Stans II
Sep 2nd, 2022 – Sep 9th, 2022
8 days · 7 nights
Wander Expeditions
5+ years group traveling
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Bishkek
- Arrival in Bishkek. Depending on what time your flight lands, we'll have more time to explore the capital at ease, and recover from your flight before the journey ahead of us.
- Welcome dinner and overnight in Bishkek.
Day 2: Road to Karakol.
- We'll begin our roadtrip East with a stop in Burana Tower, arguably the most iconic monument in the country. From there we'll stop at Cholpon Alta for lunch, a town by Issyk Kul, the most emblematic lake in Kyrgyzstan. We'll arrive in Karakol in the afternoon.
- Overnight and dinner in Karakol.
Day 3: Song Kul Yurt Camp.
- Early morning wake up call to continue exploring Karakol before setting off to Jetty Oguz. We'll have other scenic stops on our drive to Song Kul. The landscapes in Kyrgyzstan are very photogenic and today we'll go from snow-capped peaks to deserts, to red rocky mountains to alpine lakes.
- We'll reach Song Kul in the afternoon where we'll spend the night in a yurt camp with the local nomads.
- Overnight in a yurt.
Day 4: Drive to Bishkek.
- After a morning in our camp by the stunning lake we'll head back to the capital. We'll have some time to explore it in the afternoon.
- Overnight in Bishkek.
Day 5: Ala Archa & Flight to Osh
- We'll spend the morning hiking in Ala Archa NP, an incredibly scenic park not far from Bishkek.
- In the afternoon, we'll catch a flight to Osh, the second biggest city in Kyrgyzstan to save us a long drive south!
- We'll have some time in the evening to explore the bazaar and downtown of the city.
- Overnight in Osh.
Day 6: Fergana Valley
- Today, we'll cross into Uzbekistan's Fergana Valley, a place of lush sceneries with an important historical significance in the Silk Road. We'll visit Margilan, Fergana and Kokand.
- Overnight in Kokand.
Day 7: Journey to Dushanbe
- We continue our roadtrip to Tajikistan, passing Khujand and Istaravshan, passing beautiful mountain sceneries on our way south. We'll reach the capital in the afternoon and go out to see what's up!
- Overnight in Dushanbe.
Day 8: Dushanbe
- Full day exploring Dushanbe, one of the weirdest cities in the World! Huge flagpole, golden monuments and statues and a lot of unique constructions that will certainly entertain us on this break day in our roadtrip.
- Overnight in Dushanbe.
Day 9: Road to Samarkand
- We drive back into Uzbekistan's crown jewel, the legendary Samarkand. Before that, we might make a stop at the Tajik Fann Mountains if the weather is on our side.
- Evening exploring Samarkand after dark.
- Overnight in Samarkand.
Day 10: Samarkand
- Full day exploring Samarkand, the most recognizable city in the famous Silk Road. It's like an open-air museum and we'll cover every single corner of this monumental city.
- In the evening, we'll catch a train to Bukhara.
- Overnight in Bukhara.
Day 11: Bukhara
- Some say Bukhara is even more impressive than Samarkand. Similar architecture and Silk Road influence, but a more quaint and collected vibe that might be more appealing.
- Overnight in a night train to Tashkent.
Day 12: Tashkent
- It's the saddest part of every Expedition: we say goodbye and everyone goes home or continues their journey. Depending the time of your flight you can decide to stay a little longer to explore the Uzbek capital.
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