5 Stans Unveiled

Trip Highlights

• Explore Bishkek’s Soviet-era landmarks, bazaars, and public squares.

• Visit the UNESCO-listed Burana Tower near Tokmok.

• Stay in guesthouses and eco farms in Kyrgyz villages.

• Drive along the northern shores of Ysyk-Köl Lake.

• See the Seven Bulls rock formations in Jeti-Ögüz Gorge.

• Visit Karakol’s wooden Holy Trinity Cathedral and Dungan Mosque.

• Cross from Kyrgyzstan into Kazakhstan via the Kegen border.

• Ride by horseback or hike to Kaindy Lake’s submerged forest.

• Hike to the Second Kolsai Lake through alpine forest trails.

• Walk through the red rock formations of Charyn Canyon.

• Experience Kazakh nomadic games and yurt traditions at Hunns Ethno Village.

• Visit Dushanbe’s National Museum of Antiquities and Hissar Fortress.

• Travel through the Anzob and Istiklol mountain tunnels.

• Explore Khujand, founded by Alexander the Great as Alexandria Eschate.

• Browse Chorsu Bazaar and ride the ornate Tashkent Metro.

• Discover Registan Square, Gur-Emir Mausoleum, and Shakhi-Zinda in Samarkand.

• Visit Bukhara’s Ark Fortress, Poi-Kalyan Ensemble, and Jewish Quarter.

• Cross the Kyzylkum Desert to Khiva.

• Explore the UNESCO-listed walled city of Ichan Kala.

• Camp beside the burning Darvaza Gas Crater in the Karakum Desert.

• Visit Old Nissa, a UNESCO-listed Parthian archaeological site.

• Shop at Altyn Asyr Bazaar, Turkmenistan’s largest market.

• See Akhal-Teke horses at a local stable near Geok Tepe.

Must Know