Simple stays with essential amenities. Typically guesthouses, hostels or hotels rated below 3 stars — clean, no-frills, and great for value-conscious travelers.
Comfortable and reliable 3-star stays. Expect private rooms, en-suite bathrooms, and solid amenities — a great balance between comfort and cost.
Upscale 4-5 star hotels and lodges. Enjoy high-end service, refined comfort, and premium locations — ideal for travelers seeking extra indulgence.
This was an exciting way to visit a part of the world that is less travelled to. I would recommend this tour for people that are outdoorsy, active, and adventurous. Almost all meals and activities are included for this tour which is great.
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
Tashkent, Bishkek, Ghazza, Khuja
Tashkent, Bishkek, Ghazza, Khujand, Chong Kemin, Song Köl Lake, Tamga Village, Karakol, Saty, Almaty, Dushanbe
If you love hiking, learning about new cultures, and experiencing pristine and diverse landscapes, this G Adventures trip would be right up your ally. Everything was carefully organized so that we had time each day to hike, to explore, to travel, and to rest. I am a vegetarian and there were non-meat options at every meal, and our guide, Dina, was intentional about finding restaurant options that catered to everyone's dietary restrictions. I've done 4 G Adventures trips, and this is by far my favorite.
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
Very impressed and exceeded our expectations. Great group of like minded people that were on our tour and we all got on so well. With ages spanning over 30 years that’s a pretty pleasing result!!
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
Tashkent, Bishkek, Ghazza, Khuja
Tashkent, Bishkek, Ghazza, Khujand, Samarkand, Aydar Kŭl, Bukhara, Chong Kemin, Khiva, Song Kul, Tamga Village, Karakol, Saty, Almaty, Dushanbe
No words or photos can really do justice to this trip, but, to give you an idea, it went straight into my top 3 trips ever, alongside Zim/Bots/Namibia and Falklands/S Georgia/Antarctica, even though I has a bad case of travellers' tummy.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
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
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
Vast deserts, open steppe, fertile valleys and striking mountain ranges shape the landscapes of the Five Stans, the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia. Their towns and cities reveal the movement of armies, traders, and scholars over millennia: Greek and Persian campaigns, Mongol expansion, Silk Road exchange, ambitious astronomers, and Soviet-era experiments. Encounter traditional villages, intricately tiled madrassas, alpine lakes, lively markets and wide boulevards − a vivid portrait of a region where histories overlap and contemporary Central Asian culture continues to evolve in fascinating ways.
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 two nights staying in yurts in Kyrgyzstan.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Curious about Central Asia’s hidden gems? The "Central Asia: Five Stans Express" is a 24-day cultural journey through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Starting in Ashgabat and ending in Bishkek, this small group trip reveals the best of the Silk Road, from Samarkand’s Registan Square to Lake Issyk-Kul’s yurt camps.
Uncover the mysteries of the Darvaza Crater, known as the ‘Gates of Hell,’ ride through wild horse country, and share homestay dinners with locals. The tour’s unique selling point is its comprehensive exploration of all five Stans, guided by local experts—an immersive deep-dive into a region where history, landscapes, and cultures interweave in fascinating ways.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Journey into the heart of Central Asia with "Nomadic Traditions," a tour that circles Kyrgyzstan’s stunning Issyk Kul Lake from Bishkek. This trip is perfect for travelers eager to experience raw natural beauty alongside living traditions.
Marvel at the dramatic Ala Archa Gorge, then travel to the world’s second-largest alpine lake, whose waters never freeze. The highlight of this package is its unique cultural immersion: meet yurt makers and eagle hunters, and try your hand at traditional carpet-making, connecting you directly to the craftsmanship and spirit of Kyrgyz nomads.
For those seeking an authentic exploration of Kyrgyzstan’s landscapes and heritage, this tour delivers an unforgettable blend of adventure and cultural discovery.
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
10 Trips in Central Asia during September 2026 with 61 Reviews
