Five Stans Silk Road Expedition

Our journey through the Five Stans begins in Almaty, where leafy boulevards and a café culture sit beneath the Tien Shan mountains. After an early hotel check‑in, there’s time to rest before we meet around 12.30pm to get acquainted and hear about the adventures ahead. We then set out on a city tour, taking in Panfilovs Park and the Piously–Voznesenskiy Orthodox Cathedral (1907) built without nails, the Second World War memorial, Republic Square, the National History Museum and the Museum of National Instruments. This evening our tour leader hosts a welcome dinner. If you’d like extra time in Almaty, you can arrange pre–tour hotel nights with your sales representative.

After breakfast, we drive to Medeo Gorge, about 25km from Almaty at 2,000m (6,560ft), home to the world’s highest mountain skating rink and the region’s largest ski resort. En route, we pause at the dam that protects the city from avalanches and mudslides, then take the cable car for sweeping views of the Tien Shan – if it’s closed for maintenance, we usually travel by electric vehicle to the base station but cannot reach the top. Back in Almaty, we ride the cable car at Kok–Tobe to enjoy panoramic city views. We return to the hotel mid‑afternoon, leaving you time to relax before tomorrow’s early start.

We make an early start for the Black Canyon and the Charyn River, where dramatic erosion has sculpted striking formations. We stop at viewpoints over Charyn and Moon canyons, enjoy a short walk and take photographs. We have a picnic lunch in the canyon – you can buy your picnic from a supermarket earlier in the day. We then cross the Kazakh–Kyrgyz border, a process that may take up to two hours, before continuing through the flower‑rich Karkara valley to Karakol. Expect to arrive and check in around 5pm after about six hours of driving.

We begin in Karakol, where timber houses and broad streets echo Tsarist Russia. Our leader guides us to the Holy Trinity Church (1886), the nail‑free Dungan Mosque (1899) and the local bazaar. We then travel west, skirting the southern shore of Issyk Kul – 70km by 180km and nearly 700m deep – which never freezes thanks to salinity and geothermal activity. En route we stop in Bokonbaev for a berkutchi demonstration, showcasing traditional hunting with golden eagles, and in Kyzyl Tuu to see how yurt frames are made. We end the day in the peaceful Chon‑Kemin Valley, settling into our guesthouse amid farmland and forested slopes.

After breakfast, we head to Bishkek, stopping at the 11th‑century Karakhanid minaret of Burana Tower – a UNESCO World Heritage site and the first of its kind in Central Asia. You can climb the tower – take care, the interior is dark and the steps are steep and narrow. We also visit the museum complex with reconstructions of mausoleums, remains of a citadel, balbals and petroglyphs. On arrival in Bishkek, we check into our hotel.

Bishkek lies at the foot of the Kyrgyz Ala‑Tau, a city of tree‑lined avenues, green parks and marble‑fronted buildings interwoven with Soviet‑era architecture. Irrigation channels feed countless trees, helping make it one of Central Asia’s greenest cities. After breakfast, we set off on a sightseeing tour, visiting the State History Museum, the Kyrgyz National Museum of Fine Arts, Ala‑Too Square and Oak Park.

We start early for a long yet spectacular drive along the Bishkek–Osh highway through the central Tien Shan to Jalal‑Abad. The route winds through canyons and gorges and around Toktogul Reservoir with its cascade of hydroelectric stations. We cross the Ala‑Bel Pass (3,120m⁄10,235ft) and Tyua‑Ashuu Pass (3,050m⁄10,005ft), then traverse the picturesque Suusamyr valley. In summer the pastures fill with yurts and herds, and locals sell kumus, sour cheese and butter along the road. Total driving is about nine hours.

We leave the city for Arslanbob Nature Reserve (about 1hr 30min). The village sits around 1,600m (5,250ft) in the mountains – with significant variation between top and bottom – and is surrounded by an ancient walnut forest believed to be the largest in the world. We take a leisurely walk with a picnic lunch in the surrounding countryside, around four hours in total with stops – walking shoes or boots are needed. If you prefer not to join, you are free to opt out. We then return (about 1hr 30min) to our guesthouse in Jalal‑Abad.

We drive to Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s second city, stopping at historic Uzgen, which dates back more than 2,000 years and flourished in the Karakhanid era. We visit the old minaret, nearby mausoleums and a rice bazaar. In Osh, we visit sacred Sulayman Mountain – a holy Muslim site and Silk Road landmark. The paved ascent involves steps and can be tiring in the heat, but the views, small museum and a 15th‑century church reward the effort. A short drive brings us to the Dustlik border crossing into Uzbekistan – allow about 1hr 30min for formalities. We meet our Uzbek leader and drive roughly two hours (100km) to Fergana to check in.

We transfer from Fergana towards Khujand (about five hours), stopping first in Margilan to visit a silk factory and learn how this precious material shaped the Silk Road. We continue to Rishtan, famed for potter dynasties and master ceramicists, to see a demonstration and, if you wish, buy earthenware. In Kokand, once capital of the 19th‑century khanate, we visit the Khudoyar‑Khan Palace (1871), the Norbuta‑Biy Madrassah and the Modarikhon Mausoleum. We then proceed to the Uzbekistan–Tajikistan border, complete formalities, meet our Tajik guide and continue to Khujand to check in.

We explore the fertile heartland around Khujand, a city with a long and eventful past that saw Alexander the Great, Arab armies and Genghis Khan pass through. Our tour includes the Museum of Archaeology, the Sheikh Maslikhiddin Mosque and the lively Payshanba bazaar – time permitting, we also visit the Arbob Palace, once the Urumkhodjaev family estate inspired by Peterhof. We then drive five to six hours to Penjikent via Istaravshan – founded in the sixth century and known for traditional crafts and an old‑town layout – pausing at the bazaar before continuing to Penjikent for the night.

