16-Days Central Asia 2026 Day 8 : Osh to Bishkek

Saturday, July 18, 2026

16-Days Central Asia 2026 Day 8 : Osh to Bishkek

You are at - Jotaro's Blog /AhPek Biker-Footsteps /Central Asia 2026/D8 : Osh to Bishkek | Go to D1/D2/D3/D4/D5/D6/D7/D9/D10/D11/D12/D13/D14/D15/D16

AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures

Central Asia 2026
Day 8 : Osh to Bishkek

Central Asia 2026 Day 8: 22nd May (Friday)

Medium-size Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan & Kazakhstan):

Day 8 - Osh to Bishkek:

Osh (Grand Hotel Chavo)>van>Osh Airport>fly Tez Jet>Bishkek Airport>van>Ala-Too Central Square>walk>Aikol Manas Statue>Paramount Kyrgyz Republic Flag>Friendship of Nations Monument>Ala-Too Central Square>van>Orient Hotel>walk>Alchik Restaurant>Orient Hotel.

(Zoom out to see Osh)

This is page 8 of a 16-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page.
< D7: Osh | Go to Other Days | D9: Ala Archa >

Route recommendations, here are some tips on travelling to and around Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia:

1. Traffic Directions!

Central Asian countries are left-hand drive, and vehicles drive on the right side of the road. So do bear this in mind when crossing the road OR when sitting at the front passenger seat. I made this mistake several times and boarded the car at the driver's side with the driver giving me a surprised look 😂.

2. Getting to and from Central Asia.

Several airlines fly direct to Central Asia from their originating country. We were fortunate that AirAsia X flew direct from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
We flew return via AirAsia X, starting from KLIA Terminal 2 to Tashkent International Airport, and returning from Almaty International Airport to KLIA Terminal 2, buying tickets earlier to get cheaper fares. We also packed light (20kg checked-in luggage for two people plus an additional 7kg of cabin luggage), totaling 41kg of luggage.

3. Getting around Central Asia.
We were on a private guided tour, and had a 15-seater black Weichai Eurise vans (Chinese version of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter), with local guides taking us between the cities/towns.
In Kyrgyzstan, we took a short Tez Jet flight from Osh to Bishkek to avoid the testing mountainous roads; flight tickets were bought by our guides earlier.
Note: Traders in bazaars, markets, and small local shops only accept cash. The "sum" (ISO code: UZS) is the official currency of Uzbekistan. The "som" (ISO code: KGS) is the currency of Kyrgyzstan. The tenge (ten-gay, code: KZT) is the currency of Kazakhstan. It is divided into 100 tiyn.
Touch 'n Go e-Wallet can be used in Kazakhstan, just make sure the e-wallet is set to Kazakhstan.

4. Immigration & Customs Requirements

Malaysian passport holders do not need a visa to enter most Central Asian countries for short-term stays and can visit Uzbekistan visa-free for up to 30 days. There is no need to fill in immigration forms.

Note: Malaysian passport holders can install the MyBorderPass app for fast immigration clearance to get in and out of Malaysia; use the app to generate a QR code just before passing through the 40 dedicated MyBorderPass gates (only at KLIA & KLIA2, 20 gates each), and getting through will be a breeze!

5. Places & Things of Interests

There were many scenic and interesting places along the route, but one should not miss the following places (Note: click on the GPS coordinates below for a directional map to the respective places):
- Osh International Airport (Oʻsh aeroporti) (GPS: 40.60818, 72.7866).
In Bishkek:
- Bishkek Manas International Airport (Бишкек Манас эл аралык аэропорту) (GPS: 43.05421, 74.46949).
- Ala-Too Central Square (Площадь Ала-Тоо) (GPS: 42.87625, 74.60364).
- Aikol Manas Statue (United Nations: The Statue of Manas) (Айкөл Манастын айкели) (GPS: 42.87669, 74.60371).
- Panfilov Park (Панфилов паркы) (GPS: 42.87969, 74.60014).

- Paramount Kyrgyz Republic Flag (Мамлекеттик туу/Флагшток с Государственным флагом) (GPS: 42.87659, 74.60322).
- Monument to the Victims of the April Revolution & Aksy Shooting (Апрель революциясынын жана Аксы окуясынын курмандыктарына арналган эстелик) (GPS: 42.87641, 74.60126).

- Friendship of Nations Monument (GPS: 42.87676, 74.60206).
- Vladimir Lenin Statue (В. И. Лениндин эстелиги) (GPS: 42.87856, 74.6039).

- Kyrgyz State Historical Museum (Кыргыз Республикасынын Улуттук тарых музейи.) (GPS: 42.87768, 74.60376).
- White House of Bishkek (GPS: 42.87724, 74.60023).
- Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) of the Kyrgyz Republic (GPS: 42.87705, 74.60010).
- Night views of Bishkek from Tchaikovsky Restaurant (b) (GPS: 42.87210, 74.59927) located at the 10th floor of Orient Hotel (GPS: 42.87216, 74.59927).

