Day 1: Ashgabat
Prepare to be inspired.
Depart today for your journey to Central Asia! Connections through Dubai airport may require layovers of 12 hours or more. If so, a complimentary day room will be provided at a Dubai airport hotel, accessible via the hotel's shuttle bus service. Room only is included.
Day 3: Ashgabat Darvaza
After breakfast at the hotel, we will travel by private bus to the local Sunday bazaar where you will have the opportunity to wander around and chat with the stall holders. We will then head to horse stables to see the very special Akhal Teke horses, a breed that is more than three thousand years old. Lastly, this morning, we will head to the beautiful Ertuğrul Gazi Mosque, with four minarets and a central dome. Make sure to check out the beautiful interior and fine stained glass windows.
In the afternoon, we will drive to the Darvaza gas crater, stopping off to visit mud and water craters along the way. The crater is nicknamed ‘Door to Hell’ or ‘Gates of Hell’ and has been burning since the 1980s. We will arrive in Darvaza before sunset and enjoy a BBQ dinner together. We will spend the night under the stars in double trekking tents or shared 4-person yurts.
Overnight at Darvaza Traditional Yurt Camp, or similar (B, D)
Day 5: Khiva
After breakfast at the hotel, we will depart for an enjoyable day taking in the sites of Khiva. The historical Ichan Kala, Pahlavan Mahmud Complex, built in 1664, Kunya-Ark Fortress, Islam Hajj Madrasah and Minaret.
After a leisurely lunch together, we’ll continue onto the Tash-Khauli Palace which was built in 1830 and is a perfect example of the Khorezm architectural grandeur of those times. A visit to Juma Mosque, Muhammad Amin Khan Minaret & Madrasah and Avesta Museum, a museum dedicated to the sacred book, will follow in the afternoon.
We will then return to the hotel and freshen up before heading out to enjoy dinner at a traditional restaurant with a folklore show - plenty of music and dancing!
Overnight at Khiva Residence Hotel, or similar (B, D)
Day 18: Naryn Tash-Rabat Naryn
After breakfast we will depart for our day trip to Tash-Rabat, a 15th century stone caravanserai, or roadside inn, located on the Great Silk Road (around 220-km drive).
We will then return to Naryn where the rest of the evening can be spent as you wish.
Overnight at Grand Khan Tengri, or similar (B, L)
Day 20: Tamga Djety-Oguz Gorge Karakol
After a early breakfast, we will explore the surroundings with a guide and travel to Djety Oguz Gorge, which is translated from Kyrgyz as ‘Seven Bulls’ because of the red rocky sand formations covered with forests of Tien Shan spruces.
We will enjoy some easy hiking in the gorge along the winding Djety Oguz mountain river, before heading to Karakol, a charming town that sits on the eastern tip of Issyk Kul Lake. Upon arrival we will visit famous sights such as the Russian Orthodox cathedral and Dungan Mosque. Built in 1907-1910, it features wooden detailing and Chinese decoration but built without a single nail.
Later, we will visit the Memorial Museum of N. M. Przhevalsky, a small and fascinating museum documenting the travels of Russian geologist and explorer Nikolai Przhevalsky.
We will then return to the hotel where the rest of the evening can be spent as you wish.
Overnight at Green Yard, or similar (B, L)
Day 23: Almaty Home
This morning after breakfast you will check out and bid farewell to Kazakhstan. You will be transferred to Almaty International Airport International and depart.