Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan & Kazakhstan Tour
17 Days Private Tour of Tashkent - Khiva - Bukhara - Samarkand - Tashkent - Kokand - Fergana - Andijan - Osh - Bishkek - Cholpon Ata - Karakol - Saty - Basshi - Almaty
Tour Type: Private guided tour, flexible and customizable
Guide: English-speaking guide, experienced and knowledgeable
Driver: Private driver with a spacious air-conditioned car
Hotels: 3 to 4-star handpicked hotels & guest houses, open to your choice
Meals: 16 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinners
Code: TCA105
Guide: English-speaking guide, experienced and knowledgeable
Driver: Private driver with a spacious air-conditioned car
Hotels: 3 to 4-star handpicked hotels & guest houses, open to your choice
Meals: 16 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinners
Code: TCA105
This trip can be customized to meet your individual needs!
- Overview
- Itinerary
- Reviews
Tour Overview
Venture into the enigmatic Central Asia with us! Let’s unveil Uzbekistan’s deep Silk Road history in Samarkand, Khiva, Bukhara, and Fergana by visiting well-preserved sacred sites, bazaars, and handicrafts workshops. Also, you can take in its modern charm at the young Tashkent. Move on to Kyrgyzstan, where hunting-themed petroglyphs reflect the country’s traditional nomadic lifestyle and the Ala Archa National Park offers a colorful alpine tapestry. Finally, Kazakhstan mesmerizes you with surreal landscapes of Kaindy Lake, Singing Dunes, and Charyon Canyon. ... Read more
Trip Highlights
- Discover handicraft techniques used in ceramic and silk productions in Uzbekistan’s Rishton and Margilan.
- Glimpse Amir Timur’s political ambitions through impressive blue sanctuaries in Samarkand.
- Admire the jaw-dropping rock formations at Kazakhstan’s Charyn Canyon and Altyn Emel National Parks.
- Embrace Kyrgyzstan’s alpine fairyland when hiking in the Ala Archa National Park.
- Tour the spiritual heart of Tashkent and marvel at ingeniously designed metro stations.
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Day 1 Arrival in Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Airport Pick-up & City Tour
Welcome to Uzbekistan! After landing at Tashkent Airport, you’ll meet your private guide and driver and enjoy a comfortable transfer to your downtown hotel. Once settled, they will accompany you on a comprehensive city tour.
Tashkent leaves us three clues to decode it: magnificent Islamic structures, energetic bazaars, and fascinating legends about Amir Timur (1336 - 1405 AD). Let’s start with the Khast-Imam Complex first. Encompassing the Barakh-khan Madrasah, the Tilla Sheikh Mosque, and the Mausoleum of Saint Abu Bakr Kaffal Shashi, this sanctuary guard ancient Islamic manuscripts, a saint’s body, and holy relics, making the city an ultimate spiritual heart.
Later, the Chorsu Bazaar will offer you an unfiltered look at local life: some sifting through spices, hauling up a sack of nuts, or just enjoying a steaming bowl of plov. If handicrafts like felts and shawls catch your eyes, be sure to slash the price in half!
Then, hop on the metro to experience Uzbekistan and Soviet Union history, expressed through different artistic themes and lighting setups. After exiting, we’ll head to Independence Square, where the statue of ‘Crying Mother’ symbolizes Uzbekistan’s rebirth after independence.
Continue to visit Amir Timur Square, where a statue of Timur on horseback looks mighty. He was alongside Genghis Khan (1162 - 1227 AD) deemed the greatest conqueror in the history of Central Asia, a reputation largely due to his own hype. His efforts include, but are not limited to, sponsoring scholars to compile historic books and marrying several princesses of the royal bloodline. However, his terror tactics and accomplishments of building an empire that spans Central Asia, West Asia, and some areas of South Asia in just 40 years are somewhat similar to Genghis Khan.
Today’s sightseeing will end at the State Museum of Applied Arts, where you can admire delicate sculptures and paintings of folk artists from all over Uzbekistan. Finally, your guide will escort you back to your hotel.
Accommodation: Wyndham Tashkent (4 stars) or similar
Tashkent leaves us three clues to decode it: magnificent Islamic structures, energetic bazaars, and fascinating legends about Amir Timur (1336 - 1405 AD). Let’s start with the Khast-Imam Complex first. Encompassing the Barakh-khan Madrasah, the Tilla Sheikh Mosque, and the Mausoleum of Saint Abu Bakr Kaffal Shashi, this sanctuary guard ancient Islamic manuscripts, a saint’s body, and holy relics, making the city an ultimate spiritual heart.
