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Central Asia: Five Stans Adventure

Home › Experiences › Activity › Guided Tours › Small Group › Central Asia: Five Stans Adventure

enquire now 39 Days From NZD $14,250 pp twinshare
Small group
Terms & Conditions apply

Hit the five Stans on a fascinating Central Asian exploration.

Beginning in the futuristic cityscapes of Nur-Sultan (until recently, Astana), join your small group on an epic exploration from Kazakhstan, through mountainous Kyrgyzstan, the remote lands of Tajikistan, Islam-influenced Uzbekistan, all the way to grand Ashgabat in Turkmenistan. For those counting, that’s five Stans. These vast lands are still oft bypassed, despite offering outstanding beauty and fascinating sights. The allure lies in the heritage of the Silk Road, where ideas, culture and people flowed from East to West, and in the soaring mountain landscapes that still play host to a traditional nomadic lifestyle. Journey through cities featuring reminders of Soviet occupation and out into the stunning wilderness, where ancient history and welcoming hospitality will illuminate a region often left out of the tourist light. Central Asia doesn’t get much more comprehensive than this.

Important Notice: Turkmenistan is not open now due to Covid-19 and the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is not open at the moment. We will review the status of trip operation in Turkmenistan and across Kyrgyz-Tajik border about 3 months before departure and inform our customers accordingly.

Why you’ll love this trip

Venture through the little-visited backcountry of Kazakhstan on a full day jeep tour of the otherworldly Boszhira Valley.
Travel alongside locals and admire wild, sweeping vistas on epic train rides across the Kazakh steppe.
Soaring along the iconic Pamir Highway is an unforgettable experience, especially in fine weather when the mighty peak of Muztag Ata rears its head.
Skirting the border with Afghanistan, get glimpses of the other side, from the hair-raising Afghan-built footbridges (ovrings) to the exotic imports on display in Khorog’s local bazaar.
The much-photographed Registan in Samarkand is one of the true pinnacles of Islamic architecture. You’ll be wowed by the scale, grandeur and beauty of the monuments to iconic figures such as Tamerlane and the Persian influenced madressas, mosques and mausoleums.
Witness the eternal flames of the Darvaza Crater, or the ‘Door to Hell’, as you camp nearby – one of the strangest, most mesmerising geological oddities on earth.

Itinerary

Day 1: Nur-Sultan (Astana)

Day 2: Nur-Sultan (Astana)

Day 3: Jana Ozon

Day 4: Boszhira Valley

Day 5: Ak Tau

Day 6: Turkistan

Day 7: Shymkent/Overnight train

Day 8: Almaty

Day 9: Almaty

Day 10: Almaty – KAZ/KGZ Border Crossing – Karakol

Day 11: Karakol

Day 12: Bishkek

Day 13: Bishkek

Day 14: Bishkek

Day 15: Chychkan/Toktogul/Kok Bel

Day 16: Osh

Day 17: Sary Tash

Day 18: Kyrgyzstan/Tajikistan Border Crossing – Murgab

Day 19: Langar

Day 20: Ptup

Day 21: Khorog

Day 22: Khorog

Day 23: Kala-i Khum

Day 24: Dushanbe

Day 25: Dushanbe

Day 26: Penjikent

Day 27: Tajikistan/Uzbekistan Border Crossing – Samarkand

Day 28: Samarkand

Day 29: Tashkent

Day 30: Tashkent

Day 31: Khiva

Day 32: Khiva

Day 33: Konye-Urgench – Darvaza

Day 34: Yerbent – Ashgabat

Day 35: Ashgabat

Day 36: Mary

Day 37: Merv – Mary

Day 38: Ashgabat

Day 39: Ashgabat

Inclusions

Meals

38 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 11 dinners

Transport

Private vehicle, Plane, Train, Overnight sleeper train, Metro

Accommodation

Hotel/Guesthouse with private rooms (28 nights), Guesthouse/Homestay/Yurt multishare (8 nights), Camping (1 night), overnight train (1 night)

Included activities

Nur-Sultan – City tour
Ak Tau – city tour
Boszhira Valley – Jeep safari
Boszhira Valley – Chalky canyon
Boszhira Valley – Ustyurt Plateau salty lake
Ak Tau – Sherkala mountain
Ak Tau – Airakty Shumanai Valley
Ak Tau – Valley of Orbs
Ak Tau – Shakpak Ata
Turkistan – Caravan Serai complex
Otrar – Ancient settlement
Turkistan – Yasui Mausoleum
Almaty – Panfilov Park
Almaty – Zenkov Cathedral
Almaty – Kok Tobe Hill
Almaty – Central State Museum
Almaty – Museum of Kazakh Musical Instruments
Almaty – Lake Issyk
Almaty – Turgen Gorge
Almaty – Winery visit and wine tasting
Charyn Canyon – National Park
Karakol – Dungan Mosque
Karakol – Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral
Karakol – Przhevalskiy Museum
Karakol – Jeti Orghuz Canyon Hike
Cholpan Ata – Petroglyphs
Bishkek – City Tour
Osh – Suleiman’s Mountain
Osh – Bazaar
Tajikistan – Karakul Lake
Langar – Petroglyphs
Vrang – Buddist Stupa
Ptup – Yamchun Fort
Khorog – Regional Museum
Khorog – Pamir Botanical Gardens
Khorog – Bazaar
Dushanbe – City Tour
Dushanbe – Hissor Fort
Dushanbe – National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan
Samarkand – Shakh-I-Zinda
Samarkand – Registan
Samarkand – Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum
Samarkand – Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Samarkand – Paper making workshop & home cooked lunch
Khiva – Pahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum
Khiva – Kuhna Ark
Khiva – Islom Hoja Minaret & Medressa
Khiva – Juma Mosque
Khiva – Tosh-Hovli Palace
Darvaza – “Door to Hell” Crater
Konye-Urgench – City tour
Yerbent – Village visit
Ashgabat – National Museum of Turkmenistan
Ashgabat – Nisa ruins
Ashgabat – Anau ruins
Ashgabat – Independence Monument
Ashgabat – Neutrality Arch
Ashgabat – Turkmenbashy Ruhi Mosque & Family Mausoleum of the First President of Turkmenistan
Ashgabat – Ertugrul Gazi Mosque
Merv – Big & Small Kizkala
Merv – Erk Kala & Gayur Kala
Merv – Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum

INT – KFSSC

Images Courtesy of Intrepid Group