The Five Stans of the Silk Road - Almaty to Ashgabat

Vast deserts, open steppe, fertile valleys and striking mountain ranges shape the landscapes of the Five Stans, the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia. Their towns and cities reveal the movement of armies, traders, and scholars over millennia: Greek and Persian campaigns, Mongol expansion, Silk Road exchange, ambitious astronomers, and Soviet-era experiments. Encounter traditional villages, intricately tiled madrassas, alpine lakes, lively markets and wide boulevards − a vivid portrait of a region where histories overlap and contemporary Central Asian culture continues to evolve in fascinating ways.About this trip: We have two versions of this trip. One starts in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and ends in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and the other runs in reverse. Apart from the direction of travel, the two itineraries are similar – the main difference is the route taken through Kyrgyzstan and the accommodation there. This itinerary runs from Almaty, Kazakhstan, to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, includes Chon-Kemin and Bishkek and stays in guesthouses and hotels rather than yurts. The other itinerary runs from Turkmenistan to Kazakhstan, includes Son Kul Lake and there are two nights staying in yurts in Kyrgyzstan.