When to go
If you want to visit the major cities of Kyrgyzstan and the lowlands, the best times are
spring and autumn, especially the periods of April-May and September-October.
Considering the climate variability and the diurnal temperature range, it must be said that it can be cold at night in April and October, and it can get hot during the day in May and September: you can therefore choose the intermediate periods (mid-April to mid-May and mid-September to mid-October).
If you want to visit high altitude areas,
summer is the recommended season, from May to September at around 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) and from June to August above 3,000 meters (9,800 ft), since it is the only period when the temperature rises above freezing.
What to pack
In
winter: in Bishkek and the major cities, under a thousand meters (3,300 feet), bring warm clothes, such as a sweater, a down jacket, a hat, a scarf, and gloves; you will need some lighter clothes for mild days, and a scarf for the wind. In the Tien Shan and in high mountains, bring cold weather clothing, synthetic, thermal long underwear, a fleece, a parka, a wind jacket, and warm boots.
In
summer: in Bishkek and the major cities, under a thousand meters (3,300 feet), bring light clothes, a sun hat, a scarf for the wind, and a sweatshirt for the evening. In the mountains, at intermediate altitudes, bring light clothes for the day, a sun hat, a sweatshirt and a light jacket for the evening, and hiking shoes; above 3,000 meters (9,800 ft), add a sweater and a jacket for the evening; above 4,000 meters (13,000 ft), bring a down jacket, a hat, gloves, and a scarf.
It's better for women to avoid shorts and miniskirts.
Back to the climate of
Kyrgyzstan