5 STAN

• Adventure Tours

 

5 STAN   –  Kazakhstan- Tajikistan Turkmenistan – Uzbekistan – Kirgizstan

 

Day 1

Ashgabat (B/-/-)

Upon your arrival at Ashgabat International Airport

you will be greeted by our representatives. Transfer to the hotel. Early check in.

Breakfast at the hotel.

After breakfast, you will have a half-day Ashgabat city tour. You will see the Wedding Palace, modern “Yildyz” Hotel, Ferries Wheel, Constitution Monument, Arch of Neutrality, Monument and Park of Independence, Ertogrul Gazy Mosque and Halk Hakydasy Memorial Complex.

 

Day 2

Ashgabat (B/-/-)

Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, drive to visit the Nissa Fortress, the Sanctuary of the Parthian Kings. This site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. Nissa is considered one of the first capitals of the Parthian Empire, founded by Arsaces I, who reigned from approximately 250 BC to 211 BC. The site is believed to have served either as a royal residence or a mausoleum and is reputedly the royal necropolis of the Parthian Kings. The ruins of the ancient settlement are located 18 kilometres from Ashgabat in Bagyr Village. After the visit, you will be transferred to your hotel for check-in, followed by a free day to relax.

 

Day 3

Ashgabat – Merv – Mary (B/-/-)

Breakfast at the hotel.

After breakfast, drive to Merv (395km, 4h), one of the most important historical capitals of the Islamic and pre-Islamic eras along with Baghdad, Cairo and Damascus. Sightseeing of ancient Merv includes Greater Kyz Gala & Lesser Kyz Gala (VI-VII), Complex of Askhabs (VIII-XIV), Erk Gala (VI BC), Gyaur Gala (IV BC), Hoja Yusup Hamadani complex, Sultan Sanjar mausoleum, Muhamed Ibn Zeid mausoleum. After sightseeing transfer to Mary.

 

Day 4

Mary – Turkmenabad – Farap -Bukhara

(B/-/-)

Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, drive to the Turkmen/Uzbek Border near Olot (280km, 5h due to bad road conditions)

Breakfast. Depart by car at 07:00 AM from

Arrival in Bukhara and check-in at hotel, time at leisure. Folkloric performance at Nadir Divan-Begi madrasa that will give you a sense of the bright and colorful world of Uzbek culture.

Visit to Bukhara’s most famous bazaars:

Toki Furushon and Toki Zargaron.

Return to hotel, overnight stay.

 

Day 5

Bukhara (B/-/-)

Breakfast. Meet at 9:00 a.m. with the guide and tour of the city:

– Ismail Samani Mausoleum (founder of the Samanid state),

– Chashma Ayub Mausoleum (literally “the spring of Job”),

– Bolo Hauz Mosque with its elegant pillar facade,

– Ark Fortress,

– Poi-Kalon complex including Kalon Mosque, Miri-Arab Madrasa and Amir Alim Khan Madrasa; – Maghoki-Attar Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Central Asia

– The Lyab-I Hauz complex, one of the main squares of Bukhara where there is an artificial pond (one of the few surviving ones)

– Nadir Divan-Begi madrasa.

– Chor Minor (literally “four minarets”) and departure outside Bukhara to visit the summer palace of the last Emir of Bukhara: Sitorai Mokhi Khossa. Lunch in a restaurant during the course of the visits. End of visit time at leisure.

 

Day 6

Bukhara- Samarkand (B/-/-)

Breakfast. Meet with your guide and depart for Samarkand.

Entering Samarkand, you cannot fail to visit the ancient settlement of Afrosiab, located in the northern part of the city and one of the most important archaeological monuments in Central Asia. Walking through these extraordinary places you will feel immersed in the ancient world, touching the objects of history.

Visit the carpet factory, Kongil paper mill.

Visiting Silk Carpet Factory.

After visiting all the sights, tourists will have a chance to visit a winery with the name Khovrenko. Today the Khovrenko winery continues to function, producing a range of wines, brandy and vodka. Its cellars store new collections of wines to age for a long time, while the best vintages of Samarkand wines are sold at auctions. The winery has an interesting wine museum, which acquaints visitors with its history and that of Samarkand wine production, its international awards, and, of course, organizes tastings of Samarkand wines.

