Central Asia in 2 Weeks

Arrive in Almaty, meet your driver and transfer to the hotel (check-in is possible from 14:00). Free time. Overnight at the hotel.
Meals: None

The first item on your 2-week Central Asia itinerary is a sightseeing tour of Almaty, Kazakhstan’s cosmopolitan commercial capital. Highlights of the tour, which starts at 09:00, include Panfilov Park, Zenkov Cathedral, Republic Square, and the Central State Museum (closed on Tuesdays). In the afternoon, a short drive (25 km) will take you to Shymbulak. Here, visit the ski resort and ride the cable car to enjoy amazing views of the snowy peaks of the Tian Shan Mountains. The last stop for the day will be the Sunkar Falcon Farm (closed on Mondays), where you’ll watch a spectacular show with specially trained hawks. Hunting with these magnificent birds is a distinguishing feature of the Kazakh way of life. Return to the city. Overnight at the hotel.
Duration: 10 hours, including 6 hours of sightseeing
Meals: Breakfast/-/-

Transfer to Almaty Airport at 08:00 to take the 10:30 flight to Bishkek. Upon arrival in Bishkek at 11:25, transfer to the hotel for check-in. An afternoon sightseeing tour will follow, featuring Oak Park, Ala Too Square, the Statue of Manas, the National Museum of Fine Arts, the Philharmonic Hall, and the Victory Monument – all impressive examples of Soviet urban design and architecture. Overnight at the hotel.
Duration: 8-9 hours, including 3-4 hours of sightseeing
Meals: Breakfast/-/-

Depart Bishkek at 09:00 and drive to Burana Tower, which was part of the ancient (11th to 13th century) city of Balasagun and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then transfer to Don Aryk village and have lunch at the home of a local Kyrgyz family. After lunch, watch a demonstration of a yurt (traditional nomadic dwelling) being constructed, taking part if you wish. Local women will explain the meaning and use of each part of the yurt. Transfer to Bishkek airport (110 km, ~1h 30 min) to take flight HY780 to Tashkent, which departs at 18:10 and arrives at 18:30 (1h 20 min). Transfer to the hotel for overnight.
Duration: 11 hours, including 4-5 hours of sightseeing
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/-

Start your Tashkent sightseeing tour at 10:00 with a visit to the Old City. This area encompasses the Khast-Imam Complex (famous for displaying one of the earliest copies of the Qur’an, the Holy Book of Islam), and Chorsu Bazaar, where you can haggle for spices, dried fruit, and nuts. Continue to the city centre to see Amir Timur Square and Independence Square, and explore the Museum of Applied Art. After the city tour, enjoy some free time. At 18:00, transfer to the railway station. Take the high-speed Afrosiyob train that departs Tashkent at 18:50 and arrives in Samarkand at 21:00 (300 km, 2h 10 min). Transfer to the hotel for overnight.
Duration: 11 hours 30 min, including 4-5 hours of sightseeing
Meals: Breakfast/-/-

At 09:00, transfer to the Uzbekistan-Tajikistan border crossing point at Jartepa (50 km, 1 h). Go through customs and passport control on both sides and then meet your Tajik guide and driver. Drive to the Seven Lakes of Marguzor (80 km, ~2 h) in the western Fann Mountains. Have lunch at the guest house next to the 4th lake, and then explore the lakes – each of which has its own colour, varying from calming turquoise to mesmerizing purple. If road conditions are suitable, drive from the fourth lake to the seventh lake. Otherwise, you may need to walk between the fifth and seventh lakes (about 3 hours return). Dinner and overnight at the guest house.
Duration: 8 hours (depending on border crossing)
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Leave the hotel at 09:00 to drive to ancient Penjikent (80 km, ~1 h 30 min), the ruins of a town founded by the Sogdians in the 5th century and abandoned by Arabs in the 8th century. The foundations of houses, a citadel with a couple of Zoroastrian fire temples, and the remains of the city bazaar are visible in the excavated ruins. In the newer part of Penjikent, visit a local bazaar, a mosque, and the Rudaki Museum (Penjikent is the birthplace of Abu Abdallah Rudaki, considered by many to be the father of Persian poetry). After lunch in Penjikent, drive to the Jartepa border crossing point (30 km, 40 min) and complete the border formalities. On the Uzbek side, meet your driver and transfer to your hotel in Samarkand, arriving at 17:00-18:00. Free time (please note that the car and driver will not be available). Overnight at the hotel.

