ABOUT THE TOUR
At Bashi is Kyrgyzstan at its most exhilarating: immense open steppe made for long canters, isolated villages where horses still outnumber cars, and the Tien Shan rising along the Chinese border. This 12-day journey takes us through one of the country’s least-visited regions, with a rare insight into its nomadic, Silk Road and Soviet heritage.
The journey begins and ends in Bishkek, a leafy, low-rise capital framed by mountains, before travelling south into the Naryn Region and the At Bashi range.
This is fast, varied riding. We canter for miles across rolling foothills and seemingly endless steppe, then follow rocky gorges and glacial rivers into more enclosed mountain country. The Kyrgyz horses are exceptionally fit and sure-footed, bred for precisely this terrain.
Yet the great pleasure of At Bashi is that the landscape is lived in. We ride amongst shepherds and their animals, through farmland and villages and past summer yurts scattered across the pastures. Tourism has barely made an impression here, so encounters happen naturally as we travel through rather than being arranged for visitors. Traces of the old Silk Road remain throughout the region, culminating at Tash Rabat on the ancient route towards China.
Unlike riding journeys based from a fixed camp or lodge, we travel continuously on horseback, with our private mobile camp moving ahead of us each day. This allows us to cover real distance and wake each morning somewhere new, without sacrificing comfort: spacious British-made tents, padded camp beds, hot water for washing, a separate mess tent, and generous meals freshly prepared by our three cooks. Dinner is served at proper tables by oil lamp, followed by homemade cakes and, whenever the evening allows, a campfire. It is this combination of a true journey and an unusually high level of comfort in such isolated country that makes Alexandra Tolstoy Traveldistinctive.
TOUR LEADER
Alexandra Tolstoy
Explorer, author and television presenter Alexandra Tolstoy has been travelling through Central Asia for more than three decades. A graduate in Russian language and literature, and a relative of Leo Tolstoy, her enduring connection with the region began in the 1990s when she and three friends became the first people since Marco Polo to ride the Silk Road on horseback and camel – a remarkable nine-month, 5,000-mile journey from Turkmenistan to China.
Since then, Alexandra has explored Mongolia, Siberia, Russia and Central Asia on horseback, presented a BBC documentary series focused on horse-centred cultures, and written extensively about her travels. Kyrgyzstan, however, remains closest to her heart. She has been leading riding journeys there for more than twenty-five years and has forged deep, trusted relationships with local horsemen, nomadic families and mountain communities.
On this journey, Alexandra travels with you throughout, sharing her intimate knowledge of the landscape, culture and people of the Tien Shan – offering rare access, authenticity and a true spirit of adventure.
12 days from £7,935 per person
TOUR DATE: 9 – 20 SEPTEMBER 2027
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: £800
Price Includes
- Accommodation throughout as shown in the itinerary
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
- Soft drinks, water, beer
- Riding guides and equipment
- Backup team including a large truck and comfortable camping
- The services of your tour leader throughout
Price Excludes
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Wine, spirits
- Items of personal expenditure (e.g. telephone calls / laundry etc.)
- Government levies or taxes introduced after costing and publication of this programme on 25/09/2026
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