Sublime Stans of the Silk Road - 47 Days
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Overview
Highlights
- Ashgabat - begin your overland journey with a guided minibus tour of Turkmenistan's bizarre capital city
- Fann Mountains - trek for three days in some of Tajikistan's most beautiful mountain scenery
- Song Kol Lake - stay in traditional felt yurts on the shore of the stunning lake in Kyrgyzstan
- Darvaza Gas Crater - marvel at this flaming crater in the desert which has been burning away since the 1970s
- Samarkand - take a tour of the Silk Road city which was once the jewel in the empire of the warlord Timur
- Jeti Oguz - watch a demonstration from a local eagle hunter and explore the striking red sandstone cliffs of the valley
- Bukhara - learn about the gruesome history of the historic Uzbek city on a guided tour
- Kyzylkhum Desert - camp in traditional yurts and opt to ride a camel across the rolling dunes
- Pamir Highway - journey along the second highest highway in the world and admire the stunning scenery of Tajikistan
- Iskanderkul Lake - wild camp on the shore of the triangular lake and look out for a myriad of bird life
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Trip includes
- 39 breakfasts, 16 lunches and 18 dinners
- 29 nights in hotels & guesthouses
- 14 nights camping (including 2 nights on campsites, 10 nights wild camping & 2 nights camping without facilities)
- 3 nights camping in traditional yurts
- Airport arrival transfer on day 1
- All necessary camping equipment (excluding sleeping bags)
- Services of two crew (drivers/tour leaders) and local guides along the way
- Transportation in an overland expedition vehicle
- Sightseeing as per itinerary
- Guided tour of Ashgabat and visit to the Darvaza Gas Crater in Turkmenistan
- Guided tour of Khiva, Bukhara & Samarkand in Uzbekistan
- Eagle hunter demonstration and visit to Sulaiman-Too Mountain in Kyrgyzstan
- 3 day trek in the Fann Mountains in Tajikistan
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Itinerary
Welcome to Central Asia and the start of your overland adventure. On arrival in Ashgabat, an included transfer will take you to our joining hotel where there will be a pre-departure Welcome Meeting at 10:00am. After you’ve met your tour group, there’s an include...
Ashgabat - Darvaza Gas Crater. Boarding our overland truck for the first time, we leave Ashgabat and head north into the Karakum Desert. We stop at the incredible Darvaza Gas Crater, which is known locally as the “Door to Hell”. The crater was formed in 1971 whe...
Darvaza Gas Crater - Kunye Urgench. We continue our overland journey across the Karakum Desert today. There's an included stop at the ruins of Kunye Urgench, once a major city on the Silk Road. The site was first settled in the 5th century due to its location on the s...
Kunye Urgench - Khiva (Uzbekistan). On day 4 we browse the markets in the border town of Dashoguz before crossing into Uzbekistan. Continuing overland, we reach Khiva later in the day. There’s a guided tour of the ancient Silk Road city the next day during which...
Khiva - Bukhara. Day 6 is a travel day as we journey to Bukhara. There’s a guided tour of the city on day 7, taking in highlights including the Ismail Samani Mausoleum, Ark Fortress and Kalon Mosque. You’ll also get to see the giant Kalyan Minaret, which earned its ni...
Bukhara - Nurata (Kyzylkhum Desert). Leaving Bukhara, we head into the Kyzylkhum Desert this morning and arrive at our yurt camp near the town of Nurata. Yurts are the traditional accommodation of nomadic people in Central Asia and you get to spend the night in one of the comfortable felt tents. There’s also an optional camel ride across the rolling sand dunes.
Nurata (Kyzylkhum Desert) - Samarkand. On day 10 there’s time to explore the Nurata Hills and if you wish, you can take a refreshing dip in Lake Ajdar Kul. After lunch we make our way to Samarkand, one of the most beautiful cities on the Silk Road. On day 11 the...
Samarkand - Tashkent. On day 13 we drive to the Uzbek capital, Tashkent. The city is a fascinating contrast to many other Silk Road cities. Whilst Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and others have retained much of their ancient architecture and atmosphere, Tashkent is very mu...
Tashkent - Kokand - Fergana. Today we cross over the scenic and mountainous Kamchik Pass in local transport to Kokand. Here we can visit the Khudayar Khan’s Palace and the Margilan Silk Factory. We then continue through striking mountain scenery to Fergana where we'll be joined by our overland truck, which must cross the pass without passengers.
Fergana - Arslanbob (Kyrgyzstan). We say goodbye to Uzbekistan this morning and cross into the mountainous country of Kyrgyzstan, where the scenery is certain to leave you impressed. Once we’ve crossed the border, we drive to Arslanbob in the Fergana Valley, where we ...
Arslanbob - Kyrgyz Fergana Valley. The next three days will be spent overlanding through the incredible scenery of the Kyrgyz Fergana Valley. We stop often to hike and enjoy the amazing views. We plan to wild camp en route but if the weather is too cold then we’ll sta...
Kyrgyz Fergana Valley - Song Kol Lake. Day 21 sees us journey to stunning Song Kol Lake. Located in remote and pristine scenery, the lake is considered quite inaccessible and we’ll get to enjoy the absolute tranquility of the area. We camp in comfortable felt yurts ne...
Song Kol Lake - Kochkor. We drive to the small village of Kochkor today where we will be staying in small family-run guesthouses and experiencing some traditional Kyrgyz hospitality. There’s an included visit to the local museum and we stop at a traditional women’s fe...
