chapter — · Destinations
An atlas of Central Asia
Five countries, one team in Tashkent. Every place below can be part of a private route built around your dates.
I Egypt
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Egypt Tours from Tashkent
Egypt means a warm Red Sea almost all year round, coral reefs right off the shore and the pyramids you want to see at least once in your life.
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Hurghada: sandy beaches on the Red Sea
A resort on the mainland coast of the Red Sea with sandy beaches, a long strip of hotels and boat trips to the islands. Convenient for families and a first beach holiday.
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Sharm El Sheikh: the Red Sea and coral reefs
A resort in the south of the Sinai Peninsula, known for reefs right off the shore, a warm sea all year round and all-inclusive hotels. A good choice for a winter beach holiday.
II Czech Republic
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Czech Republic Tours from Tashkent
The Czech Republic is a compact country for your first trip to Europe: medieval Prague, the spa town of Karlovy Vary and fairy-tale towns within a couple of hours' drive.
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Prague: a medieval centre, bridges over the Vltava and castles
Prague is a compact European capital where you can reach almost every major sight on foot. It is a great choice for a first trip to Europe, a Christmas break or a route through neighbouring countries.
III Azerbaijan
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Azerbaijan Tours from Tashkent
Azerbaijan is close and easy to understand: Baku with its old town and modern towers, the Caucasus mountains, carpets, tea and a cuisine that feels both familiar and new.
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Baku: the old town, the boulevard and fire on the ground
Baku is a close and easy destination for a short trip: familiar food, Russian widely spoken, the Caspian Sea and a mix of medieval walls with ultra-modern architecture.
V France
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France Tours from Tashkent
France means Paris with its museums and boulevards, the French Riviera, the Loire châteaux and the lavender fields of Provence. It is a country you can't see in a single trip.
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Paris: museums, boulevards and evenings on the Seine
Paris is a city for your first trip to Europe and for coming back again and again. Sort out your Schengen visa early, pick a convenient arrondissement and don't try to see everything in two days.
VI Greece
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Greece Tours from Tashkent
Greece brings together the sea, the islands and the ancient world in one trip. Crete for a family holiday, Santorini for couples, Athens for anyone who wants to see the Acropolis.
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Crete: Greece's largest island
Crete means beaches with turquoise water, mountain gorges, Minoan palaces and Venetian harbours. The island is so big that the region you choose shapes your whole holiday.
VII India
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India Tours from Tashkent
India is the beaches of Goa, the Taj Mahal, the palaces of Rajasthan and laid-back Kerala with its ayurveda. Every region feels like a separate journey.
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Goa: Arabian Sea beaches and Portuguese heritage
Goa is India's smallest state and its main beach destination. The north is loud and youthful, the south calm and family-friendly, and in between lie old churches, markets and spice plantations.
VIII Georgia
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Georgia Tours from Tashkent
Georgia is close to home, with mountains, the sea, wine and food that keeps people coming back. It works for a long weekend and for a packed week alike.
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Batumi: the sea, the boulevard and the mountains of Adjara
A resort city on Georgia's Black Sea coast with a long boulevard, modern towers and green mountains behind it. An easy summer beach option not far from Uzbekistan.
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Tbilisi: the old town, sulphur baths and Georgian food
A hillside city along the Kura River, where the balconies of old houses hang over narrow streets and there is always more food at dinner than you need. A great choice for a short 4–6 day trip.
Indonesia
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Indonesia Tours from Tashkent
Indonesia has thousands of islands, but for most travellers it means Bali first of all: rice terraces, temples, the ocean and retreats. Gili, Java and Komodo are right next door.
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Bali: island of temples, rice terraces and ocean
Bali combines ocean beaches, jungle with waterfalls and Hindu culture. The island is big and varied, so the key is choosing the right area for the kind of holiday you want.
Spain
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Spain Tours from Tashkent
Spain gives you the sea and great cities in one trip: Barcelona with Gaudí, Madrid with its museums, Andalusia with its palaces, the islands and a long warm season.
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Barcelona: Gaudi architecture and the Mediterranean
Barcelona combines what rarely comes together in one city: world-class architecture, city beaches and a warm sea. You can tick off the sights or simply live in it for a week.
China
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China Tours from Tashkent
In China you can see the Great Wall, futuristic Shanghai and the tropical sea of Hainan in one trip. A destination for sightseeing, shopping and business travel.
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Beijing: the imperial capital and the Great Wall of China
Beijing means the Forbidden City, temples, hutongs and the Great Wall a couple of hours away. It is a city for sightseeing, where it pays to plan your days well and sort out internet access and payments in advance.
