🇰🇬🇷🇺 World Nomad Games:
Kazan 2028
Horseback games, eagle hunters and yurt camps: a nomad-culture trip through Kyrgyzstan and Russia (Mongolia TBD), built around the 2028 World Nomad Games in Kazan.
Fall 2028 · dates TBA
Kyrgyzstan → Kazan, Russia → Mongolia (TBD)
⚠️ Safety: the US State Dept has Russia at Level 4: Do Not Travel (wrongful detention, drone strikes, terrorism; no working US consulates). Recheck before booking anything · State Dept advisory →
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan · before the Games (proposed)
| Date | What | Details | Cost | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ❓ TBD | Bishkek + Issyk-Kul: nomad-culture warm-up |
| TBD | 💡 Proposed |
| ❓ TBD | ✈️ Kyrgyzstan → Kazan |
| TBD | 💡 Proposed |
🇷🇺 Kazan · World Nomad Games
| Date | What | Details | Cost | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ❓ TBD | 🏇 Opening ceremony |
| TBD | ⏳ Not booked |
| ❓ TBD | Games days + Kazan city |
| TBD | 💡 Proposed |
🇲🇳 Mongolia · TBD
| Date | What | Details | Cost | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ❓ TBD | ✈️ Kazan → Mongolia |
| TBD | ❓ TBD |
| ❓ early Oct 2028 | 🦅 Golden Eagle Festival (western Mongolia) |
| TBD | 💡 Proposed |
No direct US → Russia flights. Connect through Turkey (Istanbul), the UAE (Dubai) or Central Asia.
Getting there
| Date | Flight / Train | Route | Traveler(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ❓ TBD | ✈️ US → Bishkek (FRU) via Istanbul, Dubai or Central Asia | US → Bishkek | Courtney ❓ others TBD | 💡 Proposed |
Within the trip
| Date | Flight / Train | Route | Traveler(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ❓ TBD | ✈️ Bishkek → Kazan (KZN) route availability to verify | Bishkek → Kazan | Courtney ❓ others TBD | 💡 Proposed |
| ❓ TBD | ✈️ Kazan → Mongolia routing not researched | Kazan → Ulaanbaatar | Courtney ❓ others TBD | ❓ TBD |
Getting home
| Date | Flight / Train | Route | Traveler(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ❓ TBD | ✈️ Flight home from wherever the trip ends | TBD → US | Courtney ❓ others TBD | ❓ TBD |
🏇 Your Nomad Games Route
Open in Google Maps →🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan
Bishkek + Issyk-Kul · proposed
Birthplace of the World Nomad Games (2014, 2016, 2018, 2026).
- Issyk-Kul / Cholpon-Ata
- Song-Kul yurt stay
Where to stay & more info →
🥾 Things to do
- Watch kok-boru
- Issyk-Kul: a huge alpine lake, where the 2026 competitions and closing ceremony were held
🏨 Where to stay
- ❓ Not discussed
ℹ️ Good to know
- Visa-free for US passports
🇷🇺 Kazan
Tatarstan, Russia · 2028 host
Capital of Tatarstan, where the Volga and Kazanka rivers meet.
- World Nomad Games: opening ceremony + events
- ~800–830 km (500–515 mi) east of Moscow
Where to stay & more info →
🏨 Where to stay
- ❓ Not discussed. Games-area lodging books up early, so book once dates drop
ℹ️ Good to know
- US cards don't work in Russia. Bring cash
- Consular visa required (see ✅ Checklist)
🇲🇳 Mongolia
TBD · maybe
Courtney is interested but undecided.
- Golden Eagle Festival, early Oct (verify)
- Visa-free for US passports
Where to stay & more info →
ℹ️ Good to know
- Naadam is in July, so it won't line up with a September Games
- Restaurants and stays: not discussed
🗺️ The Route on a Map
Open in Google Maps →General reminders:
Booking Checklist
| ✓ | Item | Date |
|---|---|---|
🛂 Russia visa US citizens are NOT eligible for the e-visa. Get a consular tourist visa (Americans can get a 3-year multiple-entry visa) through the Russian Embassy in DC or its visa center (SF consulate is closed). Needs an invitation letter / tourist voucher from a Russian hotel or tour operator. Verify fees + processing times · visa info → · e-visa news → | Start now | |
🛂 Passport valid well past fall 2028 | Before the visa | |
📅 Watch for official 2028 Games dates + ticketing | Ongoing | |
⚠️ Recheck the State Dept advisory for Russia | Before any booking | |
🛡️ Travel insurance that covers Russia Most policies exclude Do Not Travel countries | Before booking | |
🇲🇳 Decide on Mongolia yes/no | Once dates are known | |
✈️ Plan flight routing | Once dates are known | |
🏨 Book stays early Games-area lodging sells out | Once dates are known | |
🇺🇸 Enroll in STEP | Before departure | |
💵 Plan cash for Russia US cards don't work there | Before departure |
🏇 7th World Nomad GamesKazan · Fall 2028 · dates TBA
About the Games
🏇 What it is
The biennial "Olympics for nomads": horseback games (kok-boru), wrestling, archery, eagle hunting, traditional games and nomad culture.
📍 Where
Kazan, capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia.
🗓️ When
TBA. Past Games ran in September (2026: Aug 31 – Sep 6). Plan: arrive for the opening ceremony.
🤝 The handover
Hosting passed from Kyrgyzstan to Tatarstan at the 2026 closing ceremony in Cholpon-Ata on Sep 6, 2026.
📰 Read More
- Caspian Post: Tatarstan to host 2028 Games
- Saiga Tours: where the 2028 Games are being held
- CultureRoad: World Nomad Games 2028, everything so far
- Jetpac: can Americans travel to Russia
Website, ticketing, schedule and dress code: not announced yet.
💰 Cost Summary
| Category | Details | Est. Cost |
|---|---|---|
✈️ Flights | US → Bishkek → Kazan (→ Mongolia) → home | TBD |
🏨 Stays | Kyrgyzstan · Kazan · Mongolia | TBD |
🎟️ Games tickets | Not on sale yet | TBD |
🛂 Russia visa | Consular visa + invitation letter | TBD |
🛡️ Insurance | Must cover Russia | TBD |
🍽️ Food + activities | TBD | |
Total | TBD |
Currencies: Russian ruble (RUB), Kyrgyz som (KGS), Mongolian tugrik (MNT). Always show USD alongside.
🧠 Brain dump: Add an idea below: a link, an Instagram post, a tour, a restaurant, "we should…". Claude replies with a quick take (what it is, when it happens, worth it or not), and Courtney picks the verdict. Tip: Instagram posts often can't be opened without logging in, so add a few words on what it is.
💡 Content ideas: a multi-country Nomad Games blog guide (Kyrgyzstan + Kazan + Mongolia) · Teleport video hook: "You've never seen sports like this" · CrowdRiff clips: kok-boru, eagle hunters, yurt camps, Issyk-Kul
🧠 Brain Dump
| Added | Idea & replies | Claude's Take | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loading ideas… | |||
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