Lupine Travel

The 5 ‘Stans of Central Asia: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan are an underappreciated world of their own. This region is home to a little bit of everything. Friendly and diverse locals, tasty food, Islamic architecture, and alpine national parks are just the beginning of what makes these five countries a must for any traveller.

Itinerary

Day One
Arrive into Ashgabat
• Arrive into Turkmenistan’s capital, Ashgabat and transfer to the hotel.
• Day spent at leisure.
• Overnight in Ashgabat.
Day Two
Archaelogical site of Nisa
• We’ll start the day visiting the Sunday Bazaar outside of Ashgabat, before heading to the Turkmenbashy Ruhy Mosque.
• Next we’ll head to the UNESCO archaeological site of Nisa which has mud brick remains of fortifications and palaces, temples, ceremony halls and treasury buildings. It covers the remains of the Parthian civilisation, which combined traditional Turkmen art and culture with Greek and Roman elements. Nisa is presumed to be the first capital of Parthia.
• In the afternoon we’ll set off for the underground cave of Kov-Ata for an optional swim. The cave features a unique hot-water sulphur lake which is 35C all year round.
• Afterwards, we proceed to an Akhal-Teke private horse farm. The Akhal-Teke horses are one of the most prized breeds in the world. It is believed they are the last remaining strain of the Turkman horse, which has existed since 2400BC.
• In the evening we’ll take a night drive around Ashgabat to see the city lights.
• Overnight in Ashgabat.
Day Three
Darvaza ‘The Gates of Hell’
• Morning tour of Ashgabat seeing sites such as The Tower of Neutrality, Alem Ferris Wheel, Ertogrul Ghazi Mosque and Independence Monument.
• In the afternoon, we drive to the fiery Darvaza gas crater. We’ll go off-road across huge desert dunes to see the old craters; one filled with water and the other mud, finally arriving at Darvaza early evening. With the setting sun and glow from the crater, you can see for miles in every direction.
• Our local team will prepare dinner whilst we take this time to relax and enjoy the massive campfire-like aura of “The Gates of Hell”.
• Overnight in ger camp near the crater.
Day Four
Konye Urgench
• After breakfast at the camp we drive north to Konye Urgench; a UNESCO world heritage site containing the remains of the Achaemenid Empire’s capital, Khwarazm.
• Drive onwards to Dashoguz and have the evening at leisure.
• Overnight in Dashoguz.
Day Five
Khiva, Uzbekistan
• In the morning we’ll visit the Dashoguz bazaar before heading to the border crossing and passing through into Uzbekistan.
• After lunch, we’ll take a walking tour of the city of Khiva, visiting the legendary Ichan Kala fortress. This ancient site was the last resting place for caravans about to cross the desert to Persia. It contains minarets, a madrassah, mosques and mausoleums.
• Overnight in Khiva.
Day Six
By Road to Bukhara
• After some morning free time we depart on a 7 hour drive across the desert to Bukhara. It’s a long ride, but we’ll have a packed lunch for the journey and a stop at a Chai Khanah (an Uzbek tea house) early afternoon for tea.
• After dinner in the city we can enjoy the atmosphere around the Lyabi-Hauz pool.
• Overnight in Bukhara.
Day Seven
Bukhara
Start with a half-day tour of Bukhara; visiting the Samanids Mausoleum, Ark Fortress, Poi Kalon complex, trading domes, Lyabi-Hauz complex and Chor Minor.
• After lunch, free time to explore the city’s Jewish quarter and covered shopping areas.
• Overnight in Bukhara.
Day Eight
Shahi Zinda Necropolis
• After breakfast we’ll start the 5-6 hour drive to the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand.
• We’ll stop en route at the Gijduvan ceramic workshop. Here we’ll have the chance to learn a new skill; either suzani sewing or pottery making.
• We’ll continue our journey to Samarkand to visit the Shahi Zinda Necropolis and Meros handicraft centre, before relaxing for the evening.
• Overnight in Samarkand.
Day Nine
Samarkand
• Today we’ll have a full day tour of Samarkand; taking in Registan Square, Gur Emir Mausoleum and Siab bazaar.
• Evening at leisure in the city.
• Overnight in Samarkand.
Day Ten
Ulugbek Observatory and Plov
• In the morning we’ll explore more of Samarkand; visiting the Ulugbek Observatory, Afrasiab museum and wall paintings plus St. Daniel’s Mausoleum.
• For lunch we’ll have an authentic cooking experience with a local family where we can learn the secrets of cooking the most famous Uzbek meal.
