Central Asia on the Silk Road — Private 5-Country Tour — 18 Days

Five countries, no group, no one else’s pace, no compromises on your schedule — this trip adapts to you, not the other way around. 18 days, from Lake Issyk-Kul to ancient Kunya-Urgench, a site few tourists even know to put on their regional itinerary.

Route

Almaty → Bishkek → the Grigorievka gorge → Cholpon-Ata → Lake Issyk-Kul → Bishkek → Osh → Fergana → Margilan → Rishtan → Kokand → Tashkent → Khiva → Kunya-Urgench → Dashoguz → Ashgabat → Mary → Ancient Merv → Bukhara → Samarkand → Penjikent → Tashkent.

An extended 23-day version is available on request, going deeper into Kyrgyzstan (Ala-Archa, Karakol, Bokonbaevo) and adding the Charyn Canyon near Almaty — also in a private format.

Why this tour

• Unlike our group tours covering the same five countries, this is a private format — the route and pace adapt to you.
• The only tour in our catalog that includes Kunya-Urgench, the ancient UNESCO-listed capital of Khorezm in Turkmenistan.
• Margilan and Rishtan add the silk and pottery of the Fergana Valley — something most 5-country tours skip entirely.
• A side trip to Penjikent (Tajikistan) makes this genuinely a five-country trip, not just a five-country label.

Day by day

1. Arrival in Almaty, check-in.
2. Almaty: city tour.
3. Drive to Bishkek.
4. The Grigorievka gorge, Cholpon-Ata, drive to Issyk-Kul.
5. Return to Bishkek.
6. Flight to Osh, drive to Fergana.
7. Margilan (silk factory), Rishtan (pottery), Kokand, train to Tashkent.
8. Tashkent: city tour.
9. Flight to Khiva.
10. The Kunya-Urgench settlement, drive to Dashoguz, flight to Ashgabat.
11. Ashgabat: city tour.
12. Flight to Mary, Ancient Merv, drive to Bukhara.
13. Bukhara: city tour.
14. Drive to Samarkand.
15. Drive to Penjikent (Tajikistan) and back.
16. Samarkand: continued sightseeing.
17. Train to Tashkent.
18. Transfer to the airport, departure.

Included (placeholder — confirm before publishing)

• Bishkek–Osh, Dashoguz–Ashgabat, Ashgabat–Mary, Tashkent–Urgench flights (economy class)
• Kokand–Tashkent and Samarkand–Tashkent trains
• Guide in each country, visa support for Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan

Not included

• Full board, international flights
• Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan 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.