Have you ever wondered what it is like to travel the ancient Silk Road? You don't have to wonder anymore as you can travel the Silk Road by yourself with this ultimate Central Asia travel guide, complete with an epic one-month itinerary that will let you travel back through time and see why Central Asia is one of the most incredible regions in the world.
Without further ado, here's my complete Central Asia backpacking itinerary. Despite the "one month" name, the full route below actually runs for 36 days, so plan on a little over five weeks if you want to follow it exactly. You can shorten it by dropping a few stops or reducing the number of nights in the cities.
One Month Central Asia Itinerary Map
Quick Summary
| ☀️ Day 1-3: | Almaty, Kazakhstan |
|---|---|
| ☀️ Day 4-6: | Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan |
| ☀️ Day 7-10: | Karakol, Kyrgyzstan |
| ☀️ Day 11: | Kadji Say, Kyrgyzstan |
| ☀️ Day 12-13: | Kochkor and Song Kul, Kyrgyzstan |
| ☀️ Day 14-15: | Osh, Kyrgyzstan |
| ☀️ Day 16-22: | The Pamir Highway, Tajikistan |
| ☀️ Day 23-24: | Dushanbe, Tajikistan |
| ☀️ Day 25-26: | Samarkand, Uzbekistan |
| ☀️ Day 27-28: | Bukhara, Uzbekistan |
| ☀️ Day 29-31: | Khiva, Uzbekistan |
| ☀️ Day 32: | Darvaza Crater, Turkmenistan |
| ☀️ Day 33-34: | Ashgabat, Turkmenistan |
| ☀️ Day 35: | Yangykala Canyon, Turkmenistan |
| ☀️ Day 36: | Flying back from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan |
One Month Central Asia Backpacking Itinerary
Day 1 - 3: Almaty, Kazakhstan (3 Nights)
- 📍 Stay: Resident Hotel Delux
- 🕐 Time: 3 Nights
- 📖 Full Guide: 10 Days Backpacking Kazakhstan Itinerary
Almaty is a great place to start your journey in Central Asia since it is the travel hub of this region, with many flights flying to and from Almaty via Air Astana and other international airlines. Getting here should not be a problem.
Almaty is also known as one of the liveliest cities among all the cities you will be visiting here, with a ton of cool things to do, such as visiting the beautiful Zenkov's Cathedral. It is probably one of the most impressive structures, if not the most impressive, in the entire city.
Places like the Green Bazaar, one of the oldest markets in the city that is always bustling with people and shopkeepers selling all kinds of products, Kok Tobe Hill, a prominent hill located not too far from Almaty that offers an incredible view of the city from above, and the Central State Museum of Kazakhstan, will allow you to become acquainted with the culture of this region and prepare you for an incredible trip across Central Asia.
- Central Asia - 5 Stans (19 days)
- The 5 Stan-s - Follow in the footsteps of Genghis Khan (21 days)
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If you can spare a few more days, you can also go on a day trip and visit places like Charyn Canyon, Kolsai Lake, and Kaindy Lake, which are some of the most beautiful spots in Southern Kazakhstan, all in one day.
After you are done with Almaty, you can either catch a bus from Sayran Bus Station or organize a private or shared taxi from Almaty to take you to Bishkek from the bus station. The journey should take anywhere between 4 and 10 hours, depending on the traffic and delays at the border. For a more detailed guide on how to cross the border, please check out: Crossing the Kazakhstan – Kyrgyzstan Border.
Day 4 - 6: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (3 Nights)
- 📍 Stay: Madison Ave Hotel Bishkek
- 🕐 Time: 3 Nights
- 📖 Full Guide: Top 10 Things To Do In Bishkek
Bishkek may seem like a small city in comparison to Almaty in Kazakhstan, but the place has more to offer than you might think. First, spend the day walking around the city, checking out the many brutalist architectures like the Manas statues and Ala Too Square.
