Meet Central Asia

Day 01: Ashgabat - Turkmenbashi

Welcome to Central Asia! Meet your local guide on arrival and transfer to your hotel for check-in. Then explore Ashgabat's highlights including the UNESCO-listed Nissa, Turkmenbashi Mosque-Mausoleum, Russian Bazaar, and Lenin and Pushkin monuments, before flying to Turkmenbashi for an overnight stay.

Day 02: Turkmenbashi - Yangikala - Ashgabat

Drive through the Balkan Mountains by 4WD to the dramatic Yangikala Canyons filled with towering white, green, and red limestone cliffs, remnants of a prehistoric sea. Enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking the canyons, then return to Turkmenbashi for an evening flight back to Ashgabat.

Day 03: Ashgabat - Darwaza - Ashgabat

Drive deep into the Karakum Desert to Darwaza, home to the legendary burning gas crater, a 60-metre-wide hole with flames up to 15 metres high, burning since the 1970s. Camp dinner under the desert sky before returning to Ashgabat.

Day 04: Ashgabat - Almaty (Kazakhstan)

After breakfast, get ready for a thrilling half-day visit to Ashgabat's highlights including stops at Ertogrul Gazy Mosque, Independence Park, Neutrality Arch, Nissa and Turkmenbashi Mosque-Mausoleum. Fly to Almaty, Kazakhstan for an overnight stay.

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Day 05: Almaty - Issyk Lake - Almaty

Explore Almaty's major landmarks consist of the Republic Square, Central State Museum, Abai Opera House, Central Mosque, Medeo Gorge, and Kok-Tobe Hill. Visit Panfilov Park to see the stunning all-wooden Zenkov Cathedral, then browse the vibrant Green Bazaar before heading to your hotel.

Day 06: Almaty - Tashkent

Fly to Tashkent, then explore Independence Square, stroll down the Broadway pedestrian boulevard, and ride the world-renowned Tashkent Metro celebrated for its stunning station architecture. The rest of the day is yours, and end the night  with an authentic Uzbek dinner.

Day 07: Tashkent - Samarkand

Hop on a train ride to Samarkand, one of the world's oldest cities, as ancient as Babylon and Rome. Visit the majestic Registan Square (15th–17th century madrasahs), Shakhi-Zindeh mausoleum complex (UNESCO), Guri Emir Mausoleum, and the grand Bibi Khanum Mosque.

Day 08: Samarkand - Bukhara

Enjoy a morning train ride to Bukhara. Explore the 4th-century Citadel Ark, the exquisite 9th-century Samanids' Mausoleum, Chashma Ayub (Job's Well), and the Bolo-Hauz Mosque of 40 Columns. End the day with an authentic Bukharan dinner.

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Day 09: Bukhara - Tashkent

Visit the sacred Bahauddin Naqshbandi Complex, a revered pilgrimage site for Muslims worldwide and the resting place of the Sufi scholar who guided Amir Timur. You have the option to return to Tashkent by train or flight.

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Day 10: Tashkent

Visit the Courage Monument, the Zangi Ota Memorial, and the atmospheric old city of Tashkent, with stops at Chorsu Bazaar, Kukaldash Madrasah, and the Hast Imam Complex, home to the Othman Quran. This Quran is the world's oldest surviving copy of the Quran dating to the 8th century.

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Day 11: Tashkent

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home.