TOUR OVERVIEW

Dead goat polo, belt wrestling and eagle hunting – the Nomad Games are exactly what they sound like. Beginning in 2014 with only ten sports, this is the sixth time the event will have been held - the first three times being on the shores of Lake Issyk Kol in Kyrgyzstan, followed by 2022 seeing Turkey have a turn, before its return to Central Asia with Kazakhstan holding the 2024 edition in Astana, and finally back to its original Kyrgyz roots in 2026.

This time there will be over 40 sports, with 3,000 athletes from 100 countries taking part. There are all the countries you'd expect to be involved like Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, but you might be surprised to see teams from the USA, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland, competing in horseback archery, tug of war, falconry, dead goat polo, ordo, and taigan hunting, just to name a few.

Not only can you see some of the most obscure sports you'll ever have come across, but a highlight for most people will be exploring the ethno-village built in the mountains behind Cholpon Ata. With yurts dotted all over the valley, a hive of activity of people in national clothes from not only Kyrgyzstan, but also many other nations, horses, eagles and dogs being part of small competitions and displays, and totally epic events, it feels more like something out of a fantasy novel than an international sporting event.

We have centered our tour around the Opening Ceremony, which is being held in Bishkek. From there we'll head to Cholpon Ata for the games themselves, but on the way and while we're there, we'll take the opportunity to show you some other nearby places too, such as some petroglyphs, Burana Tower, Karakol and a Soviet sanatorium.

View the full itinerary

INCLUSIONS:

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $420

What is the single supplement? This is paid to guarantee a single room. If you are travelling alone and would like to be roomed with another single traveller, you do not need to pay this.