--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Osh, Kyrgyzstan | Wimup" description: "Ten ranked things to do in Osh, from Sulaiman-Too and Babur's House to the Uzgen minaret, plus plov, the new market, transport, costs and when to go." url: https://wimup.com/city/osh type: City guide updated: 2026-10-07 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Osh Osh, Kyrgyzstan · Asia · By Wimup Editorial, 11 min read Osh is Kyrgyzstan's oldest city and the capital of the south, a Fergana Valley town as Uzbek as it is Kyrgyz, built around a sacred rock that rises from its centre. It is also the northern end of the Pamir Highway, so most travellers arrive on the way to the mountains. ## Quick answer Give Osh two days. Day one is Sulaiman-Too: climb to Babur's House early, go inside the rock at the Cave Museum, then walk down to the Rabat Abdullah Khan Mosque. Plov for lunch, the Kurmanjan Datka monument at dusk. Day two drives out to the Uzgen minaret, or south over the Taldyk Pass on the Pamir Highway. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** Apr · May · Sep · Oct - **Ideal length:** 2–3 days - **Budget per day:** $30–70 - **Language:** Kyrgyz · Uzbek · Russian - **Getting around:** Taxis & marshrutkas - **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://tourism.gov.kg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Osh ### 1. Climb Sulaiman-Too to Babur's House Landmark · Sulaiman-Too, central Osh The rock in the middle of the city has drawn pilgrims for centuries and became Kyrgyzstan's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009. The stair to Babur's House, a 1989 rebuild of the prayer room Babur built here in 1497, is steep: climb it early, before the heat. - **Time:** 1–2 hrs - **Cost:** Small entry fee - **Best at:** Early morning - **Tip:** Dress modestly Links: [Website](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1230/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 2. Go inside the mountain at the Cave Museum Museum · Sulaiman-Too, Osh The Sulaiman-Too museum complex, founded in 1949, fills a natural cave in the rock with more than 30,000 objects from the Fergana Valley, from Bronze Age pottery to Kyrgyz jewellery. It holds at about 15°C all year, the coolest hour of a summer afternoon. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Separate ticket - **Best at:** Afternoon - **Tip:** Bring a layer ### 3. Visit the Rabat Abdullah Khan Mosque Mosque · Foot of Sulaiman-Too Said to be the oldest mosque in Osh, this 16th-century prayer hall sits at the foot of Sulaiman-Too and is still in use. Visit outside prayer times with shoulders and knees covered; women should carry a headscarf. - **Time:** 20 min - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Mid-morning - **Tip:** Avoid Friday noon ### 4. Eat Osh plov at Navat Restaurant · Lenina St 288 Southern plov is cooked with the red devzira rice grown around Uzgen, and Osh plov is the version Kyrgyzstan rates highest. Navat's Osh branch is the dependable place to try it, alongside lagman, manty and samsa from the tandoor. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** $ - **Best at:** Lunch - **Tip:** Order plov at midday ### 5. Shop the new municipal market Market · Japalak, beside the car market The riverside Jayma Bazaar was flooded in July 2024 and cleared, and since July 2025 its traders work from the new municipal market at Japalak, with 2,500 stalls. Go in the morning for dried fruit, nuts, spices and sacks of Uzgen rice. - **Time:** 1–2 hrs - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Take a taxi out ### 6. See the Kurmanjan Datka monument Monument · Kurmanjan Datka Park Kurmanjan Datka held the Alai together through the Russian annexation and now appears on a banknote. Her statue stands under a great arch in the park named for her, above the old Silk Road route, with a clear line back to Sulaiman-Too. - **Time:** 30 min - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Late afternoon - **Tip:** Pair it with the mountain ### 7. Take a seat at the Babur Theatre Theatre · Lenina St 326 The Osh State Academic Uzbek Music and Drama Theatre is more than a century old and reopened in April 2023 after a $5 million renovation paid for by Uzbekistan. Shows are in Uzbek; the music and staging carry a visitor through. - **Time:** 2–3 hrs - **Cost:** Varies - **Best at:** Evening - **Tip:** Check the bill in town ### 8. Drive out to the Uzgen minaret Day trip · Uzgen, about an hour north-east Uzgen was a Karakhanid capital, and its 11th-century brick minaret, 27.5 m tall, still stands beside three carved mausoleums. Combine it with the town bazaar, where the district's red devzira rice is sold by the sack. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Driver or shared taxi - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Buy rice at the bazaar ### 9. Stand in the spray at Abshir-Sai Nature · Osh Region At Abshir-Sai a river bursts from a cave in a cliff face and falls about 30 m to the valley floor. Pilgrims bathe in the spray and fill bottles with the water, so treat it as a shrine as much as a viewpoint. - **Time:** Full day - **Cost:** Driver - **Best at:** Spring to autumn - **Tip:** Hire a driver ### 10. Drive the Pamir Highway toward Lenin Peak Road trip · M41 south from Osh Osh is the northern end of the Pamir Highway. The M41 climbs over the 3,615 m Taldyk Pass to Sary-Tash, and Achik-Tash base camp, at 3,600 m under Lenin Peak, is about 280 km and five hours away. Acclimatise before you sleep high. - **Time:** 1–2 days - **Cost:** Driver - **Best at:** Summer - **Tip:** Go slowly at altitude ## Sacred sites in Osh Three places on and below the sacred mountain, all still in use. 1. **Babur's House** (Shrine · summit · Sulaiman-Too): A 1989 rebuild of the prayer room Babur raised on the summit in 1497. 2. **Rabat Abdullah Khan Mosque** (Mosque · free · Foot of Sulaiman-Too): The oldest mosque in Osh by local account, 16th century and still in use. 3. **Asaf ibn Burhiya Mausoleum** (Mausoleum · exterior only · Foot of Sulaiman-Too): Fenced off, but the carved facade is worth the short detour. ## Museums and theatres in Osh One museum inside a mountain and two stages, one in each of the city's languages. 1. **Sulaiman-Too Cave Museum** (History · separate ticket · Sulaiman-Too): Over 30,000 objects in a natural cave, Bronze Age to Kyrgyz jewellery. 2. **Babur Uzbek Music and Drama Theatre** (Theatre · in Uzbek · Lenina St 326): A century-old Uzbek stage, renovated and reopened in 2023. 3. **Ibraimov Kyrgyz Drama Theatre** (Theatre · in Kyrgyz · Central Osh): The Kyrgyz-language company, named for the former premier Sultan Ibraimov. ## Best restaurants in Osh (2026) Three dependable tables for plov, lagman and shashlik. 1. **Navat** (Central Asian · $ · Lenina St 288): The Kyrgyz chaikhana chain's Osh branch: plov, lagman, manty, samsa. 2. **Ala-Too** (Chaikhana · Central Osh): An airy modern chaikhana with retro diner booths and hand-made lagman. 3. **Tsarski Dvor** (Grill · Central Osh): Russian log-cabin decor and a menu built around shashlik. ## Parks and monuments in Osh Where Osh goes in the evening, and the statues it chose to keep. 1. **Navoi Park** (Park · free · Ak-Buura riverbank): Leafy river park on the Ak-Buura, a local favourite on a warm evening. 2. **Kurmanjan Datka Park** (Monument · free · Kurmanjan Datka Park): Her statue under a great arch, looking back at Sulaiman-Too. 3. **Meerim Park** (Park · free · Central Osh): The Park of Love, where the city stages its Nooruz concerts. ## Markets and bazaars around Osh The new city market, the valley's big wholesale bazaar and a rice town. 1. **Osh Municipal Market** (Market · free · Japalak): Since July 2025 the home of the old Jayma traders, 2,500 stalls. 2. **Kara-Suu Bazaar** (Wholesale · free · Kara-Suu): A 24-hectare wholesale bazaar 23 km north-east, mostly Chinese goods. 3. **Uzgen Bazaar** (Rice · free · Uzgen): Where to buy red devzira rice by the kilo, in the town that grows it. ## Best day trips from Osh A minaret, a sacred waterfall, a cave and a walnut forest. 1. **Uzgen** (Heritage · half day · North-east): An 11th-century minaret and three Karakhanid mausoleums, an hour away. 2. **Abshir-Sai** (Waterfall · full day · Osh Region): A river that bursts from a cliff and falls 30 m. A pilgrim site. 3. **Chil-Ustun** (Caves · full day · Osh Region): Limestone caves of stalactites and stalagmites in the hills. 4. **Arslanbob** (Forest · overnight · Jalal-Abad Region): A village inside a vast walnut forest, about 200 km and five hours. ## The Pamir Highway from Osh Four stops on the M41 as it climbs from the valley into the Alay. 1. **Taldyk Pass** (Pass · 3,615 m · M41): The highway's first big climb, to 3,615 m. 2. **Sary-Tash** (Village · 3,170 m · Alay Valley): The Alay Valley crossroads at 3,170 m, for China or Tajikistan. 