Group Tour to 5 Stans of Central Asia

Your Asian adventures will start after arrival at Ashgabat airport. You will meet our company representatives and head to the hotel to check-in. Your guide will meet you after some rest time and the tour will start. First, you will visit Nokhur village located in an amazing natural place. The village is deserved visiting due to its locals who managed to preserve their old culture, traditional crafts, and architecture. They even claim to be the descendants of Alexander the Great. Here you will admire the beautiful view of local vineyards and gardens as well as will watch the process of silk weaving. In the evening you will return to Ashgabat.

The day will be devoted to the exploration of Ashgabat sites. Ashgabat is «the city of white marble», the largest administrative, political, industrial, scientific and cultural center of the state. First, you will visit the Turkmenistan National Museum and then will head to Nissa historical complex which consists of two archaeological monuments - Old and New Nissa. Old Nissa once was the center of Parthia. The tour will proceed to the unique natural phenomenon of Turkmenistan – Darvaza. Just in the middle of the desert, you will see the unique scene of a circular large crater with burning gas that never goes out. The sight of a flame burning among the yellow sands of the desert fascinates and intrigues even experienced travelers. The crater has been burning since 1971. You will learn the interesting version of the crater appearance from your guide. In the evening you will return to Ashgabat.

The day will start with a flight to the ancient center of the Great Silk Road - Marv city (40 km from Mary) preserved in ruins. Its appearance is shrouded in secrets, however, one is known that it was founded about 4000 years ago. The city was once home to great thinkers of the Middle Ages. After arrival, you will have a sightseeing tour around Merv and then there will be a transfer to the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan border. The day will end in Bukhara.

Bukhara is a historical city of Uzbekistan, which is home to more than 140 architectural monuments. This day you will have a chance to explore many of them. Your city tour program will include the following sights: Ismail Samani Mausoleum, Chashma Ayub Mausoleum, Bolo Khauz Mosque, Ark Citadel, Po-i-Kalyan Complex (Kalyan Minaret and others), Ulugbek Madrasah, Abdulaziz-Khan Madrasah, Lyab-i Hauz Architectural Ensemble, Kukeldash Madrasah, Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasah, domed shopping arcade. Your guide will provide you with full information about the peculiarities of each important monuments. The day will end in Bukhara.

This day your way will continue to Samarkand – the gem of Uzbekistan and the whole Muslim Eastern World. Due to the abundance of religious and historical monuments, the city was included in the list of UNESCO heritage. Your guide will let you plunge in its specific atmosphere. You will get to know that the city was founded in the VII century BC and after that it witnessed many historical events and shakes. Your city tour will start with the main square of the city – Registan where the architectural ensemble of three madrasahs (Islamic schools) - the Ulugh Beg Madrasah, the Tilya-Kori Madrasah, and the Sher-Dor Madrasah is located. The tour will proceed to the mausoleum of Gur-e-Amir with the tomb of Tamerlane the Conqueror.

This day you will continue exploring Samarkand sights. The first in the list will be Shah-I-Zinda Necropolis considered one of the most mysterious monuments of the city. The complex consists of various temples and mausoleums of royal persons and nobles. All the mausoleums are distinguished by a common compositional style. The tour will proceed to the observatory founded by astronomer Ulugh Beg in the 1420s. The tour will end with the visits to Afrasiab Museum and Silk Paper workshop.

In the morning there will be a transfer to the Tajikistan border. You will have a short but unforgettable time in Tajikistan with your Tajik guide. The tour will be devoted to natural gems of the country – Seven Lakes each of which has a different colour. They are located at the foot of the well-known Fann Mountains. The area here is stunning like a paradise. That’s a great place to relax and enjoy the tranquility of nature. After the hiking and admiring the nature, you will have a rest and picnic at Khozorchashma Lake. The tour will proceed to Panjakent rural type city located in a beautiful place surrounded by mountains. With the history extending to the Silk Road times, the city is an attractive destination for travellers. You will visit its most important sights including Rudaki Museum, local bazaar, and mosque and the ancient part of the city. In the evening you will return to the Uzbekistan border and will stay overnight in your Samarkand hotel.

