Five Stans on the Silk Road

After breakfast, your guide and driver meet you in the hotel lobby. Begin in leafy Panfilov Park, home to the colourful Zenkov Cathedral. This wooden cathedral was built in 1907 without nails and survived a powerful earthquake only a few years later. Nearby, the Museum of National Musical Instruments displays the dombra and other traditional Kazakh instruments, and you may hear some of them played (closed Mondays).

In the afternoon, drive 25 km up into the mountains to Shymbulak, Central Asia's best-known ski resort. Ride the cable car high above the valley for breathtaking views of the Tian Shan peaks.

End the day at Kok-Tobe, a green hilltop park at 1,100 m that's popular with locals and visitors alike. A 10-minute cable car ride lifts you from the city to a panoramic viewpoint over Almaty and the mountains beyond. It's especially beautiful in the late afternoon light.

• Breakfast
• Almaty

After breakfast, drive to Bishkek (250 km, about 4 hours) on a new highway through wide steppe with mountains on the horizon. Cross the Kazakhstan–Kyrgyzstan border and check in to your hotel in the Kyrgyz capital.

In the afternoon, explore Bishkek, a relaxed city of tree-lined avenues and grand Soviet architecture. Walk through Oak Park, the city's oldest, and Ala-Too Square, where the statue of Manas honours the hero of the Kyrgyz national epic, one of the longest poems ever composed. Visit the National Museum of Fine Arts (closed Mondays), and see the Philharmonic Hall and the Victory Monument, striking examples of Soviet design.

• Breakfast / Lunch
• Bishkek

This morning, head east toward Lake Issyk-Kul, the "Pearl of Central Asia". Your first stop is Grigorievka Gorge, a beautiful valley of alpine meadows, spruce forest and a clear mountain river. Stretch your legs on an easy hike through the gorge.

Continue to Cholpon-Ata on the north shore. Here, an open-air museum holds hundreds of boulders carved with ibex, deer, hunters and snow leopards by people who lived here thousands of years ago. Then visit the Rukh Ordo Cultural Complex, a peaceful lakeside park with small chapels dedicated to the world's major religions, a museum and wonderful views across the water.

Check in to your hotel on the north shore of Issyk-Kul. The lake lies at 1,600 m, ringed by mountains, and its slightly salty water rarely freezes.

• Breakfast / Dinner
• Issyk-Kul

After breakfast, drive back toward Bishkek (280 km, about 4 hours). On the way, stop at the Burana Tower, a solitary minaret rising from the Chui Valley with snowy peaks behind it. It is all that remains of Balasagun, a flourishing city between the 11th and 13th centuries. Around the tower stand balbals, carved stone grave markers left by ancient Turkic nomads.

Arrive in Bishkek and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

• Breakfast
• Bishkek

After breakfast, fly to Osh, one of the oldest cities in Central Asia. According to legend, King Solomon founded it 3,000 years ago. Climb Suleiman-Too, the sacred mountain rising above the city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which has drawn pilgrims for centuries. From the top, enjoy wide views over Osh and the valley. Visit the National Museum of History and Archaeology, built into the mountainside, then explore the lively Osh bazaar. It still stands on the same spot where Silk Road merchants once traded.

Next, drive to the Dostuk border. After passing through both checkpoints, your Uzbek driver will be waiting with a name sign to take you to Fergana (110 km, 1.5–2 hours).

• Breakfast
• Fergana

Today is devoted to the crafts and history of the Fergana Valley, the green and fertile heart of Uzbekistan.

Begin in Margilan (30 minutes), the silk capital of Central Asia. At the Yodgorlik silk factory, follow the whole process of making silk by hand, from unwinding the cocoons to dyeing and weaving. Watch artisans at their looms as they create ikat, the bold, shimmering patterns known locally as abr ("cloud").

Continue to Rishtan (about 1 hour), home to Uzbekistan's finest ceramics for over 800 years. Potters here still use the town's red clay and a traditional glaze made from plant ash to create their signature turquoise and cobalt designs. At the home workshop of master potter Rustam Usmanov, whose work has been exhibited internationally, watch pieces being shaped and painted by hand.

Then drive to Kokand (80 km), once the capital of a powerful khanate. Visit the Palace of Khudoyar Khan, with its brilliant tiled façade and many courtyards, and the Jami Mosque, with its long gallery of carved wooden columns. See the museum of Hamza Hakimzade Niyazi, one of Uzbekistan's best-known poets and playwrights.

