Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan 12 days tour

Traveler Reviews

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  Wendy

  August 15th, 2025
  I was surprised at how well organised this tour was, I didn’t really know what to expect as I didn’t hear much from...
  I was surprised at how well organised this tour was, I didn’t really know what to expect as I didn’t hear much from them after we’d paid the money. I was expecting the weather to be hot but as we spent time in the mountains, there was one night (in the yurt) that must have been freezing or below. The yurt heating stove was pretty useless. It would have been helpful to have been warned about that by the tour company but they didn’t mention it - fortunately a friend offered a warning so we weren’t totally unprepared. The hotels were fine and the guest houses were surprisingly good and comfortable, each one with its own ensuite which was a pleasant surprise. The biggest thanks goes to our guide, Chynara. She’s extremely well organised, thoughtful, good company and an excellent and informative guide. The other big thanks is to our driver. There was never any reason to be nervous about being a passenger, he drove well and we always felt that we were in safe, capable hands. The tour of Almaty was also good, with another local guide and driver for the day. It was disappointing however to discover that the museum tour could not take place as it was scheduled for Tuesday and that is the day the museum is closed. The tour organisers should have been aware of this in their planning. As we allowed ourselves extra time in Almaty we were able to visit the museum another day. Entry was quite expensive and we needed to pay for this ourselves. Again Chynara came to the rescue and arranged reimbursementShow more
  Traveled in August 2025
  

  Reply from: Steppe Journeys

  Dear Wendy Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback and for joining our tour. We’re very pleased to hear that you found the tour well organised, enjoyed the comfort of the accommodations, and felt safe and well looked after by our wonderful guide, Chynara, and our driver. We will be sure to pass on your kind words to them — they will be delighted to know their efforts were appreciated. We also appreciate your constructive comments regarding the yurt stay and the museum scheduling in Almaty. We apologise for not advising you in advance about the colder night temperatures in the mountains and will make sure future travellers receive clearer guidance on what to expect and how to prepare. Regarding the museum closure, you are right — we should have checked the schedule more carefully. We’re glad Chynara was able to assist and arrange reimbursement, but we will update our planning to ensure this does not happen again. Your observations help us to continually improve our service, and we hope to welcome you back to explore more of Central Asia in the future. Kind regards, Odil Steppe Journeys

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• K

  Kristen

  July 1st, 2025
  The tour was exceptional. Both the driver and guide were wonderful. We had an unusual opportunity as well. Since my...
  The tour was exceptional. Both the driver and guide were wonderful. We had an unusual opportunity as well. Since my friend and I were the only two people who signed up for the 12 day tour, we essentially had a private tour. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan were amazing countries to visit and I thoroughly enjoyed all the hiking and nature experiences. I don't enjoy larger cities as much and would have liked more time or more overnights in the smaller villages and in guest houses and yurts.The yurt experience was great and I would have loved another night by the lake. The horseback riding was great and the views were magnificent. I have a lot of dietary allergies and our guide spoke with the guest house owners and restaurant waiters to let them know what I could not eat and they were able to provide wonderful meals. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the places we visited as well as shared information about culture and food and customs. I would highly recommend this tour as well as our guide and driver. Five stars. I wish I could have extended the tour.Show more
  Traveled in June 2025
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  Anu

  June 27th, 2025
  The tour was amazing. Aika was the guide and Losha was the driver and we loved them. Even though Losha couldn't speak...
  The tour was amazing. Aika was the guide and Losha was the driver and we loved them. Even though Losha couldn't speak English, he was still amazing to be around and he would try to talk to us the best he could--the best driver ever! Aika was very responsive to my friend's needs (severe allergies to many, many ingredients in food) and she was very personable and went out of her way to ensure we were doing the activities we were interested in. The countries themselves were amazing and beautiful. I have no complaints as the tour was perfect.Show more
  Traveled in June 2025
• S

  SueAnn

  June 27th, 2025
  Overall, the tour was well-organized and interesting. I especially appreciated Odil's timely responses to questions...
  Overall, the tour was well-organized and interesting. I especially appreciated Odil's timely responses to questions and helpful advice, as well as Nurisa's knowledge, care and friendliness as a guide, plus Max's excellent driving skills. The scenery is truly stunning and the activities like eagle-hunting, rug- and yurt-making are fascinating. If you like massages, the one I had at the Karakol hotel was excellent and very inexpensive. All of the various lodgings were just fine, as were the included meals.Show more
  Traveled in June 2025
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  Won

  June 27th, 2025
  Great 12days with Chynara & Alexei. Our driver, Alexei drives the comfortable Lexus SUV carefully & kind to help us....
  Great 12days with Chynara & Alexei. Our driver, Alexei drives the comfortable Lexus SUV carefully & kind to help us. Our guide, Chynara was kind and helpful to make the tour delight. She speaks English fluently. It was a perfect tour.Show more
  Traveled in June 2025
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  LOUISE

  July 7th, 2024
  Thank you for a wonderful trip! Loved the itinerary and Chynara our guide was excellent, so too our driver Tordo! I...
  Thank you for a wonderful trip! Loved the itinerary and Chynara our guide was excellent, so too our driver Tordo! I would highly recommend this trip to others.Show more
  Traveled in June 2024
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  Marc

  November 10th, 2023
  The tour was very good, mostly because of the guides ( two of them at different points in time) who were...
  The tour was very good, mostly because of the guides ( two of them at different points in time) who were knowledgeable and pleasant. The itinerary was also interesting. It was my first trip with Tourradar but it won't be the last, in fact, I have just booked a trip to Vietnam.Show more
  Traveled in July 2023
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  Bingzhi

  August 24th, 2023
  The overall tour was excellent. Thanks to Chynara and Ludmila for their care and help in the tour. I would also like...
  The overall tour was excellent. Thanks to Chynara and Ludmila for their care and help in the tour. I would also like to thank the drivers for their hard work, especially on mountain roads.Show more
  Traveled in August 2023
  

  Reply from: Steppe Journeys

  Hi Benjamin Thank you very much for your review of our services. We highly appreciate it and it inspires us to work more hard and welcome guests in Central Asia . Thank you Odil, Steppe Journeys

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