The acquaintance with Tashkent awaits you this day. The sightseeing tour will start upon arrival. Tashkent surprises with its contradictions including the interlacement of modernity with Soviet-style districts and crowded bazaars with farmers. This day you will try to feel the local atmosphere with the help of your guide. The important sights like Minor White Mosque, Independence Square, Amir Timur Square, and Tashkent Underground also won’t be left without attention.

In the morning you will have a transfer to the railway station for traveling to Kokand city. It is a trading city located on the Great Silk Road. Upon arrival, you will have a sightseeing tour including the Palace of Khudayar Khan where is a museum of exhibits representing the past and present of Kokand, as well as the Mausoleum of Modari Khan and Juma Mosque. That will be your last day in Uzbekistan. It will end with a transfer to the Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan border. Kyrgyzstan is a mysterious and less discovered country of picturesque lakes and rivers, mountain peaks covered with eternal snows, friendly nomads and the unique flavor of Asian food. After passing the customs you will travel to the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan – Osh.

Explore the must-visit sights of Osh this day. It is a friendly city with an interesting history extending to more than 3000 years ago. In 2018 the city was proclaimed “the cultural capital of the Turkic world”. Your tour will start with the sacred Sulaiman-Too Mountain which in 2009 became the first UNESCO object in the country. Here at the foot of the mountain, you will visit a Sulayman-Too National Historical and Archaeological Museum, which hosts more 33 000 exhibits representing the history, archaeology, and art of southern Kyrgyzstan. Then you will have a chance to go up a small hill where is hidden a small mosque of Babur, from the hilltop opens a panoramic view of the city. After lunch, transfer to the airport and flight to Bishkek. On arrival, you will have a short sightseeing tour and transfer to the hotel.

This day you will leave Bishkek for the gem of Kyrgyz nature – Issyk Kul Lake. It is the seventh deepest lake in the world and the second-largest saline lake after the Caspian Sea. Before reaching Issyk Kul you will make a stop to visit Burana Tower which is an important archaeological site of the country. This tower is the only remaining structure of the ancient Balasagun city which is the 9th century capital of the Karakhanid Empire. In this area, you will also enjoy lunch at the local Kyrgyz family. On the lake shores, you will admire the inspiring views of mountain peaks, unspoiled nature, surrounding woods (230 km).

This day you will have a tour around the fourth largest city of Kyrgyzstan – Karakol. It is located not far from Issyk Kul Lake. Karakol attracts with its beautiful nature, gardens as well as cultural and religious sites like Przhevalskiy Museum, the Wooden Orthodox Church and the Chinese-style Dungan Mosque. Przhevalsky was a Russian scientist who explored flora and fauna and discovered about 200 new species. There is also a bazaar where one can feel the colorful atmosphere of the city; you will have an opportunity to stroll around it at the end of the tour. This will be your last day in Kyrgyzstan, prepare to leave for Kazakhstan the next morning.

After passing the customs your Kazakhstan adventures will start. The first stop will be at the most famous and attractive natural gem of the country – Charyn Canyon. It resembles a little the Grand Canyon in the USA. The area of the canyon being the part of the Charyn National Park has stunning nature: there are rock formations, waterfalls, lakes, and forests. You will have a chance to see the most popular part of the canyon is the Valley of Castles which is a magnificent natural monument built of sedimentary rocks. At the end of the day, you will arrive in the second largest city Almaty.

This day you'll have a full sightseeing tour around Almaty city. It is the largest metropolis of Kazakhstan, located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountain range. Until 1997, it was the capital of the state and still remains a commercial and cultural centre. “Almaty” is translated from Kazakh as “the city of apple trees”. Your sightseeing program will include the main sights of the city: Panfilov Park, Zenkov Wooden Cathedral, Memorial of Glory and Eternal Flame, Almaty's Green Bazaar. The bazaar appeared here 100 hundred years ago and still remains the important trading part of the city. It is an attractive touristic place full of the colorful local atmosphere where one can buy national products, smoked fish, spices, medicinal herbs, cheeses, as well as chat with good-natured friendly sellers and get to know the everyday life of Kazakhs. You will also have a short trip to beautiful Almaty Lake located among Tien Shan Mountains. You will spend a pleasant time here enjoying the scenery of wooded mountains and slight hiking in the surroundings. On the way back to Almaty there will be a stop at the Falcon Farm known for its exciting bird shows.

Transfer to the airport, a departure from Kazakhstan.