View allThe trip went off without a hitch. Very enjoyable trip.
Ronald Dwight, traveled in October
Price based on Cheapest Room
Price based on Shared Room
Price based on Private Single Room
Price based on Private Double Room
Best price guarantee Learn More
- Silver Operator
- Steppe Journeys
- Group Tour
- Join a group and forge lifelong friendships
- Fully Guided
- An experienced guide will be with you for the entire tour
- Medium Intensity
- Travelers should be comfortable with somewhat-demanding activities
- Guided in English
- Other languages on request: German, Spanish
- Group Size 1 - 15
- All Ages Welcome
Highlights
- Explore Bishkek's vibrant city landmarks
- Discover Issyk Kul Lake and ancient petroglyphs
- Journey through the scenic Grigorevka Gorge
- Tour Almaty's historical sites and museums
- Experience the bustling bazaars of Samarkand
Itinerary
- Introduction
- Day 1 Bishkek
- Day 2 BISHKEK to Issyk Kul Lake
- Day 3 Issyk Kul Lake / Bishkek
- Day 4 Almaty
- Day 5 Almaty
- Day 6 Dushanbe
- Day 7 DUSHANBE TO MARGUZOR LAKE , Penjikent
- Day 8 Penjikent-Sarazm
- Day 9 Penjikent to Samarkand
- Day 10 Samarkand
- Day 11 Samarkand - Bukhara (Train or Drive)
- Day 12 Bukhara
- Day 13 Bukhara
- Day 14 Bukhara to Mary 380 km
- Day 15 Mary to Ashgabat flight or drive
- Day 16 Ashgabat city tour
- Day 17 Ashgabat to Darvaza drive
- Day 18 Darvaza to Khiva 400 km
- Day 19 Khiva tour and fly to Tashkent at night
- Day 20 Tashkent city tour
- Day 21 Departure
What's Included
- Accommodation
- Flights
- Guide
- Meals
- Additional Services
- Transport
- Free eSIMTourRadar offers the lead traveler (the person who booked) a free 1GB eSIM for the trip. The eSIM is redeemable only through the TourRadar app 72 hours before departure.
What's Not Included
- Insurance
- Optional
- Additional Services
Where You'll Stay
Golden Dragon hotel
HotelDays 1, 3Upgrade Available- HotelDays 1, 3, 19, 20
Three Crowns hotel
Hotelday 2Upgrade AvailableKazzhol hotel
HotelDays 4, 5Upgrade AvailablePenjikent plaza
HotelDays 7, 8Minor hotel 3*
Days 9, 10Upgrade AvailableFatima boutique or similar
HotelDays 11, 12, 13Sport hotel
HotelDays 15, 16Yurt
Yurtday 17Feruzkhan
Hotelday 18
Adventure Type
- Group AdventuresJoin a group and forge lifelong friendships.What to expect
- Group of 15 travelers max.
- Fast booking confirmation
- Carefully planned itineraries
- Travel with like-minded people
- Personalized AdventuresCustomize an existing itinerary or create your own.What to expect
- Travel with your own group of min. 2 travelers
- Choose your preferred dates and duration
- Upgrade your accommodation
- Customize the itineraries
Customer Photos
Operated by
Steppe Journeys
Number of tours
18
Age Range
1 to 89 years old
Response time
11 hours
Response rate
100%
Central Asia is a region of ancient cultures, fairy-tale cities, open...