 

Day 7

Samarkand (B/-/-)

Breakfast. Meet at 9:00 a.m. with your guide and visit the historic city of Samarkand, a crossroads and melting pot of world cultures with a strategic location on the Silk Road. Its origins date back to 700 B.C. and over the centuries it was also conquered by Alexander the Great, the Arabs and the Mongols, who plundered it. Thanks to Tamerlane it was rebuilt, thus becoming once again the most important city of the Timurid Empire. Today Samarkand retains many medieval-style buildings, and the visit will allow visitors to see some of the most important and interesting sites: mausoleum of Tamerlane (Gur-Emir) where Tamerlane and his descendants are buried; Registan Square (literally “place of sand”), one of the most beautiful squares in the world, with the Ulugh Beg, Tilya-Kori and Sher-Dor madrasas. Continue with a visit to the Ulugbek Observatory, the largest medieval astronomical building, where the remains of an immense 30-meter-high astrolabe can be seen: to the Shah-i Zinda (literally “living king”) complex, a splendid necropolis that is one of Samarkand’s most renowned sites and features rich tile decoration and a history dating back to the 14th century; and to the ruins of the imposing Bibi-Khanym Mosque. After tourists visit the well-known bazaar Siab where they can enjoy with colorful and national mosaics and buy dried fruits and species.  Lunch in a restaurant during the course of the visit. Return to hotel.

 

Day 8

Samarkand – Tashkent (B/-/-)

Tashkent today is divided into two parts: new and old parts, each part carries a rich flavor of history. Upon arrival at the hotel, tourists will be waited by a transfer, which will be with you throughout the tour of Tashkent:

• To visit Tashkent and not bring back Uzbek souvenirs and fruits filled with the southern sun is unacceptable for sure. What if you combine shopping with getting to know local traditions? Perhaps the best place for such an attraction is the Chorsu bazaar (local “market”). This is one of the largest bazaars in Uzbekistan and Central Asia. “Chorsu” was known back in the Middle Ages and, due to its location on the Great Silk Road, was of strategic importance.
• The second part of the day will be devoted to the visit of the Alisher Navoi Theater, one of the few large-scale cultural and entertainment facilities in the entire Central Asia. This is a State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.
• Visiting Tashkent Metro / Underground
• Boulevard – TSUM

 

Day 9

Tashkent- Fergana (B/-/-)

Early morning, transfer to train station in time for train to Kokand. Upon arrival, lunch in a typical Uzbek restaurant. Visit to the 18th-19th century Khudoyar Khan palace and Juma mosque. Continue to the town of Rishdan, also called Rishton in the Uzbek language. Visit to a small pottery workshop. At the end continuation to Fergana. Visit the Yodgorlik” silk factory and bazaar, famous for fruit where you can find sweet pomegranates and apricots. Arrival and accommodation at the hotel.

 

 Day 10

Fergana-Dustlik–Osh (B/-/-)

Breakfast. Transfer at 09:00 AM to the border Dostlik. Meeting the group on the Uzbek-Kyrgyz border in the afternoon.  Meet the Kyrgyz guide and transfer to hotel. Check-in and city tour. A visit to Suleiman Mountain, it is mountain that rises abruptly from the surrounding plains of the Fergana Valley and is a popular place among locals and visitors, with a splendid view. We will visit the Mountain and the Museum in the mountain.

 

Day 11

OSH –BISHKEK – CHOLPON-ATA (B/-/-)

1 hour flight

After breakfast transfer to the airport to take a domestic flight to Bishkek. One hour flight.

Upon arrival in Bishkek transfer to Cholpon Ata. On the way our first stop – Burana Tower.

This minaret was built in the 11th century in the medieval city of Balasagun, capital of the mighty Karakhanid Empire. You can climb up the minaret’s winding staircase to enjoy a wide view of the scenic Chuy Valley. There is also an open-air museum here featuring a collection of ancient balbals, carved stone figures often found around ancient burial mounds.

