4 Stan Tours in Central Asia

Kazahkstan – Arrive Almaty 

Upon arrival in Almaty Airport, you are met and transferred to your pre-booked Hotel.

Overnight at Hotel

Almaty

You will start your tour today with the visit of Central State Museum – where the history of Kazakhstan is presented through 120000 exhibits arranged in four exhibition halls. 

Later visit the Republic square, Abai opera and ballet theatre, see President Residence, Independence monument in Republic Square. 

Afternoon travel to Medeo and visit the highest skating rink in the world located 1691m above sea level, in the valley between two beautiful mountains. A little above the stadium you can see the setting pool with the crystal water, which is used for the ice on the skating rink.

Continue to Kok-Tobe, the highest point of Almaty, travelling up the meandering mountain road.  The highest TV tower in the world (counting from sea level) is located on Kok-Tobe, and it is seen from every part of the city. Admire the stunning views over the city, walk down the meandering lanes, browse the souvenir shops and see the Beatles monument.

Return to Almaty 

Overnight at Hotel

Almaty -“Korday” border (220 km) – Bishkek (30km)

Morning drive towards Kyrgyz-Kazak border “Korday”. After border formalities, proceed to Bishkek. 

Upon arrival in Bishkek, you will have a city tour to visit Manas Monument, the main national hero of the Kyrgyz people. Walking tour around main Ala Too Square to watch ceremony of changing of the Guard of Honor, Independence Monument, main governmental buildings, and finish at the Old Square with Parliament House and the only survived in Central Asia Lenin’s Monument. Transfer to the Victory Square to finish the city tour by short excursion there.

Accommodation and rest at hotel

Overnight at Hotel

Bishkek – Issyk Kul (290 km)

Transfer to Cholpon Ata. En route, visit Burana Tower, a monument from the 11th Century. Visit Open air petroglyphs museum. Walk along the shores of Lake Issyk Kul

Overnight at Hotel. 

Issyk Kul – Karakol (150 km)

Morning transfer to Karakol
En route, visit the beautiful Grigorievskoe Gorge and Semenovskay gorge. On the way, visit hot spring pools. possible to swim in pools. 
To visit the most famous Dungan Mosque, which did the Chinees Artist, from 1907 to 1910, build. Visit   Old ortodox church. 
Dungan ethnic group cooking class. Then you will have a dungan dinner there.
Overnight at Hotel

Karakol-Bokonbaeva (130 km)

Felt carpet show – you will make a small carpet to understand the way of procedure.
Dinner in yurt camp
Overnight in yurt camp
(Note: we can add horse riding 1-2 hours and eagle hunting show, depends on time-optinal)

Bokonbaeva-Bishkek (280km)

On the way visit Kyzyl Tuu village, famous with making Kyrgyz yurts.
Participate in building yurt. Eagle hunting, archery show. 
Upon arrival in Bishkek transfer to hotel.
Overnight at Hotel

Uzbekistan

Bishkek – Tashkent HY780 16:30-16:50
City tour to visit Manas Monument, the main national hero of the Kyrgyz people. Walking tour around main Ala Too Square to watch ceremony of changing of the Guard of Honor, Independence Monument, main governmental buildings, and finish at the Old Square with Parliament House and the only survived in Central Asia Lenin’s Monument.
Afternoon transfer to the airport for flight to Tashkent.
Overnight at Hotel

Tashkent

After breakfast visit to Akbar and Alisher Rahimov ceramics workshop and participate in ceramics workshop. Later explore Chorsu bazaar, Kukeldash Madrassah
After workshop visit to Madina’s workshop and participate in Suzani embroidery lesson.
Abdulkasym Madrasah (XIX century) – One of the most interesting historical buildings in Tashkent is the Abdulkasym Madrasah. Today the building houses the Center for National Applied Arts. Every connoisseur of oriental culture can visit the madrasah and watch the work of famous Uzbek master artisans. Here you can find works of skilled embroiderers: carpets, shawls, scarves, bags embroidered in the national style. Connoisseurs of metal products can purchase various metal objects with intricate carvings and engravings.
One of the most significant monuments of modern Tashkent is the monumental complex “Courage”, dedicated to the powerful earthquake of 1966. At 5:24 a.m. on April 26, 1966, an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.3 hit the city. A strong seismic shock forever changed the appearance of the city.
Rest of the day at leisure
Dinner in a national house, master class on preparing traditional national dishes
Overnight at Hotel