Want to take it a little slow? You can also drop by Sierra Cafe to have a nice coffee. At night, if you are interested in experiencing the party scene, do check out No Name Bar for a nice beer or Tuman for a crazy psychedelic trance club. If you are looking for a rooftop bar, check out Bar 12.
The next day, go on a day trip to Ala Archa National Park with an organized tour and hike the valley along the river to immerse yourself in the amazing nature the country has to offer. The national park is only 30 minutes away from the city, so you can easily do it in a day.
If you couldn't find a tour to get to Ala Archa, you can also opt for a visit to Konorchek Canyon & Burana Tower with an organized day trip. You can also do them independently by asking your guesthouse to organize a taxi for you if you wish. Taxis are not overly expensive here.
After spending the morning exploring the canyon, you can then visit Burana Tower, another remnant of the Ancient Silk Road. If you do not want to manage all the logistics yourself, I recommend you go with this Konorchek Canyon & Burana Tower 1-day tour. It will save you a ton of trouble trying to manage your way around marshrutkas here.
Day 7 - 10: Karakol, Kyrgyzstan (4 Nights)
- 📍 Stay: Madanur Hotel
- 🕐 Time: 4 Nights
- 📖 Full Guide: Trekking The Ala Kul & Altyn Arashan In 2 Days
From Bishkek, you can take a marshrutka to Karakol, a base town to launch yourself into all the beautiful mountains around the Issyk Kul region. An unforgettable trail I would recommend is a 3-day trek to Ala Kul which will take you through one of the most stunning valleys and lakes in Karakol.
The highest pass you will have to hike is 3,800 m high, and that is where you will be able to see the true beauty of the mountains in Kyrgyzstan. The hike is tough, and the trail is not very well marked, but I can assure you that after you reach the pass, you will know why it is worth every drop of sweat.
Day 11: Kadji Say, Kyrgyzstan (1 Night)
- 📍 Stay: Legenda Health Resort
- 🕐 Time: 1 Night
After a crazy trek, don't you wish you could chill out at a beach, dipping your tired feet in the water? Well, this is the place to be. Kadji Say is a small beachside town in a remote part of Issyk Kul. It is the best place to have a quiet evening watching the sun set behind the Tian Shan mountain range and listening to waves crashing on the second-highest alpine lake in the world.
The next day, you can take a taxi to Fairy Tale Canyon and hike around the beautiful, jagged terrain for a few hours. You will see why it is named that when you get there.
Where to Stay in Kadji Say?
Day 12 - 13: Kochkor and Song Kul, Kyrgyzstan (2 Nights)
- 📍 Stay: TRAVELLER
- 🕐 Time: 2 Nights
After Kadji Say, we continue onward to another highlight of Kyrgyzstan: Song Kul, an alpine lake 3000m above sea level. But before you get there, you will have to go to Kochkor and find a tour to go to Song Kul Lake. You can either go with one of the tourism organizations like CBT (Community-Based Tourism) and Shepherd's Life, which you can find in Kochkor, or organize it through your hostel. The more people you can find to join you, the cheaper it will be.
Seasonal Note: Song Kul is a high-altitude destination and this itinerary works best when the mountain roads and yurt camps are operating, generally from around June into September. Outside the summer season, snow can close the passes and many camps shut down.
I did it alone, and even though it was not cheap, I had a great time going with the Shepherd's Life. I met other travelers up there, and we had a big party around a campfire, dancing to Kyrgyz dance music blasting out from a Toyota Yaris under the stars. It was a surreal experience.
Where to Stay in Kochkhor?
Day 14 - 15: Osh, Kyrgyzstan (2 Nights)
- 📍 Stay: Asman Guest House
- 🕐 Time: 2 Nights
- 📖 Full Guide: The Ultimate Backpacking Guide To Kyrgyzstan
From Kochkor, the quickest way to keep this itinerary moving is to return to Bishkek and fly to Osh. Going overland by shared taxi or bus is possible, but it is a long mountain journey and can take most of a day or overnight, so flying makes more sense on a time-limited itinerary.