Later, the Chorsu Bazaar will offer you an unfiltered look at local life: some sifting through spices, hauling up a sack of nuts, or just enjoying a steaming bowl of plov. If handicrafts like felts and shawls catch your eyes, be sure to slash the price in half!
Khast-Imam Complex, Tashkent
Chorsu Bazaar
Continue to visit Amir Timur Square, where a statue of Timur on horseback looks mighty. He was alongside Genghis Khan (1162 - 1227 AD) deemed the greatest conqueror in the history of Central Asia, a reputation largely due to his own hype. His efforts include, but are not limited to, sponsoring scholars to compile historic books and marrying several princesses of the royal bloodline. However, his terror tactics and accomplishments of building an empire that spans Central Asia, West Asia, and some areas of South Asia in just 40 years are somewhat similar to Genghis Khan.
Today’s sightseeing will end at the State Museum of Applied Arts, where you can admire delicate sculptures and paintings of folk artists from all over Uzbekistan. Finally, your guide will escort you back to your hotel.
Accommodation: Wyndham Tashkent (4 stars) or similar
Day 2 Fly to Khiva; Visit Itchan Kala: Kalta Minor Minaret, Juma Mosque & Tosh-Hovli Palace
After breakfast, your guide and driver will escort you to the airport for a 1.5-hour flight to Khiva. Upon arrival, the local driver will pick you up and escort you to the hotel. ‘I’d give a bag of gold to see Khiva’ - this ancient proverb, long spread along the Silk Road, speaks to Khiva’s irresistible allure and historic remoteness. Luckily, thanks to modern transportation, there is only a 30-minute drive from the airport to its heart.
Once settled, your local guide will show you around the UNESCO-listed Itchan Kala, the inner walled city blocked behind towering ramparts, and admire those royal palaces and mausoleums steeped in over 2,500 years of history.
Frame your first views through the lens at the imposing Muhammad Amin Khan Madrasah and Muhammad Rahim Khan Madrasah, and we’ll then move on to the adjacent Kalta Minor Minaret, whose stout silhouette and turquoise tiles stand out against the city’s desert-clay tones.
Our next stop is the Juma Mosque, different from other mosques with no domes or archways. 218 wooden pillars support its main structure, some of which are dismantled from ancient buildings for reuse, dating back to the 10th century. At noon, when streams of sunlight pierce through the roof skylights, you might catch a spellbinding Tyndall effect, creating a surreal play between light and shadow.
We’ll then proceed to Tosh-Hovli Palace, home to the city’s most lavish interiors. Here, maximalist artistry peaks in the harem, adorned with intricate tiles from floor to ceiling. Meander southwest to the Pakhlavan Makhmud Mausoleum, built to honor an undefeated local wrestler whose incredible luck prompted the Khiva Khans to adopt the site as their royal mausoleum.
Today will culminate at the Islam Khoja Minaret and Kunya-Ark, where you can take in Khiva’s panoramic views bathed in the sunset. Later, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Asia Khiva (3 stars) or similar
Once settled, your local guide will show you around the UNESCO-listed Itchan Kala, the inner walled city blocked behind towering ramparts, and admire those royal palaces and mausoleums steeped in over 2,500 years of history.
Frame your first views through the lens at the imposing Muhammad Amin Khan Madrasah and Muhammad Rahim Khan Madrasah, and we’ll then move on to the adjacent Kalta Minor Minaret, whose stout silhouette and turquoise tiles stand out against the city’s desert-clay tones.
Kalta Minor Minaret, Itchan Kala
Muhammad Amin Khan Madrasah, Khiva
We’ll then proceed to Tosh-Hovli Palace, home to the city’s most lavish interiors. Here, maximalist artistry peaks in the harem, adorned with intricate tiles from floor to ceiling. Meander southwest to the Pakhlavan Makhmud Mausoleum, built to honor an undefeated local wrestler whose incredible luck prompted the Khiva Khans to adopt the site as their royal mausoleum.
