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Today depart from Australia (or New Zealand) for Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Please note: Due to limited flights between Australia and Kazakhstan, customers may require a layover. Scheduled transits over 6 hours will receive one lounge pass. Scheduled transits over 12 hours will receive one night at an airport hotel. This will be covered at no extra cost. Flight times will be indicated on your final documents, issued 4-6 weeks prior to departure.
Please note: Some flights may depart early on Day 2 and arrive Day 2.
Meals included: In-Flight
Welcome to Kazakhstan. Upon arrival in Almaty this evening you will be met and transferred to the hotel.
Overnight: Kazzhol Hotel or similar, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Meals included: In-Flight
This morning set out on a city tour of Almaty, the southern capital of Kazakhstan and largest city in the country. During the city tour you will see beautiful wooden Russian buildings - Zenkov Cathedral, the ex-assembly house of Czar officers and an apparel shop (1903-1908). You will visit the 28 Panfilov’s Guardsmen Park, Zenkov Cathedral, Museum of History and Republic Square.
In the afternoon continue onwards to the Museum of Musical Instruments, one of the most unique musical museums which opened in 1981. The museum showcases the national musical instruments of the Kazakh people, along with the musical culture of over 50 countries.
This evening you will experience a Sunkar show where you will learn about birds of prey - how they are used for hunting, their history, lifestyle and organic traits. Five to seven species of birds take part in the show.
Afterwards, enjoy dinner and return to the hotel for an evening at leisure.
Overnight: Kazzhol Hotel or similar, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner
Today enjoy the day at leisure to either relax or explore Almaty. Alternatively, you can take the opportunity to join an optional activity (not included).
Optional Activity: Half Day Medeo Gorge & Kok-Tobe Tour - $170 AU per person
Travel to picturesque Medeo Gorge, which is located 25 kilometres from Almaty and has an altitude of over 2000 metres. It hosts the highest mountain skate ring in the world, as well as the largest skiing resort of the region. On the way stop by a dam which protects the city from avalanches and mudslides, which have been known to cascade from the slopes. Take a cable car trip to the top to enjoy an amazing panorama of Tien-Shan Mountains. Later return to Almaty to enjoy a cable car trip at Kok-Tobe recreational area to witness a panorama of Almaty and surroundings.
Overnight: Kazzhol Hotel or similar, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Meals included: Breakfast
This morning head towards the amazing Charyn Canyon, often described as the Grand Canyon of Kazakhstan. The dramatic erosion made by the river Charyn has created an impressive landscape of red-coloured rocky formations that resemble castles, leading the canyon to be nicknamed the Valley of Castles. It’s spectacular during the day, as well as under a star-lit sky.
Afterwards cross the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border. After all border procedures, continue on to Karakol via the scenic Karkara Valley, famous for its mountain flowers that attract many bee-keepers. Tonight enjoy dinner with an ethnic Uighur family to taste the national cuisine of Lagman. Lagman is a traditional Uighur dish made of pulled noodles, meat and vegetables. You will be able to see and help with the process of making and cooking Lagman.
Afterwards transfer to the hotel for an evening at leisure after an approximately 400 kilometre day.
Overnight: Hotel Green Yard or similar, Karakol, Kyrgyzstan
Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner
A visit to Karakol town is like stepping back in time a hundred years to an age of Tsarist Russia. This morning head out on a city tour to visit old Russian style houses (1870–1910), Russian Orthodox Church (1886) and Dungan Mosque (1899) made out of wood with no nails.
After the tour, transfer to Jeti-Oguz Gorge. Here you will have an opportunity to admire fantastic rock formations made of red sandstone, as well as local pastures which have long been used by shepherds to graze flocks of sheep and herds of horses.
Continue along the southern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake. The lake sits in a hollow surrounded by the snowcapped peaks of Terskei and Kungei Ala-Tau Mountain ranges at an altitude of 1600 metres. Issyk-Kul Lake is 180 kilometres long, 60 kilometres wide and 700 metres deep. One hundred and thirty four streams and rivers flow into the lake but none flow out due to underwater tectonic activity.
Tonight arrive at a semi-nomadic yurt camp where you can experience horseback riding (optional, payable on tour) and, in the evening, take part in a baking class to make famous Kyrgyz flat bread followed by a traditional dinner. Tonight you will sleep in a traditional Yurt home. All yurts are brightly decorated and sleep four to five people - toilet and shower facilities are outside of the yurts. A traditional yurt (as it’s known in Turkic languages) is a portable, round tent covered with skins or felt and used as a dwelling by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia.
An approximately 130 kilometre day.
Please note:
- As yurt accommodation is on a shared basis (4-5 people per Yurt) private rooms are not provided. This applies to both twin share and solo travellers.
- All yurts have been designed in the traditional nomadic way with mattresses on wool carpeted floors (there are no bed frames).
