Osh

Osh (Kyrgyz: Ош) is the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan and the unofficial "capital of the south", serving as the administrative centre of Osh Province since 1939. With a population of about 322,000 (2021), the city is ethnically mixed — roughly 46% Uzbek, 43% Kyrgyz, and several smaller communities. Osh is at least 3,000 years old, making it one of Central Asia's oldest settlements, and sits in the Ferghana Valley.

The city is more conservative and Islamic than Bishkek and northern Kyrgyzstan, typical of Ferghana Valley cities. Its most famous landmark, the Jayma Bazaar, was the largest outdoor market in Central Asia until it was heavily damaged by flooding in 2024 and subsequently bulldozed. As of 2026 there is talk of rebuilding it as a tourist attraction. Osh's climate is continental with hot summers (30-35°C) and cold winters (-5 to -15°C); spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October) are the most pleasant visiting seasons. The city centre is compact and walkable, centred around Lenin Avenue and Kurmanjan-Datka Street.

By Plane

Osh International Airport (OSS IATA) is 11 km from the city centre. A taxi to the centre costs around 250–400 som; via Yandex.Taxi about 170 som. Marshrutka 107 runs to the city centre along Prospektesi Lenina. Airlines serving Osh include Aeroflot (St Petersburg), Turkish Airlines (Istanbul), Pegasus (Istanbul, Bishkek from €20), China Southern (Ürümqi), Kyrgyzstan Airlines (Bishkek, Moscow-Domodedovo, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg), S7 (Moscow-Domodedovo), Uzbekistan Airways (Tashkent), Avia Trafik (Bishkek, ~€40), and SCAT Airlines (Bishkek, ~€40).

By Car / Road

Shared taxis from Bishkek cost 1,000–1,500 som per person (prices vary seasonally); departures from Zainabetdinova Street. Marshrutkas from Bishkek run overnight (15:00–18:00 departures) for 500–700 som, slightly slower but more comfortable with sleeping berths. Shared taxis to Jalal-Abad cost 250 som from the New Bus Station. From China, weekly sleeper buses depart Kashgar on Monday and Friday at 10:00 (Beijing time), ~18 hours, ¥470. From Uzbekistan, buses from Andijan run to the border with onward connections. The Pamir Highway connects Osh to Dushanbe via Murghab (shared jeep from Osh ~1,500–2,000 som).

Taxis within the city are cheap — a ride from the centre to the airport costs about 300 som. Buses cost 10–15 som and marshrutkas 15 som per person. The city centre is walkable, but for outlying areas marshrutkas are the most practical option. Yandex.Taxi operates in Osh for app-based rides.

• Sulayman Mountain — A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this sacred mountain looms over the city with ancient worship sites, a cave museum (archaeological and geological exhibits), and the Dom Babura Mosque built into the rock. Open 08:30–20:00; 70 som entry, 150 som for the museum.

• Mechet' Ravvat Abdullakhana (Mosque of Ravat Abdullakhan) — Said to be Osh's oldest mosque, a 16th-century structure. Non-Muslims most likely not permitted entry.

• Turgunbai Sadykov Osh Regional Museum of Fine Art — Soviet realist and regional Kyrgyz works. 09:30–17:00 daily, 50 som.

• Mausoleum of Asaf ibn Burkhiy — Islamic architecture at the base of Mount Sulaiman, named after King Suleiman's vizier.

• Sulaiman-Too Mosque (Osh New Mosque) — Notable for its blue mosaic tiles, visible before ascending Mt Sulaiman. Tourists not generally admitted.

• Russian Orthodox Church — Blue-and-white early 20th-century church near the Lenin Monument; the only Russian church left in Osh.

• Lenin Monument and Alymbek Datkanyn Aykeli — One of Kyrgyzstan's few remaining Lenin statues and a statue of Kyrgyz freedom fighter Alymbek Datka.

• Manas Statue — Statue of Kyrgyzstan's legendary hero with a snow leopard, on the road to the airport.

• CBT Osh (Ergesh Alieva Street 190, [email protected]) — The closest thing to a tourist office, offering guided trekking tours. They provide free information (up to 10 minutes) and also run a guesthouse.

• Hike Sulayman Mountain — The best views of Osh and the surrounding Ferghana Valley, especially at sunset.

• Day trip to Abshyr-Ata Waterfall — A subterranean river emerging from a cliff in a tight canyon, about 3 hours southwest of Osh.

• Explore the Alai Valley — Drive 3.5 hours south for spectacular views of the Alai and Pamir ranges, including Lenin Peak.

• Visit Kyrgyz Ata National Park — A nature reserve on the north face of the Alay Range, suitable for hiking with planning.

• Nirvana Restaurant — European and local cuisine with good shashlyk, steak, and burritos. They brew their own beer. Short taxi ride from the city centre.
• Kafe "Zhyz-Byz" (226 Kurmanjan-Datka St., +996 777 557 939) — Excellent range of local food; two mains with drinks around 450 som. Menu in English. Pleasant decor.
• NAVAT (288 Lenina Ulitsa, 10:00–00:00) — A chaikhana chain also found in Bishkek, offering a wide choice of regional food and drinks.

Alcohol is less prevalent than in Bishkek but available at restaurants and bars. Chaikhanas (teahouses) serve black and green tea, often with jam or sweets. Bottled water is recommended; tap water should be boiled. NAVAT and Nirvana both serve beer.

• Budget: CBT Osh guesthouse (Ergesh Alieva St. 190) — basic rooms, doubles from around 800 som. Several Soviet-era hotels near the centre offer rooms from 500–1,000 som.
• Mid-range: Hotel Osh (near the centre) — decent rooms with private bathrooms, around 1,500–2,500 som per night.
• Upscale: Guesthouses in the Sulayman Mountain area offer more comfortable stays, 3,000–5,000 som.

• Saimalau Tash Art Gallery (Kurmanzhan-Datka St., 244, +996 550 826 050) — Local artworks including tapestries, clothes, and ceramics. M–Sa 09:00–19:00.
• Globus (24 Masalieva St, 24/7) — The largest hypermarket in town; useful for trekking supplies. Gas canisters available at the Korean shop upstairs.
• Destination Osh (M–Sa 09:00–19:00) — The only shop in town renting tents and camping gear (gas burners, sleeping bags, hiking poles).

• Arslanbob (150 km northwest) — Home to the world's largest walnut forest, a stunning natural area for hiking.
• Sary-Tash (200 km south) — Gateway to the Pamir Highway and the Alai Valley, with spectacular mountain scenery.
• Jalal-Abad (100 km northwest) — Regional centre with hot springs and access to the Arslanbob and Sary-Chelek areas.
• Uzgen (60 km northeast) — Historic town with an 11th–12th-century minaret and mausoleums.
• Kashgar, China (350 km east via Irkeshtam) — Historic Silk Road city across the border in Xinjiang.
• Murghab, Tajikistan (400 km south via the Pamir Highway) — High-altitude Pamiri town on the way to the Tajik Pamirs.