Tashkent

After breakfast, visit the old town to see Barak Khana Seminary, Tila Shaikh mosque and archives known for the exhibit of a rare copy of Koran written by the third Caliph Othman. Later visit the Museum of Applied Arts, excursion to Mustakillik (Independence) Square, famous Tashkent Metro (underground), Amir Temur square.
Dinner in Human House where exclusive handicrafts from artisans from different parts of Uzbekistan are presented – from a small saucer painted by masters from Rishtan to satin shoes.
Overnight at Hotel

Tajikistan

Tashkent – “Oibek” border (Tajikistan) – Khujand (200 km)
Set out overland for Tajikistan via “Oibek” border.
Meeting guests on the Tajik side of the border. After crossing the border, drive to Khujand – center of Sugd region, Northern Tajikistan. Khujand was continuously occupied for 2500 years and found – possibly on the site of an earlier settlement – by Alexander the Great. It is the furthest point he reached in Central Asia thus the city was named Alexandria Eschate (Alexandria the Furthest). Check-in hotel.
City tour in Khujand to visit: Historical and cultural complex of Khujand Fortress (here you can see the Zardozi Embroidery, Chakan Embroidery Art, Suzani, Ceramics many other folk crafts ), Pushkin square with Kamoli Khudjandi Square, Timur Malik’s fortress and Sugd museum, Muslihiddin memorial complex, Panjshanbe bazaar (Khujand’s central market that has many shops offering different kind of goods and services. The name Panjshanbe comes from Persian language meaning “Thursday”. Panjshanbe is considered as one of the oldest markets in Tajikistan. The Silk Road, which passes Khujand city, had always made Panjshanbe to be crowded with traders and tourists).
Overnight at Hotel

Khujand – Istaravshan – Dushanbe (350 km)

Today we leave the northern and cultural capital of Tajikistan – Khudjand and drive to Dushanbe via Istaravshan town (ancient name-Kiropolis). Located in the northern foothills of the Turkistan mountain range, 78 kilometers southwest of Khudjand, Istaravshan is one of the oldest cities in Tajikistan, having existed for more than 2500 years. This is a great place to interact with local Tajiks and see local artisans at work.
In Istaravshan we visit Mugtepa fortress, Kok Gumbaz 15th Timurid Mosque built by a son of Uleg Beg, Sar-i Mazor complex of two 15th/16th century mausoleum and lovely 16th/17th century mosque in gardens.
Continue to Dushanbe. En route you will be able to enjoy beautiful mountain sceneries, crystal water of rivers and amazing landscapes. On arrival transfer to hotel.
Overnight at Hotel

Dushanbe city tour

Morning city tour in Dushanbe to visit famous Museum of National Antiquities (closed on Mon), opened in 2001. Featuring artefacts from Tajikistan’s Islamic and pre-Islamic history (Greek/Bactrian, Zoroastrian, Buddhist and Hindu), the museum shows that Tajikistan was an important crossroad in Central Asia. The centrepiece is the 14m reclining Buddha in Nirvana, a 1,400 year-old statue created by the same Kushan civilisation that made the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan.
Later visit the National Museum (closed on Mon) recently opened in the center of Dushanbe where you can observe history of Tajikistan from the Stone Age until present days. Unique frescoes and burned wooden statues from Penjikent excavation site are exhibited here. There is a special section devoted to the excavation of Tahti Sangin Temple of Oxsus from Sothern part of Tajikistan.
Overnight at Hotel

Dushanbe – Iskandarkul – Penjikent (240 km)

In the morning we will drive to Penjakent. On the way you will have a detour to high Mountain lake – Iskanderkul (2 255 m. a. s. l.). It is situated in the famous Fann Mountains. This fabulous area is one of the best places of Central Asia. The road to the lakes goes over Anzob pass (3 372 m) with amazing panorama views. After arrival to the lake you will walk for 20 min to see the Snake Lake. Then you follow a path that leads along the left bank of the river that flows out of Iskanderkul. Follow the path for about 1 km to get to a 50m-high waterfall known as the Niagara of Fann Mountains. Iskanderkul is a scenic lake that takes its name from Alexander the Great’s time in Tajikistan. In the afternoon you will drive to Panjakent. The city of Penjakent (“five villages”) is located in Sughd area of Tajikistan in a picturesque Zeravshan river valley. Quite possibly the five villages started the history of this remarkable city which originated in the 5th-8th centuries AD.
Overnight at Hotel

Penjikent – Samarkand (65 km) – Uzbekistan

Morning transfer to the Tadjik-Uzbek border. After crossing the border, drive to Samarkand
Visit Gur Emir – mausoleum of Great Tamerlane, Registan Square that was for many centuries the heart of Samarkand. Visit Hunarmand Artisans center to see the artisans at work.
Overnight at Hotel

Samarkand

City tour of Samarkand to visit the Shahi-Zinda necropolis, Ulugbek’s observatory, constructed by Ulugbek (Grandson of the Great Amir Temur) in 1428-1429, and the ancient settlement of Afrosiab, which is situated on the spurs of Chupan-Ata hills to the northeast of present-day Samarkand. According to the legend, it was here, on the banks of the river Siab, that the Turanian king and hero Afrosiab, a character of the folk epic ‘Shahnama’, founded the town that became the capital of Sogdiana.
Afternoon see the grandest structure of Amir Temur’s times is the chief Friday Mosque called Bibi-Khanum, Silk Road bazaar and Shahi Zinda necropolis.

Samarkand – Bukhara (270 km)

After breakfast we are heading to Bukhara.
On the way, a visit to the famous dynasty of potters Narzullaevs in Gijduvan. You will hear the history of this amazing family, a fascinating lecture about the process of making Gijduvan ceramics, and you will have the chance to make a jug or cup yourself using a pottery wheel. You will also try Gijduvan kebabs, unique in your taste and famous throughout Uzbekistan, and the owners of the house will tell you about the secrets of their preparation.
Excursion to Bahauddin Naqshbandi Mausolem famous Sufi spiritual leader of this region in 14th century. Return to Bukhara to visit Hunarmand UNDP Assisted workshops near Lyabikhauz. We see block printing, metal chasing, suzani embroidery, carving and miniature painting. Gold Embroidery
Visit the Sitora-i-Mokhikhosa, the summer residence of the former emir of Bukhara.
On arrival transfer to hotel.
Overnight at Hotel

Bukhara

Sightseeing tour of Bukhara : Visit – Lab-i-khauz ensemble, the pool and chaikhana of which is the modern Centre of traditional Uzbekistan: Madrassah Nadirkhon Devanbegi, Khanaga, Mogaki Attari mosque, Poi Kalon minaret and mosque, see Madrassahs Aziz Khan and Ulugbek. Visit Ark Fortress, Balakhauz mosque, mausoleum of Ismail Samanid, Chashma Ayub.
We will visit the home workshop of Rakhmon Toshev – he will share with you the secrets of traditional embroidery “Suzanne”; usually women do this, but he inherited it from his grandmother and now passes on his secrets to his relatives and students.
Dinner at Rahmon’s house, where you can enjoy the amazing taste of traditional Bukhara pilaf. Master class on cooking Bukhara pilaf with the owner of the house.
Overnight at Hotel

Bukhara – Khiva (480 km)

Morning drive to Khiva via famous Kizil Kum desert (Red sands)
See desert flora and fauna: unique saksaul trees and other desert vegetation, different kind mammals. Stop at Amudarya riverbank.
Later proceed to Khiva and on arrival in Khiva check in at your pre booked Hotel
Overnight at Hotel

Khiva

Khiva sightseeing: Visit Kalta Minor, Kunya Ark, Madrassah Rakhimkhon, and Mausoleum of Pakhlavan Makhmud. Enjoy the view of completely ancient Khiva, Friday mosque and Tashauli Palace/harem.
Dinner at the national home of a local resident, master class on cooking manti
Overnight at Hotel

Khiva – Urgench (30 km) – Tashkent HY52 09:30-10:50

After breakfast transfer to airport in Urgench for flight to Tashkent
Continuation of the excursion around Tashkent
Dinner and overnight at Hotel

Tashkent departure
Transfer to the international airport for flight to home