At the heart of the Silk Road, Uzbekistan reveals the history of ancient traders through desert citadels, fortress ruins and colourful bazaars. Join one of our Silk Road holidays to marvel at the ornate minarets and domes of Bukhara, walk perfectly restored streets in the walled city of Khiva, and see the madrassahs and blue mosaics of Registan Square in Samarkand.
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan is naturally beautiful, with dramatic gorges, wildflower pastures and hot springs. On our trips to Kyrgyzstan, you can explore idyllic lakes, witness breathtaking panoramas and hike through the Djety Oguz, a distinctive valley filled with local legends. A highlight of a Kyrgyzstan tour is a night in a yurt, where you experience the traditional way of life beneath the stars.
Tajikistan
The mountainous landscapes of Tajikistan feature some of the most spectacular sections of the Silk Road. Join one of our trips to Tajikistan and travel to the majestic Fann Mountains and historic town of Penjikent. Or, for the really adventurous, take our trip through the Pamir Mountains, passing forts, caravanserais and remote mountain settlements.
Turkmenistan
On Turkmenistan Silk Road tours, you’ll delve into ancient civilisations and explore some of the country’s most notable sites. One of the most incredible is the Darvaza gas crater, also known as the Door to Hell, a huge flaming crater in the Karakum Desert that has been burning for more than 50 years. Also fascinating is Konye-Urgench, the ruined capital of the once-powerful Khwarezm empire.
Kazakhstan
For centuries, diverse cultures filled the bazaars of Kazakhstan, with merchants selling silks, jewels, spices and even exotic birds. On a Silk Road trip, you’ll dive into that history and travel among beautiful lakes and peaks carpeted with wildflowers. You’ll also visit the impressive Charyn Canyon. Formed by erosion from the Charyn River, this unusual red landscape is known as the Valley of Castles due to its unique rock formations − a sight to behold on Silk Road holidays.
Silk Road Tours
For more than 1,500 years, merchants and traders braved some of the planet’s most inhospitable terrain and the threat of robbers in search of riches. Their network of trade routes, which connected China with the Mediterranean via the Central Asian steppes, was named the Silk Road, and shaped the world immeasurably.
Join one of our Silk Road trips and you’ll follow in the footsteps of those traders, discovering cities that were once the center of civilization: Samarkand, Khiva and Bukhara in Uzbekistan, Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, and plenty more along the way.
Our guided Silk Road tours not only provide a fascinating insight into the history and traditions of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan (the Five Stans of the Silk Road), but also some of the greatest natural wonders. Hike among the spectacular Jety-Oguz Canyon, admire the architectural feats of Samarkand’s Registan Square and stand at the ‘Door to Hell’, a burning natural gas field in Turkmenistan.
On our Silk Road trips, our expert tour leaders guide you on a magnificent journey of discovery where you’ll soak up the unique culture, delve into the past and travel along parts of this world-shaping trading route.
This was a good introduction to Central Asia that packed a lot of experiences and information into 16 days including the natural wonders of the magnificent Tien Shan mountains, valleys and gorges between, lakes, forests , deserts and parks , ancient preserved and rebuilt ruins filled with history, and the bustling cities each demonstrating their uniqueness, history, influences and progression.
Varied and very interesting trip to three Stans of the Silk Road. Kygyzstan revealed beautiful scenery and traditional ways of life. Kazakhstan showed a mix of ancient history and modern city life. Uzbekistan was full of awe inspiring culture and buildings associated with the Silk Road.
As an Exodus staff member (Senior Consultant), I’ve been lucky enough to travel on quite a few trips but Central Asia has been on my list for years. This is an incredible trip visiting 3 Stans, and all very different from each other. The scenery and hiking in Kyrgyzstan was spectacular and the Golden Eagle experience was a real highlight. Uzbekistan was such a contrast to the first 2 countries and some of the sights were breathtakingly beautiful.
All of the countries were fascinating in their own way and our guides Vitaliy and Dilshod were excellent! Both very knowledgeable and gave us great insights and the history of each place we visited.