Best of the Stans 2026

Today, depart Australia (or New Zealand) for Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Please note:
• Due to the limited flight options between Australia and Bishkek, most travellers will have a layover of over 8 hours. Affected travellers will be provided complimentary transit accommodation and transfers so they may relax in comfort until their onward flight.
• Some travellers may arrive in Almaty, Kazakhstan instead of Bishkek. If so, a complimentary transfer will be arranged from Almaty Airport to Bishkek upon arrival (approximately a 3.5-hour journey).

Meals included: In-Flight

Early this morning arrive into Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Here you will be met and transferred to your hotel accommodation where an early check in will be provided so you may rest after your flight.

The remainder of the day will be at leisure then this this evening enjoy a welcome dinner to meet your travel companions and enjoy a traditional folk show.

Overnight: Hotel Bridges or similar, Bishkek

Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner

Bishkek is the largest city in Kyrgyzstan, as well as the modern cultural, political and economic center of the republic. It is a calm city with wide streets and beautiful houses with its original, measured rhythm of life. Coming to Bishkek, the first thing that attracts attention is that the city is literally immersed in greenery. A huge number of parks makes the air unusually fresh and clean. It is generally accepted that there are more trees for each resident than in any other city in Central Asia.

Today, take a walking tour around main Ala Too Square to watch ceremony of changing of the Guard of Honor, including Manas Monument, the main national hero of the Kyrgyz people, Independence Monument, main governmental buildings, and finish at the Old Square with Parliament House and the only survived in Central Asia Lenin’s Monument. Finish the tour at the Museum of History and Victory Square.

Overnight: Hotel Bridges or similar, Bishkek

Meals included: Breakfast

Today, travel onwards to Bokonbaev. On the way, stop at Burana Tower, an 11th-century minaret built by the Turkish Karakhanids dynasty. Nowadays, it’s a museum complex that 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.

Continue to the Southern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake. Issyk-Kul is one of the largest mountain lakes in the world. Issyk-Kul Lake is located in the Northern Tien Shan at an altitude of 1608 m. The Lake has long been attractive for its natural and climatic conditions and unique beauty. It is also considered the pearl of Kyrgyzstan due to its mountain-sea climate, clean air, abundant solar heat, healing mineralized lake water and numerous hot springs.

Along the way, enjoy a stop to witness a falcon-hunting demonstration, where you will learn more about this tradition and its history.

Arrive at a semi-nomadic yurt camp after an approximately 300-kilometre travel day. Join baking class to make famous Kyrgyz flatbread, followed by a traditional dinner. Tonight, you will sleep in a traditional yurt. 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. All yurts are brightly decorated and sleep four to five people with toilet and shower facilities are outside of the yurts.

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).
• Exploring Central Asia does, at times, require covering some long distances. This also includes travelling on roads not built to the same standard we may be used to, however your driver and guide are professionals and will do everything they can to ensure a comfortable journey throughout.

Overnight: Almaluu Traditional Yurt Camp, Bokonbaevo

Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner

Today, depart Bokonbayevo and travel to Jeti-Oguz Gorge. Here, you will have an opportunity to admire fantastic rock formations made of red sandstone, as well as local pastures that shepherds have long used to graze flocks of sheep and herds of horses. Also visit one of the most beautiful gorges in Kyrgyzstan, Barskoon Gorge. The slopes of the gorge are covered with dense spruce forest. But the most unusual and breathtaking sight in this picturesque place is the waterfalls. One of them, the majestic Barskaun waterfall, is a state natural monument. Take an easy hike to the most accessible waterfall called Bowl of Manas (Kyrgyz national hero), or if you are not up for a hike, you can walk around and visit a local yurt for a cup of tea (not included).

Continue to Karakol. Located at the crossroads of Central Asia, the city of Karakol in eastern Kyrgyzstan is a fascinating gateway to the region's diverse history, cuisine and nature. Many unique cultures contribute to the town's culinary history and cultural heritage: Kyrgyz, Tatar, Russian, Dungan, Uyghur, Kalmyk, Uzbek and more. And with the Tian Shan Mountains and Lake Issyk-Kul nearby, the city is blessed with outstanding natural beauty.

