We didn’t aim to build a travel company. We built a way of moving through land.
tunduk trips are not travel packages. They are expeditions built around movement, encounter, and genuine terrain. We operate in Central Asia and beyond – from the powder fields of the Kazakh Altai to the river systems of Mongolia – because this is where the land still asks something of you. We keep groups small by design. We involve local people on fair terms. We leave room for improvisation. And we build every trip around the belief that the best travel experiences happen when you move under your own steam.
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We cap every trip at four to six guests. Not because we can’t handle more – because the experience requires it. Small groups move differently. They adapt, they connect, they leave less trace.
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Our guides are not staff. They are the reason we can operate where we do. They carry generational knowledge of terrain, weather, and culture that no briefing document can replace. We pay them fairly and credit them publicly.
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We don’t build itineraries and then find terrain to fit them. We find terrain worth moving through and build the trip around it. Some routes are fixed. Some are decided the morning of. All of them go somewhere worth going.
Direct contact before, during, and after your trip. You deal with the people running it – not a booking system.
Every trip is built around movement. You earn the views. That’s not a warning – it’s the point.
Stay in yurts. Ride with nomadic families. Eat what the land provides. The culture is not a backdrop – it’s part of the route.
We don’t manufacture experiences. We put you in terrain where real things happen and get out of the way. Improvisation is not a failure mode – it’s how the best moments arrive.
Our gear programs and mentorship initiatives equip and educate the next generation of local mountain guides. tunduk exists in these communities – not just passing through them.
Guided by local experts. Conservative route planning. Well-thought-out emergency plans. Risk management isn’t an afterthought – it’s built into every tour from day one.
tunduk began with a problem and a yurt. The problem: Kyrgyzstan had world-class ski terrain and almost no winter tourism infrastructure. The solution: a Kyrgyz-Swiss partnership, a yurt in a suitable spot, and a simple offer – small groups, multi-day ski and splitboard touring, real mountain conditions.
That first winter, 2015/16, taught us what we needed to know. Small groups work. Local knowledge is irreplaceable. And the trips that ask the most of you are the ones you remember longest.
From that one yurt, tunduk has grown into a company running expeditions across Central Asia and beyond – horse trekking, packrafting, paragliding, trailrunning, MTB. Different activities, different countries, same principles.
“The trips that ask the most of you are the ones you remember longest.”
In a traditional Kyrgyz yurt, the tunduk is the circular opening at the top of the dome – the element that connects the interior to the sky above. It lets in light. It lets out smoke. It is simultaneously the most structural and the most symbolic element of the whole construction.
We chose the name because it describes what we try to do. Connect people to terrain. Connect travellers to local communities. Keep things open to what comes through. This is reflected in the way we structure our trip portfolio – the cosmology, a system built around connection.
We keep groups small on purpose. Tell us when you want to go.
tunduk is a small team. We respond personally – usually within 48 hours, sometimes a little longer when we’re travelling.
For other ways to get in touch with us:
We recommend the following channels for easy and responsive communication.
Don’t hesitate to contact us. We love to talk about adventures, and are more than happy to share all the information we have.
You may also want to connect with us on social media.
We would be excited to sometimes share a tunduk story or an announcement with you. Let us know your email address, and you won’t miss adventures anymore.
As an alternative to the channels above, your message will also reach us using the contact form below.