Osh is like another country to the rest of Kyrgyzstan. Its landscape is comprised mostly of desert, and Uzbek population, and the deliciousness of the food here makes it all worthwhile to come all the way down here. You can spend a day hiking the Sulayman Hill and planning for another highlight of your trip to Central Asia, the Pamir Highway.
Day 16 - 22: The Pamir Highway, Tajikistan (7 Nights)
- 🕐 Time: 7 Nights
- 📖 Full Guide: 8 Days Pamir Highway Itinerary - Everything You Need To Know
2026 Safety Note: Parts of this route run through GBAO and very close to Afghanistan. Current foreign-government advisories warn that security conditions along the Tajik-Afghan border can change quickly. Check current official travel advice and local guidance before committing to the Wakhan route, and follow instructions from local authorities and your driver.
For the Pamir Highway, as mentioned before, you will need to rent a jeep and hire a driver to traverse the road. One way you can organize this is through Osh Guesthouse in Osh. This is the hub where you can organize a trip to the Pamir Highway and find other backpackers to share the jeep with. You can also plan ahead and connect with other travelers online at Caravanistan Forum and plan the trip together. I personally used the forum and successfully found 3 more people to share the jeep with.
Kyrgyz-Tajik Border Update: Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan formally reopened border checkpoints in March 2025 after signing a border agreement, restoring overland links between the two countries. The Pamir route is being traveled again, but border procedures can change, so confirm the Kyzyl-Art crossing with your driver or tour operator shortly before departure. Visa requirements depend on your nationality, and a separate GBAO permit is required for the Pamir region.
There are a few routes you can take to traverse the Pamir Highway, but I would recommend the 7-day one as follows:
- Day 1: Osh - Lenin Peak - Sary Mogul.
- Day 2: Sary Mogul - Crossed into Tajikistan - Karakul Lake
- Day 3: Karakul Lake - Murghab
- Day 4: Murghab - Bulunkul (Hiking possibility)
- Day 5: Bulunkul - Wakhan Valley - Langar
- Day 6: Langar - Hot spring - Ishkashim
- Day 7: Ishkashim - Khorog
- Day 8: Khorog - Dushanbe (public jeep)
One of the highlights of the Pamir Highway trip is the Wakhan Valley, which runs along the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan, where you will be able to take a peek at the true beauty of Afghanistan's landscape. You don't get to do that very often in life. 😉
Khorog is the last town on this itinerary where I traveled with our rented jeep. From here, shared taxis and other shared vehicles run toward Dushanbe, usually leaving when full rather than to a strict timetable. My own overland trip took around 16 hours, but treat that as a historical experience rather than a current journey time: roadworks, landslides, weather, and road conditions can make the trip substantially faster or slower. Flights from Khorog have operated over the years, but service is irregular and weather-dependent, so I would not build a fixed itinerary around one.
Where to Stay on the Pamir Highway?
Day 23 - 24: Dushanbe, Tajikistan (2 Nights)
- 📍 Stay: Hotel Sarvar
- 🕐 Time: 2 Nights
- 📖 Full Guide: The Best Things To Do In Dushanbe (via thesandyfeet.com)
After the Pamir Highway, you can spend the day in Dushanbe relaxing, eating good food, and going for a walk around Rudaki Park to check out the second tallest flagpole in the world (the first is in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia).
I like Dushanbe. The slow, quiet vibe of Dushanbe is a much-needed change from spending time with 7 other people for 8 days on the Pamir Highway (we were 2 jeeps traveling together). Before ending the day, talk to your hostel or guesthouse and organize a taxi to the Tajikistan and Uzbekistan border for the next morning.
Day 25 - 26: Samarkand, Uzbekistan (2 Nights)
- 📍 Stay: Jahongir Guest House
- 🕐 Time: 2 Nights
- 📖 Full Guide: Samarkand Itinerary: 2-3 Days in Samarkand, Uzbekistan (via wander-lush.org)
The old version of this itinerary routed from Dushanbe to Samarkand through the Denau/Tursunzoda border, which makes a large detour south. Today, the more direct overland route is generally via Panjakent and the Sarazm/Jartepa border west of Samarkand. Allow most of the day so you have time for shared transport, the mountain road, immigration, and onward transport into Samarkand, and verify the crossing's current operating status before departure.
