Original
Explorer
Highlights of Central Asia
16 days
Start
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Finish
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Trip Code
KFSH
Min Age
15
Trip Size
1 - 12
Physical Rating
Meals
14 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
Transport
Private Vehicle, High Speed Train, Overnight Train
Accommodation
Hotel (12 nights), Overnight train (1 night), Tourist yurt camp (1 night), Guest house (1 night)
From £3,773(16 days)
Trip Informations
Why you’ll love this trip
Discover the history and former glory of the Silk Road with visits to the ancient trade towns and ruins in Bukhara, Samarkand and Merv.
Rub shoulders with the locals at bazaars, hear about their daily life and learn about how to make plov with a local family in Samarkand.
Spend a night in the yurt camp near Issyk-kul Lake. Taste the popular Kygyz snack boorsook, see how Kyrgyz carpets are made and enjoy a peaceful night under the stars, living like a local nomad.
Explore Central Asia’s landscape on short hikes to the flaming red rocks in Jety Oguz and the Charyn Canyon in Kazakhstan.
Unveil the mysterious Turkmenistan in its white capital of Ashgabat, which rose from the devastation of an earthquake in 1948 and see the futuristic transformation the city has gone through on a city tour with your local leader.
Is this trip right for you?
Tourism is strictly controlled in Turkmenistan, with Letters of Invitation needed in advance in order to apply for your visa (which you can then get on arrival) and guides tending to be protective of what tourists see and fiercely proud of their nation and its leaders. Those used to more freedom of exploration and tour guides with a more global perspective may find their experience here different from in other destinations.
As there are a number of long travel days, plenty of time spent on your feet and days can be hot and dusty, you'll need excellent general health and fitness to get the most out if this trip.
You'll spend a night in a yurt camp, which is the traditional dwelling of the nomadic people in Kyrgyzstan. You'll stay in multi-share yurts with basic toilet facilities set up separately. The conditions may be modest, but it's a rewarding experience to be somewhere truly unique!
Tourism is strictly controlled in Turkmenistan, with Letters of Invitation needed in advance in order to apply for your visa (which you can then get on arrival) and guides tending to be protective of what tourists see and fiercely proud of their nation and its leaders. Those used to more freedom of exploration and tour guides with a more global perspective may find their experience here different from in other destinations.
As there are a number of long travel days, plenty of time spent on your feet and days can be hot and dusty, you'll need excellent general health and fitness to get the most out if this trip.
You'll spend a night in a yurt camp, which is the traditional dwelling of the nomadic people in Kyrgyzstan. You'll stay in multi-share yurts with basic toilet facilities set up separately. The conditions may be modest, but it's a rewarding experience to be somewhere truly unique!
Itinerary
Explore the highlights of Central Asia from Bishkek to Ashgabat
Get a taste of Central Asia's charm on this 16-day trip through ancient silk road towns and bustling bazaars. Visit four out of the five Stans as you travel the Kazak steppe and Uzbek Silk Road towns by train. Starting in Bishkek, visit the clear waters of Issyk-kul Lake, cross the border to the charming Almaty, catch an overnight train to Uzbekistan and seek out the delicious plov, then explore the white marbled capital of Ashgabat. Spend a night in a traditional yurt camp near Issyk-kul Lake, hike the flaming red rocks at Jety Ogus, toast with locally produced wine to a Kazak home-cooked feast and learn about the full Silk Road history in the blue-hued mosques, madrasas and ruins in Samarkand, Bukhara and Merv.
Inclusions
Meals
14 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
Transport
Private Vehicle, High Speed Train, Overnight Train
Accommodation
Hotel (12 nights), Overnight train (1 night), Tourist yurt camp (1 night), Guest house (1 night)
Included activities
Bishkek - City walking tour
Issyk-kul Lake - Kyrgyz carpet making demonstration
Issyk-kul Lake - Kyrgyz Elechek Demonstration
Issyk-kul Lake - Boorsok Cooking Demonstration
Shamsy Valley - Burana tower
Barbulak - Kyrgyz family visit and home-cooked lunch
Karakol - Jety Oguz Visit
Karakol - Skazka Canyon Visit
Issyk-Kul Lake - Yurt workshop
Almaty - Charyn Canyon Hike
Almaty - Panfilov Park
Almaty - Zenkov Cathedral
Almaty - Museum of Kazakh Musical Instruments
Almaty - Winery visit with tasting and home-cooked lunch
Tashkent - Leader-led orientation walk
Samarkand - Plov cooking demonstration & family visit
Samarkand - Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Samarkand - Registan Square
Samarkand - Siob Bazaar
Bukhara - Taki Zargaron Trading Dome
Bukhara - Lyabi Khauz Complex
Bukhara - Ismail Samani Mausoleum
Bukhara - Ark Fortress
Bukhara - Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa Palace
Merv - Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum
Merv - Erk Kala & Gayur Kala
Merv - Big & Small Kizkala
Ashgabat - Independence Monument
Ashgabat - Anau ruins
Ashgabat - Ertugrul Gazi Mosque
Ashgabat - Akhal - Teke horse farm
Ashgabat - Neutrality Arch
Ashgabat - Turkmenbashy Ruhi Mosque & Family Mausoleum of the First President of Turkmenistan
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Important notes
1. A single supplement is available for booking, excluding for Day 3 (yurt) and Day 7 (overnight train), subject to availability. Please contact your booking agent if you are interested.
2. This is a multi-country trip. Please read the ‘Passports, visas and entry requirements’ section of the Essential Trip Information carefully. You should travel on one passport for the duration, as entering and exiting countries on different passports will cause issues at immigration.
3. We require key documents from you no later than 90 days before the trip to apply for your Letter of Invitation to Turkmenistan.
4. Independent travel isn’t allowed in Turkmenistan. If you have post-trip accommodation booked with us, you can explore nearby your hotel, but please don’t take any photos. Please avoid spending more than 3 days after your trip in Ashgabat as this may negatively impact your LOI application.
5. While travelling in Turkmenistan, you won’t have access to social media and some websites. If you need to stay connected, consider arranging a VPN before leaving home.
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