In the late afternoon, board the train to Tashkent. You'll be met on arrival in the evening and taken to your hotel.

• Breakfast
• Tashkent

Spend the day in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan and the largest city in Central Asia, where 2,000 years of history meet broad boulevards and modern architecture.

Begin at the Courage Monument, which honours the people who rebuilt Tashkent after the devastating 1966 earthquake. Then step back in time in the Old City. See the 16th-century Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum and the Khast-Imam Complex, the spiritual heart of Tashkent. Pass the grand Islamic Civilization Center and stroll along newly revived Zarkaynar Street.

Dive into the colour and bustle of Chorsu Bazaar beneath its great turquoise dome, where stalls overflow with spices, dried fruit and fresh bread. Visit a local pottery gallery, then ride the Tashkent Metro, the first in Central Asia. Its stations are works of art in marble, chandeliers and carved ceramics.

Break for lunch (13:00–14:00) on Taras Shevchenko Street, known for its lively dining scene. In the afternoon, visit the State Museum of Applied Arts, housed in a former merchant's mansion with exquisite carved wood and ganch plasterwork. Admire the elegant Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre, and finish at Amir Timur Square, crowned by the statue of the great 14th-century ruler.

n the evening, you may wish to return to the Islamic Civilization Center on your own (optional).

• Breakfast
• Tashkent

After an early breakfast, fly to Urgench (1 hour 40 minutes), then drive 35 minutes to Khiva. The city feels like an open-air museum, with sand-coloured walls, turquoise domes and slender minarets.

Later, set out on a guided walk through Itchan Kala, Khiva's walled inner city and Uzbekistan's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the Muhammad Amin Khan Madrasah, once the largest in Central Asia, and the Muhammad Rahim Khan Madrasah. Admire the Kalta Minor, a short, wide minaret covered in turquoise tiles and left unfinished when its builder died. Step inside the Juma Mosque, where more than 200 carved wooden columns create a forest of light and shadow. Explore the Tosh-Hovli Palace with its beautiful harem courtyard, and the Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum, dedicated to Khiva's patron saint, a poet, philosopher and champion wrestler. Finish at the Islam Khodja Minaret, the tallest in Uzbekistan and the symbol of the city.

Enjoy a free afternoon to wander the old town's lanes and watch the sunset from the city walls.

• Breakfast
• Khiva

After breakfast, drive to the Turkmenistan border at Shavat–Dashoguz (1 hour). After passing through both checkpoints, meet your Turkmen guide and continue to Kunya-Urgench (about 1.5 hours).

Once the capital of the mighty Khorezm empire, Kunya-Urgench was one of the great cities of the Islamic world until the Mongols destroyed it in the 13th century. Its surviving monuments are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the Mausoleum of Turabek Khanum, whose dome of 365 mosaic pieces is said to represent the days of the year, and the conical-roofed mausoleums of Sultan Tekesh and Il-Arslan. Visit the Mausoleum of Najmuddin Kubra, a revered Sufi master, and the Sultan Ali Mausoleum. Stand beneath the Kutlug-Timur Minaret, one of the tallest in Central Asia, and climb Kyrk Molla, a sacred hill still visited by pilgrims.

In the afternoon, drive to Dashoguz airport (about 1.5 hours) for the evening flight to Ashgabat (50 minutes).

• Breakfast
• Ashgabat

Discover Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan and a city unlike any other. Guinness World Records lists it as having more white marble buildings than anywhere else on Earth.

Visit Old Nisa, the ruins of an early capital of the Parthian Empire and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Turkmenbashi Ruhy (Spiritual) Mosque, one of the largest in Central Asia. Tour the National Museum of History, the Monument of Neutrality, the elegant Ertuğrul Gazi Mosque and Independence Park with its striking modern monuments.

A highlight of the day is a visit to the stables of the Akhal-Teke horses. This ancient breed, famous for its speed and metallic golden sheen, is Turkmenistan's national treasure. You'll also stop at the city's Lenin Monument, set on a pedestal decorated with Turkmen carpet patterns.

• Breakfast
• Ashgabat

After an early breakfast, fly to Mary (40 minutes) and drive to ancient Merv (30 minutes). A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Merv was one of the great oasis cities of the Silk Road and a centre of trade, learning and crafts. In the 12th century it was among the largest cities in the world.

Explore the vast archaeological park, where the remains of several cities built over 2,000 years stand side by side. See the majestic Mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar, the Great and Small Kyz Kala with their unusual corrugated walls, the ancient citadels of Erk Kala and Gyaur Kala, and the Keshk Fortress.