Read moreCustomer Reviews
- Overall RatingExcellent
- ItineraryExcellent
- GuideExcellent
- TransportExcellent
- AccommodationExcellent
- FoodExcellent
- JCJohn· December 17th, 2025All the guides were good and the fact they had...Show more
Steppe Journeys commented on this reviewDear John Thank you very much for your kind and valuable review on the trip. Hope you really had a great time in Central Asia with and enjoyed nature, history and culture of Stan’s. Thank you Odil Akhmedov Steppe Journeys & team.Trip date: August 2025 - AOAntony· October 21st, 2025Central Asia in Three Weeks...Show moreSteppe Journeys commented on this reviewDear Antony Thank you very much for sharing your thoughtful and detailed feedback — we truly appreciate the time you took to reflect on your 21-day Central Asia Combined Silk Road Tour. It’s wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the diversity of... Show more
Trip date: September 2025 - Jinny· August 27th, 2025I went on the Central Asia combined Sile Road...Show moreSteppe Journeys commented on this reviewDear Jinny Pohl Thank you very much for sharing such a detailed and thoughtful review of your Central Asia Combined Silk Road Tour with us. We are truly delighted to hear that you enjoyed the overall organization of the trip, the comfort of the... Show moreTrip date: September 2024
- DDDipendra· June 30th, 2025Excellent trip from start to finish. Very happy...Show moreSteppe Journeys commented on this reviewDear Dipendra Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback and for joining us on this journey through Central Asia. We’re delighted to hear that you had an excellent trip overall and that you enjoyed the sights and especially appreciated our guides... Show moreTrip date: June 2025
- PSPiet-Hein· June 9th, 2025Automatic translation available in English. View in EnglishIn April'25 we were participants on this fantastic 21-day trip. Since only the organization Steppe Journeys offers all 5 countries in Central Asia, we chose this trip. The group size of 9 participants (max. 10) was ideal. The trip was well organized except for a few points (postponed night flights, Almaty on Monday when everything is closed). To compensate for this, we were given delicious food. The tour guides and drivers were friendly, nice, punctual and well prepared in all countries/cities. In Uzbekistan, the tour guides changed for each city. The hotels/accommodation were good/very good and mostly centrally located. We also had good weather, only rain on 2 days and temperatures between 2 degrees in the mountains and 43 degrees in the desert. We had doubts about the departure on April 10th because we thought that it might still be cold in the "early season", but the weather was perfect and we didn't need a winter jacket. A transition jacket is still recommended for the mountains. The road conditions are sometimes very adventurous (maybe think of travel pills), at the border crossings you need a lot of patience. Only Uzbekistan was very touristy, but we saw few tourists in the other countries. From our point of view, the stay in Bukhara was far too long and in Kazakhstan (Almaty) and Dushanbe far too short. Thank you for a very good and varied trip! We recommend TourRadar to others.Show moreSteppe Journeys commented on this reviewDear Piet-Hein Thank you so much for sharing your thoughtful and detailed feedback following your April 2025 journey through Central Asia with us! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the 21-day adventure and found the itinerary diverse, the group... Show moreTrip date: April 2025
- KTKim Chi· May 8th, 2025My partner and I went on a 21-days tour to the 5 Stans countries along the silk road organized by Steppe Journeys on 10-30 April 2025. Our tour had 9 people, the right size for a group tour. We had an excellent trip, very well organized logistically and good hotels besides 1 night in a guest house and 1 night in a yurt. The drivers and tour guides were very reliable and punctual. They were always at the pickup points before we arrived to save us from being anxious of what would happen. We saw many beautiful sceneries of nature, such as mountains and lakes, many mosques, madrasah (religious schools), mausoleums, bazaars (local markets), and UNESCO World Heritage places. Culturally, the trip was very good. I learnt so much about various ancient sites along the Silk Road, the history and the cultural aspects of Central Asia. The food was very good. Steppe Journeys generously offered us a few free meals in very nice restaurants. I tried a Turkish hammam and a few massage session, all that was memorable. The cost of the trip was inexpensive for the values we received. I highly recommend this trip with Steppe Journey.Show moreSteppe Journeys commented on this reviewDear Kim Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re thrilled to hear you had a memorable and enriching journey through the 5 Stans with us. It was a pleasure organizing this adventure for you, and we truly appreciate your recommendation! Cheers and... Show moreTrip date: April 2025
- Nazmul Karim· November 11th, 2024Itinerary, tour guide and the accommodations were excellent. I would love to do this tour again with steppe journeys.Show moreTrip date: September 2024