On arrival, enjoy a city tour. A visit to Karakol town is like stepping back a hundred years to the age of Tsarist Russia. On this tour, visit old Russian-style houses (1870–1910), Russian Orthodox Church (1886) and Dungan Mosque (1899) made out of wood with no nails.

Tonight, enjoy dinner with an ethnic Uighur family to taste the national dish: Lagman. This traditional Uighur dish is made of pulled noodles, meat and vegetables. You will be able to see and help make and cook Lagman.

An approximately 170-kilometre day.

Overnight: Hotel Green Yard or similar, Karakol

Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner

This morning, depart Karakol for the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border, where you will enter Kazakhstan.

After border formalities, continue to Almaty, the former capital and largest city of Kazakhstan. Located in southeast Kazakhstan at the foot of the Zailiyskiy Alatau branch of the Tian Shan Mountains, this modern city has evolved into Central Asia's cultural and artistic hub with an abundance of great restaurants and museums and a vibrant nightlife.

An approximately 430-kilometre day.

Overnight: Hotel Kazzhol or similar, Almaty

Meals included: Breakfast

Almaty is a sunny, cozy city surrounded by greenery with wide streets, beautiful buildings, numerous parks, squares and fountains. It is no coincidence that the beautiful city at the foot of the emerald ridges of the Tien Shan is called the “garden city”.

In the spring, the city becomes like a fairy tale setting when the southern outskirts are buried in the bloom of apple, apricot, and cherry orchards. The magnificent green outfit and the majestic panorama of the mountains make the city of Almaty unique.

Today, you will start your city tour by walking to Panfilow Park, featuring Zenkov Cathedral in the centre. The cathedral is one of the world's nine most unique monuments of wooden buildings. Its wall paintings and interior decorations amaze visitors with its beauty and splendour. Your next stop is the Museum of National Musical Instruments. This museum presents an extensive collection of unique exhibits. Afterwards, take a cable car up Kok Tobe Mountain. At 1100 m, this is the highest point in the city. An observation deck at the top is the best place to view the city at day or night.

Overnight: Hotel Kazzhol or similar, Almaty

Meals included: Breakfast

This morning transfer to the airport and fly onwards to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, and among the five largest cities in Central Asia.

Tall modern buildings, historical buildings and ancient mosques are featured here, plus modern shopping centres mixed with traditional oriental bazaars and markets. It is worth noting that many of the old buildings were restored in 1966 after a powerful earthquake partially destroyed many of them, and the appearance of the renewed city has changed significantly since then.

On arrival, enjoy a tour of New Town, including Independence Square (Mustaqilliq Maidoni), the country's main square, home to the government's administrative offices. Navoi Theatre Square is another of Tashkent's landmarks, featuring the State Academic Grand Theatre (or Alisher Navoi Theatre). Situated in the city's heart, the Grand Theatre was designed by Soviet architect Alexei Schusev, who also designed Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow’s Red Square. Also, visit the Museum of Applied Arts.

Overnight: Al Anvar Hotel or similar, Tashkent

Meals included: Breakfast

Today, visit Tashkent's Old Town, including 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 look at the Koran written by the third Caliph Osman (644-656). Afterwards, stroll through the vast Chorsu bazaar to experience this city's everyday life. In the afternoon, visit the fascinating Museum of Applied Art.

Overnight: Al Anvar Hotel or similar, Tashkent

Meals included: Breakfast

This morning, take a high-speed train to Bukhara, one of the Silk Road's great trading centres.

The history of Bukhara stretches back millennia. Humans have inhabited the region around Bukhara for at least five thousand years, and the city has existed for half that time. Located on the Silk Road, the city has long been a centre for trade, scholarship, culture, and religion. The town is also known as an open-air museum of mosques, madrasahs and minarets. It was the first oasis that caught the eye of invading Arab armies. In its 2500-year history, it constantly changed hands from one ruler to another.

On arrival, 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.

This evening, enjoy a dinner with a local Uzbek family where they will demonstrate and show you Uzbekistan cooking techniques and how to cook one of Central Asia's most famous dishes - Plov (also known as Pilaf).

Please note: If high-speed train is unavailable, a domestic flight will be provided instead.

Overnight: Orient Star or similar, Bukhara

Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner

In the morning, visit an oriental bazaar full of traditional colours and interesting smells. Continue your 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, including a short, traditional puppet performance.