In the afternoon, drive to the Turkmenistan–Uzbekistan border (1 hour). After passing through both checkpoints, meet your driver and continue to Bukhara (about 1.5 hours). The evening is free.

• Breakfast
• Bukhara

Bukhara is a holy city of the Islamic world with more than 2,000 years of history. Its old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with over 140 architectural monuments. Explore it on foot with your guide.

Begin at Lyabi-Hauz, a shaded plaza around an old pool where locals still gather for tea. Visit the Magoki-Attori Mosque, one of the oldest in Central Asia, and the charming four-towered Chor-Minor. Wander through the historic trading domes, where craftsmen sell carpets, embroidery and hand-forged knives.

Stand beneath the Kalyan Minaret, a 12th-century tower so impressive that, according to legend, Genghis Khan ordered it spared. Visit the Kalyan Mosque and the Mir-i-Arab Madrasah, then the Ulugbek and Abdulaziz Khan madrasahs. Explore the massive Ark Fortress, residence of Bukhara's rulers for centuries, and the Bolo-Hauz Mosque with its slender wooden columns. Finish at the 10th-century Ismail Samani Mausoleum, a masterpiece of decorative brickwork, and the Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum, built over a spring said to have appeared at the prophet Job's command.

• Breakfast
• Bukhara

After breakfast, drive outside the city to Sitorai Mohi-Hosa, the summer palace of the last Emir of Bukhara. Its name means "Palace of the Moon and Stars", and its mirrored halls and gardens blend Oriental and Russian styles. Continue to the Mausoleum of Bahauddin Naqshband, founder of the influential Naqshbandi Sufi order and one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Central Asia.

In the afternoon, drive to Samarkand (280 km, about 4 hours). On the way, stop at Rabat-i-Malik, an 11th-century royal caravanserai whose grand gateway once welcomed Silk Road travellers. Arrive in Samarkand in the late afternoon.

• Breakfast
• Samarkand

After breakfast, drive to the Jartepa border (1 hour) and cross into Tajikistan, where your Tajik guide and driver will meet you.

Continue to Penjikent, once a wealthy Sogdian city that flourished in the 5th century before Arab armies destroyed it in the 8th. Explore the ruins of ancient Penjikent, just outside the modern town, sometimes called the "Pompeii of Central Asia". Archaeologists uncovered houses, temples and remarkable wall paintings there. Visit the Rudaki Museum, dedicated to the father of Persian poetry, who was born nearby, and browse the local bazaar.

In the late afternoon, return to the border. After passing through both checkpoints, your driver will be waiting with a name sign on the Uzbek side to take you back to Samarkand.

• Breakfast
• Samarkand

Today is devoted to Samarkand, one of the oldest cities in the world and the jewel of the Silk Road. Once the capital of Amir Timur's empire, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Start at the breathtaking Registan Square, framed by three grand madrasahs covered in shimmering tilework. Visit the vast Bibi-Khanym Mosque, among the largest mosques of its time, then stroll through the colourful Siyob Bazaar next door, a great place to try Samarkand's famous round bread.

Continue to the Observatory of Ulugbek, the scholar-king whose 15th-century star tables were remarkably accurate. Walk the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, an avenue of mausoleums with some of the finest tilework in the Islamic world. Finish at the Gur-e-Amir, the elegant ribbed-dome mausoleum where Amir Timur rests beneath a slab of dark jade.

• Breakfast
• Samarkand

After breakfast, check out by noon and continue exploring. Visit the Afrasiab Museum, built on the site of ancient Samarkand, whose highlight is a set of 7th-century murals of foreign ambassadors at a Sogdian royal court. Then see the Tomb of Saint Daniel, a peaceful hilltop shrine revered by Christians, Jews and Muslims alike.

Drive to the village of Konigil to discover how Samarkand paper was once made. Craftsmen there still turn mulberry bark into smooth, durable paper using water-powered mills and centuries-old techniques. Enjoy some free time afterwards, with the car and driver at your disposal.

In the late afternoon, board the high-speed Afrosiyob train to Tashkent (about 2 hours). You'll be met on arrival and taken to your hotel.

• Breakfast
• Tashkent

Enjoy a free morning in Tashkent. Check out at noon, then transfer to Tashkent International Airport for your flight home. End of the Central Asia on the Silk Road tour.

• Breakfast
• Transfer