Samarkand is one of the reasons why I decided to come to Uzbekistan. The entire city is like an open-air museum with multiple UNESCO sights all concentrated in one area, which makes it easy to explore. Right at the center of it all is Registan, a public square framed by three madrasahs (Islamic schools) with a distinct architectural style.
Registan is best seen during sunset with locals coming out in droves to enjoy the last light of the day and the beautiful structure lit up like fireworks. Be sure to check out Registan at sunset.
Another one of my favorite sights is Shah-i-Zinda, a necropolis that includes mausoleums and other ritual buildings. This cluster of buildings is most photogenic in the evening when there are fewer people.
Day 27 - 28: Bukhara, Uzbekistan (2 Nights)
- 📍 Stay: Samani Bukhara
- 🕐 Time: 2 Nights
- 📖 Full Guide: Bukhara Itinerary: Best Things to Do in 2-3 Days (via wander-lush.org)
After spending 2 days in Samarkand, continue westward to another important ancient city of the Silk Road: Bukhara. Some of the many beautiful ancient architectures that you shouldn't miss in Bukhara are the Kalon Mosque and its Minaret, as well as the massive Ark of Bukhara.
These architectures are nice and all, but the real beauty of Bukhara lies within the small alleys of the old town area where you can walk around, discovering local shops and houses while seeing local people living out their lives. There's no place quite like Bukhara.
Day 29 - 31: Khiva, Uzbekistan (3 Nights)
- 📍 Stay: Meros B&B
- 🕐 Time: 3 Nights
- 📖 Full Guide: A Backpacking Guide to Spending 2 Weeks in Uzbekistan
Khiva is another ancient city that played an important role during the Silk Road era. The entire city is a UNESCO site, surrounded by an ancient wall that has maintained its traditional look throughout the years.
The cool part about Khiva is that people are still living inside the wall, despite the place being turned into a tourist attraction. Within the boundary of the wall, you will find a minaret that you can climb to watch the sunset over Khiva. It was quite a sight to behold.
The next day, organize a taxi via your guest house to take you to one of the many ancient fortresses scattered around the desert of Khiva. One of the most impressive fortresses is Ayaz Qala, or what's left of it, at least since zero work went into maintaining the fortress. It is still fun to hike around the fortress though.
Day 32: Darvaza Crater, Turkmenistan (1 Night)
- 📍 Stay: Stantours Accommodations
- 🕐 Time: 1 Night
At this point, you should already have organized a tour to Turkmenistan, informing your driver that you will be crossing the border from Khiva at a certain time. If everything goes according to the plan, your driver should be waiting for you at the other end of the border where he will drive you to the Darvaza Crater, set up a tent, make you dinner, and then you are free to roam the desert.
The Gateway to Hell (Darvaza Gas Crater) is one of the most surreal places I've seen in my life. It is as hot, scary, and beautiful as it looks in photos. The crater has been burning for decades, although its exact origin story and the often-repeated 1971 date are disputed.
The crater is most beautiful after dark, when the remaining flames illuminate the pit under the stars. The glow is weaker than it was years ago as Turkmen authorities have worked to reduce the flow of burning gas, but the crater is still burning and remains open to visitors in 2026.
Where to Stay in Turkmenistan?
Day 33 - 34: Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (2 Nights)
After spending a night in Darvaza, continue to Ashgabat. Tourist travel in Turkmenistan is still closely tied to the itinerary arranged through your licensed tour company, which also handles the invitation and much of the required paperwork. Follow your operator's current instructions for registration and documentation rather than relying on the process I experienced on my original trip.
Ashgabat, or the White Marble City, is a strange place that you may feel like hating at first (it felt like I was suffocating with all the "you can't walk there" and "you can take a photo here" rules). However, once you get the hang of it, the place is quite interesting to explore on your own.
