The Five Stans of the Silk Road

The adventure begins in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. As per Turkmen law, we arrange arrival transfers for all customers. See the Joining Instructions in the Trip Notes for more details. There are no arranged activities today, as many flights arrive very late at night or early tomorrow morning.





Accommodation: Hotel Sport (or similar)

Following what for many people will have been a late night or early morning arrival, our exploration of Ashgabat begins around midday.



Ashgabat holds the record for the most white-marble buildings in the world. In the post-Soviet era, successive Turkmen leaders built these impressive buildings as a show of the country’s strength and they make for a surreal sight. Ashgabat has been described as Pyongyang meets Las Vegas, and you can see why.



We have a half-day city tour of Ashgabat including Ertogrul Ghazi mosque, Independence Park, the Neutrality Arch, Constitution Monument, Alem Ferris Wheel, Magtymguly Monument, Halk Hakydasy Memorial Complex, and the Wedding Palace which looks over the city from atop a hill.



Accommodation: Hotel Sport (or similar)

After breakfast, we head to Nisa, an ancient Persian-era fortress, the former capital of the Persian Parthian Empire, which controlled much of the region from Iraq to Pakistan 2,000 years ago. The ruins here were declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 2007. Afterwards, we visit the National Museum of Turkmenistan located about a 20 minute drive from the ruins of the Parthian Fortress of Nisa.



Mid afternoon, we head north in a 4×4 convoy into the Karakum Desert, some 4hr 30min drive (161mi/260km) away, to a massive burning gas crater known as the Door to Hell in a remote part of the Darvaza region. In the 1970s, Soviet engineers looking for natural gas deposits came across this area. Attempting to assess the amount of gas present they set up a drill. The drill collapsed, exposing a big crater and seeping methane gas into the air. The engineers decided to set the gas alight in the belief that it would burn off within a few weeks. More than 45 years later, it is still burning. We enjoy a barbeque dinner near the crater and stay overnight in yurts very nearby. Seeing the burning crater by night is a unforgettable experience.



Accommodation: Yurt camp

This morning after breakfast we transfer to Dashoguz,the capital city of northern Turkmenistan’s Dashoguz Province, and check into our hotel. The region around Dashoguz was part of the ancient Silk Road trade routes that connected East and West.



In the afternoon, we visit Kunya-Urgench situated on the left bank of the Amu Daria River (approximately 1h30 drive from Dashoguz). Kunya-Urgench, also known as Old Urgench, was the capital of the Khorezm region, part of the Achaemenid Empire. The old town contains a series of monuments mainly from the 11th to 16th centuries, including a mosque, the gates of a caravanserai, fortresses, mausoleums and a 60-m high minaret. The monuments testify to outstanding achievements in architecture and craftsmanship whose influence reached Iran and Afghanistan, and later the architecture of the Mogul Empire of 16th-century India.



Accommodation: Classic hotel

After breakfast, we drive to the Shavat border post and say goodbye to our Turkmen leader and cross into Uzbekistan where we meet our Uzbek leader and drive to Khiva, arriving early afternoon. We have some time to relax, then take a walking tour of the walled city - the Itchan Kala. Often described as an open-air living museum, the Itchan Kala is Khiva's perfectly restored old city and includes the coloured tiled base of the never completed Kalta Minar, (originally planned to be taller than any minaret in Bukhara), the Kunya-Ark 12th century fortress - the former residence of the Khiva khans, and the beautiful mausoleum of Pakhlavan Makhmud (Khiva's patron saint) with its tiled courtyard. Many wedding parties and pilgrims come to visit the tomb and drink the water from the well in the courtyard. We also visit Islam Khoja minaret and madrasah, the Juma mosque - supported by 218 wooden carved columns, Tash Khauli palaces, and Allakuli Khan Madrassah. We also explore artisan workshops where we see technology behind the production of Khiva wool, silk carpets, embroidery, ceramics, and wood inlay.



