Arrive in Manas International Airport, Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, where upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel for check-in. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

This morning you will enjoy a short city tour visiting Manas Monument, the main national hero of the Kyrgyz people. Walk around Ala Too Square to watch the changing of the Guard of Honour, Independence Monument and Old Parliament Square before transferring to Victory Square. Travel to Ala-Archa National Park, located 40 km from Bishkek. It will take 1hour to reach base camp where you will stop. During the drive you will travel from 750 to 2100 meters above sea level. Here you spend 1 hour leisurely walking as you take in the picturesque scenery of snow-capped mountains and freshwater rivers. All participants must be able to complete this walk independently, otherwise it will be best to wait at the bus. The afternoon is at leisure in Bishkek before dinner.

This morning, you will travel to the 12th Century Burana Tower, and then continue as your journey takes a further 2 hours to Chon Kemin. Chon Kemin is a quiet valley with small villages surrounded by magnificent mountains and a fir forest. Take in daily village life as you wander along the foothills and enjoy the views.

Travel to the town of Kochkor, visiting a local workshop where they manufacture traditional Kyrgyz wool carpets, called ‘shyrdak’ or ‘Ala-Kiyiz’. Continue further to Bokonbayevo Village, to watch an eagle hunting demonstration, a millennia-old Kyrgyz tradition. Tonight you will overnight in a traditional Yurt Camp.

After breakfast drive to Karakol. You will be visiting Skazka Canyon, also known as Fairy Tale Canyon, which was named due to its bizarre rock formations, including depictions of snakes, dragons and hippopotamuses. Your next stop is at Barskoon Gorge to see the waterfall named ‘Tears of Leopard’. The gorge is considered one of the most beautiful in the Issyk Kul area. Continue to Karakol.

This morning you visit Prjevalskiy Museum as well as examine the diverse religious influences when stopping at the striking Holy Trinity Orthodox Church and Chinese mosque from the outside. In the afternoon, travel to Jety-Oguz Gorge to enjoy a light hike through the magnificent canyon of red sandstone, following its river up to the Flower Glade and back. Enjoy a home-cooked dinner with a local Dungan family, learning the fascinating story of why this Muslim Chinese group immigrated to the region 140 years ago, how they made the area their home, and how they keep their traditional culture and cuisine alive.

Rise early, travelling to the outskirts of town for the unforgettable Karakol Sunday Animal Market, the largest and most colourful in Central Asia. Transfer for 4 hours, via beautiful scenery to the Kegen border crossing to Kazakhstan. After border formalities, travel further to the Charyn Canyon and its Valley of the Castles, named due to the pillars and rock formations. You can choose to hike down towards the valley floor and climb back up again or observe the canyon rim from above. Your visit here will be 2 hours. Travel to Almaty where you will overnight.

This morning take part in an orientation walk visiting Republic Square, Abai Opera Theatre, the Central Mosque, the Green Market, Zenkov Cathedral and Central State Museum. In the afternoon you visit the turquoise Big Almaty Lake nestled in the Tian Shan mountains and see the Tien Shan Astronomical Observatory. Spend half the day relaxing in the scenic surrounds and return to Almaty in the afternoon. Altitude at Almaty Lake is 2,510m above sea level.

You have this morning at leisure before your flight to Dushanbe, Tajikistan. On arrival you will transfer to your hotel for some leisure time.

Today we visit famous Museum of National Antiquities, featuring artefacts from Tajikistan's Islamic and pre-Islamic history (Greek Bactrian, Zoroastrian, Buddhist and Hindu), the museum shows that Tajikistan was an important crossroad in Central Asia. A city tour of the Tajik capital will include walking through the city’s Botanical gardens, Rudaki Park and stopping at the Ismoili Somoni monument. In the afternoon visit Hissor town (23 km from Dushanbe) to see ancient fortress of Hissor - one of the most precious historical sites of Tajikistan. Comfortably located near Dushanbe Hissor Fortress combines the traditional elements of power, trade and culture of the ancient Tajik nation. Visit Medrassah Kuhna (16th c) and Museum of Tajik Way of life there, 19c Medrassah nearby and mausoleum of Sufi saint Mahdumi Azam.

