New trips in northern and central Asia

July 2025

Intrepid Travel has launched six new trips in Northern and Central Asia, marking its most significant expansion in the region to date. The new itineraries, ranging from 8 to16 days, will offer immersive locally-led experiences in remote mountain ranges, ancient cities, and nomadic communities across China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia. 

The launch comes as bookings to Northern and Central Asia reach an all-time high for Intrepid, with year-on-year growth up 66%. Over the past three years, the region has seen a strong resurgence in travel, driven by increasing demand for off-the-beaten path adventures. Highlights from the new trips include a visit to the unrenovated ‘wild’ Great Wall of China, trekking in the foothills of Kyrgyzstan’s Tien Shan Mountain range, and staying with reindeer herders in the Mongolian taiga.  

Erica Kritikides, General Manager of Experiences at Intrepid Travel commented:  

“Intrepid’s small group tours in Northern and Central Asia, including China, Mongolia and the Stans, have soared in popularity with travellers in recent years. With a +79% year-on-year passenger growth in China alone, bookings are well exceeding pre-Covid levels and show no sign of slowing down. Over a year in the making, these newly curated trips offer travellers unique, immersive and locally-led experiences, while creating meaningful opportunities for remote communities to benefit from tourism. Whether it’s staying in a yurt camp in Kyrgyzstan, travelling deep into the taiga forest in Northern Mongolia or making dumplings at a local’s home in a 600-year-old village beneath the Great Wall of China, the trips take travellers beyond the beaten path, supporting destinations to harness tourism as a force for good.” 

The new trips include:  

Kyrgyzstan: Trekking the Tien Shan Trails (10 days)

Spend 10 days in Kyrgyzstan while trekking along the western Tien Shan Mountain Range. Follow nomad’s trails, spend nights in traditional yurts and take in the views of snow-capped mountains and alpine lakes.  

Highlights of Central Asia (16 days)

Journey through Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan by train. Spend a night in a yurt camp near Issyk Kul Lake, eat with a local family in Uzbekistan and enjoy wine tasting at a family-owned winery in Almaty. 

Mongolia Expedition: Reindeer Herders (14 days)

Travel deep into the taiga of Mongolia and stay with the Tsataan people who herd reindeer for a living. Learn about their traditions and take in this challenging but transformative experience of being away from modern comforts. 

Walking the Great Wall of China (8 days)

Hike the unrenovated ‘wild’ Great Wall of China in its most original form, learn how to make dumplings in a local guesthouse and explore the lanes of traditional hutongs in Beijing.   

Southern China Highlights: Hong Kong to Shanghai (10 days)

Travel from Hong Kong to Shanghai on China’s rail network. Explore the cyberpunk city of Chongqing, ride an elevator up to the Avatar mountains in Zhangjiajie National Park and dive into the mystic Nvshu scripts in Changsha. 

China Real Food Adventure (10 days)

Travel from Beijing to Hong Kong, enjoying local delicacies along the way. Eat street food on a walking tour of Hutong in Beijing, learn to make noodles with a local family in Xian and take part in a cooking class with a professional chef in the Sichuan Cuisine Museum.  

Intrepid has 168 trips in Asia and local offices in Japan, China, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal and Sri Lanka. With the addition of these six new itineraries, Intrepid now offers 48 trips across Northern and Central Asia as it continues to innovate and evolve its product portfolio in the region. The new trips are available to book from 29^th July 2025 and will depart from March 2026. 

For more information on Intrepid’s new Northern and Central Asia trips, visit www.intrepidtravel.com/asia.