• The afternoon can be spent having a well earned rest, before we head out for a final dinner in Uzbekistan.
• Overnight in Samarkand.
Day Eleven
Ancient Penjikent
• Early morning we’ll cross the Jartepa border from Uzbekistan and meet our Tajik guides.
• We’ll drive to ancient Penjikent, where we can explore the ruins of an old Sogdian town founded in the 5th century and abandoned in the 8th century by Arabs. We’ll see the excavated ruins of house foundations, city bazaar and citadel containing Zoroastrian fire temples. Penjikent is the birthplace of Abu Abdallah Rudaki who is considered the father of Persian poetry; we will visit the museum showcasing some of his work.
• Afterwards we’ll head for lunch then drive 4 hours over to Dushanbe to spend the evening at leisure.
• Overnight in Dushanbe.
Day Twelve
Day at Leisure
• Today is a well earned day of rest. We have the opportunity to relax at the hotel or head out to explore the capital city.
• Overnight in Dushanbe.
Day Thirteen
Iskanderkul Lake
• Start the drive to Khujand in the morning, passing through the 5km long Anzob Tunnel a.k.a. The Tunnel of Death; a vital roadway which connects Tajikistan’s two largest cities.
• En route we arrive at the emerald-coloured Iskanderkul Lake where we’ll have the afternoon to swim, hike to the waterfall, or go on speed boat rides around the lake (approx $10 pp).
• Later, we continue to Khujand to check into our hotel and have dinner at a local restaurant.
• Overnight in Khujand.
Day Fourteen
Khujand
• Today we’ll visit the Shikh Muslihiddin Mosque, Oriental bazaar (the biggest in Central Asia), Arbob Palace and Lenin Monument.
• After lunch we’ll head to the ancient city fortress of Timur-Malik. This castle was a vital stop on the Silk Road for many centuries.
• Overnight in Khujand.
Day Fifteen
Fergana Valley
• After breakfast we’ll head to the border and depart Tajikistan. Due to the closure of the Tajikistan/Kyrgyzstan land border we will now take a new route via the picturesque Fergana Valley in Uzbekistan and into Kyrgyzstan via the Dostuck border near Osh.
• Arrive into Osh and check into our hotel and spend the rest of the evening at leisure.
• Overnight in Osh.
Day Sixteen
Tien Shen Mountain Range
• Morning tour of Osh before setting off on the journey toward the capital city of Bishkek. This road rivals the Pamir Highway for the most beautiful and scenic journey in Central Asia. We pass huge mountains, canyons and valleys as well as crossing a host of different climatic zones and vegetation levels. We’ll see the natural and cultural divide of the country through the Fergana Valley and Tien Shan mountain range.
• We will stop halfway to break up the long journey.
• Overnight in Toktogul.
Day Seventeen
Bishkek
• We will continue the scenic journey to Bishkek over the Ala-Bel and Tyua – Ashuu Passes.
• Late afternoon and evening at leisure to explore the capital.
• Overnight in Bishkek.
Day Eighteen
Day at Leisure
• A well-earned rest day.
• Spend the day as you wish, perhaps checking out the Soviet architecture and monuments of the capital.
• Overnight in Bishkek.
Day Nineteen
Jeti Oguz Gorge
• Leave Bishkek for Issyk-Kul. Along the way, we visit the Burana Tower.
• Our drive continues up into the mountains before we finally get to Issyk-Kul; the tenth-largest lake in the world.
• Enjoy a swim in this massive body of water.
• Overnight stay at Jeti-Oguz Gorge in a yurt camp.
Day Twenty
Karakol
• Free morning at the yurt camp. Various excursions can be arranged for you, such as hiking or horse riding.
• Drive to Karakol for lunch and take a short tour of the city’s Chinese-style mosque and Orthodox Church.
• Overnight in Karakol.
Day Twenty-One
Charyn Canyon
• Depart Karakol and bid farewell to Kyrgyzstan.
• After crossing the border into Kazakhstan, we head to Charyn Canyon, taking the 45 minute walk in and out of the canyon.
• Chance to paddle in the Charyn River before continuing the drive to Almaty.
• Overnight in Almaty.
Day Twenty-Two
Almaty
• We’ll have a day tour of the city seeing the sights. We’ll visit Panfilov Park; home to the bright-yellow towers of Zenkov Cathedral and also head to see the view of the city, amongst other things.
• In the evening we’ll head out for a final farewell dinner.
• Overnight in Almaty.
Day Twenty Three
Tour Ends
• After three weeks of travel, our tour sadly ends today.
• You are welcome to add extra nights in Almaty on request.