Overnight: Almaluu Traditional Yurt Camp, Bokonbaevo, Kyrgyzstan
Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner
Today travel onwards to the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek. On the way stop at Burana Tower, a 11th century minaret built by the Turkish Karakhanids dynasty. Nowadays it’s a museum complex which includes the tower itself, reconstructions of mausoleums found onsite, remains of the citadel, a collection of balbals (grave stones used by nomadic Turkic peoples), and petroglyphs (stone carvings), as well as a small museum.
Afterwards continue to Bishkek, the capital and largest city in Kyrgyzstan. Located at the foothill of magnificent Kyrgyz Ala-Tau mountain range, Bishkek is a city of many green parks and marble-faced public buildings, combined with numerous Soviet-style apartment blocks and thousands of smaller privately built houses. It’s laid out on a grid pattern, with most streets flanked on both sides by narrow irrigation channels that water the innumerable trees which provide shade during hot summers.
The city is believed to be the greenest in Central Asia with more trees per head of population than any other. Upon arrival enjoy a sightseeing tour and visit Ala-Too Square, the main square of the city. The square serves as a place for state events and celebrations and includes many monuments, open-air picture gallery, famous Oak Park, marble government buildings and theatres. Your evening in Bishkek will culminate in a delightful dinner and folklore show, where artists will demonstrate their national musical instruments and techniques of playing.
An approximately 300 kilometre day.
Overnight: Hotel Garden or similar, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner
This morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Osh (approximately 1 hour). Osh is the oldest city in Kyrgyzstan (estimated to be over 3000 years old) and the second largest in the country. The town is situated at the crossroads of the ancient trading routes that became known as the Silk Road.
The age of the city can be judged by the rock drawings and inscriptions found on the northern slope of the Sulayman Mountain, a distinctive monument in the centre of Osh. The UNESCO listed mountain, also known as Sulayman Throne, is a popular place of pilgrimage for local Muslims, with stairs leading up to the highest peak with a small mosque originally built in 1510.
Visit the brightly coloured Osh Bazaar, Historical Museum, and a local bread bakery. Get hands on with a local baker to learn how lepyoshka (also known as tandyr nan) is made, including preparing the dough, shaping and decorating the circular loaves and placing them in the tandyr oven.
Afterwards visit the workshop of Zakir Aka, who has been making handmade knives for almost 60 years. This evening enjoy dinner with an Uzbek family. Your hosts will demonstrate and explain all the tricks of cooking some of Central Asia's most famous meals – such as Plov (or Pilaf).
Overnight: Sunrise Osh or similar, Osh, Kyrgyzstan
Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner
Today travel to Tajikistan (border crossing at Kyzyl-Bel). Upon arrival into Khujand, the country’s second largest city, visit the mausoleum of Sheikh Muslihiddin - the 12th century poet and ruler of Khujand; and the Historical Museum, which is located in a citadel, and the largest bazaar in Tajikistan - Payshanba.
Afterwards enjoy dinner (included) and an evening at leisure after an approximately 370 kilometre day.
Overnight: Hotel Firuz or similar, Khujand, Tajikstan
Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner
Today drive onwards to the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, via the Varzob Gorge and the Istiklol Tunnel. On the way you will enjoy majestic views of the Fan Mountain ranges. Stop in the ancient city of Istaravshan, founded by Persian King Cyrus the Great in the 6th century. You will visit the old town with its mosque of Shohi-Zinda and Mug Teppe, where a gigantic fortress once stood. Next travel on to Dushanbe with a couple of stops in local villages along the way. You will get the chance to be acquainted with the local people and see the day-to-day life of local farmers.
An approximately 310 kilometre day.
Please note: For 2025 departures, dinner will not be included on this day.
Overnight: Hotel Atlas or similar, Dushanbe, Tajikstan
Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner
In the Tajik language, the name of Dushanbe is translated as “Monday”. It was so named as it originally had a popular market on Mondays. Areas around Dushanbe were known as a centre of cotton and silk production during the Soviet period. Though the name of the city is rather new, its historical past dates as far back as three thousand years. Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of Greek-Bactrian settlements, a settlement from the Kushan period, a Shishi Khon village and other medieval settlements.
The tour in Dushanbe will include the Museum of Antiquities, home to the UNESCO protected reclining Buddha, the largest statue of Buddha in Central Asia; the main mosque; old synagogue; Russian Orthodox Church; Rudaki Park; and the Shah-Mansur Bazaar. You will also take a trip to the 18th century Hissar Fortress, a former palace from the Emirate of Bukhara.
Please note: For 2025 departures, dinner will not be included on this day.
Overnight: Hotel Atlas or similar, Dushanbe, Tajikstan
Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner
Your destination today is Penjikent, a town that is very famous in tourist circles for its architectural monuments, as well as a wonderful recreation area on the coast of the Zaravshan River. Penjikent is one of the most ancient cities of Central Asia, the venerable age of which is 5500 years. The name of the city in Russian is translated as Five Villages. After arrival in Penjikent, visit the excavation site of Old Penjikent, the 5th century ‘Pompeii of Central Asia’, with its former palaces and necropolises. Also visit the elegant Rudaki Museum, known for its display of textiles and costumes.
