprofen, aspirin)
3. Diarrhoea medication (e.g. Imodium Akut, charcoal tablets)
4. Wound cream (e.g. Bepanthen)
5. Plaster&blister plaster
6. If necessary, tablets against travel sickness

Personal comfort

1. Backpack (make sure your hand luggage measures 55x40x20cm for the plane)
2. Sunglasses
3. Sunscreen*
4. Earplugs*/Earplugs*
5. Books/Magazines
6. Headgear/Cap
7. Sleep mask*
8. Microfiber towel*
9. Travel pillow* (for flight and longer trips)

Environmentally conscious travel 

With these little things you can actively help to avoid plastic in Kyrgyzstan and simply make your contribution to environmental protection:

1. Reusable Silicone tubes* Filled with your shampoo, conditioner, shower gel.
2. Reusable bottle (preferably stainless steel for hot and cold)
3. Optional: Reusable cup (preferably stainless steel for hot and cold)
4. Optional: Stainless steel Outdoor cutlery* (knife, spoon, fork, chopsticks, straw)

Climate in Kyrgyzstan: packing list for every season

Kyrgyzstan has a continental dry climate with freezing winters and hot summers. Due to the great differences in altitude, there are also great differences in climate and temperatures. While the salty Issyk-Kul Lake has a mild microclimate with warm summers and mild winters, in the mountain regions above 3,000 meters there are always new cold records of -40 °C to -50 °C in January.

Spring in Kyrgyzstan

Spring weather in Bishkek

In Bishkek, the weather in March is still relatively fresh with temperatures between 0 °C and 11 °C. In April, the thermometer reaches a warm 20 °C and in May even 25 °C.

Spring weather in Karakol at the Issyk Kul lake 

On the southern shore of Lake Issyk Kul, temperatures can still fall below freezing point in March, with temperatures ranging from -1 °C to -6 °C. The lake never freezes over, however. However, the lake never freezes over. In April and May, the temperatures in Kochkor then rise to between 14 °C and 20 °C. 

Spring weather in Kochkor in the mountains 

In March, the temperatures in Kochkor are still almost consistently in the single-digit minus range. April reaches sometimes the 12 °C but on average still relatively cold with 7 °C. In May, the thermometer shows an average of 12 °C in the mountains with occasional highs of 18 °C.

Spring packing list: clothes and shoes

1. Underwear
2. Warm and normal socks
3. Pajamas/sleepwear
4. Swimwear & towel
5. T-shirts (should cover the shoulders)
6. Thick sweater (for the mountains)
7. Jeans or long pants
8. Shorts (more for May)
9. Warm jacket (for the mountains)
10. Rain jacket
11. Sandals/FlipFlops
12. Hiking boots
13. Sneakers

Summer in Kyrgyzstan

Summer weather in Bishkek

In the summer months, the temperatures then almost constantly reach 30 °C in June and even 33 °C in July and 31 °C in August. Likewise, there is hardly any rain in the capital during the summer months.

Summer weather in Karakol at the Issyk Kul lake

In Karakol we record pleasant temperatures of 23 °C to 25 °C in the summer months, which makes swimming in the lake a nice way to cool off. However, at night it can still cool down to 10 °C at Issyk-Kul.

Summer weather in Kochkor in the mountains

In Kochkor, temperatures range from 21 °C to 25 °C from June to August. But even here in the mountains, it still gets 10 °C cool at night, even in July.

Summer packing list: clothes and shoes

1. Underwear
2. Socks
3. Pajamas/sleepwear
4. Swimwear & towel
5. T-shirts (should cover the shoulders)
6. Thick sweater (for the mountains)
7. Jeans or long, light trousers
8. Multiple shorts
9. Rain jacket
10. Hiking boots
11. Sneakers
12. Sandals/FlipFlops

Autumn in Kyrgyzstan

Autumn weather in Bishkek

September is a warm month in the capital with 26 °C. However, the last months of autumn are fresher months with 5 °C to 18 °C in October and 0 °C to 11 °C in November. 

Autumn weather in Karakol at the Issyk Kul lake

In Karakol, September is still comparatively mild with 20 °C. In October, temperatures sometimes hover around freezing point at night. In November, temperatures even drop to 3 °C to -7 °C.

Autumn weather in Kochkor in the mountains

While in Kochkor in September temperatures of up to 20 °C prevail during the day, the thermometer falls in October in the mountains already times to below 0 °C. In November, you should definitely dress warmly, when the weather settles at an average of -3 °C.

Autumn packing list: clothes and shoes

1. Underwear
2. Thermal underwear (more like November)
3. Warm socks
4. Pajamas/sleepwear
5. Swimwear
6. T-Shirts
7. Warmer sweaters (for the mountains)
8. Jeans or long pants
9. Thick jacket / coat
10. Rain jacket
11. Sandals/FlipFlops
12. Waterproof hiking boots
13. Sneakers/Boots
14. Scarf, gloves & hat (for the mountains)

Winter in Kyrgyzstan

Winter weather in Bishkek

Between December and February, the temperature in the capital varies between -8 °C at night and 6 °C during the day. Snow is not uncommon then.

Winter weather in Karakol at the Issyk Kul lake

In Karakol, the entire winter months are in the minus range. You should dress warmly. Because the temperatures at Lake Issyk Kul can drop to -17 °C. Especially in January there are regularly lows.

Winter weather in Kochkor in the mountains

Winter in the mountains above 3,000 metres is definitely not to be trifled with. Again and again there are cold records of -40 °C to -50 °C. On average, -10 °C is recorded in December, -13 °C in January and -11 °C in February.

Winter packing list: Clothing and shoes

1. Underwear
2. Thermal underwear (for longer hikes)
3. Warm socks
4. Pajamas/sleepwear
5. Swimwear
6. T-Shirts
7. Warm sweaters (for the mountains)
8. Warm hoodies
9. Jeans or long pants
10. wind and water resistant pants
11. Thick winter jacket
12. Lined rain jacket
13. Waterproof hiking boots
14. Sneakers/Boots
15. Sandals/FlipFlops
16. Very warm scarf, gloves & hat

For even more information about the weather in Kyrgyzstan you can check out the best time to travel Kyrgyzstan read through.

Recommended vaccinations

There are no compulsory vaccinations for direct entry from Germany.

If traveling for less than four weeks, you should have full vaccination protection against poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis).

Make sure that your standard immunizations are according to the vaccination calendar of the Robert-Koch-Institute are up to date.

Conclusion

Basically, less is more. The important documents such as passport and visa may not be missing of course. On a round trip with many stops it is simply easier to travel with light luggage. Also, with a light suitcase on the outbound flight, there is more room for travel souvenirs during the trip. We hope that we could help you with our Kyrgyzstan packing list & wish you a great trip to this unique country.

Everything ready? Then you can set off on your Kyrgyzstan adventure. Check out what's on our itinerary now and discover ghost towns, big eagles and wild horses.

Download packing list PDF

Here you can download the Kyrgyzstan packing list conveniently as PDF.