The 5 Stans: Self-Launched Silk Road & Steppe Adventure (Bishkek to Ashgabat)

Land at Manas Airport and take marshrutka 380 or a Yandex taxi (~£5) into the city. Settle into a central guesthouse near Chuy Avenue, then walk a self-guided loop of the landmarks the group tour covers: Oak Park, Central Square Ala-Too, the Philharmonic Hall and Victory Square. Pick up a local SIM (Beeline/O!, ~£3 for data) and change money — rates are good at the bazaar-side exchange offices.

🚌Marshrutka 380 or Yandex taxi from airport, ~£5

🛏Central Bishkek guesthouse/hostel, £12-16

• →Self-guided walking tour of Oak Park, Ala-Too Square, Philharmonic Hall & Victory Square
• →Buy a Kyrgyz SIM card and local currency
• →Evening stroll along Chuy Avenue

Take a shared taxi or marshrutka toward Tokmok (~£3), then a local taxi to Burana Tower, the last remnant of the ancient city of Balasagun (~£6). Climb the tower and walk the balbal stone-figure field. Continue by shared taxi into Chon-Kemin Valley and check into a village homestay. In the afternoon walk the village lanes, and if you want, arrange a short horse ride through the hills directly with the homestay (~£8-10).

🚌Shared taxi/marshrutka Bishkek-Tokmok, local taxi to valley, ~£10 total

🛏Chon-Kemin village homestay, £12-18 incl. dinner

• →Burana Tower & balbal stone figures
• →Village walk in Chon-Kemin
• →Optional horse-riding through the valley hills (book at homestay)

Travel on to the south shore of Issyk Kul, the world's second-largest alpine lake, with the Tien Shan wall behind it. Shared taxis connect the valley villages down to the lake road (~£10). Check into a lakeside guesthouse in Bokonbaevo or Kadji-Sai. If you're interested in eagle hunting, local community tourism offices in Bokonbaevo can arrange a demonstration with a berkutchi (~£15-20, seasonal).

🚌Shared taxi to lake road, ~£10

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, £12-18

• →Issyk Kul lakeshore and Tien Shan views
• →Optional traditional eagle-hunting demonstration (arrange via local CBT office)

Marshrutka along the lake to Karakol (~£4). En route or as a side trip, visit Jety Oguz valley to see the red rock formations 'Seven Bulls' and 'The Broken Heart', and the striped badlands of Skazka (Fairytale) Canyon — reachable by shared taxi or a hired driver for the day (~£15 split). Arrive Karakol and do a self-guided walk of the town: the 1904 wooden Dungan Mosque and the 1869 Russian Orthodox Church are both free to enter.

🚌Marshrutka along lake + shared taxi for canyon loop, ~£12

🛏Karakol guesthouse, £12-18

• →Jety Oguz Valley red rocks
• →Skazka Canyon badlands
• →Dungan Mosque & Russian Orthodox Church walking tour

Cross the Karakol–Kegen border on a shared taxi (~£10), then continue by shared taxi or bus to Charyn Canyon, where you walk the Valley of Castles floor trail (entry ~£3). From Charyn, shared transport or a marshrutka reaches Almaty in the evening (~£10). It's a long, bumpy day — start early and carry snacks.

🚌Shared taxi across border + bus to Charyn + onward to Almaty, ~£25

🛏Almaty hostel near Panfilov/Abay, £12-18

• →Cross Karakol-Kegen border
• →Charyn Canyon Valley of Castles walk

Almaty's metro and buses make this an easy self-guided day. See Panfilov Park, the candy-coloured Zenkov Cathedral, the Soviet Glory Memorial, then take bus 12 or a taxi up to the Medeo ice rink (~£1). The cable car to Shymbulak (~£8) gives a viewpoint over the mountains. Also worth it: the Museum of Musical Instruments near the cathedral (~£2).

🚌City metro/bus/taxi, ~£5

🛏Almaty hostel, £12-18

• →Panfilov Park & Zenkov Cathedral
• →Soviet Glory Memorial
• →Medeo ice rink
• →Optional Shymbulak cable car
• →Museum of Musical Instruments

Book the Almaty–Dushanbe flight yourself in advance (Air Astana/Somon Air, typically £70-100 one way — this is the leg the group tour prices separately). Arrive Dushanbe, get a Tajikistan e-visa ahead of time (~£35, add the GBAO permit if needed). Walk the central axis: the Ismail Samani Statue on Rudaki Avenue and Rudaki Park's fountains are all within a pleasant self-guided loop.

