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This tour is for those who want to really get a great insight into Central Asia. There is so much to see and you could spend months in each country, but we’ve carefully mapped out a route that we think balances showing you as much as possible in a relatively short amount of time, whilst still having time to take in where you are. We’ve included all the must-sees like Lake Song Kol, the Pamir Highway, and Almaty, but we’ve added our SAIGA spin by also including some of our favourite spots that are the reason you travel with us. A tour highlight will definitely be the Polygon nuclear testing sites, along with a couple of Soviet sanatoriums, a meteorology station, a uranium mine and some old radio towers – the kinds of things you either can’t get to by yourself, or just simply wouldn’t find. If you'd like to do any of the countries on this tour but don't have time to do the whole thing at once, check out our Pamir Highway Summer Tour , our Kazakhstan Mega Tour , Kazakhstan Polygon Tour , or the Almaty to Bishkek Summer Tour .

The ninth largest country in the world, Kazakhstan has a lot to offer, and this tour is for those joining us on our 5 Stans Tour who'd like to scrape the surface of this country just a little bit more. You could easily spend weeks in Kazakhstan and still not see everything, but there's a lot to do in and around Almaty that can be done in a couple of days and give you a great feel for the country. We'll hang out in Almaty, visiting all the main sites there, plus some SAIGA specials, and then we'll head out of the city to some of the awesome natural sites. We'll spend a night at the famous Charyn Canyon, see some cool lakes and mountains, check out some weird Soviet stuff, and then head back to Almaty. Of course if you'd like to spend even longer in Kazakhstan you can let us know and we can help you with plans or make some suggestions. There is still loads more to do!

This is the tour for those who want to get a great snapshot of what Central Asia has to offer, and there is plenty of amazing, special and weird stuff for us to explore. Starting in Turkmenistan's bizarre and unique capital of Ashgabat, we'll visit the unbelievable Gates of Hell, before crossing into Uzbekistan where we'll include the must-sees in Uzbekistan such as the Registan and the old town of Bukhara, and our tour of Tashkent and surrounds has some pretty cool SAIGA specials, including a solar furnace and a formerly closed Soviet mining town. We'll explore the spectacular Fann Mountains in Tajikistan, with a night in a Soviet sanatorium, before navigating the mountains and lakes of Kyrgyzstan, fitting in some little-known Soviet relics, and eventually arriving in the cosmopolitan city of Bishkek, with our last stop being in the trendy and progressive city of Almaty. View the full itinerary The tour can be done as a whole, or if your time is limited it can also be split into sections, as below . It is also preceded by a Turkmenistan Extension , and at the end of the tour there is an optional Kazakhstan Extension. Highlights: TOUR HIGHLIGHTS Spend the night mesmerised by the horrendous but exhilirating Gates of Hell Go back in time in the Silk Road gems of Samarqand and Bukhara Navigate the moutains, valleys and lakes of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan Explore some little-known Soviet relics in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan

This is a great tour for nature lovers, taking in all the best parts The Pamir Highway is famous for a reason, and no trip to Tajikistan is complete without it. We’re starting this tour in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, from where we’ll start the epic drive to Dushanbe via Murghab, Ishkashim, Khorog and loads of spectacular lakes and unbelievable views. We’ll make our way through the Tajik side of the Wakhan Corridor, skirting the Afghan border, at one point just a few metres away, and you’ll be able to see across the narrow river that forms the border. Using 4x4s for this trip, you’ll be experiencing roads like you might not have before, and at times it’ll feel like we’re the only people in the world.

Kazakhstan is HUGE! The ninth largest country in the world in fact. There is so much to see, and it would take months to even scratch the surface. We’re not going to pretend that we’ll show you everything, but this tour goes a long way into exploring the many different sides that Kazakhstan has to offer. From the cosmopolitan, leafy streets and café culture of Almaty, to the futuristic custom-built capital of Nur Sultan, you'll see some pretty amazing and unique places. We'll explore the Soviet nuclear testing sites in Northern Kazakhstan, along with the Soviet cities of Semey and Kurchatov, which are an eerie step back to the glory days of Brezhnev. Later on we'll show you some old radio towers, and then we'll get back to nature with visits to Charyn Canyon and a couple of really cool lakes.