Today will culminate at the Islam Khoja Minaret and Kunya-Ark, where you can take in Khiva’s panoramic views bathed in the sunset. Later, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Asia Khiva (3 stars) or similar
Day 3 Drive 7-8 Hours to Bukhara through Kyzylkum Desert
After the hotel meet-up, join your guide to journey along the Silk Road to Bukhara. During the 7-hour drive, you can immerse yourself in the endless Kyzylkum Desert and the Amu Darya River. Unlike Khiva, which resembles an open-air museum frozen in time as a whole, Bukhara’s historic relics are scattered throughout the city, seamlessly blending with locals’ modern daily life. Once there, relax in the hotel to recover from the long car ride.
► Recommended Dish in Bukhara (at your own expense)
Perhaps try Pilaf, Uzbekistan’s national food, for your dinner. The ART Plovy, a quick 10-minute taxi from your hotel, serves authentic Bukhara-flavored Pilafs. Layered deeply golden fried onions, carrots, and meat are topped with fluffy rice, enticing you with a flavor symphony. A vegetarian option is also available.
Average Cost per Person: UZS 50,000-100,000 (about USD 4-8)
Address: QCMG+MCH, Bukhara, Bukhara Region
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Volida Hotel Bukhara (3 stars) or similar
► Recommended Dish in Bukhara (at your own expense)
Perhaps try Pilaf, Uzbekistan’s national food, for your dinner. The ART Plovy, a quick 10-minute taxi from your hotel, serves authentic Bukhara-flavored Pilafs. Layered deeply golden fried onions, carrots, and meat are topped with fluffy rice, enticing you with a flavor symphony. A vegetarian option is also available.
Average Cost per Person: UZS 50,000-100,000 (about USD 4-8)
Address: QCMG+MCH, Bukhara, Bukhara Region
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Volida Hotel Bukhara (3 stars) or similar
Day 4 Bukhara: Lyabi Hauz Ensemble, Kalyan Minaret, Bolo Hauz Mosque, Samanid Mausoleum
Spend a whole day exploring Bukhara with your guide after the hotel pickup. The first to tick off is the Lyabi Hauz Ensemble, the city’s social and spiritual center around a stone pond. Just a short walk away sits the 9th-century Magoki-Attori Mosque, which once was a sacred Zoroastrian site and now functions as a carpet museum.
Winding through residential lanes, we’ll arrive at the Chor-Minor Madrasah. Looking like a delicate, oversized Lego castle, this architectural jewel reflects its builder’s grand vision: four turquoise domes adorned with motifs representing the major religions along the Silk Road, from Christian crosses and Buddhist prayer wheels to Islamic crescents and Zoroastrian sun disks.
Our next stop is the Trading Domes, where stalls are brimming with second-hand antiques, handicrafts, traditional attire, and Soviet-era stuff. After visiting the Ulugh Beg Madrasah and Abdulaziz Khan Madrasah, let’s continue our way to Kalyan Minaret. Kalyan literally means ‘great’, a fitting title as legend has it that even Genghis Khan bowed before its majesty after his hat fell off while gazing up at its summit.
We’ll then step inside the Ark Fortress. Fully preserving palaces, military facilities, and dungeons, it offers an authentic setting to experience the awe-inspiring power of Silk Road rulers. Followed by admiring 20 delicately carved wooden pillars at the Bolo Hauz Mosque, we’ll visit the Samanid Mausoleum, where an all-around view reveals four equally impressive sides that employ geometric, light and shadow aesthetics in the brickwork.
Today’s last stop is the Chashma Ayub Mausoleum, built to honor the sage who delivered Bukhara from a severe drought. Later, we’ll escort you back to your hotel.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Volida Hotel Bukhara (3 stars) or similar
Winding through residential lanes, we’ll arrive at the Chor-Minor Madrasah. Looking like a delicate, oversized Lego castle, this architectural jewel reflects its builder’s grand vision: four turquoise domes adorned with motifs representing the major religions along the Silk Road, from Christian crosses and Buddhist prayer wheels to Islamic crescents and Zoroastrian sun disks.
Our next stop is the Trading Domes, where stalls are brimming with second-hand antiques, handicrafts, traditional attire, and Soviet-era stuff. After visiting the Ulugh Beg Madrasah and Abdulaziz Khan Madrasah, let’s continue our way to Kalyan Minaret. Kalyan literally means ‘great’, a fitting title as legend has it that even Genghis Khan bowed before its majesty after his hat fell off while gazing up at its summit.
