Osh
Discover Osh
Osh is a city in the Ferghana Valley of Kyrgyzstan. Osh is a lively place, with the largest and most crowded outdoor market in all of Central Asia, now called the Great Silk Road Bazar. The city is at least 3,000 years old. Osh (Kyrgyz: Ош) is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan. It's in the south of the country and often referred to as the "capital of the south". It has served as the administrative center of Osh Province since 1939. The city has an ethnically mixed population of about 322,000 (2021), about 46% Uzbek, 43% Kyrgyz and several smaller ethnic groups. On the whole it is much more Islamic than other parts of Kyrgyzstan
What to Experience in Osh
Taste of Osh...
Alcohol is perhaps more elusive in Osh than in the capital, but there are nonetheless a few good bars in the city. The national beer is "Arpa", and really quite good, even by international standards. 80 som for a pint is fairly standard.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsGetting there/away: A taxi to the city centre costs around 250-400 som. A Yandex.Taxi is about 170 som. Marshrutka 107 takes 25 min to Jayma Bazaar, it then continues towards the centre parallel to Prospektesi Lenina. From Andijan you can take a bus to the border and then a taxi or a mashrukta or direct to the Osh bus station from the Andijan Bus Station. The bus to the border is about 1000 Uzbek som. There are two weekly sleeper buses (Monday and Friday) from Kashgar in China leaving at 10:00 (Beijing time) and the trip takes about 18 hr. The price is ¥470 and the buses depart from Kashgar international bus station. As the road through Irkeshtam is at high altitude, remember to take warm clothes to the bus even during summer. Sit on the left for better views. The Pamir Highway runs from Dushanbe to Osh via Khorog and Murghab. Taking this route requires not only a visa for the country but also a permit for the region; see Pamirs....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Taxis are cheap, a ride from the city to the airport is about 300 som. Buses are 10–15 som, and marshrutkas are 15 som per person. The city has several monuments, including one to the and one of the few remaining statues of Vladimir Lenin, and the largest mosque in the country (beside the bazaar). Alcohol is perhaps more elusive in Osh than in the capital, but there are nonetheless a few good bars in the city. The national beer is "Arpa", and really quite good, even by international standards. 80 som for a pint is fairly standard.
Money & Budget
Alcohol is perhaps more elusive in Osh than in the capital, but there are nonetheless a few good bars in the city. The national beer is "Arpa", and really quite good, even by international standards. 80 som for a pint is fairly standard.
Safety Information
Glimpses of Osh
Morning, At 6:00
The Sulayman Mountain is the only World Heritage Site located entirely in the country of Kyrgyzstan. It is located in the city of Osh and was once a major place of pre-Muslim pilgrimage.
Road trip to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
An ornate building is carved into a mountain.
The Sulayman Mountain is the only World Heritage Site located entirely in the country of Kyrgyzstan. It is located in the city of Osh and was once a major place of pre-Muslim pilgrimage.
the sun setting over a city with a mountain in the background
The Sulayman Mountain is the only World Heritage Site located entirely in the country of Kyrgyzstan. It is located in the city of Osh and was once a major place of pre-Muslim pilgrimage.
A group of mountains with snow on them
A view of a mountain with snow on it
A mountain range with snow covered mountains in the background
Morning, At 6:00
The Sulayman Mountain is the only World Heritage Site located entirely in the country of Kyrgyzstan. It is located in the city of Osh and was once a major place of pre-Muslim pilgrimage.
Road trip to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan