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A private eleven-day route across the Silk Road's least-visited stretch, with Almaty, Kazakhstan's cultural capital, at its center. Nomadic history, burning desert craters, and cities that predate most of Europe's, arranged for you rather than around you.
What Is the Almaty & Central Asia Explorer Package? It's an eleven-day private journey through Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, built around Almaty as its most extended stop. Access Travel handles the routing, the local guides, and the visa logistics across all three countries, so the only decision left is how you want to spend each day.
Duration: 11 Days Countries: 3, One Route Rate From: USD 6,999 Pace: Private, Guided
Central Asia, Curated Around Almaty
Central Asia rarely makes it onto a first list of luxury destinations, and that's exactly its appeal. This explorer package threads through Turkmenistan's desert monuments, Kazakhstan's alpine capital, and Uzbekistan's Silk Road cities in one connected private route, with Almaty positioned as the heart of the journey: two full days given to its opera houses, mountain gorges, and markets before the route continues into Uzbekistan.
The full loop begins in Ashgabat and ends in Tashkent, moving through all three countries rather than settling into one. If Almaty as your point of entry matters more to you than the complete loop, our Access Experts can rebuild the route to open in Kazakhstan instead. Every day on this itinerary can be adjusted to your pace, interests, and travel dates.
The Route, Almaty Onward
The full itinerary runs eleven days across three countries. Here is how it moves through and around Almaty, the section most travelers ask about first.
Day 04 · Arrival - Ashgabat to Almaty After a half-day of Ashgabat's landmarks, including the Neutrality Arch and the UNESCO-listed ruins of Nissa, you fly into Almaty for the evening.
Day 05 · Almaty - The Cultural Capital, Fully Explored Republic Square, the Central State Museum, and the Abai Opera House, followed by the Medeo Gorge and a panoramic stop at Kok-Tobe Hill. The day closes at Panfilov Park, home to the all-wooden Zenkov Cathedral, and the Green Bazaar for a look at how Almaty actually eats.
Day 06 · Onward - Almaty to Tashkent A short flight into Uzbekistan, with an evening walk down Tashkent's Broadway boulevard and a ride on its architecturally celebrated metro.
Days 07-09 · Silk Road - Samarkand and Bukhara Registan Square's 15th-century madrasahs, the UNESCO-listed Shakhi-Zindeh mausoleum complex, and Bukhara's 4th-century Citadel Ark, connected by train rather than long drives.
Days 10-11 · Tashkent - The Hast Imam Complex and Departure A final day at the old city's Chorsu Bazaar and the Hast Imam Complex, home to the Othman Quran, the world's oldest surviving copy, before your flight home.
Duration & Best Time to Visit
This route crosses desert, steppe, and mountain-edge city in a single trip, so timing matters more here than on most itineraries. Spring and autumn are consistently the strongest windows across all three countries: April and May bring mild temperatures and blooming steppe before the desert heat sets in, while September and October offer the same balance on the way back down from summer.
Summer pushes Ashgabat and the Karakum Desert well past 40°C, and Almaty runs its own extremes, with winters that drop below -10°C and summers that climb past 35°C. Outside the April-to-May and September-to-October windows, the itinerary is still workable, but it asks more of you than it needs to.
What's Handled, and What Isn't
Included
- 4-star to 5-star hotel accommodations throughout
- Daily hotel breakfast
- Private transportation for the full eleven days
- A professional private local guide and driver in each country
- Entrance fees for all listed attractions
- Local tourist taxes and permits
Not Included
- International airfare
- Personal travel insurance
- Visa fees, though visa assistance is provided, including Turkmenistan's required Letter of Invitation
From USD 6,999 per adult Approx. PHP 412,941. Children ages 2-13 travel at 80% of the adult rate. Rates and hotel availability are confirmed at time of booking.
FAQs: Before You Ask Your Access Expert
Do Filipino travelers need a visa for this route? It depends on the country. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are both visa-free for Philippine passport holders for stays of up to 30 days. Turkmenistan is the exception: it requires a visa and a Letter of Invitation from a registered local operator, and independent tourist entry isn't practically possible there. Access handles this detail as part of your booking, so you're not the one navigating three separate visa systems.
Does this trip actually start in Almaty? The full eleven-day loop starts in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and reaches Almaty on Day 4, where it stays for two full days before continuing into Uzbekistan. If you'd rather begin your trip in Kazakhstan, our Access Experts can rebuild the route to start directly in Almaty.
How physically demanding is the itinerary? Most days are city-paced, with guided walks through old towns, museums, and markets, plus private transport between stops. The one exception is Turkmenistan's Karakum Desert excursion to the Darwaza gas crater, which involves 4WD travel over unpaved terrain. Everything else on the route is accessible at a relaxed, comfortable pace.
Can the itinerary be customized? Yes. Hotels, cars, and specific attractions can all be adjusted, and the route itself can be shortened, extended, or reordered around what matters most to you. Tell our Access Experts what you'd like more or less time on, and they'll rebuild the route accordingly.
Related Journeys
Almaty is easier to reach than you'd think. Let us handle the rest.
From the visa route through three countries to the pace of each city day, our Access Experts shape this journey around you before you leave Manila.