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Sanya: a tropical sea on Hainan Island
Sanya is China's main beach resort, in the south of Hainan Island. It offers a warm sea in winter, bays lined with international chain hotels and large-scale duty-free shopping.
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Shanghai: Pudong skyscrapers and the colonial Bund
Shanghai is China's most modern and cosmopolitan city. People come for the skyscraper views, shopping, food and walks through old quarters lined with European-style mansions.
Cyprus
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Cyprus Tours from Tashkent
Cyprus is a Mediterranean island with a long swimming season, the sandy beaches of Ayia Napa, ancient Paphos and villages in the Troodos mountains.
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Limassol: seafront, marina and the Cyprus coast
Limassol is the second-largest city in Cyprus and one of the island's main resorts. It has a long seafront promenade, a modern marina, an old town and beaches running the whole length of the coast.
Malaysia
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Malaysia Tours from Tashkent
Malaysia is a Muslim country with halal food, a modern capital, islands and jungle. An easy destination for families and first-time visitors to Southeast Asia.
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Langkawi: a peaceful island of jungle and beaches
Langkawi is an archipelago in north-west Malaysia with quiet beaches, mangrove forests and jungle-clad mountains. People choose it for an unhurried beach holiday away from the crowds.
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Kuala Lumpur: skyscrapers, markets and halal food
Malaysia's capital is an easy first stop in Southeast Asia: a Muslim country with familiar food, huge malls and short flights to the islands.
Italy
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Italy Tours from Tashkent
Italy is a country where history, food and scenery are equally good. Rome, Florence and Venice for your first trip, the Amalfi Coast and the lakes for your second and third.
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Milan: fashion, the Duomo and lakes at the foot of the Alps
Milan is Italy's business and fashion capital. People come for shopping and architecture, and as a starting point for Lake Como, Lake Garda, Venice and the Alps.
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Rome: the Colosseum, the Vatican and the squares of the Eternal City
In Rome, ancient ruins, Baroque fountains and the Vatican Museums are all within walking distance of each other. It is a city for slow walks, where every turn of the street reveals a new story.
Qatar
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Qatar Tours from Tashkent
Qatar is a compact country built around one city: Doha, with world-class museums, an old market and the Corniche, and beyond the city, dunes and a sea in the middle of the desert.
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Doha: museums, desert and Qatar's modern architecture
Doha is Qatar's compact, calm capital, with strong museums, an old market and the sea right by the city. People visit for a short 3–5 day trip or as a stopover on the way to far-off destinations.
Saudi Arabia
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Saudi Arabia Tours from Tashkent
For most people in Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia means Umrah to Mecca and Medina first of all. But the country is also open to regular tourism: AlUla, Jeddah and the Red Sea.
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Makkah and Madinah: preparing for Umrah from Uzbekistan
A trip to Makkah and Madinah is above all a spiritual journey. This page covers the practical side: seasons, hotel locations, the order of the days and what to sort out before you fly.
Maldives
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Maldives Tours from Tashkent
In the Maldives the whole world shrinks to one island: white sand, a lagoon, a reef and a villa by the water. The key is choosing the right hotel.
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Malé: the gateway to the Maldives
Malé is the capital of the Maldives and the starting point for any trip to the islands. Speedboats and seaplanes leave from here for resorts and local islands.
UAE
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UAE Tours from Tashkent
The Emirates offer a short flight, a warm sea in winter, shopping and city entertainment. Ideal for a 5–7 day trip at any time from autumn to spring.
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Abu Dhabi: the UAE capital for a relaxed holiday
The Emirati capital is calmer than Dubai: wide beaches, world-class museums and Yas Island with its theme parks. A good pick for families and anyone who prefers a slower pace.
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Dubai: beaches, skyscrapers and shopping
A city where you can lie on the beach in the morning, browse the malls in the afternoon and go up the Burj Khalifa at night. One of the most popular winter choices for travellers from Uzbekistan.
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Ras Al Khaimah: a relaxed beach holiday in the UAE
A northern emirate with long beaches, the Hajar Mountains and resort hotels. Chosen for quiet family holidays by the sea and all-inclusive stays.
Thailand
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Thailand Tours from Tashkent
Thailand is the top winter beach destination for people from Uzbekistan: warm water, islands, Thai food and massage, plus bustling Bangkok if you want it.
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Bangkok: temples, markets and street food
Thailand's capital is a loud, hot and incredibly tasty megacity. Golden temples stand next to skyscrapers, and the best food is often sold on the street.
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Pattaya: the beach next to Bangkok
A resort city on the Gulf of Thailand, a couple of hours from Bangkok. It has plenty of entertainment, affordable hotels and quiet neighbourhoods away from the centre.
