Questions and answers

We have categorized all our trips on a scale from 1 – easy to 5 – difficult. Please check the corresponding rating under the "Requirements" tab.

In most groups, participants have varying levels of fitness and riding skills. This is not a problem—we adapt accordingly. On several days, ambitious riders have the option to extend routes or choose alternative trails.

Our tours are designed so that each stage can be completed comfortably, even at a slower pace. In case of emergency, you can switch to the support vehicle. Our tours are not races—there’s plenty of time for photos!

If you have any doubts, just get in touch with us.

The following trips are e-bike compatible:

• 1Kyrgyzstan: The Switzerland of Central Asia. This trip is exclusively for e-bikes. Conventional (bio) bikes will not be participating.
• 2Kyrgyzstan: Cycling & Hiking Tour – Kyrgyzstan Up Close. This trip is designed for conventional (bio) bikes. Individual participants may rent e-bikes (maximum of 2 people).
• 3Uzbekistan: Cycling & Cultural Tour – Treasures of the Silk Road. This trip is designed for conventional (bio) bikes. Individual participants may rent e-bikes (maximum of 2 people). In addition, we offer selected dates that are exclusively for e-bikers. These dates will be marked accordingly. No conventional (bio) bikers will participate on those departures.

All other tours are not compatible with e-bikes due to the lack of charging infrastructure.

A digital detox with mountain views definitely has its charm! ✨ Still, here are some tips for electricity, internet, and phone use: SIM cards are available at the airport or in the city for €5–10. International roaming packages or providers for global eSIMs (e.g., www.airalo.com) are a good alternative. Need to charge your devices? Fixed accommodations have standard Type C outlets. In yurts or when camping, it gets tricky—so don’t forget a power bank. Network coverage in the mountains is usually nonexistent, but in cities and most villages you get good access to the internet. 

No. Our youngest participants on the mountain bike group trips were 14 years old and managed the tours well. Our oldest participant, at 78 years old, conquered the Pamir without having to switch to the support vehicle.

It really doesn’t depend on age, but on your basic fitness and mindset. We recommend not viewing the trips as a sports event. The calmness to hop into the support vehicle when things aren’t going as planned is much more helpful than the ambition to do everything on your own and always be at the front. That’s when the journey itself becomes the goal, and the body can handle the trip.

For families with children of all ages, we have grouped our offers under the "Family Trips" category.

Good maps are available for all countries in the region from the publisher Reise-Know-How:

Uzbekistan 1:1,000,000 Kyrgyzstan 1:700,000 Central Asia 1:1,700,000

For the Pamirs, we recommend the map The Pamirs 1:500,000 by Gecko Maps.

The time difference is:

Kyrgyzstan +4 hours / +5 hours (Winter) Uzbekistan +3 hours / +4 hours (Winter) Tajikistan +3 hours / +4 hours (Winter)

For example, when it is 12:00 PM (noon) in Germany, it is 4:00 PM in Kyrgyzstan. There is no specific daylight saving time like in Europe on-site.

It's best to exchange money on the first day of your trip. At the beginning of the city tour, we will pass exchange offices and banks. All common currencies can be exchanged: EUR, CHF, or USD.

We recommend bringing and exchanging €150 to €200 for non-included meals, drinks, souvenirs, and tips. Important: Please bring "clean" banknotes. Torn or marked bills are difficult to exchange.

Credit cards are now widely accepted in many restaurants and shops in cities, but not so much in rural areas. Visa is accepted more often than Mastercard.

With every booking, we also send a packing list so you don’t forget anything. In general, we will be traveling in extreme climate zones. In the capital, we are at under 1,000 meters, during the mountain passes at 3,000m, and sometimes even over 4,000m depending on the trip. So, you need to be prepared for hot, cold, and occasionally wet weather in the high mountains. You should choose your clothing so that you can adjust to the conditions using the "onion principle" (layering).

For all trips with camping nights, you need to bring your own sleeping bag. We’ll take care of the rest of the camping equipment.

No, we do not book flights, but we are happy to assist. You have the option to receive a non-binding flight offer through our partner DIAMIR. Simply select this option when booking or in the inquiry form, and we will forward your request. If you prefer to book the flights yourself, we have compiled the relevant flights for each trip in the FAQ section.

The airport transfer is included for both individual and group trips on the first and last day of the tour, regardless of your flight connection. On these days, we pick up all participants according to their flight times and take them back to the airport at the end of the trip. You will receive details about the exact times and who will pick you up via email shortly before departure.

For arrivals and departures outside the booked travel dates, we charge a €30 airport transfer fee.

In the Central Asian countries, tips do not play a significant economic role and are rather uncommon in daily life, but they are appreciated by the locals. Small gifts for hosts are also welcome (see the question about gifts).

In restaurants

Usually, the tip or service charge is already included in the bill. If not, it is customary to give about 5–10% as a tip. In simpler establishments, a small amount (around 1–2 euros) can also be appropriate.

Taxis

Tipping in taxis is less common. Depending on the total fare, rounding up or a small amount of 1–2 euros may be appropriate, especially if the driver helps with luggage or takes a detour for you.