- AFAstrid· October 11th, 2024Wonderful trip through Central Asia, perfectly organized 21 days through Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in August 2024 Since we, 3 Germans and Austrians, wanted to get to know all 5 Stan countries in Central Asia, we decided to book directly with Steppe Journeys (Tashkent). We did exactly the right thing! When we booked, we received immediate answers to our questions and everything went very smoothly in the 21 days on site (communication in English). Tour guides and drivers were ready on time in all countries/cities according to the program. They were all professional and very nice. The hotels were good/very good and mostly centrally or well located. At this point we would particularly like to mention the hotels in the old towns of Bukhara (Komil, in a historic building with a sensational dining room) and in Khiva (Zukhro, roof terrace with a great view over the old town of Khiva). An example of the excellent service: During the difficult entry into Turkmenistan, the Turkmen tour guide waited for us already before the whole procedure and accompanied us confidently through the various stations (customs declaration, visa, cashdesk, entry, customs, etc.). In advance, the tour guide / caravan steppe in Bukhara (Uzbekistan) considered our first aid kit to be too voluminous for Turkmenistan. Medications in particular pose a problem when entering the country as if they could be drugs (it is best to carry medication in the original packaging and with an information leaflet). In order to avoid any difficulties in advance, we had the opportunity to give a large part of our unneeded first aid kit to a driver from Bukhara to Tashkent. After re-entering Uzbekistan, we picked up the bag at the hotel in Tashkent on our last day. Based on our consistently positive experiences, we can highly recommend Steppe Journeys (taschenknt). We would like to thank Odil, Bobur and the entire team. Astrid F., GermanyShow moreTrip date: August 2024
- Ronald Dwight· October 6th, 2024Our operator Steppe Journeys delivered each and every item exactly as they were supposed to. The trip went off without a hitch. Most of the guides were excellent in both knowledge and communication skills. Very enjoyable trip,Show moreTrip date: September 2024
- Hanh· October 3rd, 2024It was a good experience visiting five stan countries. Steppe Journeys, especially Odil, provided outstanding customer service before and during the trip. Local tour guides were all friendly and knowledgeable. Accommodations were generally comfortable throughout the trip, except for the guesthouse in the Seven Lakes, Tajikistan. Overall, it was a good trip, and I highly recommend Steppe Journeys to anyone who wants to visit the stan countries in Central Asia.Show moreTrip date: August 2024
Dates & Availability
Select departure month and travellers
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Monday30 Mar, 2026To Sunday19 Apr, 2026English, German, Spanish +2 moreFilling FastFrom:US $4,990 per personMultiple Room Types
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Friday10 Apr, 2026To Thursday30 Apr, 2026English, German, Spanish +2 moreFilling FastFrom:US $4,990 per personMultiple Room Types
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Monday20 Apr, 2026To Sunday10 May, 2026English, German, Spanish +2 moreFilling FastFrom:US $4,990 per personMultiple Room Types
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Friday1 May, 2026To Thursday21 May, 2026English, GermanAlmost Sold OutFrom:US $4,990 per personMultiple Room Types
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Tuesday12 May, 2026To Monday1 Jun, 2026English, GermanFilling FastFrom:US $4,990 per personMultiple Room Types
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Friday22 May, 2026To Thursday11 Jun, 2026English, GermanFilling FastFrom:US $4,990 per personMultiple Room Types
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Saturday6 Jun, 2026To Friday26 Jun, 2026English, GermanAlmost Sold OutFrom:US $4,990 per personMultiple Room Types
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Saturday20 Jun, 2026To Friday10 Jul, 2026English, GermanFilling FastFrom:US $4,990 per personMultiple Room Types
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Thursday2 Jul, 2026To Wednesday22 Jul, 2026English, German, Spanish +2 moreFilling FastFrom:US $4,990 per personMultiple Room Types
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Thursday16 Jul, 2026To Wednesday5 Aug, 2026English, German, Spanish +2 moreFilling FastFrom:US $4,990 per personMultiple Room Types
Why book with TourRadar?
- Trusted and vetted operators
- Rated excellent on
- Best price guarantee
- 24/7 customer support
- Earn $50 in travel credits
- Free eSim with every purchase
To protect your payment and ensure your booking will be processed in United States, never transfer or communicate outside of the TourRadar website or app.
What our customers ask about this tour
The content in our FAQ section is subject to change.- V
Victoria
Asked on December 4th, 2025when will you have your 2027 dates available
Steppe JourneysOperator•Written December 2025We will set up the dates of departures For 2027 by the end of the year.
- A
Ann
Asked on November 23rd, 2025What is the difference in price between a shared room and a single room for this tour? How many people are booked on this tour and is this guaranteed to run?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written November 2025
For this tour, shared twin or double room is standard tour price. Single Room Supplement is USD 680 extra for the entire tour. We have 2 travellers booked for the 30 March 2026 departure. This tour will 100% operate as it has already the minimum number of travellers.