We’ll then step inside the Ark Fortress. Fully preserving palaces, military facilities, and dungeons, it offers an authentic setting to experience the awe-inspiring power of Silk Road rulers. Followed by admiring 20 delicately carved wooden pillars at the Bolo Hauz Mosque, we’ll visit the Samanid Mausoleum, where an all-around view reveals four equally impressive sides that employ geometric, light and shadow aesthetics in the brickwork.
Today’s last stop is the Chashma Ayub Mausoleum, built to honor the sage who delivered Bukhara from a severe drought. Later, we’ll escort you back to your hotel.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Volida Hotel Bukhara (3 stars) or similar
Ark Fortress, Bukhara
Kalyan Minaret, Bukhara
Day 5 Bukhara: Summer Palace & Chor-Bakr Necropolis; Drive 4 Hours to Samarkand
In the morning, your guide will pick you up at your hotel lobby for a Bukhara suburb discovery. Start with the Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa, the summer palace of Bukhara’s last emir. Heavily influenced by his Russian educational experience, he infused decorations of plaster reliefs, mirror mosaics, and wooden carvings that epitomize Central Asia’s soul into a European garden framework.
Following that, we’ll proceed to the Memorial Complex of Bahouddin Naqshband, a serene sanctuary honoring the founder of the Naqshband School, the most influential school of Sufism in Islam. Next up is the Chor-Bakr Necropolis, whose owner is said to be the descendant of Prophet Muhammad.
As your Bukhara journey draws to its close, your driver will escort you on a 4-hour car ride to Samarkand. Few destinations conjure up an image of the ancient Silk Road like Samarkand. For generations, it has endured in the Western imagination like Atlantis, existing only in poetry, myth, and drama. Upon arrival, your local guide will welcome you and ensure a smooth check-in at your hotel. Rest well for the unknown journey tomorrow!
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Grand Samarkand (4 stars) or similar
Following that, we’ll proceed to the Memorial Complex of Bahouddin Naqshband, a serene sanctuary honoring the founder of the Naqshband School, the most influential school of Sufism in Islam. Next up is the Chor-Bakr Necropolis, whose owner is said to be the descendant of Prophet Muhammad.
As your Bukhara journey draws to its close, your driver will escort you on a 4-hour car ride to Samarkand. Few destinations conjure up an image of the ancient Silk Road like Samarkand. For generations, it has endured in the Western imagination like Atlantis, existing only in poetry, myth, and drama. Upon arrival, your local guide will welcome you and ensure a smooth check-in at your hotel. Rest well for the unknown journey tomorrow!
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Grand Samarkand (4 stars) or similar
Day 6 Samarkand: Registan Square & Gur-Emir Mausoleum; High-speed Train to Tashkent
Today, your guide will lead you through Samarkand for an immersive feast of blue-hued aesthetics and rich cultural history. Let’s kick off our exploration at Registan Square. Timur once proudly declared, ‘If you doubt our power, look at our buildings.’ Judging by the colossal entrance arches of the square’s three madrasahs and countless mosaic tiles adorning their facades, he was indeed a master of showing off his power through visual opulence.
To the northeast, the semi-open Siyob Bazaar awaits us amid low-rise traditional houses, presenting an authentic pulse of a Silk Road trading hub. Nearby stands the Bibi Khanym Mosque - a gift commissioned by Timur for his wife and built by the era’s finest architects and craftsmen. Spending much of the day supervising construction, Timur even tossed gold coins to workers whenever he was pleased with their progress.
Later, your guide will show you around the Ulugbek Observatory. Designed by a distinguished ruler of the Timurid Empire (1370 - 1507 AD), though he is perhaps better known to history as an astronomer. Long before the invention of the telescope, he and his students mapped 1,018 stars using only the naked eye and a giant sextant. Next up is the Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis, where a promenade flanked by 20 mausoleums invites you to step inside a jewel box clad in varying shades of blue.
Your Samarkand tour will end at the Gur-Emir Mausoleum. Though its 64-ribbed azure dome and gold-leaf interior render it Uzbekistan’s most dazzling shrine, it seems a little cramped compared to his achievements, not to mention that its original intention for his grandson.