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Phuket: islands, beaches and the tropics
Thailand's largest island, with dozens of beaches for every taste, boat trips to nearby islands and Thai food on every corner. A popular choice for a winter beach holiday.
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Koh Samui: a laid-back tropical island
An island in the Gulf of Thailand with coconut palms, soft sandy beaches and a relaxed atmosphere. Loved by couples and families who want a break without the bustle.
Turkey
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Turkey Tours from Tashkent
Turkey is the easiest holiday choice from Uzbekistan: the sea, hotels with meals included for every budget, big cities and mountains, all in one country.
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Antalya: a beach holiday from Tashkent
The flagship resort of the Turkish Riviera: long beaches, all-inclusive hotels, the old town of Kaleici and mountains right behind the coast. An easy choice for a family beach holiday.
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Alanya: sea, a clifftop castle and a warm autumn
A resort town on the eastern Turkish Riviera with a long season, a castle on a headland and sandy beaches. It is quieter and often more affordable than Antalya.
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Bodrum: the Aegean Sea and white villages
A peninsula on the Aegean with white houses, bays and yachts. People choose Bodrum for its atmosphere, waterside restaurants and a cooler sea than on the Mediterranean.
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Cappadocia: hot-air balloons and stone valleys
A region in the heart of Turkey with surreal rock formations, cave churches and hundreds of hot-air balloons at dawn. It is usually combined with Istanbul or the coast.
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Istanbul: a trip from Tashkent
A city on two continents where in one day you can walk through Byzantine churches, cross the Bosphorus and have dinner on the Asian side. Great for a short break, shopping and a first trip abroad.
Japan
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Japan Tours from Tashkent
Japan is a dream trip for many: the ancient temples of Kyoto and neon Tokyo, Mount Fuji, onsen hot springs and food worth flying halfway around the world for.
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Kyoto: Japan's ancient capital
Kyoto has more than a thousand temples and shrines, wooden geisha districts and rock gardens. It is the place to go for traditional Japan.
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Tokyo: a megacity where temples sit beside neon
Tokyo is enormous yet remarkably easy to use: a punctual metro, clean streets and calm people. A city for seeing Japan for the first time without getting lost.
South Korea
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South Korea Tours from Tashkent
South Korea means Seoul with its palaces and neon districts, cosmetics, Korean food, cherry blossoms in spring and red maples in autumn. Many people know it from TV dramas and want to see it in person.
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Seoul: palaces, K-culture and street food
Seoul combines royal palaces and old quarters with neon-lit districts, Korean cosmetics and endless street food. The city is safe, has an easy metro and is simple to explore on your own.
Vietnam
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Vietnam Tours from Tashkent
Vietnam is an affordable alternative to Thailand: the sea, islands, delicious food and a strong sightseeing programme, from Ha Long Bay to old Hoi An.
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Hanoi: Vietnam's capital and gateway to the north
An ancient capital with lakes, the narrow streets of the Old Quarter and street food. From here you head to Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh and the mountains of Sapa.
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Phu Quoc: Vietnam's island for a beach holiday
A tropical island in southern Vietnam with white beaches, night markets and a long cable car over the sea. A great winter beach option for families and couples.
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Nha Trang: a city resort on Vietnam's coast
A resort city on the South China Sea with a long beach right in the centre, islands in the bay and hot springs. A good fit if you want the sea and city life at the same time.
Uzbekistan
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Uzbekistan tours with a local tour operator
Uzbekistan holds the densest cluster of Silk Road cities in Central Asia. We plan private and group itineraries from our base in Tashkent, for independent travellers and for travel agencies.
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Bukhara: the living old town of the Silk Road
Bukhara is the city where travellers slow down. Its old town is still lived in, its lanes lead from mosques to bazaars and courtyards, and the whole centre can be explored on foot.
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Khiva: the walled city of Khorezm
Khiva's inner town sits entirely within mud-brick walls, with minarets, palaces and madrasas packed into a few hundred metres. It feels like a city frozen in time, and it is best seen slowly, at dawn and dusk.
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Fergana Valley: the craft heartland of Uzbekistan
The Fergana Valley is the most populated and the most traditional region of Uzbekistan. Travellers come here for silk weaving, ceramics, busy bazaars and a glimpse of everyday life away from the main tourist route.
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Nukus: the Savitsky Museum and the road to the Aral Sea
Nukus, capital of Karakalpakstan, is home to one of the most remarkable art collections in Central Asia. It is also the starting point for trips to Moynaq and the shrinking Aral Sea.
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Samarkand: the city of Timur on the Silk Road
Samarkand is the most famous name on the Silk Road and the centrepiece of most Uzbekistan tours. Its blue domes and tiled squares are the reason many travellers come to Central Asia in the first place.