- A
Ann
Traveler•Written November 2025Are these Black Friday sale prices and will it end soon? If I hold this tour for 48 hours does this mean the current price is secured for the next 48 hours even if the sale ends?
- A
Ann
Traveler•Written November 2025What is the main difference between this tour and the 23 day '5 Stans Discovery tour from Ashgabat to Almaty' aside from the duration?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written November 2025
The difference between 23 and 21 day tour is the duration and starting location. 23 day tour includes more of Kazakhstan like Charyn Canyon, Kolsay and Kaindy lakes. 21 day tour only includes Almaty city tour. 21 day tour is 2898 GBP for shared twin or double room, and single room is 2898+490 GBP.
- A
Ann
Traveler•Written November 2025If I initially book a single room but later decide I want to downgrade to a shared room, will I get refunded the price difference?
- A
Ann
Traveler•Written November 2025Is the current 5% discount due to end in a few hours when the Black Friday sale ends? Or will you extend the sale?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written November 2025
5% discount is valid until you book the trip and if you first book a single and then decide to book a shared room your price will be adjusted and the difference will be refunded.
AA6 more answers - R
Rachel
Asked on November 5th, 2025How could we get VISA for Turkmenistan? Are your firm issuing invitational letter to us privately by post mail or e-mail?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written November 2025
We will submit visa application and get approval for your visa and then visa will be stamped at the border on your passport. Visa fee $90 per person.
- C
Carlos
Asked on October 25th, 2025Are the flights from Almaty to Dushanbe included in the tour price? Are there airport pickups on Day 1? What are the arrangements if our flight is late? For Day 11, are there any transfer options between Samarkand and Bukhara? Will there be a free airport transfer on the last day?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written October 2025
Flight from Almaty to Dushanbe ($120 per person) is included in the tour price. Airport pickup is included. If you arrive late on Day 1, you'll skip the city tour but continue from Day 2. For Day 11, you can choose between train, private car, or shared van to Bukhara at no extra cost. Complimentary airport transfer is included at the end of the tour.
- C
Carlos
Traveler•Written October 2025If I arrive one day earlier in Bishkek, can airport pickup be arranged? Can you help book an extra night at the same hotel? What are the best arrangements for Turkmenistan visa? Is May a good time to visit these five countries? What is your typical tour group size?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written October 2025
Airport pickup can be arranged for early arrival. Extra night at Golden Dragon hotel costs $80 for a double room. For Turkmenistan visa, we recommend getting a Letter of Invitation to obtain visa at the border. May is an excellent time to visit with temperatures between 20-30°C. Tour groups typically have 8-14 travelers.
- C
Carlos
Traveler•Written October 2025For the Samarkand to Bukhara route, will the car stop for photo opportunities? What do most guests choose? If only 2 people have booked the 1/5/26 tour, will it still depart? What is the price difference between private and group tours? Why isn't Charyn Canyon included in the itinerary?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written October 2025
For Samarkand to Bukhara, the car will stop at scenic spots for photos. Most guests prefer the route via Shakhrisabz. The May 1, 2026 tour is guaranteed to depart even with 2 participants. Private tours cost 15-20% more than group tours. Charyn Canyon is not included due to time constraints, but can be arranged as an optional day trip.
- C
Carlos
Traveler•Written October 2025Does visiting Charyn Canyon require a full day? If I want to visit before the tour, what are the additional costs and arrangements? When would I need to arrive in Almaty?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written October 2025
Charyn Canyon visit requires a full day. You'll need to arrive in Almaty on April 30th morning. A two-day tour including Charyn Canyon and transfer to Bishkek costs $300 per person, including transport, hotel, guide, and entrance fees.
- C
Carlos
Traveler•Written October 2025For the 21-day tour, how many dinners and lunches are included? Are all breakfasts included?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written October 2025
All 20 breakfasts are included. Some complimentary meals include lunches and dinners in specific countries like Tajikistan, one dinner in Bukhara with a show, one dinner in Khiva on a rooftop restaurant, and one dinner in Turkmenistan in a yurt. Other lunches and dinners are on your own.
C8 more answers - L
Laura
Asked on September 14th, 2025do you provide pick up and drop off for your tours..? From the airport
- L
Laura
Traveler•Written September 2025How many days does the visa take?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written September 2025
Yes we provide pick up and drop off service as complimentary
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written September 2025
Turkmenistan LOI process takes around 10 business days or two weeks.
