From Manas into Bishkek
Twenty-five kilometres of straight road, and a firm rule about not taking the first taxi offered.
The airport
- Manas International (FRU) is about 25 km northwest of Bishkek - 30 to 40 minutes on a straight road.
- It is small. Immigration for visa-free nationalities is quick.
- Many flights land in the very early hours, arriving from Istanbul, Dubai and Moscow, which is worth knowing when you book the first night.
Into the city
- Use a licensed, pre-ordered taxi rather than one flagged down. That is the FCDO's advice and it applies most sharply outside an arrivals hall at 04:00.
- Yandex Go works in Bishkek and is very cheap; ordering one from inside the terminal is the simplest approach.
- Marshrutka 380 runs to the centre for a nominal fare in daylight.
- Guesthouses will arrange a pickup and it is worth it for a night arrival.
Osh
- Osh (OSS) is the second airport, in the south, and is the gateway to the Pamir and the Fergana valley side of the country.
- The flight Bishkek to Osh takes 45 minutes; the road takes 12 hours over two 3,000 m passes. Fly.
Onward
- Bishkek is the base for Ala-Archa, Chon-Kemin and the north.
- Karakol, at the east end of Lake Issyk-Kul, is the trekking base and is 6 hours from Bishkek by shared taxi or marshrutka.
- Roads are poorly maintained and badly lit. Do not drive at night.
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