Bid farewell to Samarkand as your driver escorts you to the train station for a 2-hour high-speed train ride to Tashkent. Upon arrival, your local driver will pick you up for a seamless transfer to your hotel.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Wyndham Tashkent (4 stars) or similar
To the northeast, the semi-open Siyob Bazaar awaits us amid low-rise traditional houses, presenting an authentic pulse of a Silk Road trading hub. Nearby stands the Bibi Khanym Mosque - a gift commissioned by Timur for his wife and built by the era’s finest architects and craftsmen. Spending much of the day supervising construction, Timur even tossed gold coins to workers whenever he was pleased with their progress.
Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis, Samarkand
Gur-Emir Mausoleum, Samarkand
Your Samarkand tour will end at the Gur-Emir Mausoleum. Though its 64-ribbed azure dome and gold-leaf interior render it Uzbekistan’s most dazzling shrine, it seems a little cramped compared to his achievements, not to mention that its original intention for his grandson.
Bid farewell to Samarkand as your driver escorts you to the train station for a 2-hour high-speed train ride to Tashkent. Upon arrival, your local driver will pick you up for a seamless transfer to your hotel.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Wyndham Tashkent (4 stars) or similar
Day 7 Tashkent to Kokand by Train, Stop by Rishton Ceramic Workshop, Transfer to Fergana
After an overnight stay in Tashkent, your driver will escort you to the railway station for a four-hour train journey to Kokand, a key hub along the medieval Silk Road. Upon arrival, your local guide and driver will accompany you to the Khudoyar-Khan Palace. Built in 1873, the palace complex features 114 rooms spread across seven courtyards; however, Khudoyar Khan resided there for only three years before the palace was attacked by Tsarist Russia.
We’ll then make a brief stop at the Norbut-Biy Madrasah - the spiritual heart of Kokand - before continuing to the Modari Khan Mausoleum. Exuding effortless elegance, the mausoleum is renowned for its refined proportions, featuring a low dome, delicate floral motifs at the entrance, and snow-white stucco tracery filling the arched alcoves above.
Later, you will enjoy a 1.5-hour private car transfer to your hotel in Fergana.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Asia Fergana (4 stars) or similar
We’ll then make a brief stop at the Norbut-Biy Madrasah - the spiritual heart of Kokand - before continuing to the Modari Khan Mausoleum. Exuding effortless elegance, the mausoleum is renowned for its refined proportions, featuring a low dome, delicate floral motifs at the entrance, and snow-white stucco tracery filling the arched alcoves above.
★ Rishton: Trace Ceramic Tradition & Hands-on Experience
Afterward, we will drive 1 hour to Rishton, Uzbekistan’s renowned pottery capital. Famous for its signature Ishkor cobalt-blue ceramics, Rishton’s pottery traditions stretch back millennia. Step inside the home studio of a master artisan and watch as skilled hands deftly transform raw clay into exquisite plates, bowls, and teacups before trying it yourself!Later, you will enjoy a 1.5-hour private car transfer to your hotel in Fergana.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Asia Fergana (4 stars) or similar
Day 8 Fergana - Margilan - Andijan
After the hotel meet-up, join your guide for a stroll through the Ahmad Al-Fergani Monumental Complex, paying homage to the statue of this distinguished medieval mathematician, astronomer, and scientist. Then, a 30-minute drive will lead us to Margilan. Upon arrival, you will visit the Said Ahmad-khoja Madrasah. Repurposed as a handicraft center, it hosts local artisans practicing traditional crafts such as weaving, gold-thread embroidery, wood carving, and relief work.
Next, let’s head to the Yodgorlik Silk Factory - Uzbekistan’s largest traditional handmade silk factory. Although production here involves a streamlined workflow, crafting a single meter of Atlas, considered one of the highest quality silk fabrics, demands 2.5 months of effort, 22 technical steps, and 70% manual labor. Here, various workshops showcase the entire silk production process, from cocoon steaming, reeling, and dyeing to the final weaving.
Finally, we’ll drive 1 hour to Andijan, tucked away in the Heavenly Mountains. It is the birthplace of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire. You will learn more about his life from your guide at Babur Park and the Art and Literature Museum. As the day closes, we will escort you to your hotel in Andijan.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Mehran Hotel, Andijan (3 stars) or similar
Next, let’s head to the Yodgorlik Silk Factory - Uzbekistan’s largest traditional handmade silk factory. Although production here involves a streamlined workflow, crafting a single meter of Atlas, considered one of the highest quality silk fabrics, demands 2.5 months of effort, 22 technical steps, and 70% manual labor. Here, various workshops showcase the entire silk production process, from cocoon steaming, reeling, and dyeing to the final weaving.
