Your quintessential guides to Japan, Southeast Asia and India.
Your quintessential guides to Japan, Southeast Asia and India.
28 days Fully Inclusive Go Beyond Group Tour
Travel from Bishkek to Ashgabat on this 28 day 'Five Stan' cultural experience. This in depth tour will see you visiting the Silk Road gems of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, the quirky Turkmenistan, colourful markets, fascinating villages and Swiss Alps type scenery. Retrace the footsteps of Marco Polo and Alexander the Great on this unforgettable Central Asian journey.
Our Journey through Central Asia tour will see you exploring the most iconic sites, delving into deep-rooted culture and dining on delicious cuisine and thoroughly researched to bring you a range of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, many of which are entirely exclusive to us.
See the fiery glow from the stunning Darvaza Gas Crater
Discover the ancient and pre-Soviet styles of this intriguing city
Witness the fabulous architecture here on one of the most illustrious cities on the Silk Road
Explore the ancient city of Khiva
Stroll through Bukhara's Lyab-i Hauz district at twilight, admiring the spectacular architecture that surrounds one of the city's last remaining ponds (hauz), before sitting down to a delicious local dinner.
Visit a stud farm to learn about the famous Akhal Tekes. A native horse breed with a distinctive metallic sheen. These majestic animals have played an essential role in Turkmenistan's history and are the emblem of the country.
Get a true taste of the life of the Kyrgyz nomads at a shepherd's camp, where you’ll spend the night sleeping in a traditional yurt.
Fly overnight to the city of Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan. The rest of the days is yours to relax before dinner.
Start the day with a city tour visiting Manas Monument, the main national hero of the Kyrgyz people. Walk around Ala Too Square and Old Parliament Square before transferring to Victory Square. Drive to Ala Archa National Park for a leisurely hike, enjoying the picturesque scenery of snow-capped mountains and freshwater rivers. Return to Bishkek for an afternoon at leisure..
Travel to Chong Kemin National Park, where you will have the chance to walk through the foothills as well as experience local village life.
Today we drive to Kochkor village , the centre of Kyrgyz national felt handicrafts. Here you will be able to see how the traditional Kygyz wool carpets, called ‘shyrdak’, are made. Continue driving to Bokonbayevo village and watch a demonstration of Eagle Hunting.
Visit Skazka Canyon followed by and Barskoon Gorge to take a light hike to a waterfall named ‘Tears of Leopard’. Arrive in Karakol late this afternoon.
Visit the Przhevalsky Museum and see the striking Holy Trinity Orthodox Church. In the afternoon, travel to the Valley of the Flowers and Jety-Orguz where you can enjoy a light hike through the magnificent canyon of red sandstone.
Rise early for the bustling Karakol Sunday Animal Market. In the afternoon, drive through breathtaking scenery to visit magnificent Charyn Canyon and its Valley of the Castles, before crossing the border into Kazahkstan, finishing the day in the countries largest city of Almaty.
This morning, discover the Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen, dedicated to the Panfilov heroes of an Alma-Ata Infantry as well as the Ascension Cathedral, a Russian Orthodox church made entirely of wood. In the afternoon, explore the Ili Alatau mountains and Medeu, an outdoor speed skating and bandy rink, located at the height of 1,690 metres. Go on to visit Shymbulak, a mountain resort located 2,260 metres above sea level. Continue to Kok Tobe, before taking a ride on a cable car for magnificent panoramic views of the city. You will return to your hotel afterwards, where the remainder of the day is at leisure.
You have the day at leisure before flying late this afternoon to Dushanbe, Tajikistan's capital.
Take a full day tour of the capital, walking through the botanical gardens, the Ismoili Somoni monument and Kohi Navruz, a cultural palace and showcase of traditional Tajik architecture. After lunch visit the historical Fortress of Hissor.
Visit the breathtaking Lake Iskander Kul on the way to Khujand.
Stroll through the vibrant Panchshanbe Bazaar, admire the 10th century citadel and relax at Pushkin Square. Cross the border into Uzbekistan, arriving in the city of Tashkent.
Take a step back in time in the old town and explore the Tila Shaikh mosque, home to rare copies of the Koran. Stop at Chorsu Bazaar and admire the opulently decorated Tashkent Metro. Visit the ceramic workshop of Akbar and Alisher Rakhimov, and explore the history of ceramics.
