After breakfast, meet your guide and driver in the hotel lobby to start a sightseeing tour of Almaty. Highlights of this morning will include Panfilov Park, Zenkov Cathedral, Republic Square, and the Almaty City Museum.

After a welcome lunch, a short drive (25 km) will take you to Chimbulak. Here, visit the ski resort and ride the cable car to enjoy the amazing views of the snowy peaks of the Tian Shan Mountains.

Free time in the evening

• Breakfast / Lunch
• Kazzhol Park / Mercure or similar

After breakfast, we drive to Bishkek, a capital of Kyrgyzstan, via a newly built highway, enjoy nature landscapes on the way (250 km, 4 hours.). Upon arrival check-in at the hotel.

Start sightseeing tour in Bishkek: visit Oak Park, Ala-Too Square, Statue of Manas. See Philharmonic Hall and Victory Monument – bright examples of Soviet architecture. Duration of sightseeing tour: 2-3 hours

• Breakfast
• Ambassador / Solutel or similar

Depart Bishkek at 09:00. Our first stop will be Burana Tower, which was part of the ancient city of Balasagun (11th to 13th centuries) and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Next, experience a Kyrgyz national horse game called “Ulak Tartysh” (goat pulling). Ulak Tartysh (also known as Kok Boru) is a fight between two teams of horse riders for a goat carcass.

Transfer to Don Aryk village and have lunch at the home of a local Kyrgyz family. After lunch, watch a demonstration of yurt construction and even take part if you wish. The local Kyrgyz women will explain the meaning and use of each part of the yurt.

In the evening, transfer to Bishkek airport (110 km, ~1h 30 min) to take flight to Tashkent, (1h 20 min). Transfer to the hotel for overnight.

• Breakfast / Lunch
• Hampton by Hilton / Holiday Inn Tashkent City / Wyndham Tashkent / Courtyard by Marriot

Start Tashkent city tour at 10:00 by visiting the Old City of Tashkent. This area encompasses the Khast-Imam Complex (famous for displaying one of the earliest copies of the Qur’an, the Holy Book of Islam), and Chorsu Bazaar, where you can haggle for spices, dried fruit, and nuts. The tour will continue to the city center to see Amir Timur Square and Independence Square and to explore the Museum of Applied Art. Duration of sightseeing 5-6 hours.

• Breakfast
• Hampton by Hilton / Holiday Inn Tashkent City / Wyndham Tashkent / Courtyard by Marriot

Early in the morning get “a take-away breakfast” from the hotel and transfer to the railway station. The high-speed train Afrosiyob arrives in Samarkand around 11:00 am (300 km, 2h 10 min).

Upon arrival in Samarkand meet your driver with the guide. Your city tour will begin with a visit to Gur Emir Mausoleum, the final resting place of the Turco-Mongol emperor, Timur. Continue to the spectacular Registan Square, explore the Bibi Khanum Mosque and Siyob bazaar.

After lunch break continue to Shakhi-Zinda Necropolis, then take a short drive to Konigil village to find out about the traditional techniques used to make the famous Samarkand paper from mulberry bark. Overnight at the hotel. Duration of sightseeing tour: 6-7 hours

• Breakfast
• Platan / Royal / Dilimah / Grand Samarkand Superior

At 10:00 am, transfer to the Uzbekistan-Tajikistan border point, Jartepa (50 km, 1 h). Upon arrival at the customs and passport control on both sides, kindly proceed to the exit of the border control area. At that point, our guide/driver will be waiting for you with the sign with your name.

Meet your local Tajik guide and driver to drive to the Seven Lakes (80 km, ~2 h). These lakes are located in the western part of the Fann Mountains. Each lake has its own color, varying from calming turquoise to mesmerizing purple. Have lunch at the guest house next to the 4th lake. Those who would like to enjoy the view from the 7th lake there is an opportunity to have a hiking tour from the 6th lake up to the 7th lake. In the late afternoon transfer to the hotel in Penjikent. 

• Breakfast / Lunch
• Panjakent Plaza

Drive to ancient Penjikent, the ruins of a town founded by the Sogdians in the 5th century and abandoned by Arabs in the 8th century. The foundations of houses, a citadel with a couple of Zoroastrian fire temples, and the remains of the city bazaar are visible in the excavated ruins.