Finally, we’ll drive 1 hour to Andijan, tucked away in the Heavenly Mountains. It is the birthplace of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire. You will learn more about his life from your guide at Babur Park and the Art and Literature Museum. As the day closes, we will escort you to your hotel in Andijan.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Mehran Hotel, Andijan (3 stars) or similar
Modari Khan Mausoleum
Yodgorlik Silk Factory, Margilan
Day 9 Cross Border to Kyrgyzstan, Visit Museum Sulaiman-Too in Osh, Fly to Bishkek
Today, your Uzbekistan driver will escort you to the Dostyk Border Crossing. Please note that Uzbek immigration procedures may take 1-2 hours due to strict regulations on medicines. So, we recommend using the restroom beforehand and bring food and water in case of long lines. Once completed, your Kyrgyzstan guide and driver will arrange a seamless transfer to Osh.
When Uzbeks lead a stable farming and breeding life in the Fergana Basin and other oases, Kyrgyz people follow the rhythms of the land, sky, and seasons for unbridled nomadic joy. In the following days, join them to pace by nature and unveil those best-kept secrets.
Your first stop is Museum Sulaiman-Too, which is located midway up Sulaiman-Too Mountain and looks like a radar. After seeing Central Asia’s two highest peaks - Ismoil Somoni Peak (7,495 meters / 24,590 feet) and Lenin Peak (7,134 meters / 23,406 feet) - in the distance from the platform, let’s step inside to admire the region’s artistic relics, including ethnography, handicrafts, and sculptures.
After descending from the hill and browsing through local bazaar, you’ll enjoy a private car transfer to the airport for a 45-minute flight to Bishkek. Upon arrival, your local driver will escort you to your hotel for check-in. En route, the garden-like capital landscapes embraced by snow-capped mountains flash by your window.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Solutel Bishkek (4 stars) or similar
When Uzbeks lead a stable farming and breeding life in the Fergana Basin and other oases, Kyrgyz people follow the rhythms of the land, sky, and seasons for unbridled nomadic joy. In the following days, join them to pace by nature and unveil those best-kept secrets.
Your first stop is Museum Sulaiman-Too, which is located midway up Sulaiman-Too Mountain and looks like a radar. After seeing Central Asia’s two highest peaks - Ismoil Somoni Peak (7,495 meters / 24,590 feet) and Lenin Peak (7,134 meters / 23,406 feet) - in the distance from the platform, let’s step inside to admire the region’s artistic relics, including ethnography, handicrafts, and sculptures.
After descending from the hill and browsing through local bazaar, you’ll enjoy a private car transfer to the airport for a 45-minute flight to Bishkek. Upon arrival, your local driver will escort you to your hotel for check-in. En route, the garden-like capital landscapes embraced by snow-capped mountains flash by your window.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Solutel Bishkek (4 stars) or similar
Day 10 Bishkek City Tour; Hike in Ala Archa National Park
After the hotel pickup, enjoy a leisurely morning stroll with your guide at Old Square and Oak Park before heading to Ala-Too Square. Surrounded by many neo-brutalist structures, the square is quite photogenic, especially when the soldiers change guards or raise the Kyrgyz flag. We’ll then proceed to Victory Square, built to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the end of WWII, where the Eternal Flame burns beneath the half-arches shaped like a traditional nomadic yurt.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Solutel Bishkek (4 stars) or similar
★ Hike & Picnic in Ala Archa National Park
Around noon, let’s venture to Ala Archa National Park to capture the quintessential of Kyrgyzstan through hiking. Besides a pair of comfy shoes, grab a windproof jacket for the cooler mountain weather. Here, glacial meltwater gathers into clear streams that weave through the primeval spruce forest, and the air is filled with the fresh scent of pine resin and earth. When approaching an open alpine meadow, we’ll enjoy a picnic lunch accompanied by bird chirps and rushing waters. Finally, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel.Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Solutel Bishkek (4 stars) or similar
Ala Archa National Park, Bishkek
Burana Tower, Bishkek
Day 11 Bishkek - Burana Tower - Issyk-Kul Lake (Cholpon Ata) - Karakol
Issyk-kul Lake
Then, let’s drive 3 hours to Cholpon Ata along the northern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake. Van Gogh’s Wheat Field paintings will instantly sweep your mind away when seeing intense gold shade infinitely stretching to crystal-blue waters. Once there, we’ll visit the open-air Museum of Petroglyphs. Many of the stones are carved with animals, hunting scenes, and celestial bodies, the most eye-catching of which brings a scene of snow leopards battling wild goats to life.