6. Food

a. Breakfast

Self-cooked Mamee Chef Mee Lontong instant cup noodles at the Osh Grand Hotel Chavo (GPS: 40.53546, 72.79315) in Osh.
b. Lunch

Sumptuous 15-dishes Chinese Lunch at Cafe Panda (Xióngmāo) Chinese Restaurant (GPS: 42.89157, 74.54464) in Bishkek.

c. Dinner

Kyrgyz fare at Alchik Restaurant (Алчик рестораны) (GPS: 42.87369, 74.60238) in Bishkek:
Greek Salad, Lentil Soup (Shorabet Adas) Fried Chicken & Halva ice-cream.

7. Accommodations and Tour Costs

This was a recce-guided tour that included all ground arrangements, food, entry tickets to parks, and accommodations, but excluded return airfare to and from Central Asia. We booked Air Asia flight tickets online through their website at a return fare of around RM2,000 per pax. Co-travelers who booked later paid more. Our two pax airfare included 20kg of checked-in luggage and an extra 7kg of cabin luggage, giving us a total of 41kg of luggage..

The ground arrangements included 16-seater van transportation between and around cities; Sharq Express Train fare from Tashkent to Bukhara, and from Samarkhand to Tashkent, and domestic Tez Jet airfare from Osh to Bishkek. The 4x4 Russian truck ride to and from Karakol to the Altyn-Arashan Valley was optional and cost USD40 per pax. So was the 4x4 van ride from Saty to Kaindy Lake and Kolsay Lakes National Park, which cost USD20 per pax.

Accommodations were in three-star hotels, homestays, and a yurt camp. For those interested in this tour, contact Eddie at +6012-6122600 for more details and ground arrangement costs.
First of two nights at the Orient Hotel (GPS: 42.87216, 74.59927) in Bishkek.

8. Communicating with Each Other

When travelling in a group, it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one gets lost from the rest.
I pre-purchased the Maxis 15-day Multi-Country Roaming Pass at MYR99 and had it activated on the first day of our tour. This pass included a complimentary Maxis Travel Care insurance for the pass validity period - i.e. MYR50,000 hospitalisation, and MYR2,000 lost baggage, T&C applies.
Alternatively, an almost similar GOGO physical sim card for 15-day 20gB can be bought from Lazada for MYR120 (excluding delivery).

9. Communicating with Locals

Our local guides spoke excellent English, and those in the travel industry or bazaar traders spoke passable English. Other locals speak their local language (Uzbek, Kyrgyz, or Kazakh) or Russian (as they were former Soviet republics). Or one can use Google Translate on one's mobile.

10. Weather

June is the beginning of summer, and the weather in Uzbekistan is dry, sunny, and hot across the board. In Osh, daytime temperatures average 24°C, and in Bishkek, daytime temperatures average 17°C, while nighttime averaged 14°C with rain in the morning.
A useful weather forecast site for Osh and Bishkek is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.

11. Navigation

Geo-tagging of places of interest was via FaceBook, Google Maps or Yandex Maps and Yandex Navigator.

___________________________________________________________________________

PRELUDE

The day before, we left Fergana and Uzbekistan to cross the border to Osh in Kyrgyzstan, to begin the next stage of our Central Asia Adventure! It was a land crossing; arriving at Osh, we climbed the Suleiman Mountain for a panoramic view of the city. Later we visited the millennium-old Teshik Tash Bazaar with a very local feel.

Today, we take a short flight from Osh to Bishkek; being the capital of the country, it should be an interesting city!

___________________________________________________________________________

DAY 8: OSH TO BISHKEK

Medium-size Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan & Kazakhstan)

Day 8 - Osh to Bishkek:
Osh (Grand Hotel Chavo)>van>Osh Airport>fly Tez Jet>Bishkek Airport>van>Ala-Too Central Square>walk>Aikol Manas Statue>Paramount Kyrgyz Republic Flag>Friendship of Nations Monument>Ala-Too Central Square>van>Orient Hotel>walk>Alchik Restaurant>Orient Hotel.

(Zoom out to see Osh)

(Click here for the Central Asia 2026 Day 8: Osh to Bishkek Route Map.)

Most of the posts below are linked to my Facebook postings during the trip and are embedded here with some comments. (NOTE: Click on respective posts to link to the FB post to read more details. If you can't see the posts, please log out of your Facebook first.)

For a change, having Mamee Chef Mee Lontong at our room. It was simple and very nice, and saved us time of having the inclusive buffet breakfast at the Osh Grand Hotel as we have a plane to catch.

Heading for Osh International Airport for our flight to Bishkek.