Heard of Chernobyl? You know, possibly the most famous accident in recent history, so disastrous that it’s almost unbelievable. Well this is Kazakhstan’s answer to Chernobyl – but it was done on purpose. The test site at Semeypalatinsk, or the Polygon, is where the Soviet Union did the majority of their nuclear testing, performing 456 nuclear tests between 1949 and 1989, with a total of 2,500 times the power of the bombs dropped at Hiroshima. The area used to be closed off, but is now open to those with permits. Although our tour is centred around exploring the test site and surrounding areas, we’ll start off in futuristic Nur Sultan (formerly known as Astana, formerly known as Akmola, formerly known as Tselinograd, and soon to be something else), and end in the cosmpolitan city, and former capital, of Almaty.

Heard of the North Korean Mass Games? Ever seen an Olympics Opening Ceremony? Well the Independence Day concert in Ashgabat is bit like if both of those had a love child. But add in some of Turkmenistan's special brand of weirdness. It really is something totally unique, and what makes it even cooler is how many people do you know that have even heard of it? We were the first to ever take a group of tourists to this special event, and since 2015 have continued to be the only people to manage it. The first couple of days will be spent in Ashgabat, taking in the city which in itself is really something special, interspersed with the concert, a day of horse racing at the hippodrome, and any other Independence Day events that we have the opportunity to experience. There's a good chance the President and his father, the former President, will be at one or both of these events, but just depends what they feel like on the day! Once all the Independence Day fun is wrapped up, we'll head out of the city and spend a night at the Gates of Hell, before heading west, with stops at the underground lake of Kow Ata, the mountain village of Nokhur, and the ancient ruins of Nisa. Reaching the Caspian Sea coast you'll have a chance to explore the resort town of Avaza, and we'll venture into the desert to Yangykala Canyon, before flying back to Ashgabat on Turkmenistan Airlines.

This tour is made up of Group A of the 5 Stans Tour, along with the Turkmenistan Extension before it. We'll start by heading out of Ashgabat, visiting the ancient ruins of Nisa, and the Turkmenbashy Mosque and Mausoleum, before swimming in Kow Ata, which is one of the few chances you'll have to see locals relaxing a bit. Venturing into the mountains we'll visit the village of Nokhur, famous for its unique cemetery, before going all the way to the west of the country to the Caspian Sea coast. Here you'll have the chance to explore the resort town of Avaza, built in the same over the top glamorous white marble and gold as Ashgabat. Next we'll drive out into the desert to see Yangykala Canyon, an old ocean, now a vast canyon with striped coloured walls. Finally we'll fly on Turkmenistan Airlines (an experience in itself!) back to Ashgabat to explore this bizarre sparkly city.

We love all our tours, but this is the one that’s the most anticipated and we’ve been looking forward to for three years! While the rest of the world shut down to varying degrees from some time in 2020 until some time in 2021, Turkmenistan closed in February 2020 and still remains firmly closed. On the assumption that they will open in time and this tour will be going ahead though, we’ve gone for a really extensive itinerary, for all those who have been waiting for this for three years, just like we have! Whether you’ve been to Turkmenistan before or not, you’re going to love this. We'll begin in Ashgabat, the white and gold capital city. One big difference since last time we were there of course will be the change in power, and there will now be images of the new President on buildings and billboards. A highlight for everyone is always the Gates of Hell, but we're also going to do some less famous things outside of Ashgabat. We'll spend a night at the Ashgabat-esque glitzy-yet-abandoned resort town of Avaza, before driving out to the desert to see Yangykala Canyon. We'll stop in obscure little Turkmen towns and villages along the way, and see a cemetery where all the graves have goat horns above them. If you'd like to see even more of Turkmenistan while you're there, check out our Turkmenistan Comprehensive Tour, or if you'd also like to you'd like to visit Uzbekistan as well, check out our Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan Comprehensive Tour.