Capitals of Central Asia — Private 5-Country Tour — 12 Days

Five capitals, five completely different personalities: the Soviet modernism of Dushanbe, the futuristic skyline of Astana, green and mountainous Bishkek, silk-road Tashkent, and white-marble, almost otherworldly Ashgabat. This trip isn’t about depth in one country — it’s a panoramic view of the entire region in 12 days, built for travelers who want to understand Central Asia as a whole, not just one slice of it.

Route

Dushanbe → Almaty → Astana → Almaty → Bishkek → Ala-Archa National Park → Tashkent → Samarkand → Tashkent → Urgench → the Darvaza crater → Ashgabat.

Why this tour

• Our only route built around the idea of capitals rather than a single region — five capitals plus Almaty in 12 days.
• A private format — the pace and city order adapt to your schedule, not a group’s.
• The contrast between cities does the work for you: from Soviet to futuristic to white marble, all in one trip, something you won’t find anywhere else.
• The Darvaza crater on the way to Ashgabat turns a “business trip through capitals” into a genuine adventure.

Day by day

1. Arrival in Dushanbe, a city tour, parks and museums set against the Hissar mountain range.
2. Dushanbe: the National Museum of Antiquities, home to a unique reclining Buddha statue. Flight to Almaty.
3. Almaty: the Shymbulak resort in the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains, Panfilov Park, the Zenkov Cathedral — built entirely of wood, without a single nail. Flight to Astana.
4. Astana: the Bayterek monument with views over the whole futuristic city, the Khan Shatyr entertainment center. Flight back to Almaty.
5. Drive to Bishkek via the Korday border crossing.
6. Bishkek: Ala-Archa National Park, a walk to the Ak-Sai waterfall among Tian Shan glaciers. Flight to Tashkent.
7. Tashkent: a city tour of Uzbekistan’s capital. “Afrosiyob” high-speed train to Samarkand.
8. Samarkand: Registan Square, the Bibi-Khanym mosque, the Gur-Emir mausoleum. Train back to Tashkent.
9. Flight to Urgench, border crossing, drive through the desert to the Darvaza crater — a night under the open sky by a fire that’s been burning since 1971.
10. Drive to Ashgabat, stopping at the mud and water craters, the National Museum of History.
11. Ashgabat: the Old Nisa archaeological site (UNESCO), the Ertogrul Gazi mosque, an Akhal-Teke horse farm — the very breed depicted on Turkmenistan’s national emblem.
12. Transfer to the airport, departure.

Included (placeholder — confirm before publishing)

• Dushanbe–Almaty, Almaty–Astana–Almaty, Bishkek–Tashkent–Urgench flights (economy class)
• Tashkent–Samarkand–Tashkent trains
• Turkmenistan visa support

Not included

• Full board, international flights
• Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan visas (if required)
• Turkmenistan consular fee and PCR test, insurance

Confirmed hotel categories (standard/comfort/premium), guaranteed departure dates and the final price by group size are arranged with your travel consultant at booking.