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Shakhrisabz: the home town of Timur
Shakhrisabz, the 'green city', is where Timur was born and where he built his most ambitious palace. It makes a rewarding day trip from Samarkand over a mountain pass.
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Tashkent: the gateway to Uzbekistan
Tashkent is where most trips to Uzbekistan begin and end. It is a big modern capital, but it hides old quarters, a huge bazaar and some of the most beautiful metro stations in the world.
Kazakhstan
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Kazakhstan tours: Almaty and the Tian Shan
South-east Kazakhstan packs high mountains, canyons and alpine lakes within a few hours of Almaty. We plan private trips and group programs that often continue into Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan.
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Almaty: a city at the foot of the Tian Shan
Almaty is Kazakhstan's largest city and the best base in Central Asia for mountain day trips. In the morning you walk through leafy avenues, in the afternoon you can be at 3,000 metres.
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Charyn Canyon: the Valley of Castles
Charyn Canyon is the most dramatic landscape within reach of Almaty: red sandstone walls and towers carved by wind and water. It works as a long day trip or as the first stop of a lakes loop.
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Kolsai Lakes and Kaindy: alpine lakes in the Tian Shan
The Kolsai lakes lie in a spruce-filled gorge in the northern Tian Shan, and nearby Kaindy hides the trunks of a drowned forest. Together they make the most scenic short trip from Almaty.
Kyrgyzstan
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Kyrgyzstan tours: mountains, lakes and nomad life
Kyrgyzstan is the mountain heart of Central Asia, where shepherd families still move to summer pastures with their yurts. We plan trips that mix scenery, light trekking and time with local hosts.
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Bishkek: the green gateway to Kyrgyzstan
Bishkek is a relaxed, leafy capital with mountains on its doorstep. Most trips to Kyrgyzstan start here, with a day in the city and an easy escape into the Ala-Archa gorge.
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Issyk-Kul: the mountain lake of Kyrgyzstan
Issyk-Kul is a large, deep lake surrounded by the snowy ranges of the Tian Shan. Travellers come for its quiet southern shore, red canyons, villages and the meeting with eagle hunters.
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Karakol: trekking base of eastern Kyrgyzstan
Karakol, at the eastern end of Issyk-Kul, is the main base for treks into the Terskey Ala-Too range. The town itself has an unusual mix of Russian, Kyrgyz and Dungan heritage.
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Song-Kul: a high lake of summer pastures and yurts
Song-Kul is an alpine lake at around 3,000 metres, surrounded by wide pastures where shepherd families bring their herds every summer. A night in a yurt here is the most memorable experience of many trips to Kyrgyzstan.
Tajikistan
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Tajikistan tours: Pamirs, Fann Mountains and Dushanbe
Tajikistan is the most mountainous country in Central Asia, with high roads, turquoise lakes and village hospitality. We plan 4x4 journeys and treks for travellers who want real wilderness with reliable logistics.
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Fann Mountains: lakes and treks in Tajikistan
The Fann Mountains are a compact range of rocky peaks and turquoise lakes in western Tajikistan. They offer the best trekking in the country within easy reach of both Dushanbe and Samarkand.
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Dushanbe: the capital and gateway of Tajikistan
Dushanbe is a calm, green capital and the starting point for nearly every trip in Tajikistan. A day here gives you museums, markets and teahouses before you head into the mountains.
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Iskanderkul: Alexander's lake in the Fann Mountains
Iskanderkul is a turquoise mountain lake on the northern edge of the Fann Mountains, reachable by road from Dushanbe. It is the easiest way to see high mountain scenery in Tajikistan without trekking.
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Pamir Highway: a high-altitude road journey
The Pamir Highway crosses some of the highest and most remote terrain in Asia. A 4x4 journey here combines river gorges, the Wakhan valley along the Afghan border, a high desert plateau and Pamiri village hospitality.
Turkmenistan
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Turkmenistan tours: Ashgabat, Darvaza and the Karakum
Turkmenistan is the least visited country in Central Asia and one of the most unusual. Travel here is usually organised with a licensed local partner, and we plan it as a standalone trip or as part of a wider Silk Road route.
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Ashgabat: the white-marble capital of Turkmenistan
Ashgabat is unlike any other city in Central Asia: white marble buildings, golden domes, huge monuments and quiet, spotless avenues. It is the starting point for trips to Darvaza, Merv and the Karakum desert.
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Darvaza gas crater: a night in the Karakum desert
The Darvaza gas crater, often called the Door to Hell, is a burning pit in the middle of the Karakum desert. Seeing it glow after dark and sleeping under the desert sky is the most famous experience in Turkmenistan.