There are several gigantic, alien-looking white marble monuments all over the city. The must-see places are the Wedding Palace (Bagt köşgi), Sculpture Of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Alem Center (Älem), Constitution Monument (Konstitusiýa binasy), Bitaraplyk Binasy, and Independence Monument (Garaşsyzlyk binasy). And I've checked, you can take a photo in these places without being nagged by the police!
After spending two full days exploring Ashgabat, you can either take a domestic flight to Turkmenbashi and meet your driver at the airport there or if you have time, you can opt for a land journey with your driver to Turkmenbashi and continue on to Yangykala Canyon.
Day 35: Yangykala Canyon, Turkmenistan (1 Night)
Another awesome place to camp under the stars, Yangykala Canyon is one of the most spectacular natural sights in Turkmenistan, showing off its unique red, pink, and orange bands that stretch across the canyon walls.
Your camping spot should be somewhere near the plateau that will allow you to climb up to see the 360° view of the canyon while having grilled chicken with your driver, watching the sunset turn the entire landscape orange. Turkmenistan truly shines when you are out and about, spending your time in nature away from all civilization.
Day 36: Flying back from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (1 Night)
- 🕐 Time: 1 Night
- 📖 Full Guide: One Week In Turkmenistan - A Complete Guide To One Of The Hardest Country To Get Into
After visiting Yangykala Canyon, return to Ashgabat for your flight home or onward. Although ferries physically operate across the Caspian between Turkmenbashi and Azerbaijan, do not currently plan on using the ferry to enter Baku as a tourist. As of September 2026, Azerbaijan continues to restrict regular tourist entry through its sea borders, so flying is the practical option unless the entry rules change before your trip.
Central Asia Travel Video
You can watch other Central Asia Video here: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan
Why Go to Central Asia?
Central Asia is one of the last few regions of the world that is still considered to be off-the-beaten-path for travelers who are looking for a real adventure. The region also played an important role in connecting the East to the West during the Silk Road time, hence why there are so many ancient monuments, stunning old towns, and forgotten cultures for you to explore.
Not just that, the region is extremely diverse, making it the perfect area to backpack around for a month or more. With the stunningly beautiful mountains of Kyrgyzstan, the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan, the stunning architecture of Uzbekistan, the Gateway to Hell in Turkmenistan, and the rich culture of Kazakhstan, you will never get bored in Central Asia.
When to Go to Central Asia?
For this specific itinerary, I would aim for late June to September rather than spring. The reason is the mountain section: Song Kul and the high Pamir Highway passes are most reliably accessible in summer and early autumn. July and August give you the best odds for open high passes, but Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan can be extremely hot. September is my favorite compromise, with cooler desert cities and generally workable mountain conditions, although nights at altitude can be freezing and early snow is possible.
If you travel in July or August, prepare for serious heat in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan while still packing warm layers for Kyrgyzstan and the Pamirs. This route crosses deserts and passes above 4,000 meters, so you can experience very different temperatures within the same trip.
Daily Budget
This location is moderately priced, with transportation, food, and accommodation averaging around $35 - $55 USD per day per person. It's not exactly cheap, but it's not overly expensive either.
Please keep in mind that these are suggested daily budgets based on my own style of travel, which leans more towards the budget side of things. If you aim to stick to this budget, anticipate sleeping in dormitories, dining out only occasionally, and being comfortable with the cheapest and most convenient modes of transportation, which often involve a considerable amount of walking.
Visas for Central Asia
Visa rules across Central Asia have become much easier than they were when I first traveled this route. Requirements still depend heavily on your passport, so check each country's official immigration or foreign-ministry website before booking the border crossings in this itinerary.
Kazakhstan: Citizens of many countries can now visit visa-free for short stays. For example, US/EU ordinary passport holders can currently enter visa-free for up to 30 days. If your nationality is not exempt, check the current visa procedure before arrival.
For more info: How to get a Kazakhstan visa.
Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyzstan offers visa-free entry to many nationalities and an official e-visa system for eligible travelers. Check your passport in the official e-visa portal rather than relying on the old visa-on-arrival rules in earlier versions of this guide.
For more info: How to get a Kyrgyzstan visa.
Tajikistan: Many nationalities can now enter visa-free for short stays. US/EU ordinary passport holders, for example, currently receive up to 30 days visa-free. However, traveling through GBAO on the Pamir Highway still requires separate permission, so arrange your GBAO permit before leaving Osh and keep a copy accessible during the road trip.
For more info: How to get a Tajikistan visa.
Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan now grants visa-free entry to a large number of nationalities, while other travelers can use its e-visa system. U.S. citizens, for example, have been eligible for visa-free stays of up to 30 days since January 1, 2026.
For more info: How to get a Uzbekistan visa.
For more info: How to get a Uzbekistan visa.
Turkmenistan: This remains the country that requires the most advance planning on this route. For a tourist visa, travelers are generally required to work with a Turkmen travel agency to obtain a Letter of Invitation from the State Migration Service. The LOI is then used as the basis for the tourist visa. Do not build the itinerary around the old assumption that a five-day transit visa will be an easy independent alternative. Arrange Turkmenistan well in advance and confirm the exact entry border, exit point, visa collection procedure, and itinerary with your operator.
The best way to get a Turkmenistan visa is via a tour company because you won't have to rush through the country, and they will manage the visa process for you so you can apply even while you are abroad. The cheapest tour company I found is Stantours. They are responsive and made the whole ordeal easy for me. I highly recommend them if you are looking to apply for a tourist visa.
How to Get to Central Asia?
Almaty remains one of the most useful international gateways for this route, which makes it a convenient place to start. Air Astana has a broad regional and international network, while Turkish Airlines and other carriers provide additional connections. Airfares change constantly, so compare current routes and prices rather than assuming one airline will always be the cheapest. Make sure to browse through Skyscanner and Expedia to find the best deal that fits your itinerary.
How to Get Around Central Asia?
No! Not by this.. unless you want to 😁
Like with all other post-Soviet states, marshrutka (minivan) is the cheapest way to get around the city or between cities in Central Asia. You can also fly domestically for a further route, such as Bishkek to Osh and Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi, at a low cost.
Trains are also a great way to move around in Uzbekistan without having to deal with the unreliability of buses and marshrutkas.
For the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan, you will need to hire a jeep with a driver since the highway is extremely remote, and not many people are traveling the route.
For more information on the rate of hiring a jeep with the driver, visit: How to Get Around the Pamir Highway.
For Turkmenistan, most tourist itineraries are arranged through the licensed operator sponsoring your trip. Ground transport, a driver/guide, accommodation, domestic flights, meals, and entrance fees may be bundled differently depending on the package, so check exactly what your quote includes rather than assuming everything is all-inclusive.
Which tourist SIM card is best for Central Asia?
You have plenty of options for internet in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Having a local SIM card is the most reliable way to stay connected, but plenty of hotels and restaurants in big cities have fast WiFi available.
On the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan, expect patchy rather than nonexistent connectivity. Khorog and Murghab can have mobile service, while remote valleys, high passes, and long stretches of road may have little or no signal. Download offline maps and essential documents before leaving, and tell people at home that you may disappear from contact for long periods.
Mobile data is much easier to arrange in Uzbekistan than it used to be. Foreign visitors can buy and register local SIM cards outside Tashkent, and at least some operators now support self-registration for foreigners through their apps. If you want data immediately, buy a SIM or eSIM before heading into more remote areas rather than relying only on hotel Wi-Fi.
Turkmenistan has extremely strict censorship when it comes to the internet, and you will only find free Wi-Fi in Ashgabat, specifically in international hotels like Hotel Oguzkent and Grand Turkmen Hotel. However, the Wi-Fi is slow. Make sure to get a working VPN before arriving if you want to access apps like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Orbot for Android works awesomely in Turkmenistan.