This morning travel to Khujand. Khujand was continuously occupied for 2500 years and found – possibly on the site of an earlier settlement – by Alexander the Great. It is the furthest point he reached in Central Asia thus the city was named Alexandria Eschate (Alexandria the Furthest). On the way to Khujand you will spend time at the breath-taking Lake IskanderKul, that is surrounded by mountains, as you take in the memorable views. Continue to Khujand.

In the morning you will enjoy a tour of Khujand, taking in the city highlights. Start by exploring Pushkin Square with Kamoli Khudjandi Square , Timur Malik’s fortress and Sugd Museum, then continue to the Muslihiddin Memorial Complex and Panjshanbe Bazaar which offers a wide range of goods. After lunch travel approximately 2 hours to Tashkent, crossing the border, Oibekand, into Uzbekistan on the way.

In the morning, journey back in time exploring Tashkent’s town sights; Barak Khan Madrassah, Kukeldash Madrassah and Tila Shaikh mosque and their archives – known for rare copies of the Koran. Stop at Chorsu Bazaar – the oldest market in Tashkent. In the afternoon you will be invited to the workshop of a famous family of ceramists in Uzbekistan - Akbar and Alisher Rakhimov. Here you will learn about their pastime. Your last stop will be to the Tashkent Metro, with its opulently decorated marble, granite and chandeliers.

This morning you will drive 330km to Samarkand, where on arrival you will check in at the hotel. No name is so evocative of the Silk Road as Samarkand. It is one of the oldest existing cities in the world and the oldest of Central Asia. Built on the site of Afrosiab, which dated from the 3rd or 4th millennium B.C., Samarkand was known to the ancient Greeks as Marakanda, and ruins of the old settlement remain north of the present city. You will have a half day tour of Samarkand to see the famous Registan Square which was for many centuries the heart of Samarkand. See the three beautiful madrassahs: the Ulug-Bek Madrasah built in the 15th century; the Tillya-Kori Madrasah built in the 17th century, and the Sher-Dor Madrasah, also built in the 17th century.

This morning we continue exploring Samarkand to see Gur Emir, the mausoleum of Tamerlane, the grandest structure of Amir Temur’s times - the chief Friday Mosque called Bibi-Khanum - the Siab Bazaar and Shahi Zinda Necropolis. In the afternoon, you will visit Ulugbek’s observatory, constructed by Ulugbek (Grandson of the Great Amir Temur) in 1428-1429. Later see the ancient settlement of Afrosiab.

Approximately 90km south of Samarkand is the town of Shakhrisabz; the birthplace of the Great Tamerlane and your destination today. Upon arrival you will explore the city site of the remnants of Ak-Sarai Palace, Dorus Tilavat Cemetery and KokGumbas mosque. This afternoon you will continue to Bukhara. Due to safety reasons, buses are not allowed on the mountain pass from Samarkand to Shakhrisabz, therefore you will travel in smaller vehicles for this leg of the journey before travelling by coach again from Shakhrisabz onwards. Photo fees may be payable at most attractions you will visit in Samarkand, approximately USD$14 in total.

Today you have a full day exploring fabulous Bukhara. This incredible city, one of the most famous names of medieval Islam, is home to hundreds of registered monuments. On today's tour we visit some of the main highlights as well some lesser known sights along the way. Bring a fully charged camera battery. Today's sightseeing includes Lab-i-khauz ensemble - modern centre of traditional Uzbekistan, Madrassah Nadirkhon Devanbegi, Khanaga and Mogaki Attari Mosques, Poi Kalon Minaret and Mosque, see Madrassahs Aziz Khan and Ulugbek Madrassah. After lunch you will visit the Ark of Bukhara, Balakhauz Mosque and the Mausoleums of Ismail Samanid and Chashma Ayub. We will also visit Hunarmand UNDP Assisted workshops near Lyabi-Hauz. We get to see block printing, metal chasing, suzani embroidery, carving and gold embroidery. Women should bring a scarf from home, as you are required to cover your head at some attractions today. Photo fees may be payable at most of the attractions you visit, costing approximately USD$7 in total.