In the newer part of Penjikent, visit a local bazaar, a mosque, and the Rudaki Museum (Penjikent is the birthplace of Abu Abdallah Rudaki, considered by many to be the father of Persian poetry).

After a 3-hour sightseeing tour drive to the Jartepa border crossing. Complete the border formalities. On the Uzbek side, your driver will meet you.

Transfer to Bukhara (270 km, 4-5 hrs.). Upon arrival transfer to the hotel, check in and overnight.

• Breakfast
• Minzifa / Marhaba / Bibikhanum / Fatima / Amulet / K.Komil / As-Salom

At 10:00, start exploring the Old City of Bukhara. Highlights of the walking tour will include: the Lyabi Hauz Ensemble, Magoki-Attori Mosque, Chor-Minor Madrasa, Kalyan Minaret, Kalyan Mosque, Miri-Arab Madrasa, Ulugbek and Abdulazizkhan Madrasas, Ark Fortress, Bolo-Khauz Mosque, Ismail Samani and Chashma-Ayub Mausoleums, and various trading domes. Free time from 15:00 until the National Show at Nadir Divan-begi Madrasa, which starts at 18:00. Overnight at the hotel.

• Breakfast
• Minzifa / Marhaba / Bibikhanum / Fatima / Amulet / K.Komil / As-Salom

Depart at 09:30 for the Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan border point, Farap-Alat (100 km, 1 h 30 min).  After the customs and passport control at both checkpoints, kindly proceed to the exit of the border control area. At that point, our guide/driver will be waiting for you with the sign with your name.

Transfer to Turkmenabad Airport (50 km, 1h) to take the evening flight to Ashgabat. Upon arrival in Ashgabat have a night city tour, transfer to the hotel for overnight.

• Breakfast
• Archabil / Diwan

In the morning, a sightseeing tour of Ashgabat. Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, has recently been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as having more white marble buildings than any other city in the world. During the city tour, explore the archaeological site of Old Nissa (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Spiritual Mosque, one of the biggest mosques in Central Asia. Visit the National Museum of History, the Monument of Neutrality, Ertugrul Gazi Mosque and the recently-built Independence Park. The sightseeing tour will take about 6 hours.

In the afternoon, drive through the Karakum Desert to the famous Darvaza Gas Crater (280 km, 4 h). After arriving at the crater, camp will be set up and you’ll enjoy a delicious, fire-cooked dinner near the “Gates of Hell”. 

At Darvaza camp you will be accommodated at a yurt or there is an option to have 1- or 2-person tents. In both cases, toilets and basic washing facilities are outside.

• Breakfast / Dinner
• Yurts / or a tent upon request

Camp-style breakfast. Drive back through the Karakum Desert to the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan border point, Dashoguz-Shavat (270 km, 4 h).

Following border formalities at both checkpoints and crossing the 1.5 km neutral zone (transportation may not be available), your Uzbek driver will meet you to begin the trip to Khiva (60 km, 1 h). Upon arrival, check in to the hotel. Free time.

• Breakfast
• Zarafshan Boutique / Erkin Palace / Orient Star / Muso Tura / Minor Boutique

Breakfast and hotel check out (the hotel will store your luggage safely for the day). Spend the morning at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ichan-Kala Fortress. Highlights of the morning walking tour include the Mukhammad Amin Khan Madrasa, Mukhammad Rahimkhan Madrasa, Kalta Minor, Kunya-Ark, Juma Mosque, Tash-Khovli Palace, Pakhlavan Makhmud Mausoleum, and Minaret of Islom Khodja.

Farewell dinner in the evening.

Transfer to Urgench Airport at 20:30 (30 km, 35 min). Your flight to Tashkent departs at 22:55 and arrives at 00:15 (1 h 40 min). Transfer to the hotel in Tashkent.

• Breakfast / Dinner
• Hampton by Hilton / Holiday Inn Tashkent City / Wyndham Tashkent / Courtyard by Marriot

Check-out from the hotel at noon. Free time until transfer to Tashkent International Airport. Departure. End of the tour.

• Breakfast
• Transfers