Drive to Samarkand, where after checking into your hotel you will visit the iconic Registan Square, the heartbeat of Samarkand Admire the three beautiful madrassahs on the square's perimeter.
This morning, see Gur-e-Amir, the mausoleum of conqueror Tamerlane. Later, wander through a local market, visit Shah-I-Zinda and Bibi-Khanum Friday Mosque. visit the Ulugh Beg Observatory, founded in the 15th century and considered one of the finest observatories in the Islamic world.
Visit Shakhrisabz, the birthplace of Tamerlane, and visit the Ak-Sarai Palace, the Dorus Tilayat Cemetery and Kok-Gumbas Mosque. Journey on to Bukhara.
Explore one of the most famous spots on the Silk Road. Visit sites including Madrassah Nadirkhon Devanbegi, Poi Kalon Minaret and Mosque and the Ark of Bukhara.
Head out of Bukhara to Sitora-i-Mokhikhosa, the summer residence of the former Emir of Bukhara. Visit Bahauddin Naqshband Mausoleum, a famous Sufi spiritual leader of this region in the 14th century. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure.
Journey across the Kyzyl Kum Desert, to the fabulous Silk Road city of Khiva, unrivalled by its 10th century city walls. You will stop at Amudarya river bank before continuing to Khiva.
Explore ancient Khiva, discovering the sights of the UNESCO World Heritage inner-walled city of Itchan Kala including the mighty Kuhna Ark and the turquoise-tiled Islom-Khodja.
Cross into Turkmenistan and drive to Konye-Urgench, capital of the Khorezm Empire in the 12th - 13th centuries. Explore its magnificent mausoleums, the Kutlug Timur minaret and the fabled Mamun's Academy of Sciences. Fly to Ashgabat this evening, the nation's capital.
This morning is free to relax before a visit to a local stud farm to learn about beautiful Akhal Tekes horses. Visit the Kipchak complex, the largest mosque in Turkmenistan then learn about the country's unique history at the National Museum of History and Ethnography.
Rise early and fly to the city of Mary to tour the UNESCO-listed oasis-city of Merv, a major archaeological site of Central Asia.
Fly back to Ashgabat to explore both ancient and modern sides of the city visiting Independence Square and the Turkmenistan Independence Monument to see the Ertoghrul Ghazi mosque. Drive to the Darvaza Gas Crater to walk around the crater as dusk approaches. Enjoy a nomad-inspired dinner under the stars, with a spectacular view of the crater and its glowing flames. Return to Ashgabat.
Learn about the Turkmenistan's important cotton and gas industries before a visit to the Old Nisa Fortress, the former residence of the Parthian Empire. After lunch continue to the colourful Russian Bazaar and the National Carpet Museum.
Fly to Australia, arriving home the following day.
All of our tour departures include international flights and taxes in the price unless a land only option is selected
We have a selection of dedicated departures for solo travellers. These departures feature a maximum group size of 18 and exclusive benefits including a single room throughout your tour, complimentary return airport transfers (within 50km radius of major Australian airports) and a cocktail on arrival at your destination. Travellers from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne also receive a complimentary Australian airport lounge pass for use prior to departure.
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All of our tours offer a single room supplement, which means you’ll have a room to yourself throughout your chosen tour. Continue the check-out process for the applicable supplement.
On most tours, you can choose our 'Happy to Share' option, which may enable you to share a twin room with other solo customers of the same gender who also request Happy to Share. If a share partner is found, the Single Supplement will be removed from your booking. If a share partner is not found, the Single Supplement will remain and is payable with your final balance.
If you are booking on a Dedicated Solo departure, a single room is already included in the price and there are no additional single supplements to pay.
With our flight inclusive option, we'll do the planning for you and meet you on arrival.
We include airport pickup upon arrival at your destination and drop off at the end of your tour (on the scheduled tour arrival and departure days) and when booking pre or post tour accommodation with us.
We partner with established and reputable airlines for your international flights.
We can assist with upgrading your seat to premium or business class for an additional cost.
Our team will work with you to choose your ideal routing and if we make changes to your tour itinerary that impact flights, we’ll rebook them for you.
Our On-Tour Support Team is available to provide advice about how to handle flight changes.