We venture into the Fann Mountains, driving about 80km to the Seven Lakes (Haf Kul) in the Shing Valley along a sometimes bumpy, narrow road. The high mineral content gives the lakes striking colours. We enjoy the mountain scenery, take a walk to Hazorchashma lake and have a picnic lunch in Nofin village before returning to Penjikent.

In Penjikent, we spend three to four hours visiting the Museum of Rudaki – widely regarded as the father of Persian poetry – and the ruins of ancient Penjikent, a Sogdian city founded in the fifth century and abandoned in the eighth. We explore remains of houses, a citadel with Zoroastrian fire temples and a bazaar. We then drive to Sarazm, one of Central Asia’s oldest settlements at around 5,500 years old and now a World Heritage site, before crossing back into Uzbekistan and continuing to Samarkand to check in.

We spend the day exploring Samarkand, a city with 2,500 years of history shaped by Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, who made it his 14th‑century capital. At its heart is Registan Square, framed by the Ulughbeg, Sherdor and Tilya Qori madrasahs. We visit the square and the Gur Emir Mausoleum, resting place of Tamerlane, his sons and grandson Ulughbek. We see the Ulugbek Observatory, built in 1420 by the scholar‑ruler, the vast Bibi Khanum Mosque and Shakhi Zinda, the ‘Living King’ necropolis of 14th–15th‑century mausoleums. We finish at the vibrant Siab Bazaar and a paper factory – the order of visits may vary.

This morning we board the train to Bukhara, using the Afrosiyob high‑speed service when schedules permit – the journey takes just under two hours. On arrival, we visit Sitorai‑Mokhi‑Khosa, the emirs’ summer palace, where frescoes, stucco and finely carved woodwork reveal a rich blend of local craftsmanship and Russian influence.

We devote today to Bukhara, the best‑preserved medieval city in Central Asia and a World Heritage site with more than two millennia of history. Our visits include the Samanid Mausoleum – the region’s oldest Islamic monument – and Mazar Chashma Ayub over an ancient sacred spring, followed by the fifth‑century Ark Fortress. We explore the Poi‑Kalyan complex, with its 48m (157ft) Kalyan minaret, the active Miri‑Arab madrasah and the vast Kalyan Mosque with galleries topped by 288 domes. We finish at the Lyabi Khauz complex, centred on the oldest pool of its kind in Central Asia and surrounded by madrasahs and a khanaka, including the large 15th‑century Kukeldash Madrasah.

We drive across the Kyzylkum desert to the arid plains of Khorezm, a journey of about six to seven hours through a landscape once marshland inhabited by Massagetae Scythians – famed nomadic horse‑archers who even defeated Cyrus the Great in 529 BCE. En route we stop at Ayaz‑Qala, an imposing sixth‑century hilltop fortress; time permitting, we also visit other nearby castles before continuing a further two hours to Khiva.

Within Khiva’s walled Itchan Kala, we explore the tiled base of the never‑finished Kalta Minar, the Kunya‑Ark – the 12th‑century fortress of the khans – and the serene mausoleum of Pakhlavan Makhmud, the city’s poet‑saint. We continue to the Islam Khoja minaret and madrasah and the evocative Juma Mosque, whose roof rests on 218 carved wooden columns. Further highlights include the richly decorated Tash Khauli palace complex and the Allakuli Khan Madrassah. Along the way we step into artisan workshops to see enduring crafts – from wool and silk carpets to embroidery, ceramics and intricate wood inlay.

We travel north to the Shavat border post (about one hour), say farewell to our Uzbek tour leader and begin exit procedures. A short five‑minute bus ride across no‑man’s‑land (bring US$1) leads to the Turkmen checkpoint, where entry fees are payable – the overall process typically takes around two hours. On the Turkmen side, we continue for about two hours to Kunya Urgench via Dashoguz. Known as Old Urgench, it preserves monuments from the 11th to 16th centuries – elegant mausoleums, the remains of a vast mosque, caravanserai gates and a 60m minaret that hints at the medieval city’s scale. Our tour leader helps trace how these forms influenced Iran, Afghanistan and Mughal India. After visiting, we return about an hour to Dashoguz for the night.

We take a morning flight south to Ashgabat, exchanging desert plains for Turkmenistan’s white‑marble capital. On arrival, we visit the Ertogrul Gazi Mosque with its four minarets and spacious Ottoman‑style interior, then the national museum, where our leader pieces together regional history through finds from ancient Merv, Nisa and wider Khorezm. We finish at a local farm renowned for breeding Akhal‑Teke horses – prized for their metallic sheen and stamina. Afterwards, we drive up to four hours to Mary, gateway to ancient Merv.

After breakfast, we explore the World Heritage site of Merv, once among the largest cities on Earth. Moving between its key surviving areas – from crumbling towers to long walls – we gain a sense of the vast scale that astonished medieval travellers. Later, we return to Mary to see the modern town, including the Juma Mosque and a small Russian Orthodox church, before driving back to Ashgabat.

We explore Ashgabat – much of it rebuilt in the post‑Soviet era into a surreal skyline often described as "Pyongyang meets Las Vegas". By day we visit the Turkmenbashi Mosque, the Magtymguly Monument, the Earthquake Memorial, the Alem Ferris Wheel, the Neutrality Arch and the Constitution Monument. We stroll through Independence Park and pause at the Wedding Palace viewpoint for a city‑wide panorama. In the afternoon, we travel to Nisa, capital of the Parthian Empire 2,000 years ago, where excavated mud‑brick remains hint at past power. We return to Ashgabat for a short 40‑minute night tour to see the city illuminated.

Our adventure ends in Ashgabat. If you’d like longer to explore, you can speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.