🚌Airport taxi ~£4; flight £70-100

🛏Dushanbe guesthouse/hostel, £14-20

• →Fly Almaty-Dushanbe (self-booked)
• →Rudaki Park & Ismail Samani Statue self-guided walk

The classic route north through the Fann Mountains to Iskander Kul. Public transport is sparse, so join a shared 4x4 with other travellers or negotiate a seat with a Penjikent-bound driver (~£20-25). At Iskander Kul lake there's a short walk to a nearby waterfall. Continue over the pass to Penjikent and overnight in a guesthouse.

🚌Shared 4x4 Dushanbe-Penjikent via Iskander Kul, ~£22

🛏Penjikent guesthouse, £12-18

• →Iskander Kul Lake & waterfall hike
• →Fann Mountains scenery drive

Hire a driver for the day to work up the Seven Lakes chain (~£25-30, split between passengers). At the seventh lake, Hazorchashma, there's a roughly two-hour return hike to a viewpoint — an easy, high-reward walk. Back in Penjikent in the evening.

🚌Hired 4x4 for Seven Lakes day, ~£28 split

🛏Penjikent guesthouse, £12-18

• →Seven Lakes circuit by shared car
• →Hike to Hazorchashma (seventh lake), ~2hrs return

Travel via the Shahriston Pass to Istarafshan, one of Central Asia's great artisan towns — the blacksmith workshops along the main street are open to wandering visitors. Then continue to Khujand by shared taxi (~£8). Overnight in Khujand.

🚌Shared taxi Penjikent-Istarafshan-Khujand, ~£10

🛏Khujand guesthouse, £12-18

• →Istarafshan city walk
• →Visit blacksmith workshops in Istarafshan

A compact walking day: the huge Panjshanbe Bazaar with its domed hall, the Maslihaddin Mosque next door, the small Khujand Museum and, on the outskirts, the Soviet-era Arbob Palace with its blue domes. All walkable or a cheap shared taxi ride apart.

🚌Local shared taxis/walking, ~£4

🛏Khujand guesthouse, £12-18

• →Panjshanbe Bazaar
• →Maslihaddin Mosque
• →Museum of Khujand
• →Arbob Palace

Cross the Oybek border (shared taxi to the border point, then a marshrutka to Tashkent city, ~£6 total). Uzbekistan is visa-free for most Western passports. In Tashkent, self-guide the Old City: the Khast Imam Complex with its famous Osman Quran, the Chor-Su Bazaar, then ride the ornately decorated Soviet metro (each station a museum — buy a 1,400 sum token). Finish at Amir Temur Square, Independence Square and the Applied Arts Museum.

🚌Shared taxi + marshrutka across Oybek border, ~£8

🛏Tashkent hostel/guesthouse, £12-18

• →Khast Imam Complex & Osman Quran
• →Chor-Su Bazaar
• →Ride Tashkent metro decorated stations
• →Amir Temur Square, Independence Square & Applied Arts Museum

Book an Afrosiyob high-speed train seat online in advance (~£12-20, Tashkent–Samarkand in ~2hrs; sell the same route the tour uses). Arrive Samarkand and walk the Silk Road icons: Siyob Bazaar, the colossal Bibi Khanum Mosque, Registan Square with its three madrassas facing one another, and the Gur-Emir mausoleum where Timur is buried. The Registan is best at golden hour.

🚌High-speed train ~£16

🛏Samarkand guesthouse near Registan, £14-20

• →Afrosiyob high-speed train
• →Siyob Bazaar
• →Bibi Khanum Mosque
• →Registan Square (Ulugbek, Sherdor, Tillya Kori madrassas)
• →Gur-Emir Mausoleum

Morning at Koni Ghil village to see traditional Samarkand paper-making (small entry fee, ~£2), then Ulugbek's Observatory (~£3), the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis of turquoise-tiled tombs (go early for light and space) and the Afrasiyab Museum. Afternoon high-speed train to Bukhara (~£10-15, ~1.5hrs).

