Central Asia: Five Stans Express

Twenty-four days across all five Central Asian republics, starting in Ashgabat and running through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. This is proper Silk Road territory, with a local leader guiding you through history, landscapes and cultures that most travellers never get close to.

Expect long drives between destinations, basic shared facilities, and moments that make up for it, like standing before the eternal flame of the Darvaza Crater or sleeping in a yurt by Lake Issyk-Kul. Homestays and dinners with locals give you a real sense of daily life in the region, well beyond the monuments.

This is travel for the adventurous and patient. Infrastructure is limited, bureaucracy can be slow, and Turkmenistan in particular runs on strict tourism controls, so flexibility matters more than a fixed idea of comfort.

What you'll do

• Watch the Darvaza Crater's flames burn in the Karakum Desert
• Explore Registan Square in Samarkand
• Stay in yurts by Lake Issyk-Kul
• Cross wide open plains where wild horses still roam
• Share homestay dinners with local families
• Travel overland through all five Central Asian republics