Optionally Horse games near Burana Tower.

Next stop in café for lunch, where we will taste Kyrgyz traditional food- Kattama (clients pay for themselves).

Upon arrival in Cholpon Ata, optionally- boat excursion on the Issyk-Lake (about 1-2 hours).

 

Day 12

CHOLPON -ATA –BISHKEK (B/-/-)

(260 km, 4-5 hours of driving)

Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer to Bishkek. On the way we will visit The Museum of Nomadic Civilization named after Kurmanjan Datka.

The new museum was opened in 2017 on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul in Ornok village, 70 km east of Balykchy. This museum is named after Kurmanjan Datka, a woman who was an authoritative and iconic figure in the politics of the Kokand kingdom, a state that included Kyrgyz clans and tribes in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Upon Arrival check-in in the hotel and free evening for dinner. 

 

Day 13

BISHKEK –ALMATY (B/-/-)

 

Breakfast in the hotel. After breakfast city tour in Bishkek. Visit Ala-Too, Panfilov Park and the museum. Ala-Too was originally known as ‘Lenin Square’ before being re-named after independence in 1991. The large concrete square is dominated by the ‘freedom statue’ and surrounded by government buildings. The white, block building behind the square is the State History Museum, which contains numerous displays on Kyrgyz history. Other places of interest include Panfilov Park – an amusement park popular with local families, and Dubovy Park, a tree filled area full of open-air cafes and sculptures.

In the afternoon transfer to Almaty. Kyrgyz-Kazakh border crossing can take up to 1 hour.  Change the transport on the border.

Upon arrival in Almaty check-in in the hotel and free evening for dinner.

 

Day 14
ALMATY (B/-/-)

 

 After breakfast meet the guide and start the city tour of Almaty.  Visit Panfilov Park, a local bazaar, a chocolate factory and Zenkov Cathedral, one of the world’s highest wooden buildings. A visit to Republic Square and the Central State Museum, which showcases the country’s history from Bronze Age burials and nomadic culture to modern times.

In the afternoon visit of Medeo. A walk here.  Optionally you experience the cable cars. Later transfer to Almaty.  Free time for leisure.

Overnight in the hotel.

 

Day 15
ALMATY – Dushanbe airport (B/-/-)

 

After breakfast transfer to airport to catch the flight to Dushanbe.

Arrival in Dushanbe airport from Almaty.

 

City tour. Visit the Tajik National Museum (new). Continue to explore the sightseeing of Dushanbe.  Tajik flagpole-the World tallest flagpole. The 165-meter flagpole entered the “Guinness Book of World Records” as the world’s tallest in August 2011, in time for the country’s 20th anniversary of independence. Having visited the flagpole, continue our excursion to the main square of Dushanbe. The Monument of Ismoili Somoni-the ancestor of Tajik Nation located on the main square. A 40-metre-high monument built to the memory of Ismaili Saman-Khuda, founder of the Samanid dynasty in the X century. The base contains a permanent exhibition on the Samanids and is paved in granite slabs. The upper part of the statue is coated with gold. After that visit Mehrgon bazaar – one of the biggest bazaars of Dushanbe, The market reflects Dushanbe’s filling ties to local trade bazaar. Overnight in Dushanbe.

 

Day 16
Dushanbe – Hissar fortress – Dushanbe (B/-/-)

In the morning, drive to Hissar Fortress – the remains of the Bukhara Emirate Beck’s palace. Its thick walls once guarded a pool, garden, and palace, while the fortress itself opposed a noisy market and caravanserai. What remains today is a piece of wall and gate towers, which represent the 18th and 19th century style. The place is famous for its center of commerce during the Silk Road.  You will also be able to visit the Old Medressa (Madrasai Kuhna) of 16-17th century with a museum inside, the new Medressa of 17-18th century as well as Caravan Saray. After that, Visit the Kohi Navruz (Cultural palace), with 12 halls decorated in national style. Also, Visit the Tajik National Museum of Antiquities with Tajik pride – the biggest Buddha in Nirvana.

 

Overnight in Dushanbe

 

Day 17 Dushanbe – Airport – Home