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Osh is a city in the Ferghana Valley of Kyrgyzstan. The city is at least 3,000 years old and today remains a lively place.
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A mountain looming over the city full of ancient sites of worship, some still in use, dating back several millennia. It is considered the most complete example of a Central Asian sacred mountain, and accordingly has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A cave in the mountain is the site of a museum containing a collection of archaeological, geological and historical finds and information about local flora and fauna. Also here is a very compact mosque/mausoleum tucked into the mountain called Dom Babura Mosque at the other end of the prominence. Overall it's a good place to have a hike and take in the views.
Mosque of Ravat Abdullakhan / Ravvat Abdullakhan Mechiti / Равват Абдуллахан мечити
Said to be oldest mosque in Osh, a tribute to 16th-century Rabat Abdul Khan. Non-Muslims most likely not allowed entry.
Basic collection of Soviet realist pieces along with some regional Kyrgyz works.
Mavzoley Asaf Ibn Burkhiya
Interesting Islamic architecture at base of Mount Sulaiman, named after King Suleiman’s vizier.
Osh New Mosque
A mosque of notable statue with blue mosaic tiles that you can see before going up Mt Sulaiman. Tourists not really allowed in though.
Blue and white church with a stone gate in front stemming from the early 20th century that is supposedly the only Russian church left in Osh after the demise of Soviet Union and events that followed.
Statue of Kyrgyz freedom fighter against Soviet rule.
Statue to Kyrgyzstan's legendary hero/leader of yore, with a snow leopard in front.
A waterfall where a subterranean river emanates from the cliff in a tight mountainous canyon. About 3 hours from Osh.
If you feel like exploring, you can drive about 3.5 hours south of Osh to the Alai (Alay) Valley for spectacular views of the Alai Range to the northwest and north and the Pamir Range, particularly Lenin Peak, to the south. If you travel east from here on A372, you will eventually reach Erkeshtam (Irkeshtam), the border station between Kyrgyzstan and Xinjiang Province of China. Or, going west, A372 will take you to Dushanbe, or considering that it is part of European Route E60, all the way to Brest on the Atlantic Ocean.
A nature reserve on the north face of the Alay Range. Established in 1992, but not developed. Hiking and sightseeing will require some planning, or possibly arranging a trip through a guide (e.g. Trip To Kyrgyzstan +996 550 541 670).
If you want to go trekking, CBT Osh is the closest thing you'll find to a tourism office. It is a private company, but they do offer free information (up to 10 minutes) if you go to their office (which is also a guesthouse). Their main activity is offering guided trekking tours throughout the country. Keep in mind that they have an incentive to sell you their more expensive tours.
Short taxi ride outside of city center; European and local cuisine; good shashlyk, steak, chicken and beef burritos. Indoor and outdoor dining areas, with toys for children. Good service, clean. They brew their own beer, the vats are visible from the dining room in a large area next door.
Very good range of local food. Two mains with drinks, around 450 som. Menu in English. Pleasant decor.
Chaikhana chain also found in Bishkek, wide choice of regional food and drinks.
A large open-air (but sheltered for bad weather) 'beer cafe' and restaurant with a nice atmosphere and a good selection of drinks. Beers cost 70-100 som for a pint, food from 100-400 som. Traditional 'tabchans' and western seating available. Menu is only in Russian but there are pictures so ordering is painless.
Gostevoy Dom Bayana
Cost of twin room (not per person) with private facilities - 1,400 som, including breakfast served in a lovely garden (August 2018). With TV, fridge & air-con, terrace. Just north of Lenin Monument on right.
5-minute walk from bazaar on Kurmanjan-Datka street 262/5 (difficult to see this; directly across from 3-storey Yurt) in a predominantly business and university district of the city (great location). It has one 4-bed dorm. WiFi, self-service kitchen, laundry service are available. Western toilet is kept clean. Shower has a water heater, though you have to wait around half an hour till it gets hot. Owner Meri is helpful and lovely, and though she has hearing disability you can easily discuss by writing or Speech-to-Text software. Call ahead.
Nice and well established but a little shabby, split across a house and nearby flat. There are three 4-bed dorms, a double room and two kitchens. Only three shared bathrooms so you might have to wait a while to get your morning shower. Laundry service (for 70 som/kg), free Wi-Fi, English and German are spoken. Many rooms have issues with cockroaches and mould, unfortunately. Alcohol and pork are banned, even storing it.
Ош-Нуру
A big former Soviet hotel with partly renovated rooms, but also budget options in old-fashioned twin rooms (from €19 per room). The staff speak English and there is a nice pool and bar. Wi-Fi is available in the rooms.
No dorm. Clean place, only private bathrooms, kitchen available. A nice woman runs the place. She speaks English.
Several rooms and dorms, but also a sheltered camping area and a lawn where the long distance cyclists like to stay. English speaking staff.
Shop selling local artworks from tapestries to clothes to ceramics.
This is the biggest Globus hypermarket in town. You will find all the food you might need to prepare for a trekking journey. If you need gas canisters, the Korean shop upstairs sells them for much cheaper than elsewhere.
The only shop in town still renting tents. They also offer other camping gears, such as gas burners, gas canisters, sleeping bags, hiking poles, solar batteries, etc. Aim to visit their office in the middle of the day, as they tend to open later and close earlier than their official working hours.
By bus or marshrutka
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.
By shared taxi
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.
Taxis are cheap, a ride from the city to the airport is about 300 som.
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Osh · International · OSS
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