Accommodation: Malika Khiva (or similar)

After breakfast, we head off to the arid plains of Khorezm. These plains were once densely populated marshland, inhabited by Messagetae Scythians. These horseback archers were nomadic and fought to retain the land, even defeating Cyrus The Great, a Persian emperor in BC 529. We visit the 2000-year-old ruined city fortress of Toprak- Qala, dramatically located with the Sultan Vais Mountains acting as a backdrop. The settlement began in the first century BC under Kushan patronage and was later devastated by Turkish raids that led to the depopulation of the town in the sixth century. There are still three large round towers and an impressive portion of the citadel that still remain, but the parchments and paintings that were found there are now in St Petersburg's Hermitage Museum. We also visit Qizil-Qala, formerly an important oasis with an impressive amount of remaining buildings and paintings that were found there are now in St Petersburg's Hermitage Museum. We also visit Qizil-Qala, formerly an important oasis with an impressive amount of remaining buildings and finally Ayaz-Qala, an imposing hilltop fortress dating from the sixth-century. We later return to Khiva for the night.



Accommodation: Malika Khiva (or similar)

Today we drive to Bukhara (480 km/7-8 hours), one of the most ancient cities of the East. We drive through the Kyzylkum desert and make some photo stops in the desert and on the banks of the Amu Darya (Oxus) River.



After arriving in Bukhara we check in to our hotel and have the evening free to relax after our long journey.



Accommodation: Hotel Kavsar (or similar)

The 2,000-year-old city of Bukhara has an old centre that evokes the many centuries of traders and travellers who’ve passed through here on their way between the Mediterranean and China. We spend the day exploring this fascinating city, including a visit to the historic Lyabi Khauz architectural complex, which has the oldest reflective pool in Central Asia. It is surrounded by medieval buildings, including the Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasah and Khanaka, which has a façade of intricate mosaics. We also visit Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum - a sarcophagus over an ancient sacred spring believed to have healing properties, the Mausoleum of the Samanids - the family tomb of the rulers of Bukhara, the oldest in Central Asia; Ark Citadel - the residence of Bukhara's rulers since the first century AD; the Poi Kalyan Complex, home to the 157ft (48m) high Kalyan Minaret, which has come to symbolise the city; the Kalyan Mosque with 288 domes covering galleries below, Nodir Divanbegi Madrasah, and Chor-Minor - a small mosque of an original form with four minarets.



Accommodation: Hotel Kavsar (or similar)

This morning, we uncover more Bukharan history and culture as we explore the Sitorai-Mohl-Hosa Palace, the summer palace of the emirs. The palace rooms are richly decorated with magnificent paintings, stucco, wood carvings and ganch. After lunch, we have a four to five hours’ drive (186mi/300km) to the other great Silk Road city, Samarkand. We break up the journey with a short stop at Gijduvan, where we will visit the house of the famous dynasty of pottery masters – the Narzullaevs. Continue on to Samarkand.



Accommodation: Kavsar Dilshoda/Malika Prime (or similar)

Possibly the most famous of the Silk Road cities, Samarkand has blue-tiled buildings that dazzle in the bright sun. Steeped in history, dating back 2,500 years and impacted by such figures as Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, who made it the capital of his empire in the 14th century, it is home to one of the world’s great squares – Registan Square, surrounded on three sides by the madrassahs of Ulugh Beg, Sher-Dor and Tilya-Kori. It is said the square and madrassah influenced other sites, including the great square in Isfahan, Iran, and the Taj Mahal in India.



The city was the capital of the great Tamerlane and we spend the day visiting a number of Tamerlane-era sites, including the Gur-Emir Mausoleum, burial place of Tamerlane, his sons and his grandson, Ulughbek. The Ulugbek Observatory built in 1420 by Tamerlane’s grandson who was not just a ruler but also a well-known astronomer. We move on to the oversized Bibi Khanum Mosque and Shakhi Zinda – the ‘Living King’ necropolis – with its series of mausoleums dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Our final visit is to the exotic Siab Bazaar with its fresh and dried fruit and nuts and other local food produce, and a local paper factory. The exact order of visits may vary.



