Involves sustained activity requiring a reasonable level of fitness and endurance.
Starts
Ends
Astana, Kazakhstan
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Highlights
Learn about the Silk Road and its history. See the Registan in Samarkand, climb the ancient Panjakent City Wall and visit the UNESCO-protected town of Khiva.
See the natural landscapes of this corner of the world. Travel through the vast Kazakh steppe, journey through the mountainous Kyrgyzstan to Issykul Lake and toast to the eternal flames of the Darvaza Crater.
Connect with locals – discover traditional nomadic life in yurt stays, enjoy hearty home-cooked meals and chat with stall owners in local bazaars.
Take an overnight train in Kazakhstan, explore the desert in Turkmenistan on a 4WD and experience life on the road like the locals do!
Travel through all five Stans, each with its own character and turbulent historical events that shaped them into what they are today.
What's Included
Accommodation
Guesthouse/Homestay (6 night), Hotel (24 nights), Yurt (4 nights), Overnight train (2 nights)
Astana - City tourAstana - Local Jewler VisitTurkistan – Caravan Serai complexOtrar - Ancient settlementTurkistan - Yasui MausoleumAlmaty – Winery visit and wine tastingAlmaty – Turgen GorgeAlmaty – Lake IssykAlmaty - Zenkov CathedralAlmaty - Panfilov ParkAlmaty - Museum of Kazakh Musical InstrumentsAlmaty - Zelenyi BazaarCharyn Canyon - National ParkKolsay Lakes National Park - HikingKarakol - Dungan MosqueKarakol - Holy Trinity Orthodox CathedralKarakol - Jeti Orghuz Canyon HikeCholpon Ata - PetroglyphsLake Issyk-Kul - Boat tourBishkek - City Walking TourShamsy Valley - Burana towerDon Aryk - Kyrgyz family visit and home-cooked lunchIssyk-Kul Lake - Yurt workshopKochkor - MarketKochkor - Women's Felt Co-opKyzyl-Oi - Boorsok Cooking DemonstrationUzgen - Uzgen Minaret & ComplexOsh - Sulaiman-Too MountainOsh - National Historical and Archaeological Museum ComplexKokand - home cooked lunchKokand - Rishton ceramics workshop visitMargilan - Ikat Silk workshop visitKokand - Khudoyar Khan Palace MuseumKhujand - Jami MosquePanjakent - Ancient city wall & museumLake Marquzor - Tajik family visit with lunchSamarkand - Leader-led orientation walkSamarkand - Bibi-Khanym MosqueSamarkand - Registan SquareSamarkand - Shakh-I-ZindaSamarkand - Gur-e-Amir MausoleumSamarkand - Plov cooking demonstration & family visitTashkent - Chorsu BazaarTashkent - Khast Imom Complex & Moyie Mubarek Library MuseumTashkent - Amir Timur SquareTashkent - City tourTashkent - Metro tourKhiva - Islom Hoja Minaret & MedressaKhiva - Juma MosqueKhiva - Tosh-Hovli PalaceKhiva - Pahlavon Mahmud MausoleumKhiva - Kuhna ArkDarvaza - "Door to Hell" CraterYerbent - Village visitNohur - Village walking tourGeokdepe - Horse breeder visit with bread & snack cooking demostrationAshgabat - Anau ruinsAshgabat - Neutrality ArchAshgabat - Ertugrul Gazi MosqueAshgabat - City tourAshgabat - Nisa ruinsAshgabat - Russian BazaarMerv - Sultan Sanjar MausoleumMerv - Erk Kala & Gayur KalaMerv - Big & Small KizkalaMary - City tour
Customer Reviews
This tour has not received any customer reviews yet. However, you can expect a PremierThis travel specialist is consistently delivering tours which receive customer ratings above 4.6 on average. tour and service level as the travel specialist who runs it has received 86 reviews for other tours with an average 4.6rating.
Good to Know
Travel Insurance
Visa
Other Practical Information
Do you need help from our trip consultants?
If you have any question about this tour or need help with planning a trip, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
Our travel experts are ready to help.
Why Book with Bookmundi
No credit card or booking fees.
Best price guaranteed.
Carbon neutral tours.Algorithms and machine learning enables Bookmundi to calculate the carbon footprint for each tour. We then subsequently offset carbon emissions for all tour bookings on Bookmundi via investments in carbon reduction projects to help combat climate change.
25,000+ trip reviews, with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5.
What are customers saying about Bookmundi
4.67/5
Excellent based on 848 customer reviews from
Bronwyn
Booking with Bookmundi is so easy. The website is straightforward and easy to use. Peter Adley is an absolute star! He is quick to respond to my many queries and to offer helpful guidance. I am looking forward to the 2 tours I have booked!
6 days ago
Central Asia Adventure: Astana to Ashgabat
BM-48474Share this tour link.
Best price guaranteed
No booking fees
E-ticket/Mobile-voucher
Carbon neutral
CO2 emissions resulting from all trips on Bookmundi will be offset via investments in carbon reduction projects.
