This tour starts and ends in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek and takes you around the northern and southern shores of Issyk Kul Lake.
Visit the naturally beautiful Ala Archa Gorge and enjoy stunning scenic views. Learn more about the country on a guided city tour of Bishkek. Drive to the second largest alpine lake in the world – Issyk Kul Lake— which never freezes. Get acquainted with traditions and culture of nomadic people: visit yurt maker and eagle hunter houses and learn more about how the famous carpets are created and try to make your own carpet.
For more details on what you will see and do, please see the itinerary.
City sightseeing
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort, Guest House, Home-stay
Age Range
1-79 yrs
Operated in
english, russian
Destinations
Bishkek, Issyk-Kul, Ala Archa Na
Bishkek, Issyk-Kul, Ala Archa National Park, Karakol, Kochkor
A fun tour with amazing destination stops and scenery. Great activities and optional activities. A fun CEO whose passion for his country kept me engaged. I?ve learned a lot about myself through this journey and will miss my tour group, CEO and our drivers ?
City sightseeing
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Guest House, Home-stay
Age Range
12-100 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Bishkek, Almaty, Chong Kemin, So
Bishkek, Almaty, Chong Kemin, Song Köl Lake, Tamga Village, Jety-Oguz, Karakol, Saty
My quibbles with this trip are very minor and I've told explore (update the itinerary please!) but fundamentally I loved this trip. Met lovely people. Saw amazing places and scenery. Food a bit meh but that's not why you go to either Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan. I loved the differences between the countries. Kyrgyzstan was unbelievably beautiful and Uzbekistan had amazing buildings.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Guest House, Hotel, Hut, Resort
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Tashkent, Bishkek, Arslanbob, Os
Tashkent, Bishkek, Arslanbob, Osh, Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, Yangikasgan, Karakol, Samarkand, Kochkor, Song Kul Lake, Suusamyr Valley, Toktogul Resevoir, Djalal-Abad
Be entranced by the beauty and the wonder of Central Asia on this overland journey from the capital of Kyrgyzstan through the heartland of Uzbekistan to the forgotten yet futuristic Ashgabat. Take in the tranquil landscape of Son-Kol Lake, watch for wild boar and deer around Chychkan Gorge, hike up the sacred Sulumain-too Mountain in historic Osh, and get your fill of mosques and museums in Samarkand. Venture into the mysterious Turkmenistan, watch the eternal fire from the 'Gates of Hell', and explore Ashgabat with architecture from a sci-fi movie. Abounding with ancient culture, divine natural beauty, intriguing relics and welcoming people, this is a journey that will leave you eager to discover more of Central Asia.
City sightseeing
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Guest House, Home-stay
Age Range
15-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Ashgabat, Bishkek, Tashkent, Tas
Ashgabat, Bishkek, Tashkent, Tashkent, Bukhara, Samarkand, Khiva, Darvaza, Nohur, Mary, Issyk-Kul Lake, Song-Kol Lake, Kyzyl-Oi, Toktogul, Osh
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To see all five Stans in Central Asia, this epic trip will start in the grand Ashgabat of Turkmenistan, explore Samarkand in Uzbekistan, then head to Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. See the best of the Silk Road and deep dive into the fascinating history, captivating landscapes and beautiful culture that’s intertwined throughout this region. You'll stay in yurts near Lake Issyk-Kul, explore Registan Square in Samarkand and watch the eternal flame of Darvaza Crater – a 70-m-wide hole in the Karakum Desert known as ‘The Gates of Hell’. From wide open plains full of wild horses to homestays and dinners with locals, there’s so much to see, do and learn in this region – so why not spend 24 days uncovering all you can, with a local leader by your side?
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
We enjoyed our trip to Kyrgyzstan, it was very relaxing and the scenery was amazing. The highlight was the night in the yurt camp which was lovely, very remote and we even had snow overnight. The homestays and meals in local houses were very good too.
DIY picnics by the river were a nice touch.
On the down side, this trip involves a lot of travelling, sometimes on poor roads, which could be broken up better. We arrived early afternoon in some places and because most of the accommodation was on the outskirts of a town, there wasn't really anything to see or do once we arrived. One of our group thought the hotel at Toktogul Reservoir was like the one in 'The Shining'! The swimming pools had been closed for years and everything was just a little dated.
Some of the walks were not that interesting and seemed to be there to fill the time and there was also a lot of litter in many areas which wasn't pleasant.
There were descriptions in the itinerary about various places we didn't actually visit, for example Osh sounded lovely but we didn't even stop there.
Having said all that, we did enjoy the holiday, but there just were not enough highlights to maximise each day.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Guest House, Resort
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Tashkent, Bishkek, Arslanbob, Os
Tashkent, Bishkek, Arslanbob, Osh, Tashkent, Karakol, Kochkor, Song Kul Lake, Suusamyr, Toktogul, Djalal-Abad
Vast deserts, rolling steppe, fertile valleys and majestic mountains form the backdrop to the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia, which are commonly known as the Five Stans. Among this changing and varied landscape are traditional villages, ancient towns and modern cities, which tell a tale of advancing Greek and Persian armies, marauding Mongolian hordes, traders selling wares along the Silk Road, philosophers, astronomers, Communist experiments and post-Soviet eccentrics. Journey past giant burning gas pits, intricately tiled mosques, alpine lakes bordered by yurt camps, grand monuments, rural villages and colourful markets on this epic trip through the heart of Central Asia.
About this trip: We have two versions of this trip. One starts in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and ends in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and the other runs in reverse. Apart from the direction of travel, the two itineraries are similar - the main difference is the route taken through Kyrgyzstan and the accommodation there. This itinerary runs from Almaty, Kazakhstan, to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, includes Chon-Kemin and Bishkek and stays in guesthouses and hotels rather than yurts. The other itinerary runs from Turkmenistan to Kazakhstan, includes Son Kul Lake and there are three nights staying in yurts in Kyrgyzstan.
Both itineraries include a night in a yurt in Turkmenistan.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