Accommodation: Kavsar Dilshoda/Malika Prime (or similar)

Early this morning we drive to the Tajik border. We cross into Tajikistan, meet our local guide and head to the town of Penjikent (20 km, 20 min).



In Penjikent we set out on a tour (3-4 hours) that will take us to the Museum of Rudaki (Rudaki is considered by many to be the father of Persian poetry and he was born in Penjikent) and ancient Penjikent - ruins of old Sogdian town founded in 5th century and abandoned in the 8th century. We also explore the remains of houses, a citadel with Zoroastrian fire temples and a bazaar in the excavated ruins.



Accommodation: Panjakent Plaza Hotel (or similar)

Today we make a trip into the heart of the Fann Mountains. First we drive to Sarazm, an ancient settlement with 5,500 years of history. In 2010 Sarazm became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.



Afterward, we drive to Seven Lakes or Haf Kul in Tajik, a sometimes bumpy and narrow 80 kms away in the Shing Valley. The lakes vary in altitude from 1,600 to 2,400 metres and most were formed by landslides. The high mineral content in the water gives the lakes an unusual colour. We’ll have time to enjoy the mountains and a picnic lunch at a lake before we drive back to Penjikent.



Accommodation: Panjakent Plaza Hotel (or similar)

We return to Uzbekistan via the border crossing at Andurkhan, where we say goodbye to our Tajik crew and re-join the Uzbeks.



The total driving time to Ferghana town is about five hours from Khujand, but we make several stops along the way. The first of these is at Kokand, which was the capital of the 19th-century Kokand Khanate. We visit the Khudoyar-Khan Palace (1871) home to a museum, the Norbuta-Biy Madrassah and the Modarikhon Mausoleum.



From here, we continue to the small village of Rishtan, home to potter dynasties and ceramics masters. We visit a local ceramics studio and witness a demonstration of the craft before the opportunity to buy earthenware.



Our final stop is at Margilan, where we visit a silk factory and learn about the material that gave its name to the greatest trade route in history. Eventually, we arrive in Fergana town where we spend the night.



Accommodation: Hotel Club 777 (or similar)

This morning, we transfer to the Kyrgyz border and say goodbye to our Uzbek leader. After border formalities at the Dustlik border crossing, we meet our Kyrgyz leader and head into nearby Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s second largest city. We visit the sacred Sulayman Mountain, a holy Muslim site (and burial place of the prophet Sulayman (Solomon); and the central point on the Silk Road. The walk to the top of Sulayman Mountain is paved with some steps and can be tiring in the heat but the views over the city and valley below, small museum and 15th-century church are worth the effort.



On the way to Jalal-Abad we make a sightseeing stop at Uzgen. We taken an excursion to an old minaret and mausoleums nearby and visit a famous rice bazaar. Uzgen has a history of over 2000 years — it is claimed to be a site of numerous citadels built at various times since the 1st century BC. It was an important centre of trade routes between the Fergana Valley and Northern territories of Central Asia. Uzgen became a highly developed town in the Karakhanid’s epoch and developed into a large trading and handicrafts center.



Accommodation: Guesthouse Goodnight (or similar)

We leave the city of Jalal-Abad and head for Arslanbob Nature Reserve (approximately 1.5 hour drive). The village of Arslanbob is in the mountains at around 5,250ft (1,600m) – though the top and bottom of the village vary considerably in altitude – and is surrounded by an ancient walnut forest believed to be the largest in the world.



We go for a walk and picnic lunch in the surrounding countryside. The walk takes around four hours (including lunch and stops) and requires walking shoes/boots. The pace is leisurely but if anyone prefers not to join, you are free to opt out.



Afterwards, we head back to our guesthouse (approximately 1.5 hour drive) in Jalal-Abad for the night.



Accommodation: Guesthouse Goodnight (or similar)

Leaving the gorges behind, we head towards the high pastures surrounding Son Kul Lake (9,895ft/3,016m above sea level). The journey takes approximately seven hours, including some rough roads. A new road is under construction and is expected to shorten the journey from 2025, but this cannot be guaranteed.



