May, June and September tend to offer more balanced temperatures to combine historic cities and higher altitude areas, avoiding the more intense heat of the Uzbek summer.
KAZAKHSTAN · CULTURE + HISTORY
SILK ROAD — KAZAKHSTAN, KYRGYZSTAN & UZBEKISTAN
Cross Central Asia following caravans, mosques and legendary cities.
DURATION20 days
BEST TIMEMay–Jun / Sep
EXPERIENCECulture + History
COUNTRYKazakhstan
THE JOURNEY
Route map
Almaty → Bishkek → Issyk-Kul → Tashkent → Samarkand → Bukhara → Khiva
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FEATURED
Key highlights
1Registan of Samarkand
2Itchan Kala in Khiva
3Bukhara ancient city
4Lake Issyk-Kul
5Tashkent bazaars
6Tian Shan Mountains
Going from Almaty to Khiva allows you to follow the transformation of Central Asia, from the Tian Shan to the oasis cities where madrasas, caravanserais and markets still resemble the ancient trade routes.
SEASONALITY
When to go
A STARTING POINT
Suggested base itinerary
DAY 1
Arrival in Almaty
Arrival in Almaty and start of the journey, with time for tree-lined avenues, markets and the landscape of the Tian Shan mountains.
DAY 2
Almaty — local experiences
Tree-lined avenues, markets and landscape of the Tian Shan mountains.
DAY 3
Almaty — in depth
Kazakh city life before heading to Kyrgyzstan. The day also reserves space for tree-lined avenues, markets and the landscape of the Tian Shan mountains.
DAY 4
Almaty → Bishkek
Departure from Almaty towards Bishkek. After arrival, the tour begins with Soviet architecture, markets and Kyrgyz urban culture.
DAY 5
Bishkek — local experiences
Soviet architecture, markets and Kyrgyz urban culture.
DAY 6
Bishkek — in depth
Large squares and first contact with the recent history of Central Asia. The day also reserves space for Soviet architecture, markets and Kyrgyz urban culture.
DAY 7
Bishkek → Issyk-Kul
Departure from Bishkek towards Issyk-Kul. After arrival, the stage begins through high-altitude lakes, mountains and nomadic landscapes.
DAY 8
Issyk-Kul — local experiences
High altitude lake, mountains and nomadic landscapes.
DAY 9
Issyk-Kul — in depth
Villages and open horizons between the Tian Shan ranges. The day also reserves space for high-altitude lakes, mountains and nomadic landscapes.
DAY 10
Issyk-Kul → Tashkent
Departure from Issyk-Kul towards Tashkent. After arrival, the tour begins with the monumental metro, bazaars and architecture of the Uzbek capital.
DAY 11
Tashkent — local experiences
Monumental metro, bazaars and architecture of the Uzbek capital.
DAY 12
Tashkent — in depth
Contrast between Soviet city, traditional neighborhoods and markets. The day also reserves space for the monumental metro, bazaars and architecture of the Uzbek capital.
DAY 13
Tashkent → Samarkand
Departure from Tashkent towards Samarkand. After arrival, the stage begins with Registan, Shah-i-Zinda and Timurid monuments.
DAY 14
Samarkand — local experiences
Registan, Shah-i-Zinda and Timurid monuments.
DAY 15
Samarkand — in depth
Blue domes and monumental architecture of the ancient caravan route. The day also reserves space for Registan, Shah-i-Zinda and Timurid monuments.
DAY 16
Samarkand → Bukhara
Departure from Samarkand towards Bukhara. After arrival, the stage begins with Lyabi-Hauz, madrassas and preserved ancient city.
DAY 17
Bukhara — local experiences
Lyabi-Hauz, madrasas and preserved ancient city.
DAY 18
Bukhara — in depth
Historic streets, mosques and old caravanserais. The day also reserves space for Lyabi-Hauz, madrasas and preserved ancient city.
DAY 19
Bukhara → Khiva
Departure from Bukhara towards Khiva. After arrival, the stage begins with Itchan Kala, the walls and minarets of the oasis city.
DAY 20
Khiva — local experiences
Itchan Kala, walls and minarets of the oasis city.
THE EXPERIENCE
The spirit of the journey
The ancient Silk Road takes on a real scale during this crossing: modern cities in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan give way to high-altitude lakes, bazaars and the blue domes of the great historic cities of Uzbekistan.
YOUR WAY
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This itinerary is a starting point. Order, duration, hotels and experiences can be customized to your pace and interests.