The Five Stans of the Silk Road

Five countries, three weeks, one epic trip along the Silk Road through the heart of Central Asia

Vast deserts, rolling steppe, fertile valleys and majestic mountains form the backdrop to the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia, which are commonly known as the five Stans. Among this changing and varied landscape are traditional villages, ancient towns and modern cities, which tell a tale of advancing Greek and Persian armies, marauding Mongolian hordes, traders selling wares along the Silk Road, philosophers, astronomers, Communist experiments and post-Soviet eccentrics. Journey past giant burning gas pits, intricately tiled mosques, alpine lakes bordered by yurt camps, grand monuments, rural villages and colourful markets on this epic trip through the heart of Central Asia.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that have a positive impact on the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Learn more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• Local guides keep you well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels, restaurants, and other enterprises, and by championing locally produced food wherever possible. At Arslanbob and Kyzyl Oi we stay in family owned guest houses and at Son Kul we stay at a family owned Yurt camp. This provides great opportunities to learn about local cultures.
• Staying in small villages and visiting them contributes to the local economies.
• In Kochkor village on the way from Son Kul to Bishkek we always stop at local women’s cooperation where souvenirs made locally are for sale.
• Read more about our other initiatives here.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• By travelling in a small group we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively reduce waste; this includes eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles by providing refills for re-usable bottles.
• The payment of entrance fees to natural reserves and archaeological sites generates income which is used for upkeep and development of these important sites. We visit a number of national and UNESCO Heritage sites on this trip. In Kazakhstan we visit Tanbaly which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• We rewild 100 square metres per passenger to compensate for all trip and flight emissions.
• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels with us.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: we do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: please bring a re-usable water bottle on this trip, also consider avoiding single-use hotel toiletries, which generate a large amount of plastic waste.

Visa

Uzbekistan

All nationalities require a full passport that must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your entry date into Uzbekistan. It is your responsibility to have the correct personal documents and to obtain your own visa, if one is necessary, in accordance with the regulations of the country you are to visit. The information below is primarily for UK passport holders, and other nationalities should check with their travel agent or the relevant embassies. We are not responsible for the actions of local immigration and customs officials, whether at points of entry or otherwise, and any subsequent effects.

Anyone travelling on a British Citizen, Australian, New Zealand, or Canadian passport can enter Uzbekistan as a visitor (for tourism or business purposes) for stays of up to 30 days without a visa. For a full list of nationalities that are eligible for a visa-free visit of up to 30-days, please visit https://www.uzembassy.uk/page/319?language=en

Many other nationalities are eligible for a simplified visa in advance (without the need for an authorisation letter of invitation), including USA. If you are eligible for a visa in advance then you should apply for one as for visas upon arrival, a letter of invitation is still required. Should you need an authorisation letter, please contact Exodus at least 8 weeks before departure as we can arrange this for you through our local operator.

It is no longer necessary for you to complete a currency declaration form upon arrival (unless you are carrying over US2000 with you). However, as this has only recently been implemented (summer 2018), you will still need to keep your receipts given by each hotel that you stay in - please hold on to these as they may be checked when you leave.

There have also been greater restrictions on bringing medicine into Uzbekistan. If you have any special medicine we recommend you check with the Uzbekistan Embassy about allowed quantities. You should also bring copies of your prescriptions and declare them upon arrival. Visa regulations can change without notice: please check the current regulations in good time to obtain a visa if one is required.

Kazakhstan

A number of countries including the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand Germany, Belgium and France can enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days without a visa.

Kyrgyzstan

British, most European and most other nationalities, including Australians, New Zealanders, Americans and Canadians do not require visas for visits of under 60 days. All other nationalities should contact the nearest Kyrgyzstan Embassy if in doubt.

IMPORTANT: You can be arrested if you are not carrying ID in Kyrgyzstan.  You should carry your passport or a copy of it with you at all times.

