8 Apps You’ll Need for Kyrgyzstan

Before you arrive in Kyrgyzstan, you might want to download these apps onto your phone to help you travel around. I used these apps almost every day while I was in Kyrgyzstan, and honestly, would have been lost (literally!) without them.

Google Translate

An absolute must have in Kyrgyzstan is Google Translate. English is not very widely spoken with majority of local people speaking Kyrgyz and Russian. Most communication is done through Google Translate, every day.

I highly recommend having Kyrgyz and Russian downloaded for offline use. However, Russian is more helpful. Kyrgyz translation wasn’t very accurate in Google and there’s also no audio available in Kyrgyz like there is Russian. 

Yandex Go

This is the taxi app like Uber. You can request rides or order food and it’s very convenient to have in major towns and cities. We used this a lot to get to and from the airport, bus stations, and different parts of the city.

It saves you bargaining with drivers, and you can pay in cash. You’ll need a local SIM or at least a working phone number to get an account.

Xe App

This is a great app for converting currencies quickly. When you first arrive, it can be helpful to get the hang of the conversion rate between Kyrgyz SOM and other currencies, so you know how much you’re paying for things.

Holafly App

If you’re interested in getting an eSIM, this is the easiest way to purchase and activate it. The Holafly app is easy to use and you can see the validity left on your eSIMs and purchase another one.

Use my code: BEYONDWILD for 5% off any Holafly eSIM.

Maps.Me

The best free app for navigation. I use Maps.Me for road navigation and also while hiking in the mountains. It’s a lot more reliable and accurate than Google Maps in Kyrgyzstan (which is incredibly wrong for the most part!).

We also found Maps.Me accurately had camping spots, hiking trails, and water sources marked on it, making it ideal for trekking independently in the mountains.

Download the country for offline use and you can pin spots make it easier to plan your trek or trip.

AllTrails

If you want to be able to find day hikes to do, then AllTrails is another good alternative. With an interactive map and recommended trails, you can find plenty of information with reviews, photos and maps for each hike.

It’s perfect for researching new trails, but if you have the paid version, then you can also use it for offline navigation and it will record and save your walk.

Get 30% off any paid AllTrails plan by clicking here.

Booking.com

I use Booking.com to book my accommodation, including guesthouses, hostels and homestays. While in Kyrgyzstan, I also found guesthouses on Google Maps and contacted them directly (some do not have online bookings), for the most part I still used Booking.com.

Weather&Radar

The weather in Kyrgyzstan can be incredibly dramatic and unpredictable, especially in the mountains. While most forecasts were not overly accurate, I’d recommend downloading the free Weather&Radar app.

My friend recommended this to me, and it was the only one that really forecasted the weather accurately in Kyrgyzstan. It’s satellite and map forecast was the most accurate for planning hikes to try and avoid bad weather.