The Five Stans of The Silk Road

These conditions are applicable to Discovery & Wildlife, Cycling, Walking and Family Trips. These conditions were updated November 2022. Booked a Polar trip? Please refer to our Polar booking conditions. To make it easy to know the detail of our flexibility, we’ve put it in a grid (these terms apply to all trips apart from our Polar Voyages.) Standard cancellations or changes within 69 days of travel If you’re getting closer to your trip, cancellation charges will apply as follows: For trips confirmed by 31st December 2022: 59-42 days before trip start date – 30%, or loss of deposit if higher 41-28 days before trip start date – 60% 27-14 days before trip start date – 90% Less than 14 days before trip start date – 100% For trips confirmed from 1st January 2023: 69 -42 days before trip start date – 30%, or loss of deposit if higher 41-28 days before trip start date – 60% 27-14 days before trip start date – 90% Less than 14 days before trip start date – 100%

Kyrgyzstan: Nationals of the UK, Canada, Australia and the United States don't need a visa to enter and stay for a maximum of 60 days. Other nationalities may require a single entry visa and should consult the relevant consulate or www.kyrgyzvisa.com for more information. Kazakhstan: Nationals of the UK, US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand can travel to Kazakhstan without a visa, provided your stay does not exceed 30 days. If you wish to stay longer than 30 days, you'll need a visa. You should contact your nearest Embassy of Kazakhstan for further information. Tajikistan - Nationals of the UK and Ireland will require a visa before travel. E-visas can be applied for via www.evisa.tj. Please note a high-resolution copy of your passport is required as part of the process, which must be clear with all text being legible. Our ground agent can apply for an e-visa on your behalf for an extra fee, please contact us if you would like to request this service. Nationals of most other countries, including US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, do no longer need a visa for Tajikistan (since 1 January 2022). Uzbekistan: Australian, Irish, Canadian and 'British citizen' passport holders can enter Uzbekistan as a visitor for stays of up to 30 days without a visa. Other nationalities including US nationals require a e-visa which can be obtained from www.e-visa.gov.uz Turkmenistan: A single entry visa is required for Turkmenistan. Invitation letters issued by the Turkmen State Migration Service are required by all nationalities and Explore will apply for this on your behalf. We will therefore require details of the passport you'll be travelling on at least 10 weeks prior to departure. This invitation letter will then need to be used to apply for your visa. You may choose to contact the Turmen Embassy but obtaining a Visa upon arrival in Turkmenistan is quite straighforward. You will need to have a printed (paper) copy of the letter of invitation (LOI) as a proof of admittance to Turkmenistan (airlines and services the other side of the border ask for it when there is no visa sticker in the passport). You will also need to pay the relevant fee is US$, this is $55 to $85 USD for the visa depending on the country of origin and $18 USD (immigration duty + administrative fee). Payment can only be made in cash and only in USD, clean bills issued after 2008. It is not possible to obtain the Turkmenistan Invitation any earlier than 3 months prior to the tour departure date and it takes 3 weeks to process. At the time of writing, everyone entering Turkmenistan (either via land or air) will be tested for Covid19 on arrival at the border. The fee for the PCR test is US$43 which will need to be paid in cash locally. Please make sure you have the right amount in the correct currency before travelling to Turkmenistan. It is not possible to obtain the Turkmenistan Invitation any earlier than 3 months prior to the tour departure date and it takes 3 weeks to process. On arrival in Turkmenistan, you must complete a migration card and pay a $18 migration fee, this is in addition to any visa fees. The authorities will retain the card. We are also required by the authorities to have a representative meet you at the airport upon arrival, Land Only customers should ensure they have submitted their flight details to Explore at least 1 month before departure. All visa related issues including information for other nationalities should be confirmed with the relevant Embassy prior to departure.