3. **Achik-Tash** (Base camp · summer · Under Lenin Peak): Lenin Peak base camp at 3,600 m, about 280 km from Osh. 4. **Irkeshtam Pass** (Border · China · East of Sary-Tash): The Chinese border crossing, 80 km east of Sary-Tash, for Kashgar. ## Festivals & annual events in Osh (2026) - **Orozo Ait** (End of Ramadan): Eid al-Fitr, a public holiday that moves with the lunar calendar. Mosques overflow. - **International Women’s Day** (8 March): A public holiday, marked with flowers, concerts and family meals. - **Nooruz** (21 March): The spring new year and the biggest date of the year, with sumolok and concerts in the parks. - **Constitution Day** (5 May): A public holiday, and the start of the warm, green weeks in the valley. - **Victory Day** (9 May): The 1945 Soviet victory, marked with wreaths at the war memorials. - **Kurman Ait** (Moves yearly): Eid al-Adha, about ten weeks after Orozo Ait. Families share the sacrifice. - **Independence Day** (31 August): Concerts and fireworks for the 1991 break with the Soviet Union. - **Days of History and Commemoration of Ancestors** (7–8 November): Two public holidays of remembrance, centred on the 1916 Urkun uprising. ## Must-try dishes in Osh, Kyrgyzstan - **Osh plov**: Rice, carrot and mutton in a kazan, made with Uzgen's red devzira rice. - **Lagman**: Hand-pulled noodles under a stew of beef, peppers and garlic. - **Samsa**: Tandoor pastries stuffed with mutton and onion, eaten straight from the oven. - **Manty**: Steamed dumplings of minced lamb, or pumpkin in autumn. - **Shashlik**: Mutton skewers over coals, sold from every grill on the main roads. - **Kattama**: A layered, flaky flatbread fried in butter. - **Kymyz**: Fermented mare's milk, sour and lightly fizzy, sold in summer. - **Boorsok**: Squares of fried dough piled on every table at a celebration. ## Osh transport & airports - **Osh International** (OSS): About 10 km from the centre. Flights to Bishkek take under an hour, and there are direct routes to Russia, Turkey and the Gulf. A taxi into town is the simple option. - **Shared taxi to Bishkek** (Road): Around 600 km over two passes, eleven or twelve hours, about 2,000 som a seat. Do it once in daylight; the flight is the sane return. - **Dostuk border** (Uzbekistan): The crossing to Andijan sits a few kilometres from the city and reopened fully in 2017. Taxis run to the post; walk across and pick up another. - **Taxis & marshrutkas** (City): Yandex Go works across Osh and is cheap. Numbered marshrutka minibuses cover the main roads for a few som, cash only. ## Osh at a glance - **Country:** Kyrgyzstan - **Region:** Fergana Valley, southern Kyrgyzstan - **Population:** ~463,000 (2024) - **Age:** 3,000th anniversary marked in 2000 - **Elevation:** ~960 m - **Language:** Kyrgyz · Uzbek · Russian - **Currency:** Kyrgyz som (KGS) - **Time zone:** KGT · UTC+6 - **Calling code:** +996 - **Airport:** OSS - **UNESCO:** Sulaiman-Too, 2009 - **Visa:** 30 days visa-free for 55 nationalities ## Interesting facts - Osh is Kyrgyzstan's second city and its oldest, and marked its 3,000th anniversary in 2000. - Sulaiman-Too became Kyrgyzstan's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009. - Babur, founder of the Mughal dynasty, built a prayer retreat on the mountain in 1497, aged 14. - In Uzbek, osh is also the word for plov, the rice dish the city is proudest of. - Its 1975 Lenin statue, the tallest left in Central Asia, was taken down in June 2025. ## Osh travel FAQ ### How many days do you need in Osh? Two. One for Sulaiman-Too, the Cave Museum and the mosque at its foot, with plov for lunch; one for Uzgen or Abshir-Sai. Add days if Osh is your start for the Pamir Highway, since drivers and border plans are arranged here. ### Is Osh safe to visit? Yes. Osh is calm, and Kyrgyzstan is rated at the lowest travel-advisory level. The caution applies to the Tajik border areas and Batken, not the city. Tensions between the Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities date from the 2010 violence and are worth reading up on. ### When is the best time to visit Osh? April to early June and September to October. July highs run into the mid-30s °C, and winter is cold but short. The Pamir Highway passes and Lenin Peak camps work in summer, so a mountain trip pushes you to June to September. ### How do you get from Bishkek to Osh? Fly: the flight is under an hour and runs several times a day. The road is about 600 km over two passes and takes eleven or twelve hours by shared taxi, around 2,000 som a seat. Do it once in daylight for the scenery. ### Can you cross into Uzbekistan from Osh? Yes. The Dostuk crossing to Andijan is a few kilometres from the city and reopened fully in 2017. Take a taxi to the post, walk through, and pick up an Uzbek taxi on the other side for Andijan or the Fergana Valley. ## Nearby guides - [Tashkent](https://wimup.com/city/tashkent.md): Uzbekistan · 10 picks - [Dushanbe](https://wimup.com/city/dushanbe.md): Tajikistan · 10 picks - [Bukhara](https://wimup.com/city/bukhara.md): Uzbekistan · 10 picks - [All of Asia →](https://wimup.com/asia): 71 cities Part of the [Kyrgyzstan guide](https://wimup.com/country/kyrgyzstan.md) · [Asia](https://wimup.com/asia.md) ## Sources - [Osh tourism board](https://tourism.gov.kg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Climb Sulaiman-Too to Babur's House (official site)](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1230/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.