About Steppe Journeys

Steppe Journeys is a boutique travel agency based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. We operate all in Central Asia and we have branch offices in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Dushanbe, Tajikistan and Ashgabat in Turkmenistan. We provide full tour services in all 5 countries of Central Asia.

About Steppe Journeys Economic Impact Environmental Sustainability Accreditations and Associations Reviews Tours

Reasons to tour with Steppe Journeys

No hassle best price guarantee

Customer care available 24/7

Hand - picked tours and activities

Experienced professional guides

Economic Impact

Steppe Journeys is deeply committed to fostering sustainable tourism that benefits local economies, supports small businesses, and creates meaningful employment opportunities. Here’s how we contribute:

1. Supporting Local Businesses**
- **Partnerships with Local Suppliers:** We prioritize working with locally owned hotels, guesthouses, and eateries to ensure tourism revenue stays within the community.
- **Promoting Authentic Experiences:** Our tours include visits to local artisans, craftsmen, and family-run businesses, helping preserve traditional crafts and generate income for small entrepreneurs.
- **Sourcing Locally:** We use locally produced goods (food, handicrafts, transport) to minimize leakage and maximize economic benefits for residents.

2. Job Creation & Fair Employment**
- **Hiring Local Guides & Staff:** Our team predominantly consists of local experts, ensuring that jobs are created within the communities we operate in.
- **Training & Skill Development:** We provide training programs for guides, drivers, and hospitality workers to enhance their skills and employability in the tourism sector.
- **Fair Wages & Ethical Practices:** We adhere to fair labor practices, offering competitive wages and stable employment opportunities.

3. Community Investment & Sustainable Growth**
- **Community-Based Tourism Initiatives:** We collaborate with rural communities to develop tourism projects that directly benefit residents.
- **Revenue Sharing:** A portion of our profits is reinvested in local infrastructure, education, or cultural preservation efforts.
- **Encouraging Entrepreneurship:** We support local startups and cooperatives by integrating them into our tourism value chain.

4. Reducing Economic Leakage**
By prioritizing local procurement and employment, we ensure that a significant share of tourism spending remains within the destination, strengthening the regional economy.

**Examples of Impact**
- **Uzbekistan:** Partnering with nomadic families to offer homestays, directly supporting their livelihoods.
- **Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan:** Collaborating with local craftsmen to sell handmade souvenirs to travelers.
- **Central Asia Region:** Creating year-round jobs in hospitality and transport sectors, reducing seasonal unemployment.

Steppe Journeys is dedicated to **responsible tourism** that empowers communities, preserves cultural heritage, and drives inclusive economic growth.
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Environmental Sustainability

Green Eco tour

Accreditations and Associations

member APTA Association of private travel agencies

Steppe Journeys Reviews

Frank Hardee (Google Reviewer)

11-Aug-2023

If you are considering coming to Uzbekistan then don’t consider anymore. It’s an absolute must! And if you’re considering which travel agency to use the don’t consider anymore too. Steppe Journeys is superb. Although I never met Mr Odil, the owner, I spoke with him over the phone and we what’s apped a lot before we came. I was travelling with my mother and initially we were going to share a twin room but decided to switch to our own rooms for a very reasonable fee and Mr Odil sorted it all out very efficiently. Our guide for the week, Utkhir, was superb - great balance between knowledge, info and humour. We really did get to know him well over the stay. The trip itself was extremely well organised and the hotels of good quality. The places we visited were magnificently beautiful and the Uzbek people kind and generous. A top trip for sure.

samantha wales (Google Reviewer)

14-May-2022

Odil (owner and organiser) is very professional, honest and kind. Other tour groups have rigid itineraries but Steppe Journeys can cater to your interests if you are a small or private group. I loved the flexibility and Odil was always super responsive to all my requests (and I had many!) I highly recommend this company

Amy Rankin (Google Reviewer)

02-Nov-2024

My husband and I from New Zealand have just finished a 20 day tour of the 5 Stans. We arranged this private tour with Odil. His communication was excellent. He was always happy to answer our questions through WhatsApp. We personalised our itinerary and added some things which was no problem. The trip was wonderful and everything organised perfectly, we always had a guide and driver turn up as scheduled which made the trip seamless and a lot less stressful. The standard of accomodation was also good. We enjoyed every minute in Central Asia and would definitely recommend!

David Simmons (Google Reviewer)

19-Sep-2024

I have just returned after a 5 Stans tour organised by Steppe Journeys through Tour Radar. From the time of the initial contact, I found this company was extraordinarily customer-focussed as any emails were always answered promptly by Odil or Bobur and usually within a few minutes. A good example of just how this company cared about their clients was when our group were greeted in Tashkent after a 0200 late arrival from Khiva by Bek. He was cheerful despite the 3 hour flight delay. He was just the same on our departure with various tour members leaving from 0230, 0400 and me at 1245! All the guides selected with each stage of our tour were cheerful, knowledgeable and nothing was too much trouble. The overall tour was excellent value for money and for someone who has travelled to over 70 countries, I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Steppe Journeys as a company who won’t disappoint based on my experience.

Stacey Carmichael (Google Reviewer)

02-Nov-2024

My husband and I spent 3 weeks in the 5 Stans in September and loved every minute of it - apart from getting ill in Tajikistan. But that was not the agent’s fault. Having pre-arranged local guides each city/country was such a fantastic was to get an in depth experience of the unique culture of each place. We do tend to plan a lot of our travels solo but we simply could not have gotten the level of detail and support (especially support with the Turkmenistan and Tajikistan visas) had we not gone with Steppe Journeys. We also love that it is a family run business!