19 Days | Take a journey through three Central Asian countries, soaking up the fascinating culture, history and countryside
Journey back to the days of the Great Silk Road on a 19-day Premium adventure through Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Explore the cosmopolitan capital of Tashkent, marvel at the glorious architecture in Samarkand, discover the holy sites of Bukhara and visit the ancient monuments of Khiva. Join a local family for a traditional cooking class and get to know the ins and outs of an Uzbek village. Visit Sharyn Canyon, Skazka Canyon and Jety Oguz Valley and take hikes to soak up the scenery. Spend a night in a traditional yurt camp alongside the massive alpine lake of Issky-Kul. See the monuments, learn the histories and dive into the local cultures of main cities like Bishkek and Almaty. Visit a family-owned winery for a tasting, head to a small local village for a traditional lunch and enjoy a masterclass of local cuisine from a Dungan family. With all this and more, what’s holding you back from your next adventure?
Trip overview
- Start
- Tashkent, Uzbekistan
- Finish
- Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Theme
- Explorer
- Destinations
- Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan
- Physical rating
- Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
- Style
- Premium
- Ages
- Min 15
- Group size
- Min 1 - Max 12
- Trip code
- KFPUK
Our best 4-star accommodation and the highest level of service
All must-see locations plus authentic experiences exclusive to Premium
Trips led by our most experienced and highest-rated local leaders
- Understand local life through food by joining local families for a cooking class in Samarkand and Khiva. Feast on delicious local cuisine with visits to a family-owned winery in Almaty, a family home of local Dungan people for dinner and a traditional lunch in a remote Kyzyl Tuu Village.
- Uncover Tashkent’s Soviet legacy and the magic of Uzbekistan's ‘holiest city’ in Bukhara. Listen to your leader tell ancient tales of Khiva and be guided through the architecture of Samarkand. Then, soak up some of the history and architecture of two former Silk Route cities – Almaty and Bishkek.
- Head off the tourist track and see some incredible natural landscapes – on this trip, you’ll visit Sharyn Canyon (nicknamed the little brother of the Grand Canyon), Jety Oguz, Skazka Canyon and Lake Isky-Kul.
- Spend a memorable night in a comfortable yurt camp for an authentic local experience. You’ll have dinner around the campfire with the locals and wake up in the morning beside Lake Issyk-Kul – the second largest alpine lake in the world!
- Stay within the walls of Uzbekistan’s history during a historical Feature Stay in an old Jewish house converted into a boutique hotel in Bukhara.
- As there are a couple of long travel days, plenty of time spent on your feet and days can be hot and dusty, you'll need to be reasonably fit to get the most out of this trip.
- The Central Asian diet relies heavily on meat-based dishes. Dietary restrictions, such as vegetarian and gluten free, are not well known in Uzbekistan, and may have very limited options.
- Our accommodation is all carefully selected, but keep in mind that the standard in this part of the world does not always live up to the Western expectations you might be used to. Rooms can be small, water pressure can be unreliable, and some amenities might not always be available.
- Your yurt accommodation is comfortable, but relatively basic. We think this is an essential part of visiting the region, and worth sacrificing some amenities for a memorable night in a spectacular place. Because these are sacred dwellings, there are no bathrooms within the yurt. Shared facilities will be available.
- A single supplement is not available on Day 15 at the yurt camp.
Itinerary
Inclusions
16 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 9 dinners
Private vehicle, Plane, Train
Comfortable hotel (14 nights) Feature Stay (3 nights).
- Arrival airport transfer
- Tipping for accommodation, activities and transport
- Luggage transfer
- Daily breakfast and signature local meal experiences
- 24/7 on-ground support
- Tashkent - welcome dinner
- Tashkent - Chorsu Bazaar
- Tashkent - Amir Timur Square
- Tashkent - Khast Imom Complex & Moyie Mubarek Library Museum
- Tashkent - City tour
- Tashkent - Metro tour
- Samarkand - Bibi-Khanym Mosque
- Samarkand - Handmade paper workshop
- Samarkand - Afrosiab Museum
- Samarkand - Plov cooking demonstration & family visit
- Samarkand - Ulugbek's Observatory
- Samarkand - Uzbek Bagizagan winery visit and tasting
- Samarkand - City tour
- Samarkand - Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum
- Samarkand - Shakh-I-Zinda
- Samarkand - Registan Square
- Samarkand - Siob Bazaar
- Gijduvan - Ceramics workshop
- Shofirkon - Uzbek village and silk suzane making family visit
- Bukhara - Folklore & music performance
- Bukhara - Bolo Hauz Complex
- Bukhara - Chashma Ayub Mausoleum
- Bukhara - Ismail Samani Mausoleum
- Bukhara - Ark Fortress
- Bukhara - Bolo Hauz Mosque
- Bukhara - Chor Minor
- Bukhara - Kalon Minaret & Mosque
- Bukhara - Taki Zargaron Trading Dome
- Bukhara - Lyabi Khauz Complex
- Bukhara - City tour
- Bukhara - Sitorai Mohi Hosa Palace
- Khiva - Islom Hoja Minaret & Medressa
- Khiva - Juma Mosque
- Khiva - Tosh-Hovli Palace
- Khiva - Kunya Ark
- Khiva - Kalta Minor Minaret
- Khiva - Sunset drinks
- Khiva - Muhammad Rahim-khan Medressa
- Khiva - Muhammad Amin-khan Medressa
- Khiva - Khorezmian cuisine cooking class
- Almaty - Welcome Dinner
- Almaty - City tour with local guide
- Almaty - Winery Visit, Tasting and dinner
- Bishkek Orientation Walk
- Bishkek - Tamgaly Tas - petroglyphs
- Bishkek - City walking tour
- Bishkek - Central Asian Textile Visit
- Issky Kul - Kyzyl Tuu - Yurt Making Workshop
- Bishkek - Burana Tower
- Karakol - Skazka Canyon Visit
- Karakol - Jety Oguz Visit
- Karakol - City Tour
- Karakol - Dungan Family Visit and Cooking Masterclass
- Almaty - Charyn Canyon Hike
- Tashkent - State Museum of History of Uzbekistan - UZS50000
- Tashkent - Art Gallery of Uzbekistan - UZS20000
- Tashkent - Museum of Applied Arts - UZS25000
Dates and availability
Important notes
A complimentary airport arrival transfer is included; valid if you are arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-tour accommodation through us. You must provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel.
A single supplement is available if you'd prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
The domestic flight from Urgench to Tashkent has a luggage allowance is 20kg for check in luggage and 5kg for carry on. The international flight from Tashkent to Almaty has a luggage allowance of 20kg for checked luggage and 8kg for cabin luggage.
Due to changes to the airline’s flight schedule, on some departures the domestic flight to Tashkent on Day 9 will be in the afternoon instead of the morning. All included activities will remain unchanged.
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