Tips: To stay connected with people at home, be sure that you have a VPN, such as ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It's FREE, and you can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries. You are going to need it for Turkmenistan.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy.
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8 Comments
Hello Pete,
Great information on Central Asia.
Thank you very much for all the details. We are a group of four adults who would like to visit the 5 Stans between mid April to mid May 2020 and we are trying to come up with a very comprehensive itinerary for 21 days. I have some questions for you:
1. Is there a possibility of comprising your one month itinerary into 21 days, with out visiting Yangykala Canyon and including Tashkent? Would you not recommend visiting Tashkent?
2. Is there are way to do part of the Pamir Highway (highlighting the most scenic drives) in less than 7 nights skipping Osh, and maybe taking small planes domestic flights to see the beautiful mountains from above?
3. Would you skip Mary and the Ancient Merv in Turkmenistan?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
GREAT BLOG BY THE WAY!
Hi! I see that this itinerary is for 2023 so i'm curious if the route from Osh for the Pamir highway has been tested? There was the border war in 2022 and i've heard crossing the border betweek Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan isn't possible anymore.
Hey Natalie,
The border crossing has finally been opened in July 2023 so as long as you have the e-visa and GBAO permit, you should be able to cross just fine.
Hi Pete! Thanks for this amazing itinerary and all your tips! I am considering travelling there in April-may 2024 but had a few questions :
would you say it's safe for a female solo traveler ? did you do everything on your self on arrival or did you prebook some of the tours (the trekking parts particularly) ? if so, how much time in advance and with which company?
do you have an estimation of on overall budget for this 1 month trip?
Thank you very much in advance for your help!!
Hey! Thanks for this extensive guide, it’s super useful.
I’m a female solo traveler planning to go in April to the Stans except Turkmenistan, but I have read a lot of mixed reviews about the weather. I’m thinking of skipping the Pamir highway for something a bit safer and easier to plan.
What do you recommend?
Hey Anwesha, No problem. It will still be quite cold by then but towards May, the weather should be more manageable. You can skip the Pamir Highway and spend more time in Dushanbe and explore the Fann Mountains instead. There's quite a lot to see in that area.
Hello! I love your blog, thank you for mapping it all out. I am planning to do this route in October. I was wondering if you know how Issyk Kul and Song Kul will be like at that time. Would the two day hike be possible, and is it really hard (im not a big hiker)?
Also, I dont have as much time as you, so if you had to cut 3-4 days, where in the itinerary would you do so? Im not a big hiker but i did like the photo you had at issyk kul and id do it for that. i really want to do the turkmenistan itinerary, and i definitely want to hit each of the countries you listed!
lastly, you said you "went up" to Song Kul and it was expensive. what did you mean by went up? would you go into a bit more detail by and chance?
I did this route over two months this summer and had a blast. A couple other places that are worth visiting:
- the Mangystau region in the far western part of Kazakhstan is similar to Yangykala Canyon except it's easier to get to and much bigger in size.
- I recommend doing a 9-day Pamir Highway tour so you can do additional hikes around the area. The hikes to the base of Engels Peak and Tulpar Kul were absolute highlights.
- Surprisingly, the lakes around Almaty were just the tip of the beautiful landscapes Kazakhstan offers. As mentioned, the desert landscape in Mangystau is incredible. Shymbulak can get crowded, but if you walk just an hour or so past the chairlifts you get to some very peaceful landscapes surrounded by glaciers. I didn't get a chance to go there, but I have heard some amazing things about the Altay Mountains.
- Kyrgyzstan is the highlight of Central Asia for me. Ala Kul and Song Kul are incredibly busy and are probably the two busiest attractions in the country ("busy" is relative though...you're still getting waaay less foot traffic than, say, the Alps). However, there are some places that I think are even more beautiful but definitely get way less visitors: Tulpar Kul, Engilchek, Tash Rabat, and At Bashy Mountains.
- Uzbekistan, honestly, was the most underwhelming country even though it gets the bulk of all tourists in the region.