Later, another 3-hour drive will lead you to Karakol for an overnight stay and your guide will help you check in.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Green Yard Hotel, Karakol (3 stars) or similar
Day 12 Karakol - Cross Border to Kazakhstan - Saty Village
Good morning! If it happens to be a Sunday, after the hotel meet-up, we’ll set off early to the Karakol Animal Market to see how locals trade cattle, horses, sheep, and camels in a dusty environment. After that, bid farewell to Kyrgyzstan as you enjoy a 2-hour private car transfer to the Karkyra Border Crossing, stopping by San Tash village to see the Burial Mounds to commemorate the fallen soldiers left by Timur’s army.
You will meet your Kazakhstan driver after crossing the border. Prepare for sensory explosions as Kazakhstan has much more to explore, from expansive grasslands and deserts to alpine lakes and forests.
Hop into the car and head to Saty Village, where you will check into a guest house of hospitable Kazakhs. Experience authentic rural life and savor hearty homemade meals, such as Lagman, hand-pulled noodles topped with meat and vegetable, and beef and mutton dumplings.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Saty Village guest house
You will meet your Kazakhstan driver after crossing the border. Prepare for sensory explosions as Kazakhstan has much more to explore, from expansive grasslands and deserts to alpine lakes and forests.
Hop into the car and head to Saty Village, where you will check into a guest house of hospitable Kazakhs. Experience authentic rural life and savor hearty homemade meals, such as Lagman, hand-pulled noodles topped with meat and vegetable, and beef and mutton dumplings.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Saty Village guest house
Day 13 Saty Village - Lower Kolsai Lake - Kaindy Lake - Saty Village
Kolsai Lake
► For Your Information:
Seek a more in-depth trekking? We can arrange a one-day hiking itinerary between the Lower and Middle Kolsai Lakes for you to discover the Middle Lake’s unique heart shape. A 14-to 16-kilometer round trip takes about 6 to 8 hours and demands a relatively high level of physical fitness. If your visit falls between April and October, consider an effortless journey on horseback at your own expense with a two-way fee of USD 30-40 per person.
Let’s then detour to admire the unspoiled Kaindy Lake. Buckle up for a roller coaster-like journey through puddles and rubble beaches before continuously climbing slopes. However, all efforts pay off at the first glance of the ‘sunken forest’, with barren spruce trunks striving straight out of the turquoise glacial waters. Since private vehicles are not permitted at lakeshore, your guide will accompany you on a round-trip minibus ride after reaching the parking area. After 20-30 minutes, get off the bus and walk 15 minutes to the Kaindy Lake.
At the end of the day, we’ll escort you back to Saty Village.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch-box, Dinner
Accommodation: Saty Village guest house
Day 14 Saty Village - Charyn Canyon (Valley of Castles) - Chunja Hot Springs
After breakfast, we’ll drive 1.5 hours to Charyn Canyon National Park, where the Charyn River tears a massive gash on the Earth, with a depth of 150 to 300 meters (490 to 985 feet). Wind and water have carved the landscape into dramatic rock formations with jagged stones over 12 million years. The Valley of Castles is the main draw, where sandstone formations appear in giant pillars and towers, lending a sci-fiction vibe to the environment. We’ll descend into the valley and walk along the flat riverbed to unveil whimsical rock formations from various angles.
► Insider Tips for Aspiring Photographers:
1.Work with the light: Layered photos are easy to get under the soft morning lights, when you can use trees and the river as embellishments. During sunset, red rocks glows in warm orange, red, and yellow hues, perfect for atmospheric portrait shoots.
2.Occupy Commanding Point: The No.1 viewing platform offers a sweeping view of the winding canyon against the vast sky.
3.Clothing Suggestion: As deep red and orange canyon walls serve as a natural background, just wear bright-colored or denim attire for high-contrast photos.