Tajikistan

Most nationalities can complete an online Tajikistan evisa application:  https://www.evisa.tj. The evisa costs US$50 and usually takes about three working days for the application to come through - please allow more that this in case there is a delay for some reason. Please note that Yahoo is banned in Tajikistan and we advise that you do not give a Yahoo email address for your visa application as we believe that this can occasionally result in visas being denied.

The evisa type you require is ‘individual’ and to the question regarding GBAO Permit please answer ‘NO’ (this is a permit to visit a semi-autonomous region which we do not go to).

You will then have to upload a copy of your passport in the document section. You will also need to have the hotel name, address and phone number in Dushanbe to hand. Please note that a Letter of Invitation (LOI) is no longer required for most applicants.

Hotel details: The Rumi Hotel & Residences, Mirzo Tursunzoda Street 10, Dushanbe, 734000, Tajikistan

Please ensure that you take a printed copy of the e-visa with you.

Turkmenistan

Everyone needs a passport with 6 months validity on it as well as a visa to enter Turkmenistan. A letter of invitation organised by the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan is necessary in order to obtain the visa and we can organise this through our partners. This allows you to obtain a visa on arrival at Ashgabat Airport. Please note that the State Migration Service usually issue a group letter of invitation with all participant's personal details on. We will need the following information and documents to obtain the letter of invitation:

Last name
First and middle name(s) on your passport
Any other name(s) used before (e.g. before marriage)
Name of highest educational institution completed
City and country of that institution
Field of study
Qualification
Occupation (if retired just put ‘Retired’)
Place of work (if retired just put ‘Not Applicable’)
Previous visits to Turkmenistan (dates, purposes)
Marital Status
Full name, date of birth and citizenship of spouse
Full name(s), date(s) of birth and citizenship of child(ren)
E-mail Address
Home address

- Full colour scan of the photo page of your passport showing all 4 edges of the passport making sure no part of the passport has been cut by the scan. This scan must be sharp and clear, not checkered, glossy or blurry and must be in either JPEG or PDF format and between 250KB and 1MB.

- A passport photo – minimum 3x4cms and not a photoshop version of the photo from the passport. If necessary it is possible to send a photo taken with a digital camera or phone as long as it meets the above requirements and does not use flash or have any glass reflections making any part of the scan/photo unclear.

Once our partners have applied for the invitation letter it can take about month to get it. Once you have the invitation letter you just need to present it upon arrival at Ashgabat Airport and pay the visa and administration fees.  For UK citizens the visa fee for a visa up to 10 days is USD115 and the administration fee is USD4. For all other nationalities the visa fee for a visa up to 10 days is USD85 and the administration fee is USD4. Payment should be made in US Dollars cash (although credit/debit card payments are reportedly now accepted, it is better not to rely on this in case your bank blocks your cards or your card is not accepted).

Please note that Turkmenistan has a higher visa rejection rate than most countries. This is out of our control but we are able to reapply for the visa invitation letter, though only with the same information provided.

Please note that some medicines are banned in both Turkmenistan unless you are carrying a doctor's prescription. These include medicines which contain tramadol, morphin, opiates, codeine or similar components often found in pain killers.

Please Note: soon after your arrival (usually the morning after your arrival), a local representative will collect your passport in order to register your visit with the Turkmenistan State Tourist Registration Office (STRO). You will be issued with a stamp in your passport and your passport will be returned to you when the process is complete. This process can sometimes be delayed so we recommend that you carry a copy of your passport with you.

Vaccination

Uzbekistan

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, tuberculosis and typhoid. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Kazakhstan

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, tick-borne encephalitis, tuberculosis and typhoid. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

You will also require a yellow fever vaccination certificate if arriving from (or transiting through) a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.

Kyrgyzstan

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, tuberculosis and typhoid. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Tajikistan

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for polio, tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, tuberculosis and typhoid. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Turkmenistan

Proof of vaccination against Covid-19 is required for the visa application. Additionally, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, tuberculosis and typhoid. The risk of malaria is slight, but you may wish to consult your doctor or travel clinic for further advice.

Eating and Drinking

All breakfasts, three lunches and eight dinners included

Common dishes in the region include shish-kebabs and plov (rice usually with mutton, onions, carrots, spices, raisins and peas). The kebabs can be from different meats, including lamb and beef, while plov is a rice-based dish (variants elsewhere are known as pilaf or pilau rice).