Arrived at Osh International Airport. And we bid goodbye to Nazirah, our Kyrgyz guide for Osh.

At Osh International Airport, boarding Tez Jet Airlines Flight #104 to Bishkek.

Because of my Total Knee Cap Replacement (TKR), I was invited by a security personnel to a private room to lower my pants to show the scars on my two knees.

OR perhaps the security personnel wanted to know more about TKR. 

By the way, water bottles are allowed on domestic flights.

9:45am - Our Tez Jet Flight #104 took off from the airport to head for Bishkek. It will be a short one-hour flight. We flew in a Boeing MD83. The plane was comfortable as the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is a series of five-abreast single-aisle airliners developed by McDonnell Douglas. It was produced by the developer company until August 1997 and then by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The MD-80 was the second generation of the DC-9 family. The MD-80 made its first flight in October, 1979. The larger variants (MD-81/82/83/88) are 148 ft (45.1 m) long and seat 155 passengers.

Landing approach at Bishkek Manas International Airport. The city is relatively flat, with only a few tall buildings; the tallest ones are about ten storeys high. I think I will like Bishkek, it looks cosy and not overwhelming.

10:30am - Landed at Bishkek Manas International Airport.

We exited through the rear end of the plane. I have exited through the rear of planes, but usually it's at the rear side door. Interestingly, the Boeing MD83 rear door is right at the end, below the tail. I felt like a chicken had plopped me out like an egg 😂.
Welcome to Bishkek! The airport was built as a replacement for the former Frunzensky Airport, located to the south of the city, and was operational in October 1974. It is named after the Kyrgyz epic hero Manas. The airport building is not large and has a spartan Brutalist design. But posters show that it will be expanded with a new terminal building that looks very modern, very futuristic, with a curved dome-shaped roof like a hat capping over tall glass walls.

Iman, our Bishkek guide, was there waiting for us and had his van whisk us to Chinese Lunch at Cafe Panda (Xióngmāo) Chinese Restaurant. It was a super sumptuous lunch with 15 dishes! We had thought it would be a usual 8-course lunch, but then dish after dish kept on coming after the 8th course!

What a great welcome to Bishkek!
All the dishes were pretty good, and I liked the Stir-fried Tofu Cubes, Lamb Cutlets with Green/red chillies & Asparagus, Stir-fried Bean Sprouts & Dragon Vegetable, Stir-fried Large Pork Intestines with Chillies, and Steamed Eggs.

Right after lunch, even though it was raining, Iman took us on a tour of Bishek Inner City. Starting with the Aikol Manas Statue with the colourful flowers of the adjacent Panfilov Park. 

And nearby was the tallest flag Paramount Kyrgyz Republic Flag, which is 45 meters high with a large flag measuring 10x15 meters, with a guard of honor that changes hourly. 

Though walking in the cold rain, we did enjoy ourselves.

Monument to the Victims of the April Revolution & Aksy Shooting.

The monument has three bronze-cast heroes pushing a block of black-clad concrete away from a larger block of white. The black, of course, represents the Kurmanbek Bakiyev era. The figures are the heroes of an uprising in April 2010, when about 90 protestors died, and scores were hurt while driving Kurmanbek from power.

Friendship of Nations Monument.
I thought it was a monument of friendship between many nations, but it's friendship between two, ie Kyrgyzstan and Russia. The monument consists of two tall pylons crafted from white marble. These pillars are adorned with expressive high reliefs that depict figures symbolizing the Russian and Kyrgyz people. The Friendship Monument reflects the era when Kyrgyzstan was part of the Soviet Union and emphasizes the unity and cooperation between different ethnic groups within the union.
There's a similar Georgia-Russia Friendship Monument near Gudauri in Georgia, which we saw during a 2024 tour of Georgia & Armenia.

Vladimir Lenin Statue. While Kyrgyzstan's relationship to its Soviet past is complex, Lenin continues to be acknowledged as the leader who brought Kyrgyzstan its statehood. He is also credited with putting an end to the Great Urkun, the bloody 1916 Central Asian revolt against tsarist conscription. White House of Bishkek. Deputies of the Kyrgyzstan Supreme Council sit in the White House, and the President occupies part of the seventh floor.

 3pm: Checked into Orient Hotel, our stay in Bishkek for the next two days. The rooms are clean and cozy with en suite bathrooms and toilets.
Dinner at Alchik Restaurant:
Greek Salad, Lentil Soup (Shorabet Adas), Fried Chicken & Halva ice-cream. We always like the Shorabet Adas, usually it's made from chick-peas.

After dinner, we went up to Tchaikovsky Restaurant, on the 10th floor of our hotel (Orient Hotel), for scenic night views of Bishkek. We will be back here for dinner tomorrow; hopefully we can get strategic seats to dine with a view!