The jewel in the Kyrgyz crown for natural beauty, here nomadic shepherds tend their flocks. Today, yurt camps have multiplied around the lake, but the people who look after them still raise their sheep and cattle on the jailoo (high mountain pastures).



We experience the nomad life with a stay in a yurt camp. There are now Western-style toilets and a ‘shower yurt’ with proper showers and wash basins. There is hot water when the generator is running (usually morning and evening) but it is not wholly reliable.



Accommodation: Yurt Camp

We have the whole of today to take in the beauty of the landscape around Son Kul. There is the option to go on a 2hr-2hr 30min walk to the nearby hills – the slopes are quite steep, and this may not be for everyone, but at the top are a few petroglyphs to admire. After lunch, we visit one of the Kyrgyz shepherd families close to camp to learn about their lifestyle and perhaps taste kumis (a natural drink made from fermented mare’s milk) or similar. There is also the option to go horse-riding (optional extra).



Accommodation: Yurt Camp

Our journey today takes first takes us to Kochkor, Kyrgyzstan's most important centre for felt handicrafts. We visit a local workshop and can participate in the manufacturing of national carpets. From Kochkor, we travel through the central Tien Shan mountains as we drive through picturesque canyons and gorges along the southern shores of Issyk-Kul Lake, the second-largest salt lake in the world, after the Caspian Sea (and fast becoming the largest as the Caspian Sea recedes), it measures 70km by 180km and is almost 700m at its deepest point. Its name translates as Hot Lake and was given as, even in the depths of winter and despite being just above 1,600m, it never freezes. The area around the lake is a mixture of forest and meadow with a backdrop of towering mountains and glaciers.



We have an optional excursion (approximately US$100-120 per group) at Bokonbaev village to observe a traditional form of falconry found throughout Central Asia – hunting with eagles. Eagle hunting plays a key role in the nomadic lifestyle here and can also be seen during national competitions.



Accommodation: Yurt camp

This morning we continue our journey to Karakol. We head first to Barskoon Gorge, known for high waterfalls and dense spruce forests and visited by Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. We'll hike to a waterfall called Bowl of Manas (named after the Kyrgyz national hero). Next is Djety Oguz Gorge where the Seven Bulls and Broken Heart rocks formations can be seen. From Djety Oguz, we continue to Karakol. There are about 2.5 hrs of driving in total today.



The atmosphere of Karakol town will take you hundred years back and give you an impression of Tsarist Russia. We enjoy a sightseeing tour of Karakol, taking in old Russian-style houses, a Russian Orthodox church dating back to 1886, a wooden Dungan mosque (1899) made without the use of nails, and Karakol bazaar.



This evening we enjoy a home cooked meal at a local Uygur or Dungan family home.



Accommodation: Classic hotel

Today we cross the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border and, after border procedures (which typically take about an hour), travel along the picturesque Karkara valley, where mountain flowers attract many beekeepers. We head towards Charyn Canyon, where the dramatic erosion caused by the Charyn river has created an impressive landscape. We have approximately three hours at the Charyn Canyon, there is the choice of walking 1.5 km down into the canyon (and 1.5 km back up afterwards), or an easier option is to enjoy the canyon from a viewpoint. There is time for a picnic lunch in the canyon (you can buy your picnic from a supermarket earlier in the day). After visiting the canyon, we continue to Almaty. There are about six hours of driving today.



Accommodation: Hotel Kazzhol Almaty / Uyut Hotel / Plaza Hotel Almaty

Almaty is a beautiful city with its backdrop of the Tien Shan mountains and we have the whole day to explore it. With leafy streets and café culture, the former Kazakh capital has a distinctly European feel. We set off on a city tour after breakfast, we visit a number of sites, including Zhenkov Cathedral (Ascension Cathedral), made entirely of wood and without the use of nails, Panfilovs Park, home to the Piously-Voznesenskiy Orthodox Cathedral (1907), which was built without any nails, the Great Patriotic and Civil War monuments and eternal flame, and either the National History Museum or Museum of National Instruments.



Accommodation: Hotel Kazzhol Almaty / Uyut Hotel / Plaza Hotel Almaty