Central Asia Explorer

Central Asia Explorer

Be entranced by the beauty of Kyrgyzstan and historical wonders of Uzbekistan on this 17-day tour. Traverse landscapes of alpine lakes and mountains interrupted only by dots of yurts, feel the divine artistic power of the detailed mosaics and towering minarets of ancient cities, and be welcomed into homes and family-run businesses by locals. A mix of ancient nomadic cultures, various iterations of both conservative and progressive Islam, Soviet influence and post-independence nationalism mean Central Asia is home to unique traditions. Travels here will leave you raving about the region for years to come and planning your next trip back as soon as you get home.

Activities

• Bishkek – City walking tour
• Shamsy Valley – Burana tower
• Don Aryk – Kyrgyz family visit and home-cooked lunch
• Issyk-Kul Lake – Yurt workshop
• Kochkor – Market
• Kochkor – Women’s Felt Co-op
• Kyzyl-Oi – Boorsok Cooking Demonstration
• Uzgen – Uzgen Minaret & Complex
• Osh – Sulaiman-Too Mountain
• Osh – National Historical and Archaeological Museum Complex
• Tashkent – Chorsu Bazaar
• Tashkent – Amir Timur Square
• Bukhara – Sitorai Mohi Hosa Palace
• Bukhara – Ismail Samani Mausoleum
• Bukhara – Ark Fortress
• Samarkand – Leader-led orientation walk
• Samarkand – Bibi-Khanym Mosque
• Samarkand – Registan Square
• Samarkand – Shakh-I-Zinda
• Samarkand – Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum
• Samarkand – Plov cooking demonstration & family visit

Highlights

• Get to know the locals as you learn how to build a yurt in a local workshop, test your taste buds with a dinner of home-cooked plov (Uzbekistan’s signature dish) and rub shoulders with the locals in the bustling bazaars.
• Travel along the Chychkan River beneath the towering peaks of Kyrgyzstan’s Tien Shan range, mountains even more spectacular for emptiness of the valleys below them.
• Enjoy authentic experiences like sleeping in traditional yurts on the banks of Lake Issy-kul, staying in local villages and making yourself at home in a boutique hotel that used to be an old Jewish house in Bukhara.
• Wander through the grand square Registan in Samarkand, admiring the imposing architecture from afar and the detailed craftmanship on the tiling up close.
• Spend time in World Heritage-listed Bukhara, a 6th-century-BC city that’s drenched in history and home to the formidable Ark of Bukhara.