Kochkor - Jeti Oguz. On day 24 we have a scenic drive along the southern shore of Lake Issyk Kol and up into the mountains of the Jeti Oguz region. We’ll make a stop en route to watch a demonstration from a local eagle hunter, whose well-trained birds are used to catc...
Jeti Oguz - Karakol. Today we drive to the Russian-style town of Karakol, where the afternoon is free to explore. Perhaps pay a visit to the beautiful Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral.
Karakol - Chong Kemin. Leaving Karakol behind on day 27, we drive to the northern shore of Lake Issyk Kol to admire the ancient petroglyphs at Cholpon Ata. We then continue to the Chong Kemin Valley, our base for the next two nights. Day 28 is free to hike in th...
Chong Kemin - Bishkek. On day 29 we drive to the relaxed capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek. We’ll stop at the Burana Tower en route and there’s plenty of free time to explore. Perhaps head out to Ala-Too Square - the central point of the city, or relax in a cafe on the t...
Bishkek - Toktogul Lake. This morning we depart Bishkek, heading south towards Toktogul Lake, a shimmering reservoir which is surrounded by mountains. The off-the-beaten track nature of this location enhances its unspoilt beauty. We’ll wild camp in the area near the lake tonight.
Toktogul Lake - Osh. Day 32 sees us embark on a long drive through mountainous, windswept terrain to Osh, one of the oldest cities in Kyrgyzstan. On day 33 we climb to the summit of the sacred Sulaiman-Too Mountain, which is one of only three UNESCO-listed sites...
Osh - Tulpar Kol Lake. Today we say goodbye to Osh and set off over the mountainous Taldyk Pass (3,615m). We arrive in the scenic mountain village of Say Mogul and then leave our overland truck behind for an excursion up to the beautiful Tulpar Kol Lake. Here we either wild camp or stay in yurts, surrounded by incredible scenery.
Tulpar Kol Lake - Karakul Lake (Tajikistan) - Murghab. Today we enter the mountainous Republic of Tajikistan. The border is located at more than 4,300m above sea level in the mountains so there are spectacular views from the border point. Once we’ve crossed into...
Murghab - Langar. There’s an early start this morning as we embark on a full day’s drive through the rocky scenery of the Pamir Mountains. Get your first glimpse of the Panj River, which we'll be following for the next few days alongside the border with Afghanistan. We stay in a traditional Pamiri guesthouse in the village of Langar tonight.
Langar - Vrang - Ishkashim. This morning we can take a challenging but rewarding hike up to the ancient petroglyphs which were carved onto the rocks above Langar. Admire these ancient carvings and the spectacular views of the Wakhan Valley. Later we also visit t...
Ishkashim - Khorog. On day 38 we drive to the riverside city of Khorog, the capital of the off the beaten track autonomous region of Gorno-Badakhshan. On the way we stop at the Garm Chasma hot springs, where you can enjoy a relaxing dip. There’s free time on day 39 to...
Khorog - Khalaykum. Today we have a long drive through yet more incredible scenery along the border with Afghanistan. Late afternoon sees us arrive at the town of Khalaykum where the evening is free to explore. Khalaykum is one of the prettiest towns in the Pamirs. Beautiful mosques and houses lean over the river which charges through the town centre and mountains rise up on all sides.
Khalaykum - Kulob. We have an early start this morning in order to reach Kulob, our next destination. We peel away from the border with Afghanistan and head back into Tajikistan, arriving at our hotel towards the end of the afternoon. Kulob is one of the biggest cities in Tajikistan and celebrated its 2700th birthday in 2006.
Kulob - Iskanderkul Lake. We have a scenic drive today past the Nurek Reservoir on the rushing Vakhsh River. We then arrive at the shore of Iskanderkul Lake. The triangular lake is fed by glaciers and the rugged mountains on all sides of the lake are a beautiful...
Iskanderkul Lake - Artuch. Today we begin our three-day trek in the rugged Fann Mountains. We’ll leave our overland truck behind and take jeeps up to the small village of Artuch, the starting point for our trek. There’s time to explore the village and meet the local v...
Artuch - Bibijanat Lake. Our donkeys arrive this morning to carry our luggage as we trek. There’s a briefing with our mountain guide before we begin trekking towards Bibijanat Lake. The scenery we walk through is simply breathtaking, with tall mountains and lush green forests littered with turquoise lakes. Tonight, we camp on the shore of Bibijanat Lake. (Trekking distance: 14 km).
Bibijanat Lake - Alaudin Lake. This morning we ascend to 3,860m above sea level to the Alaudin Pass. From the top of the mountain pass we enjoy tremendous panoramic views of the surrounding peaks and shimmering lakes before descending to Alaudin Lake where we camp for the night. (Trekking distance: 10 km).
Alaudin Lake - Dushanbe. Our trek comes to an end today and there’s some free time after we’ve packed up camp. Soak up the last of the incredible scenery before we reunite with our overland truck and embark on the last leg of our journey to Dushanbe, the capital city ...
Today your overland adventure comes to an end. Contact the sales team if you wish to book extra accommodation in Dushanbe to further explore the city.
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Logistics
What's excluded
- International flights and visas
- Items of a personal nature, additional meals and drinks
- Tipping - an entirely personal gesture
- Sleeping bag and roll mat - please bring your own for camping
- Local payment - $1480pp, paid in USD
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18 and over. No upper age limit but anyone over 70 needs to complete a tour suitability form.
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