Overnight stays in hotels, guesthouses, yurt camps

Again, tipping is less common but highly appreciated. Whether it’s for the delicious food in a guesthouse, the friendly service in a hotel, or the hospitality in a yurt camp, tips are welcome. Directly giving money is usually not possible, especially in guesthouses and yurt camps. It’s best to leave it on the bed or the table.

For city guides, tour guides, and the team on organized trips

For organized tours, 5–10 euros per day for the guides and accompanying staff is customary. The amount should reflect the tour duration and, of course, your satisfaction. All team members are involved in the success of our trips, so tips are usually shared equally within the team. These tips are in addition to the good salaries we pay and are common in tourism. However, it’s not mandatory and should always reflect your level of satisfaction.

It is not mandatory, nor is it required, to bring gifts for the trip. However, they are, of course, welcome, and we at Epic Trails are happy to support our partners, guesthouses, schools, etc., which we visit on our trips or have known for many years. Children are happy with small toys and drawing/writing materials: Matchbox cars, hats, plush toys, balloons, pocket games, small sketchbooks, notepads, colored pencils. Little girls, in particular, appreciate colorful hair ties, clips, headbands, hairbands, or stickers. Families are delighted when you bring a photo of yourself and your family, which you can sign and leave behind. Postcards, individual souvenirs, or refrigerator magnets (!) are also appreciated. Flashlights, binoculars, and lighters are helpful tools for every shepherd and are well-received by them. Women can be greatly pleased with small sample-sized cosmetics and perfumes. These items take up little space and are lightweight.

Donations for Schools, Families, and Projects

We have established contacts with various schools in the villages of the Pamir and rural regions of Uzbekistan and support individual projects (e.g. kindergarten in Murgab) as well as guesthouses and families along our travel routes. Our trips are perfect for bringing donations locally and cost-effectively, as most participants still have space in their luggage. If you'd like to contribute, feel free to contact us directly. Before each trip where there is a need for donations, we reach out to the participants and inquire about their willingness and ability to help.

The flight is not included in this trip. Epic Trails does not book or reserve flights. If you would like to book your flights yourself, we have put together some tips for you here. Please send us your preferred flight connection before booking it. We will get back to you as soon as possible to confirm whether it fits with the itinerary.

You also have the option to receive a non-binding flight offer through our partner DIAMIR. Simply select this option during booking or in the inquiry form, and we will forward your request.

Currently, Pegasus Airlines is the only airline suitable for traveling to Osh.

Example of a flight connection from/to Frankfurt with Pegasus Airlines:

Outbound flight Monday: Frankfurt – Istanbul 14:45 – 18:50 Istanbul – Osh 22:05 – 05:50 (+1)
Return flight Saturday: Osh – Istanbul 05:55 – 08:30 Istanbul – Frankfurt 11:25 – 13:40

It is also possible to travel via Bishkek (e.g., Turkish Airlines, Ajet, Pegasus Airlines). In that case, an additional flight from Bishkek to Osh must be booked.

If you have any questions about flights or travel arrangements, please feel free to contact us personally.

For your trips, we definitely recommend taking out travel cancellation insurance and international travel health insurance (to cover treatment and rescue costs).

When it comes to travel insurance, we rely on our strong partner, HanseMerkur Insurance. Insurance offerings from HanseMerkur include:

One-time Insurance

HanseMerkur 5 Sterne Premium Schutz

HanseMerkur Reiserücktrittsversicherung

Annual Insurance

HanseMerkur Jahresschutz Platin

HanseMerkur Jahres Reise-Rücktrittsversicherung

HanseMerkur Jahresreisekrankenversicherung

Annual Insurance Annual insurance often pays off from the very first trip. Additionally, the 20% deductible for the travel cancellation insurance is waived.

In general, it is recommended to take out travel insurance early to be covered in case of unforeseen events that may lead to trip cancellation.

Some insurers require travel cancellation insurance to be purchased no later than two weeks after booking the trip. With HanseMerkur, however, it must be taken out at least 30 days before the start of the trip.

Travel health, accident, and baggage insurance can usually be purchased easily up until shortly before departure.

Yes! With every travel booking, we send the travel security certificate from our insurer R+V.

The bikes are equipped with standard MTB saddles with a width of 130mm and sturdy platform pedals. You are welcome to bring your own saddle, which we can mount on-site.

If you prefer to use clipless pedals, you must bring them with you, as we do not provide them for rental.

It may happen that a size is not (or no longer) available because the maximum number has already been booked or it is not offered for this tour. In this case, simply write in the comments that you would like a rental bike and provide us with your height or desired frame size. We will then check the availability for your trip again and get back to you.

Yes, you can bring your own bike. We will assist with assembly and any repairs. You need to bring spare parts that match your bike. You will need to bring the appropriate spare parts for your bike. You must register the bicycle in advance with the airline. The bike transport costs between €100 (Pegasus Airlines) and €180 (Turkish Airlines) per flight. For our trips, we rent out high-quality full-suspension bicycles from Scott and Giant. You can find the available models in the respective tour description.

We carry a comprehensive set of tools and spare parts on every tour. Your guide will handle any necessary repairs and maintenance.

If you bring your own bicycle, you won't be left alone by us. However, you should bring spare parts for your own bike.

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