2 more answers - D
Derek
Asked on September 5th, 2025Is all the accommodation in hotels and with en-suite facilities
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written September 2025
yes all hotels en-suite facilities but in Yurt stay in Darvaza the toilet is outside . And in the mountain village in Tajikistan also shared bathroom one night.
- D
Derek
Traveler•Written September 2025In the Yurt and Homestay do you also share the sleeping area with other travellers?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written September 2025
in Yurt yes, you will share a yurt with 3-4 people in the group and in a guest house it is a private room.
- D
Derek
Traveler•Written September 2025Unfortunately, for medical reasons it is not possible for my wife to share accommodation with others. Is it possible for us to miss this part of the trip or have our own yurt and pay extra?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written September 2025
yes we can provide a private yurt for you or you can skip this overnight and don't go there and fly from Ashgabat to Dashauz and then cross the border to Uzbekistan z. which option you would like to take? extra private yurt can't be guaranteed in advance. However if there is one yurt available we will provide for you only. Or the second option, fly to Dashaus from Ashgabat and skip yurt night. nonextra charge for any option.
D4 more answers - J
Juan
Asked on September 4th, 2025Is it possible to go hiking somewhere on the trip? If I book the trip for the 5th of October is it still enough time to apply for the visas? Do you also book the flights?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written September 2025
Yes, there are opportunities for light to moderate hikes in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. For an October 5th, 2026 departure, there is sufficient time to arrange visas. International flights are not included, but domestic flights and trains within the region are included in the program.
- J
Juan
Traveler•Written September 2025Unfortunately I won't be able to make it in October however, I have this journey saved, and I really would like to take it in the future so I'm thinking about next April or May with more time to organize visas.
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written September 2025
You can join our spring 2026 tours in April or May.
J2 more answers - K
Katie
Asked on September 3rd, 2025do you go there on this tour? If not do any other of your 5 Stan trips go there?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written September 2025
Yes, the 21-day program does include Samarkand. In Uzbekistan, the tour covers the three major Silk Road cities – Tashkent, Bukhara, and Samarkand – with guided city tours highlighting Registan Square, Gur-Emir Mausoleum, Bibi-Khanum Mosque, Shah-i-Zinda, and other world-renowned sites. Day 9 and Day 10 you are in Samarkand.
- K
Katie
Traveler•Written September 2025Can you also tell me what part of the world most of your clients come from?
- K
Katie
Traveler•Written September 2025detail the number of breakfasts lunches and dinners included in this tour
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written September 2025
all breakfasts daily included in the hotels, and only as complimentary some lunch and dinners are included only: Day 2, Lunch in Kyrgyzstan family. All lunch and dinners in Tajikistan 4 days. One dinner in Bukhara with a local folk show in old Madrasah, one dinner in Yurt in Darwasa in Turkmenistan, one rooftop Dinner in Khiva. All other lunch and dinners are on your own.
- K
Katie
Traveler•Written September 2025how much should I estimate for all the other meals? what countries (mainly) do your clients come from?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written September 2025
The average meals cost in Central Asia when it is not pre arranged and when you just enter any cafe and local chayhana is about US$3-$5 per person. When you book and order in advance as a group meal it is about US$10-US$15 per person. Most of the travelers on this trip are USA, Europe, UK, Australia and Canadian and some from Singapore also but most of them are English speaking travels and the tour is conducted in English.
KK5 more answers - A
Amelia
Asked on September 2nd, 2025Send the 21 day itinerary. I will be flying from Istanbul to Bishkek. What is the latest time I need to be there?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written September 2025
You can be in Bishkek by 10 Am to join the group tour in Bishkek or you can arrive one day earlier.
- K
Kristen
Asked on August 30th, 2025Are you planning on travel dates for May 2026, if so when will they be available?
- Steppe JourneysOperator•Written August 2025
Yes we have I. May three departures on 1, 12, and 22nd May 2026. you are welcome to join any of the suitable departure.
Price based on Cheapest Room
Price based on Shared Room
Price based on Private Single Room
Price based on Private Double Room
Best price guarantee Learn More
Good to Know
Tour ID: 138324
Video