Overnight: Orient Star or similar, Bukhara

Meals included: Breakfast

Today, depart Bukhara for Samarkand on the way to Gijduvon.

The Gijduvon School of Traditional Ceramics became the leading ceramics supplier to Bukhara in the first decade of the 20th century. Here, you can see the process of creating pottery in the workshop of Ibodullo Narzullaev - a famous Uzbek ceramist, including a wide variety of goods full of bright colours and ornaments: painted bowls and plates, elegant jugs, neat teapots and pots.

The historic town of Samarkand is a crossroad and a melting pot of the world's cultures. Founded in the 7th century B.C. as ancient Afrosiab, Samarkand received its most significant development in the Timurid period from the 14th to the 15th centuries.

Later, visit Ulugbek Observatory - a historical monument and one of the outstanding observatories of the Middle Ages, Shohi-Zinda Necropolis. This is one of Samarkand's outstanding ancient architectural landmarks, located on the southeastern slope of Afrosiab Mountain. The ensemble includes mausoleums and other religious buildings from the XI, XIV, and XIX centuries, as well as silk paper manufacturing used for many Arabic manuscripts.

An approximately 270-kilometre day.

Overnight: Asia Samarkand or similar, Samarkand

Meals included: Breakfast

Today, you will explore the fabled city of Samarkand, one of the most important sites of the Silk Road. Visit Registan Square, which was, for many centuries, the heart of Samarkand. You will 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. You will also visit Gur Emir - the mausoleum of the Great Tamerlane and a masterpiece of Islamic architecture of the Medieval East.

Dinner tonight will be at the National House of Shakhnoza. A visit to the National House will feature the local flavours of traditional Uzbek cuisine.

Overnight: Asia Samarkand or similar, Samarkand

Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner

Enjoy a relaxed start today before heading towards the Tajikistan border.

The next destination for today is Penjikent, popular among tourists for its sights and architecture, as well as excellent recreation areas on the bank of the Zaravshan River. Penjikent is one of the most ancient cities in Central Asia, and its venerable age is 5500 years. The city's name in Tajik is translated as "Five Villages". On arrival in Penjikent, visit the excavation site of Old Penjikent - the 5th century "Pompeii" of Central Asia, with its former palaces and necropolis, then visit the Rudaki Museum.

An approximately 70-kilometre day.

Overnight: Hotel Penjikent Plaza or similar, Penjikent

Meals included: Breakfast

Today transfer to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. Along the way, you can admire the magnificent landscapes of mountainous Tajikistan. On arrival, check into your accommodation and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.

An approximately 235-kilometre day.

Overnight: Hotel Atlas or similar, Dushanbe

Meals included: Breakfast

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 cotton and silk production centres during the Soviet period. Though the city's name is relatively new, its historical past dates back 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; the 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 of the Emirate of Bukhara.

Overnight: Hotel Atlas or similar, Dushanbe

Meals included: Breakfast

Today, drive to Khujand via the Varzob Gorge and the Istiklol Tunnel. You will enjoy majestic views of the Fan Mountain ranges on the way.

Stop by 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 to Khujand, with a couple of stops in local villages along the way. You will get the chance to meet local people and see the day-to-day life of local farmers.

This is an approximately 305-kilometre day.

Overnight: Hotel Sogdiyon or similar, Khujand

Meals included: Breakfast

This morning, visit the mausoleum of century Sheikh Muslihiddin - the ruler of Khojand, a poet who lived in the 12th century, and the Historical Museum, which is located in a citadel, the largest bazaar in Tajikistan - Payshanba.

Continue to the border with Uzbekistan and to your accommodation in Tashkent.

Overnight: Al Anvar Hotel or similar, Tashkent

Meals included: Breakfast

Today, check out of the hotel and be transferred to the airport for your return flight home after the trip of a lifetime!

Please note:
• Due to the limited flight options between Tashkent and Australia, most travellers will have a layover of at least 6 hours. Affected travellers with a layover between 6 and 8 hours will be provided with a lounge pass, and affected travellers with a layover of over 8 hours will be provided complimentary transit accommodation and transfers so they may relax in comfort until their onward flight.
• Standard checkout time is 12:00 noon. Luggage storage will be available for those with evening flights.

Meals included: In-Flight

Meals included: None