Our Team 
Our Tour Experts Kyrgyzstan
Stay in a traditional yurt and experience nomadic life.
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Our Team Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.
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Our Tour Experts We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.
North and Central Asia
Journey through Central Asia
Travel through five very different countries, crossing desert, mountains and grasslands, seeing the finest architecture in Central Asia and mingling with the many different ethnic groups that inhabit the region.
Key Highlights of this Itinerary
1
2Uzbekistan
Visit exquisite architectural monuments in Uzbekistan.
3Turkmenistan
Take in the local market and some of Central Asia’s finest museums in Ashgabat.
4Kazakhstan
Visit Zenkov Cathedral, one of the worlds tallest wooden buildings, built without a single nail.
Why we like it
This fascinating journey takes in the highlights of five very different countries, the ‘stans’. A region known for its nomadic culture and silk road history, this trip offers an insight into the cultures, people and landscapes which shape this captivating region, a crossroads which for thousands of years connected Europe and Asia. Cross borders exploring mountains and lakes, spend a night under canvas in a traditional yurt and experience a melting pot of regional ethnic groups, colourful bazaars and architectural gems.
Explore our suggested itinerary
Keys:
Internal Flight
Train Journey
- Day 1Almaty
- Day 2Almaty
- Day 3Almaty - Bishkek
- Day 4Bishkek - Cholpan Ata
- Day 5Cholpan Ata - Karakol
- Day 6Karakol - Son-Kul Lake
- Day 7Son-Kul Lake - Bishkek
- Day 8Bishkek
- Day 9Bishkek - Dushanbe
- Day 10Dushanbe
- Day 11Dushanbe - Khujand
- Day 12Khujand - Tashkent
- Day 13Tashkent - Samarkand
- Day 14Samarkand
- Day 15Samarkand - Bukhara
- Day 16Bukhara
- Day 17Bukhara - Mary
- Day 18Mary
- Day 19Mary - Ashgabat
- Day 20Ashgabat
- Day 21Ashgabat
Kazakhstan
This trip begins in Kazakhstan, a huge landlocked country of rolling plains, rich in oil and minerals and dotted with archaeological sites. Spend time in the former capital of Almaty with its mountainous backdrop and many fine 19th Century buildings. The Zenkov Cathedral, a wooden structure was built in 1904 without the use of any nails. Adjacent is the museum of musical instruments and the central State Museum with wonderful pictorial displays and an excellent display of costumes.
Kyrgyzstan
Cross the border into visa free Kyrgyzstan, a land of magnificent landscapes. Forested mountains and grassy steppes hide nomadic communities, crystalline lakes and rolling valleys. Spend time in the capital of Bishkek, surrounded by the snowy peaks of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too ranges. Over the next six days journey overland taking in ancient sites such as the 11th Century Burana Tower and the petroglyphs at Cholpan Ata, as well as the Russian history of Karakol city. Journey through dramatic gorges enroute to the picturesque lakes of Issy Kul and Son Kul and spend a night under canvas in a traditional yurt.
Tajikistan
Continue south across the border to Tajikistan, a wild and forgotten corner of the globe with a fascinating history, a melting pot of regional ethnic groups and over 90% of the land covered by mountains. Based in the capital city of Dushanbe, visit Hissor Fort and the Museum of National Antiquities, the centre piece of which is the 19-metre reclining Buddha in Nirvana. Since the tragic destruction of the Bamiyan statues in Afghanistan, this is the largest Buddha in Central Asia. Travel overland to Khujand, one of the oldest cities in Central Asia and an important point on the Silk Route.
Uzbekistan
Begin your adventures in Uzbekistan in the now relatively modern Tashkent, before boarding a train to Samarkand, one of the world’s most ancient and fabled cities. Inextricably linked with the great Silk Road, Samarkand was a famous trading city and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While here visit one of the country’s most iconic sites, Registan Square. Next, Bukhara, a former capital and centre of Islamic learning the city has over 300 intricately decorated mosques along with 80 madrasas as well as colourful bazaars and tea houses.
Turkmenistan
Your journey across Central Asia ends in Turkmenistan with a visit to Merv, an oasis in the Karakum desert and once one of the most important cities on the Silk Route. Finally, Ashgabat, once devastated by an earthquake it is now a glittering example of hydro-carbon funded architecture and what it lacks in history, it makes up with a stunning array of marble-clad palaces, and some fascinating museums.
Let’s chat
Speak to our experts
Our team is waiting to help you tailor a trip that will leave you with stories for a lifetime. Call us on
01285 601 784A note on price
Prices will vary depending on the time of year you are travelling. Prices do not include international flights. Please ask one of our Travel Experts for an accurate quote. Flights purchased through Steppes Travel departing from the UK are ATOL protected.
This Itinerary
Price
From £5,200 Per person
When to travel
Due to the varying landscapes across the region there can be dramatic changes in the climate. In general, the best time to visit is Spring and Autumn, between April and June and again from September to late October when days are dry and temperatures warm. Winters can be bitterly cold and summers dry and extremely hot. The Pamirs in Tajikistan are best visited between mid-June and late September to avoid snow-bound roads.
Why Choose Steppes?
Our knowledge and expertise sets us apart. So too our curiosity. A curiosity of the world and of you, and your passions. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you.
Are you ready to discover extraordinary?
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