Another main staple is bread, especially in Uzbekistan where it is freshly baked and sold everywhere; in Turkmenistan, churek is a flat, round bread baked in clay ovens. Other traditional dishes include chorba, a meat and vegetable soup; manty, steamed dumplings filled with lamb; qu’urma, a lamb dish; ichlekli, a meat and onion pie; and gutap, a pie filled with meat, potatoes, spinach and pumpkin. There are normally a couple of opportunities to try home-cooked meals. Tea is also plentiful, both black and green, and drunk with most meals and throughout the day.

Please note, vegetarian food choices are limited. If you are vegetarian or have any special dietary requirements, please notify us well in advance. In this region, the availability of certain specialised products for restricted diets, eg gluten-free or dairy-free, is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring such specialised dietary items from home.

Drinking water is included and will be provided in large containers for you to refill your bottle from – please bring a reusable bottle with you.

Weather

Covering a large area, from the deserts of Turkmenistan to the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, the climate can change a lot. Summer (July and August) can be very hot in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan but pleasant in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, while spring and autumn (May/June and September/October) can be cooler in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan but more pleasant in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

As we visit regions ranging from deserts to high mountains, you can expect temperatures exceeding 30C (86F) as well as close to freezing and need to be prepared for both. Winters are very cold and some areas are impassable (especially to Son Kul in Kyrgyzstan) for most of the year, which is why the season for this trip is relatively short, lasting only from June to mid-October. Later dates (ie September into October) can be particularly cold at Son Kul.

Is this trip for you?

This trip has been rated Activity Level 2 (Leisurely/Moderate).

Over a relatively short period, we visit a vast array of sites, both cultural and natural, and cover five fascinating countries, which share a common history but are now developing individually. It covers a lot of distance in three weeks and there are several places where we only spend one night (especially during the section through Tajikistan and southern Kyrgyzstan).

While this is not an active trip, the pace and distance covered can be tiring. There are also some hikes, particularly in Kyrgyzstan. These are not challenging and can vary depending on the preferences and abilities of the group.

Drives

Most tend to be four to five hours’ long with the odd six-hour drive; there is a particularly long day from Samarkand to Termez, which involves an eight-hour drive, though we do stop at Shakhrisabz.

Comfort

Central Asia doesn’t always have great infrastructure and you shouldn’t expect the same comforts you would get at home.

• Most nights are in standard hotels, though we also stay in homestays, yurt camps and a guesthouse, which will be more basic
• Hot water is normally available, but is not always reliable
• Toilets might be squat toilets and showers may be outside the main building in the more basic accommodation
• Some nights you may have to share a room with more than one person; we make every effort to ensure men and women who are not travelling together don’t have to share a room, but this cannot be guaranteed. On these nights, single supplements do not apply. We stay in these places, however, as there are very limited options in some areas we visit

Smoking

Smoking in public is illegal in Turkmenistan (though smoking in private is fine, which means more people smoke indoors than outdoors) and you should not smoke outside the airport on arrival or in the street in Ashgabat. Also, you can only bring two packs of cigarettes into Turkmenistan.

Clothes

When visiting mosques and other religious buildings, women should wear long skirts and have their shoulders covered, we also advise bringing a scarf and covering your head on such occasions. Knee-length skirts/dresses, shorts and sleeveless tops are fine in other circumstances.

Itinerary changes

Given the bureaucracy in the region, particularly in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, we may be forced to change the route or activities due to government decisions beyond our control.

Border crossings

There will be a Western leader throughout, plus a different local leader in each country. Border crossings. These can be chaotic and require patience. In some cases, you need to walk through a neutral zone with your luggage. The Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan (Farab) border is the most complex and involves walking up to 1.5mi (2.5km); sometimes cars are available to drive us, but this cannot be guaranteed.

Climate

Temperatures can vary from extremely hot to close to freezing on any given departure as we visit both deserts and high mountains.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.