What's Excluded
Itinerary
Set out on an epic 37-day voyage across Central Asia, starting in Astana and concluding in Ashgabat. The Central Asia Adventure: Astana to Ashgabat tour package delves deep into the Silk Road’s legacy, Soviet-era intrigue, and breathtaking natural wonders. Traverse Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, from Astana’s modern skyline to the dazzling white city of Ashgabat. Experience life well off the typical tourist path: stay in traditional yurt camps, mingle with locals in bustling bazaars, and stand in awe before the fiery Darvaza crater—the famed ‘Gates of Hell’. With seasoned local leaders guiding your exploration of iconic architecture, nomadic culture, and diverse landscapes, the unique selling point of this trip is its immersive, slow-travel approach. You’ll savor every nuance of the region’s rich cultural tapestry while forging memories in places few travelers ever reach.
day 1Astana
Salemetsiz be! Welcome to Kazakhstan. Your adventure begins in Astana with a welcome meeting at 6 pm at your hotel. Astana was purpose-built to become the capital city of Kazakhstan in 1997 and is home to meticulously planned city streets and architecture. The modern metropolis was designed by leading Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa, who won first prize in a competition against other world-renowned architects. Now, it’s one of the youngest cities in Central Asia. If you arrive early, maybe stroll along the Astana waterfront or go shopping in the world’s largest tent at the Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre. Tonight, join your leader and group for dinner in town for your first authentic Kazakh food experience.
accommodation
Hotel (1 night)
meals
1 Dinner
day 2Astana
day 3Turkistan
day 4Turkistan/ Overnight Train
day 5Almaty
day 6Almaty
day 7Kolsay Lakes National Park
day 8Kolsay Lakes/Border Crossing/Karakol
day 9Karakol
day 10Bishkek
day 11Bishkek
day 12Bishkek
day 13Issyk-Kul Lake
day 14Issyk-Kul Lake
day 15Song-Kul Lake (3016 meters)
day 16Kyzyl-Oi
day 17Suusamyr Valley/ Chychkan River/ Toktogul
day 18Osh
day 19Osh
day 20Kokand (Border crossing into Uzbekistan)
day 21Kokand
day 22Khujand (Border crossing into Tajikistan)
day 23Panjakent
day 24Samarkand (Border crossing into Uzbekistan)
day 25Samarkand
day 26Tashkent
day 27Tashkent
day 28Tashkent / Overnight Train
day 29Khiva
day 30Khiva
day 31Border crossing / Darvaza
day 32Ashgabat / Nohur
day 33Ashgabat
day 34Ashgabat
day 35Merv / Mary
day 36Ashgabat
day 37Ashgabat
Availability
Loading availability...
3 other people are considering this tour right now.
Similar Tours You Might Like
Discover our top tours similar to Central Asia Adventure: Astana to Ashgabat that you might like.
Follow one of the world's most well renowned highways; the Silk Road. This fantastic expedition will take you through some of the oldest cities and ancient trading routes in the world, you will also discover the stunning scenery as you get off the beaten track and into the wilderness of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan
Follow one of the world's most well renowned highways; the Silk Road. This fantastic expedition will take you through some of the oldest cities and ancient trading routes in the world, you will also discover the stunning scenery as you get off the beaten track and into the wilderness of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan
Five countries, one legendary road, nineteen days to do it justice. From a crater that looks like the Earth forgot to turn off the stove, through Uzbekistan's tiled cities, Tajikistan's mountain lakes, Kyrgyzstan's nomadic valleys, and Kazakhstan's wild Charyn Canyon — this is Central Asia in full, gloriously unfiltered widescreen.
Join this challenging expedition along ancient trading routes, following in the tracks of the old Silk Road. Discover some of the oldest cities in the world steeped in history and legend. Visit the legendary 'Stan's' taking in the bizarre city of Ashgabat and the splendour of the Old Registan in Uzbekistan. Get outdoors in Tajikistan and hike in the Fann Mountains. Kyrgyzstan amazes with it's deep mountain lakes and perennially snow-capped peaks, before crossing the mighty Torugat Pass and traversing the whole of China. Pandas, Terracotta Warriors and the Great Wall all await! We travel on one of our overland trucks as far as Kyrgyzstan and then by trains and local transport through China
Join this overland adventure starting in the isolated desert country of Turkmenistan, travelling through Iran or across the Caspian Sea to the Caucasus states of Georgia and Armenia before continuing to Turkey. From Ashgabat to Istanbul, this trip is full of fascinating and varied history, demonstrating the contested and often turbulent past of this relatively unknown region. Those who do travel here are rewarded with breathtaking scenery from stunning snowy mountains to seemingly endless desert, ancient and medieval sites that rival and often outdo any found in Europe, and a wide array of eclectic cultures, with consistently friendly and welcoming locals
Join this Overland Expedition and venture off the tourist trail throughout Kyrgyzstan and follow the ancient trading routes along the Silk Road to Beijing. Discover stunning scenery and some of the oldest cities in the world steeped in history and legend from Lake IssyKul to Xi'an and its Terracotta Warriors. We travel on one of our overland trucks in Kyrgyzstan and then by trains and buses through China
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 Turkmenistan to Kazakhstan, includes Son Kul Lake, and has two nights staying in yurts in Kyrgyzstan. The reverse itinerary includes Chon-Kemin and Bishkek and stays in guesthouses and hotels rather than yurts.
Traverse the crossroads of history along the fabled Silk Road with the Ancient Silk Road Cities – The Five Stans tour, designed for experienced travelers and seniors. Over 23 days, journey through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan—exploring everything from the marble city of Ashgabat and the blazing Darvaza Gas Crater to the blue-tiled splendors of Samarkand and the alpine beauty of Kyrgyzstan’s lakes. Highlights include immersive village stays, vibrant bazaars, and visits to UNESCO-listed wonders. The tour’s USP is its unparalleled breadth: five countries, countless cultures, and decades of local expertise, ensuring a seamless, authentic deep-dive into Central Asia’s legendary heritage.
Premier tour and service level as the travel specialist who runs it has received 86 reviews for other tours with an average 4.6rating.
