Osh lies in Osh Region in southern Kyrgyzstan, in the Fergana Valley near the border with Uzbekistan. It is an inland city, with the Ak-Buura River running through it. The setting is varied, and Sulaiman-Too, a rocky sacred mountain, rises straight from the urban area as the city's defining natural backdrop.

Osh is widely regarded as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia. Its identity is closely tied to Silk Road trade routes through the Fergana Valley and to an urban fabric with a visibly ancient character. The city's surviving historic layers include Sulaiman-Too as a sacred mountain with archaeological remains, caves, shrines, petroglyphs, and historic places of worship, the Sulaiman-Too Museum built into the mountain, and Babur House, associated by tradition with Zahir-ud-Din Muhammad Babur. Together, these give visitors sacred, archaeological, and trade-linked history in one place.

What Osh offers is a mix of culture, walking, and nature within a historic urban setting. A sacred mountain within the city, Silk Road trading history, market life, and short walking routes with viewpoints and sacred sites all come together here. That makes it well suited to a short holidays or travel guide style trip centered on urban exploration, heritage visits, walking, and the practical use of the city as a base for onward overland travel.

The main visitor areas are the city center around Sulaiman-Too, where the key heritage and walking experiences are concentrated, the Osh Bazaar area as the main traditional market zone, and urban stretches along the Ak-Buura River that shape the city landscape. Osh is the administrative center of Osh Region and one of the country's main cities outside Bishkek. Osh International Airport is the main long-distance access point and an important domestic gateway for southern Kyrgyzstan. Public transport includes marshrutkas, city buses, and taxis.

Osh has a continental climate, with very hot summers and cooler winters. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for sightseeing and walking. Peak summer heat is less suitable for long daytime climbs on Sulaiman-Too, while winter is less suitable if outdoor walking on the mountain is a priority.