An approximately 230 kilometre day.
Overnight: Panjakent Plaza or similar, Penjikent, Tajikstan
Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner
Today depart along the ancient silk road enroute to the city of Bukhara. The history of Bukhara stretches back millennia. Humans have inhabited the region around Bukhara for at least five millennia, though the city has existed for only half that time. Located on the Silk Road, it has long served as a centre of trade, scholarship, culture, and religion. The city is also known as an open-air museum of mosques, madrasah and minarets. It was the first oasis that caught the eyes of invading Arab armies. In its 2500 year history it has constantly changed hands from one ruler to another. Enjoy a guided tour and visit sites such as the architectural complex Poi Kalon with the Kalon Minaret, Kalon Mosque and Mir-Arab Madrasah, Toki Zargaron trade-domes and Magoki Attori Mosque.
An approximately 400 kilometre day.
Overnight: Hotel Malika or similar, Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner
In the morning we visit an oriental bazaar full of traditional colors and oriental smells. We continue our walk through Bukhara with the most beautiful architectural ensembles of mosques and madrasahs, visiting the Ark Citadel, the Mausoleum of the Samanid, Chor Minor Madrassah, Lyabi-Khauz Square, the Mausoleum Chashma Ayub, Bolo Hauz Mosque, Nugai Caravanserai in Bukhara and Akhmadjon Caravanserai. Afterwards enjoy a folklore show in Nadir Divan Begi Madrasah which includes a short puppet master performance along with explanation of long and careful process of these puppets production.
Please note: For 2025 departures, dinner will not be included on this day.
Overnight: Hotel Malika or similar, Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner
Today depart along the ancient silk road en route to the fabled city of Samarkand, one of the most important sites of the Silk Road. On the way visit Shakhrisabz, one of most ancient cities in Central Asia. Founded over 2700 years ago, it is the hometown of Tamerlane (Timur), a Turco-Mongol Persianate conqueror. Here you will enjoy a tour of this city along with a visit to the famous Koba Caravanserai. Afterwards continue onwards to Samarkand and check into your hotel where you may enjoy the evening at leisure.
An approximately 350 kilometre day.
Overnight: Hotel Registon or similar, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner
Today enjoy a sightseeing tour of Samarkand. Visit Registan Square, which was for many centuries the heart of Samarkand. See three beautiful madrasahs: the Ulug-Bek Madrasah built in the 15th century; the Tillya-Kori Madrasah built in the 17th century and the Sher-Dor Madrasah, also built in the 17th century. Visit Gur Emir, a mausoleum of the Great Tamerlane. Dinner tonight will be at the National House of Shakhnoza. A visit to the National House will plunge you into an atmosphere of local flavours where you will find real traditional Uzbek cuisine.
Overnight: Hotel Registon or similar, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner
This morning continue your sightseeing of Samarkand with a visit to Ulugbek Observatory - a historical monument and one of the outstanding observatories of the Middle Ages. Afterwards visit Shohi-Zinda Necropolis - one of the outstanding ancient architectural ensembles of Samarkand, located on the southeastern slope of Afrosiab Mountain. The ensemble includes mausoleums and other religious buildings of the XI, XIV and XIX centuries and silk paper manufacture which was used for many Arabic manuscripts. After the sightseeing tour we continue onwards to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. Upon arrival check into your hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.
An approximately 300 kilometre day.
Please note: For 2025 departures, dinner will not be included on this day.
Overnight: Rakat Plaza or similar, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner
Today head out on a sightseeing tour of Tashkent. This wonderful city is a real embodiment of the modern elegance that is inherent in many world capitals. At the same time it remains an oriental city. Enjoy a discovery tour which will take you to ancient squares and buildings, as well as the modern part of the 2,000 year old city. Visit Kukeldash Madrasah, which still serves as a Koran School, the Khast-Imam Square with the beautiful Barak Khan Madrasah, the Tillya Sheikh Mosque and the Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum made of simple brickwork. Here you can also take a look at the Koran written by the third Caliph Osman (644-656). Take a stroll through the huge Chorsu bazaar, letting you experience the everyday life with all your senses. In the afternoon, visit an interesting Museum of Applied Art. Afterwards transfer to the hotel for dinner, and an evening at leisure.
Please note: For 2025 departures, dinner will not be included on this day.
Overnight: Rakat Plaza or similar, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner
Today check out of the hotel and you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight home after the trip of a lifetime!
Please note: Due to limited flights between Australia and Uzbekistan, customers may require a layover. Scheduled transits over 6 hours will receive one lounge pass. Scheduled transits over 12 hours will receive one night at an airport hotel. This will be covered at no extra cost. Flight times will be indicated on your final documents, issued 4-6 weeks prior to departure.
Meals included: Breakfast; In-Flight
Arrive back in Australia (or New Zealand).
Please note some flights may arrive +1 days.
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