
Central Asia is so jam-packed with historical and natural sights that it would literally take years to explore it all. We guess that you are rather short on time, but still want to see as much as possible. That’s why we’ve put together this 14-day trip across five countries to offer the most to travelers. The best Central Asia Group Tour 2023-2024 with fixed dates is the best way to see the most interesting places in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. If you want to prolong your trip, we are happy to offer an extension with the Small Group Tour to the South Caucasus.
Explore glittering Astana or nature art at Charyn Canyon with pre-tours in Kazakhstan.
Participants need to be in good health, be able to walk for 4-6 hours every day at moderate speed, climb stairs and hills, and be able to carry their own luggage for up to 1 km across borders.
Tour itinerary:
Note: Today's accommodation, a homestay with a local family, will have quite basic facilities. Hot water, while normally available, is not 100% reliable. The toilet and showers are outside and shared. You may need to share a room with others in your group (especially during high season), with separate bedrooms for men and women. In return, you'll have a unique opportunity to learn about the Tajik culture and the area from the locals' perspective as you share the family's traditional meals and experience their day-to-day life.
Note: At Darvaza camp you will be provided with sleeping bags, pillows, and 1- or 2-person tents. There is also an option to share a yurt with 3-5 other group members. In both cases, toilets and basic washing facilities are outside.
- All transfers: 3-7 pax on minivan/van, 8-16 pax by 20 seat bus;
- Accommodation based on double/twin room sharing, breakfasts included;
- Sightseeing tour program with English speaking guides in each country;
- Entrance fees to sights as per itinerary;
- Economy class tickets for flights: Bishkek-Tashkent, Mary-Ashgabat, Urgench-Tashkent;
- Economy-class tickets for trains: Tashkent-Samarkand-Bukhara (on rare occasions when the high-speed train is unavailable, we will replace this with the most-comfortable class of regular train);
- Visa support for Uzbekistan triple entry visa;
- Visa support for Turkmenistan tourist visa;
- Tajikistan e-visa and Uzbekistan e-visa;
- National folklore show in Bukhara on Day 9;
- Meals: welcome lunch in Almaty on Day 2, lunch at home of a local family in Don-Aryk on Day 4, lunch and dinner at Seven Lakes on Day 6, lunch in Mary on Day 10, lunch in Ashgabat on Day11, camp style dinner at Darvaza on Day 11, dinner in Khiva on Day 13;
- Tour leader(s) to accompany the group for the whole tour - only for groups of 6 or more travellers (please note: usually one tour leader will cover Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, and another will cover Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan);
- Tips to local drivers and guides.
- Tour leader to accompany the group of 1-5 travelers for the whole period of the tour;
- Full board (lunches and dinners);
- Hotel charges for additional services;
- A tax of 2 USD per night in Turkmenistan, paid to the hotel upon check out;
- Consular fees for Turkmenistan tourist visas (80 USD) and migration tax (14 USD);
- Consular fees for Uzbekistan tourist visa at Tashkent International Airport (60-80 USD);
- Visa support for Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan tourist visas (60 USD);
- Personal travel insurance;
- Tips to the Tour Leader;
- International flight tickets before and after the tour.
Accommodation:
Almaty - 2 nights |
Mercure, Kazzhol Park or similar |
Bishkek - 1 night |
Ambassador or similar |
Tashkent - 2 nights |
Hampton by Hilton, Mercure, Inspira-S |
Samarkand - 2 nights |
East Star, Royal, Platan or similar |
Seven Lakes - 1 night |
Homestay with a local family (bedrooms shared with other group members) |
Bukhara - 2 nights |
As-Salom, Minzifa Boutique, K.Komil or similar |
Ashgabat - 1 night |
Archabil |
Darvaza - 1 night |
Tents (optional alternative: yurt shared with other group members) |
Khiva - 1 night |
Erkin Palace, Orient Star or similar |