After visiting, your guide and driver will escort you to the well-selected hotel at Chunja Hot Springs.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch-box
Accommodation: All Seasons Chundzha or similar
► Insider Tips for Aspiring Photographers:
1.Work with the light: Layered photos are easy to get under the soft morning lights, when you can use trees and the river as embellishments. During sunset, red rocks glows in warm orange, red, and yellow hues, perfect for atmospheric portrait shoots.
2.Occupy Commanding Point: The No.1 viewing platform offers a sweeping view of the winding canyon against the vast sky.
3.Clothing Suggestion: As deep red and orange canyon walls serve as a natural background, just wear bright-colored or denim attire for high-contrast photos.
After visiting, your guide and driver will escort you to the well-selected hotel at Chunja Hot Springs.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch-box
Accommodation: All Seasons Chundzha or similar
Charyn Canyon National Park
Charyn Canyon National Park
Day 15 Chunja Hot Springs - Basshi Village - Altyn Emel National Park (Aktau Mountains)
In the morning, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel lobby and escort you to Basshi Village in 3 hours. After checking in at a local guest house, let’s hurry towards the Altyn Emel National Park, whose appeal is self-evident in grassland, gobi, and desert landscapes. During your hike, remember to keep watch for the remains of ancient settlements and rock paintings with hunting scenes. The Park also contributes to the biodiversity as it shelters 16 rare animal species. If lucky, you may find gazella subgutturosa and argali haunting among shrubs.
Our afternoon visit focuses on its highlight, Aktau Mountains, which rise from the bottom of an ancient ocean that dates back 400 years. Praised as the open-air museum by geologists, it displays prehistoric creature remains on colorful banded sediments. At dusk, your guide and driver will escort you back to the guest house in Basshi Village.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch-box, Dinner
Accommodation: Local guest house
Our afternoon visit focuses on its highlight, Aktau Mountains, which rise from the bottom of an ancient ocean that dates back 400 years. Praised as the open-air museum by geologists, it displays prehistoric creature remains on colorful banded sediments. At dusk, your guide and driver will escort you back to the guest house in Basshi Village.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch-box, Dinner
Accommodation: Local guest house
Day 16 Altyn Emel National Park (Singing Dunes); Drive 3.5 Hours to Almaty
No exploration of the Altyn Emel National Park is thorough without visiting the Singing Dunes, and your guide and driver will accompany you to check it out after the hotel pickup. Sand particles are piled up layer upon layer by fierce wind, appeal for barren beauty and organ-like humming with volume changing based on the wind speed. Climbing the dunes barefoot is a pure joy as you can trigger the song by yourself! Once atop, treat yourself with the meandering Ili River, surrounding villages, and rolling mountains loomed in the distance.
Later, we’ll drive 3.5 hours from Altyn Emel to Almaty and escort you to your hotel upon arrival.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Kazzhol Park Almaty (3 stars) or similar
Later, we’ll drive 3.5 hours from Altyn Emel to Almaty and escort you to your hotel upon arrival.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Kazzhol Park Almaty (3 stars) or similar
Day 17 Almaty Airport See-off
On the final day, your driver will ensure a seamless hotel-to-airport transfer service according to your departure flight. Wish you had a good time with us and a smooth journey home!
Meal: Breakfast
Meal: Breakfast
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This trip can be customized to meet your individual needs!
Tour Prices
Christmas & 2027 Specials: 12% off - Book before Dec 31, 2026
| 2-3 travelers | 4-5 travelers |
|---|---|
| USD5759 USD5067 | USD4209 USD3703 |
- Prices are per person on twin sharing.
- The prices in red reflect 12% discount.
- If you are a group of 6 people or more, we will offer a more favorable price by your group size.
Price Includes
- Economy class airfares of Tashkent-Urgench; Osh-Bishkek
- Economy class train fare of Samarkand-Tashkent-Kokand
- Pick-up and drop-off service at airport
- Accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels
- Meals as mentioned in the itinerary
- Service of English-speaking guide
- Service of private driver and air-conditioned vehicle
- Entrance fees for mentioned sights visited
- Ceramic master class in Rishtan
- Ecological fees in accordance with the program
Price Excludes
- International airfares
- Entry visa fee if applicable
- Holiday peak season supplement
- Gratuities
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