Bishkek: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan, 767 m (2,516 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Manas International Airport (BSZ), 23 km (14 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 452 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Bishkek runs from about 9 h 4 min a day in late December to 15 h 24 min in late June (computed for 42.87° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Bishkek is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Manas International Airport (BSZ), 23 km (14 mi) from the centre, whose 13,780-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft.
Flights to Bishkek: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Bishkek · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 452 places to stay in Bishkek. Of the 231 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (117), and 6 are five-star. Across 96 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.7 out of 10. Guests have left 54,852 reviews in total.
Hotels in Bishkek: the full picture, and book
Our booking partner lists 55 hostels in Bishkek, out of 452 places to stay of every kind — 12.2% of everywhere it lists in the city, which puts it in the top tenth of the cities we hold hostel figures for — a well-established backpacker trail. Across 21 hostels with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.9 out of 10, which is 0.2 above the 8.7 its hotels average — not unusual, since a hostel is judged on its staff and its common room rather than on its fittings. Guests have left 11,824 reviews across them.
Hostels in Bishkek: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Almaty, 193 km (Kazakhstan) — flights
- Andijon, 297 km (Uzbekistan)
- Namangan, 319 km (Uzbekistan)
- Kashgar, 396 km (China)
- Taraz, 262 km (Kazakhstan)
- Osh, 300 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Fergana, 362 km (Uzbekistan)
- Artux, 376 km (China)
- Qo‘qon, 399 km (Uzbekistan)
- Marg‘ilon, 357 km (Uzbekistan)
Common questions
Which airport serves Bishkek?
Manas International Airport (BSZ), 23 km (14 mi) from the centre.
How big is Bishkek?
About 900,000 people live in Bishkek (GeoNames).
What time zone is Bishkek in?
Asia/Bishkek, currently UTC+6.
What currency is used in Bishkek?
The Som (KGS). Traffic drives on the right.
Are there hostels in Bishkek?
55 of them, bookable on this site. Hostels in Bishkek.
How many hotels are there in Bishkek?
Our booking partner lists 452 places to stay in Bishkek, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Bishkek?
Almaty (193 km), Andijon (297 km), Namangan (319 km), Kashgar (396 km), Taraz (262 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.