🚌High-speed train ~£12; local shared taxis ~£5

🛏Bukhara guesthouse in the old town, £14-20

• →Koni Ghil paper-making workshop
• →Ulugbek's Observatory
• →Shah-i-Zinda necropolis
• →Afrasiyab Museum
• →Train Samarkand-Bukhara

Everything in Bukhara's old town is walkable. Start at the Kalon Complex with its towering minaret, then the Ark Fortress, Bolo Hauz Mosque, the Chashma-Ayub mausoleum with its sacred spring, the Museum of the Samanids, the old Jewish Synagogue and finally Lyabi-Hauz plaza, where you can sip tea by the pool as the tour groups pass through.

🚌Walking day, ~£2

🛏Bukhara guesthouse, £14-20

• →Kalon Complex
• →Ark Fortress
• →Bolo Hauz Mosque
• →Chashma-Ayub mausoleum
• →Museum of the Samanids
• →Bukhara Synagogue
• →Lyabi-Hauz

The long haul west across the Kyzylkum. The comfortable option is the daily shared high-speed train (Bukhara–Khiva, ~£12-18, ~6hrs); the cheaper, slower option is a shared taxi or the bus (~£8-10). Arrive Khiva in the evening and stay inside or beside the walls of Ichan Kala.

🚌Shared train or bus/taxi, ~£14

🛏Khiva guesthouse inside/near Ichan Kala, £12-18

• →Cross the Kyzylkum Desert
• →Arrive Khiva's walled old city

Buy a combined ticket for Ichan Kala (the walled inner city, ~£8) and self-guide its madrassas, mosques and palaces. Don't miss the Kalta-minor minaret, the turquoise-tiled stump that was meant to be the tallest in the Islamic world, and climb the Islam Khodja Minaret for the rooftop panorama. Sunset from the city walls is free and superb.

🚌Walking day, ~£2

🛏Khiva guesthouse, £12-18

• →Ichan Kala combined ticket
• →Kalta-minor Minaret
• →Climb Islam Khodja Minaret
• →Sunset on the city walls

This is the trip's big logistical day. Get your Turkmenistan visa (transit or tourist visa via a licensed agency, arranged weeks in advance — the tour bundles this; you book your own letter, ~£60-90). Cross at Shavat-Dashoguz, then pick up a shared 4x4/driver to Darvaza (~£30-40 a seat). Set up at the crater camp and eat a fire-cooked dinner beside the 'Door to Hell' before watching the flames after dark.

🚌Shared 4x4 to Darvaza, ~£35; border transfer ~£8

🛏Yurt camp at Darvaza crater, £15-22 incl. dinner

• →Shavat-Dashoguz border crossing
• →4x4 drive into the Karakum Desert
• →Darvaza Gas Crater at night
• →Fire-cooked camp dinner

Drive south to Ashgabat through the Karakum (~£12 share). Spend 3-4 hours self-guiding the surreal marble city: the National Museum of History (~£4) and the Arch of Neutrality (ride the lift to the top). Independence Park is worth an evening wander; the Terrace restaurant with views over the park is the splurge dinner option.

🚌Shared car Darvaza-Ashgabat, ~£12

🛏Ashgabat guesthouse/hotel, £18-28

• →Drive to Ashgabat
• →National Museum of History
• →Arch of Neutrality
• →Independence Park
• →Optional dinner at Terrace restaurant

Hire a driver for the day (~£25 split) and head out to the UNESCO-listed Old Nisa fortress, the ruins of the Parthian capital, framed by the Kopet-Dag Mountains. Visit the Spiritual Mosque and the National Memorial Complex 'Halk Hakydasy', then finish at a farm breeding the golden Akhal Teke horses Turkmenistan is famous for.

🚌Hired car for the day, ~£25 split

🛏Ashgabat guesthouse/hotel, £18-28

• →Old Nisa fortress (UNESCO)
• →Spiritual Mosque
• →Halk Hakydasy memorial complex
• →Akhal Teke horse farm visit

Final morning to pick up any last souvenirs at the Russian Bazaar, then a taxi to the airport for your onward flight (~£10). Note that Turkmenistan requires onward travel proof and typically restricts movement — keep your registration slips with you. If you're flying home via Istanbul or Dubai, book that leg separately in advance.

🚌Airport taxi, ~£10

🛏—

• →Russian Bazaar souvenir shopping
• →Airport transfer and departure