KG
Osh
One of Central Asia’s oldest cities, below sacred Sulaiman-Too and at the start of the Pamir Highway
One of Central Asia’s oldest cities, below sacred Sulaiman-Too and at the start of the Pamir Highway
Paths climb the sacred mountain to shrines, petroglyphs and viewpoints over the city. It has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries.
Go early or late to avoid the heat.
Photo: Ninara, CC BY 2.0
Built into a cave on the mountain, the National Historical and Archaeological Museum displays finds from the region’s long history.
Photo: Adam Harangozó, CC BY-SA 4.0
From the summit you look out over Osh, its mosques and the mountains beyond.
Photo: Radosław Botev, CC BY 3.0 pl
The city’s mosques, parks and riverside along the Ak-Buura make for easy walks. The historic bazaar moved to a new site north of the centre in 2025.
Photo: One half 3544, CC0
Osh is famous for plov, rice cooked with lamb, carrots and spices, often eaten at lunch. Try samsa baked in tandoor ovens, lagman noodles and fresh fruit from the Fergana Valley.
Chaikhanas (teahouses) serve green tea and bread throughout the day.
Osh Airport has frequent flights from Bishkek and some international routes. Shared taxis and minibuses link Osh with Bishkek on a long mountain road, and the Uzbek border crossing at Dostuk is nearby.
Drivers and tours for the Pamir Highway can be arranged in town.
Kyrgyzstan uses the som (KGS). Osh is cheap.
Two days before or after the Pamirs.
Climb the mountain, visit the cave museum and watch the sunset over the city.
Explore the bazaar and mosques, and eat plov at lunchtime.
Best at lunchtime.
Respect pilgrims on the mountain.
Arrange drivers and permits in advance.
Carry som.
Quick answers for planning time in Osh.
UNESCO describes it as more than 3,000 years old.
A sacred mountain in the city, Kyrgyzstan’s first UNESCO site.
By flight from Bishkek or by road.
Osh is the traditional starting point for trips into the Pamirs.
April to June or September to October.
Planning a wider trip? Our Kyrgyzstan travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.