BishkekCapital
Kyrgyzstan · Country profile
Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan, the green, relaxed city of the northern valley that spreads its wide Soviet-era avenues, its parks, its fountains and its cheerful street life across the plain at the edge of the Tien Shan mountains. The city was rebuilt in the century as the model capital of the region, and its centre, with the great square of the Ala-Too, the state monuments and the museums, carries the orderly, amiable character of the Soviet town modified by the independent vigour of the modern Republic. The snow peaks of the mountains rise dramatically on the horizon, and the valleys and the trekking country of the Alps of the region begin minutes beyond the last streets. The markets of the city, the parks of the young people and the busy cafe life give the capital a warm, unpretentious energy, and the bazaars of the everyday, from the enormous market of the Osh to the food stalls of the evenings, anchor the local life.
About Bishkek
Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The city's documented population is around 1,150,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Kyrgyzstani Som (KGS) and Kyrgyz and Russian are spoken; the dialling code is +996.
The Green Avenues at the Edge of the Tien Shan
Bishkek is a wide, green, unpretentious Central Asian capital that runs on a pleasant, human scale, with broad avenues, tree-lined parks, statues of the era and a friendly, safe street life. The mountains rise over the city, and the treks and the valleys of the region are minutes from the edge of town. The history of the country is recent and independent, and the monuments and the museums of the centre tell that story plainly. It is not a city of grand sights but of easy rhythms, good food, cheap transport and warm people, and it serves as the perfect base for the mountain world of the whole country.
The Som, the Minibuses and the Mountain Escapes
The climate is continental, with the hot summers, the cold winters and the pleasant spring and autumn of the valley; the altitude of the city is gentle and the mountains behind it cooler. The square of the centre, the market of the Osh and the museums are the essential circuit, and the gorges and the valleys of the mountains beyond the city are the classic day trips. The som is the currency and the cards work in the modern shops, with the cash the practical way at the markets. The Russian and the Kyrgyz are both spoken and the city is safe, clean and easy, with the minibuses and the taxis of the ride apps covering the wide spread.
The Ala-Too Square, the Osh Market and the Oak Parks
The central square of the Ala-Too, with the monument of the independence and the changing of the guard of the state flag, is the civic heart of the capital, and the state museum and the museum of the fine arts of the city hold the collections of the applied art of the nomads. The enormous market of the Osh, the great bazaar of the everyday with the produce, the fabrics and the household goods of the region, is the sensory introduction to the local life, and the oak and the walnut parks of the city run the gentle promenade life of the evenings. The gorge of the Ala-Archa, the national park of the mountains a short drive from the city, gives the classic day of the snow peaks and the trekking that frame the whole identity of the country.
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- Country
- Kyrgyzstan
- Population
- 1,150,000
- Capital
- Bishkek
- Region
- Asia
- Currency
- Kyrgyzstani Som (KGS)
- Languages
- Kyrgyz, Russian
- Calling code
- +996
- Country code
- KG
Entry requirements for Kyrgyzstan
Visa status for travellers from common origins visiting Kyrgyzstan for tourism.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bishkek the capital of Kyrgyzstan?
Yes — Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
What currency do I need in Bishkek?
The local currency is the Kyrgyzstani Som (KGS). Languages spoken in Kyrgyzstan include Kyrgyz and Russian.
What is the dialling code for Kyrgyzstan?
The international dialling code for Kyrgyzstan is +996.
Do I need a visa to visit Kyrgyzstan?
It depends on your passport. Among the origins we track, travellers from Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Italy currently enter Kyrgyzstan visa-free for tourism. Use the entry requirements tool to check your own nationality and purpose of travel.
Flying out of Bishkek? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.