At 09:00, start exploring the ancient Silk Road City of Samarkand by visiting the spectacular Registan Square and the Gur Emir Mausoleum, the final resting place of the Turco-Mongol emperor, Timur. See the ruins of the Bibi Khanum Mosque, discover the Shakhi-Zinda Necropolis, and then take a short drive to Konigil village to learn about the traditional techniques used to make the famous Samarkand paper from mulberry bark. Free time (with a car and driver at your disposal). At 20:00, transfer to the railway station to take the high-speed Afrosiyob train to Bukhara, which leaves Samarkand at 21:00 and arrives in Bukhara at 22:35 (270 km, 1 h 35 min). Transfer to your hotel for overnight.
Duration: 14 hours, including 6-7 hours of sightseeing
Meals: Breakfast/-/-

At 09:00, start exploring the Old City of Bukhara. Highlights of the walking tour will include: the Lyabi Hauz Ensemble, Magoki-Attori Mosque, Chor-Minor Madrassah, Kalyan Minaret, Kalyan Mosque, Miri-Arab Madrassah, Ulugbek and Abdulazizkhan Madrassahs, Ark Fortress, Bolo-Khauz Mosque, Ismail Samani and Chashma-Ayub Mausoleums, and various trading domes. Free time. Overnight at the hotel.
Duration: 6-7 hours of sightseeing
Meals: Breakfast/-/-

Leave the hotel at 06:30 to drive to Farap-Alat on the Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan border (100 km, 1 h 30 min). Complete the border formalities on both sides, crossing the 1.5 km neutral zone (transportation may not be available). Meet your Turkmen guide and continue to Merv (300 km, 5 h 30 min), an ancient city that was a major centre of international trade and crafts on the Silk Road. Merv is home to a historical park for you to discover, with sights such as the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, Major and Minor Kyz-Kala, Erk-Kala, Gyaur-Kala, and Keshk Fortress. Transfer to Mary Airport (40 km, 30 min) and then fly to Ashgabat. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel for overnight.
Duration: 14 hours, including 2 hours of sightseeing
Meals: Breakfast/-/-

At 09:00, start a sightseeing tour of Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. Ashgabat is recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as having more white marble buildings than any other city in the world. During the tour, explore the archaeological site of Old Nissa (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Spiritual Mosque, one of the biggest mosques in Central Asia. Visit the National Museum of History, the Monument of Neutrality, Ertugrul Gazi Mosque, and Independence Park. In the afternoon, drive through the Karakum Desert to the famous Darvaza Gas Crater (280 km, 4 h). Free time to set up camp for the night, explore and photograph the area, and watch the sunset. Then enjoy a delicious fire-cooked dinner near the burning crater. Overnight in tents.
Duration: 10 hours, including 6 hours of sightseeing
Meals: Breakfast/-/Dinner

Leave the camp at 09:00, driving through the Karakum Desert to the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan border crossing point at Dashoguz-Shavat (270 km, 4 h). After completing the border formalities on both sides, including crossing the 1.5 km neutral zone (transportation may not be available), meet your Uzbek driver to transfer to Khiva (60 km, 1 h). Upon arrival, check in to the hotel. Free time. Overnight at the hotel.
Duration: 7-8 hours
Meals: Breakfast/-/-

Check out of the hotel (which will store your luggage safely for the day). At 10:00, meet your guide to start exploring the Itchan-Kala Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Highlights of the morning walking tour include the Mukhammad Amin Khan Madrassah, Mukhammad Rahimkhan Madrassah, Kalta Minor, Kunya-Ark, Juma Mosque, Tash-Khovli Palace, Pakhlavan Makhmud Mausoleum, and Minaret of Islom Khodja. Free time in the afternoon. In the evening, transfer to Urgench Airport (30 km, 35 min) to take the 21:10 flight to Tashkent. Upon arrival at 22:30, transfer to the hotel for overnight.
Duration: 13 hours, including 5 hours of sightseeing
Meals: Breakfast/-/-

Hotel check-out (by 12:00), followed by free time until your transfer to Tashkent International Airport. Departure. End of the tour.
Meals: Breakfast/-/-