Three Facets of an Eastern Tale — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan — 14 Days

Three countries, three completely different landscapes: Kazakh canyons and lakes, Kyrgyz nomadic traditions, and Uzbek Silk Road architecture. The route is built so you move from one “tale” to the next without long domestic flights — just logical overland drives.

Route

Almaty → Charyn Canyon → Kolsai Lakes → Lake Kaindy → Karakol → Jeti-Oguz gorge → “Skazka” Canyon → Bokonbaevo → Kochkor → Bishkek → Tashkent → Samarkand → Gijduvan → Bukhara → Khiva → Urgench.

Why this tour

• Three countries with no long domestic flights — just one short Bishkek–Tashkent hop.
• Lake Kaindy, the “sunken forest,” where spruce trunks still stand beneath the surface of an almost transparent lake.
• Falconry and felt carpets in Kyrgyzstan add hands-on craft to the architecture-heavy half of the route.
• Finishing in Khiva rounds out the Uzbek classics, not just Samarkand and Bukhara.

Day by day

1. Arrival in Almaty, city tour: the Green Bazaar, Panfilov Park, Kok-Tobe hill, the Medeo gorge.
2. Charyn Canyon — the “Valley of Castles,” drive to the Kolsai Lakes.
3. Lake Kaindy (the “sunken forest”), crossing the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border, drive to Karakol.
4. Karakol: the Przhevalsky museum, the Dungan mosque. The Jeti-Oguz gorge.
5. “Skazka” Canyon, falconry in Bokonbaevo, drive to Kochkor.
6. A felt-carpet masterclass, drive to Bishkek.
7. Bishkek: Ala-Too Square, the Manas monument. Evening flight to Tashkent.
8. Tashkent: the Khast-Imam complex, Chorsu Bazaar. Drive to Samarkand.
9. Samarkand: Registan Square, the Gur-Emir mausoleum, the Bibi-Khanym mosque, the Shah-i-Zinda ensemble.
10. Drive to Gijduvan — a masterclass with the ceramicists. On to Bukhara in the evening.
11. Bukhara: the Samanid mausoleum, the Ark fortress, the Poi-Kalyan ensemble, Lyab-i Hauz.
12. Drive to Khiva across the Kyzylkum desert.
13. Khiva: Ichan-Kala, the Kunya-Ark fortress, the Tash-Khauli palace.
14. Transfer to Urgench airport, departure.

Included (placeholder — confirm before publishing)

• Bishkek–Tashkent flight (economy class)
• Comfortable transport in all three countries
• Guide in each country, falconry demonstration, felt-carpet masterclass
• Breakfasts, several lunches and dinners as per the itinerary

Not included

• International flights, insurance
• Dinners not listed in the itinerary

Confirmed hotel categories, guaranteed departure dates and the final price are arranged with your travel consultant at booking.