Continue your sightseeing of Bukhara with an out-of-town excursion to visit the Sitora-i-Mokhikhosa, the summer residence of the former Emir of Bukhara where you can see unique mixture of traditional Russian style of architecture harmoniously mixed with local oriental traditions. The famous white hall decorated with carved alabaster resembles the halls of Petergof Palace in the suburb of St Petersburg. Continue with an excursion to Bahauddin Naqshbandi Mausoleum, a famous Sufi spiritual leader of this region in the 14th century. Bahouddin Naqshband's cult was highly venerated among folks. The rulers, too, paid a considerable attention to this architectural ensemble. You have the afternoon at leisure for your own exploration.

Set out for Khiva in the early morning across the famous Kyzyl K um desert ('Red sands'). During this journey, watch in awe as the scenery changes from saksaul trees to the Amudarya riverbank. we will make several photo stops to see the desert flora and fauna. Upon arrival check into your hotel for a two-night stay. Please be aware that you will be travelling for around 7 hours today. There will be adequate time for toilet breaks and photo stops.

Khiva is made for walking. It is compact, well maintained, lived in, and basks in beautiful desert light. Participate in this leisure walking tour and see all the major sights of the Ichtan Kala, the citadel. The truncated Kalta Minor Minaret, the Kurkna Ark Fortress, the Madrassah Rakhimkhon, the Mausoleum of Pakhlavan Makhmud and Islam Khodja Minaret - from the latter you will see the entire town beneath you and the desert beyond. The ravages of modern development have been largely kept away from the citadel itself, much to your advantage. In the afternoon we will see the Friday Mosque and the 19th century Tash Hauli Palace, including the harem.

A long day of traveling today as we journey from Uzbekistan to Turkmenistan, covering approximately 265km. After the border crossing at Shavat, transfer overland to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kunya-Urgench. We will visit the mausoleums of Turabek Hanum, Sultan Tekesh and Il-Arslan before continuing to, the minaret of Kutlug Timur and the fabled al-Mamun’s Academy of Sciences. Later, we will transfer to Dashoguz to catch an evening flight to the Turkmen capital city of Ashgabat.

This morning will be at leisure to get your bearings in this wonderful city. Later, travel outside of Ashgabat to visit Arkadash stud farm and learn about the “winged” Akhal Tekkes horses. En route back to Ashgabat stop at the Kipchak Complex where the largest mosque in Turkmenistan and the family mausoleum of the country’s first president is located. You will visit the National Museum of History and Ethnology before returning to the hotel.

Today is an early start as you transfer to the airport for our flight to Mary. On arrival you will then head to the ancient and glorious city of Merv; a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the major archaeological sites of Central Asia. After touring and time to explore here, you will return to Mary to visit the local History Museum and view the wide range of archaeological artefacts that are display here.

In the morning you will catch a domestic flight back to Ashgabat to continue exploring this fascinating city. See the Monument and Park of Independence and the im pressive Ertoghrul Ghazi Mosque. This afternoon you will drive north to Darvaza and its captivating Flaming Crater. Arriving at the border between the northern and southern regions of Turkmenistan, turn off the main road for an exciting 8 kilometre desert drive. On arrival, you will take a leisurely walk around the crater as the sun sets. Finish the day eating a delicious nomadic camp-side in the serene atmosphere of the night sky and the lights of the “eternal fire”. Return to Ashgabat later this evening.

Today will be your final day in Ashgabat, so make the most of it. Visit the Old Nisa Fortress; the former residence of the Parthian Empire. After lunch you will continue the fun at the colourful Russian Bazaar. Later, continue to the National Carpet Museum that exhibits an interesting collection of hand-made Turkmen carpets and various carpet objects.

Transfer to Aşgabat International Airport for your flight home.