“Epitome of a once in a lifetime experience. The place, the people, the history, the inspired leadership, the friendships made…superb.
We are glad we did it with SRM Travel”
Thinking out of the box… A unique tour for discerning travelers wanting an experience beyond the ordinary.
Our tour stands out for its special emphasis on experiencing life in the destination rather than simply observing it.
We do not view Central Asia only as the stage of the once-glorious Silk Road and merely look into its history; instead but we immerse ourselves in the rich traditions and daily life in this diverse land.
Tour Highlights
- Travel across the mighty Tian Shan using a mix of vehicles, adapted to terrain and climate.
- Experience an intimate village performance by one of Kyrgyzstan’s most enchanting folk bands.
- Enjoy outstanding Central Asian cuisine—and learn to prepare iconic dishes such as lagman, ashlyan fu, and samsa.
- Walk through striking landscapes: glaciers, frozen waterfalls, alpine meadows, and sand dunes.
- Discover the cultural life of Almaty and Bishkek, including ballet, opera, and Soviet–Central Asian “high” culture.
- Taste Kazakh wines at a contemporary winery on the outskirts of Almaty, shaped by mountain climate, steppe, and desert winds.
- Visit the remote ruins where the Soviet Union effectively ended—deep in the UNESCO-listed Tian Shan, near the Chinese border.
- Explore a Kyrgyz cemetery—an intimate and powerful reflection of identity, history, and cultural continuity.
- Experience the distinct character of the Ferghana Valley in southern Kyrgyzstan.
- View ancient petroglyphs from the Bronze Age, both in the Kazakh steppe and in remote mountain settings.
- Learn about Uzgen rice traditions and, visit the world’s largest walnut forest-believed to have existed from era of Adam and Eve or Alexander the Great.
- Bathe in wild thermal springs hidden deep within the Tian Shan mountains.
- Explore some of Central Asia’s most vibrant markets, from Karakol to Almaty to Osh.
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
Day 1: Welcome to Central Asia!
Arrive in Almaty, most likely landing in the morning. Transfer and check in at your hotel. In the afternoon we will have a welcome orientation walk around downtown: Abai and Dostyk, the old Parliament square. A cheerful welcome dinner will be held in a restaurant housed inside one of the oldest houses in Almaty.
Sleep in Almaty, three nights.
Day 2: Modern Almaty
In the morning, we will visit the Fine Arts Museum, the stunning Zenkov Cathedral, and the multicultural, bustling Green Bazaar, where you can find produce from all over Central Asia. We will have lunch at Green Bazaar. We will try to visit the Rahat Chocolate factory, once the best in the Soviet Union (everything around it still smells of chocolate!). Free time in the afternoon to explore the city on your own. There is a good spa/mineral baths, Arasan, very close to the Green Bazaar and the chocolate factory. In the evening we will see a special private performance at Kazakhstan and Central Asia’s only underground theatre. Dinner in a nearby Jewish restaurant.
Day 3: Apples are from Kazakhstan
After breakfast, we are off to a nearby orchard to learn more about the famous Kazakh apples. We will see how people use apples for their cooking: in desserts, in pickles, in jams, in juices. We will talk with a botanist about the world’s first wild apples, still found in the forests around Almaty. Then we will visit Assa Valley, where grapes have been cultivated and wine has been made for centuries. We will sample some fine local wines - Central Asia’s best, in fact. Then we will drive back to Almaty.
Day 4: Charin Canyon
We will get going early, driving east, skirting the mighty Tien Shan mountains and heading along the fringes of the steppe. Our first stop will be Charin canyon, one of Kazakhstan’s stunning natural wonders. Depending on the weather, we will have lunch at the top or bottom of the canyon. Then we continue to Kegen. Despite being only 150 miles from Almaty, this town feels as remote as things can get in Kazakhstan. From Kegen, it’s a short drive to the Kyrgyz border at Karkara. Welcome to Kyrgyzstan! We will drive through the scenic and green Karkara Valley. We will stop at the homes of old Russian and Ukrainian beekeepers - the third and fourth generation farmers whose honey is superb (Karakol’s first coat of arms featured a bee!). Then we arrive in Karakol, a former imperial Russian outpost from the days of the Great Game. We will check in to our comfortable, cosy hotel. Dinner in the hotel.
Sleep in Karakol, 4 nights.
Day 5: Multi-ethnic Karakol
We will enjoy Kyrgyzstan’s best breakfast - and quite possibly one of the world’s best. After breakfast, we will do a short but eventful tour of Karakol’s sights: the 19th-century wooden Russian church, the 19th-century wooden Dungan (Chinese) mosque, some of the old imperial Russian houses. We will learn how to build a yurt! Free time to grab lunch and explore Karakol on your own. A Dungan-Chinese dinner.
Day 6: Heart of Tien Shan and end of empire
After an early breakfast, we will head to the abandoned town of Inylchek, in the heart of the Tian Shan mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We will drive in a convoy of Soviet 4WD trucks: ZIL, Ural, and UAZ. With them, we will help the nomads carry their belongings down the mountain for their annual autumn migration (yurts and sheep). At the high pass, we will have tea and then continue by standard 4WD vehicles down to the town. We will walk along the empty streets of what was once a town of 15,000 people. This area is incredibly dry (and cold); it rarely snows more than an inch. We will visit nearby thermal springs - for those adventurous enough, there is an opportunity to bathe. We will have lunch either outside, if the sun warms the air, or inside a house, and see where the Soviet Union literally disappeared. You may also enjoy fresh yak milk with local shepherds.
Day 7: Multi-ethnic Issyk Kul
Those who wish can visit the Sunday animal market in Karakol, Central Asia’s second largest market after Kashgar in China. The market runs from midnight until just after sunrise. Breakfast in the hotel. Then we will continue in a convoy of assorted Soviet retro cars to the nearby lakeshore, where we will witness an eagle hunter and a nomadic game of buzkashi (kok boru, or horseback polo). We will then continue to the nearby former collective farm of Frunze, populated by Balkar people from the Caucasus, exiled here by Stalin in 1943. There we will enjoy some home-cooked Balkar food (amazing!!) and listen to their songs and stories.
Day 8: Along the southern shore of Issyk Kul
After breakfast, we head west, driving along Lake Issyk Kul, the world’s second largest high-altitude lake after Titicaca in South America. The southern shore was restricted during Soviet times, home to a military sanatorium, a top-secret branch of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, and a torpedo-testing facility. We will stop at the home of a fascinating craftsman who makes carpets, yurts, and more. Lunch will be on the lakeshore. Those brave enough are welcome to go for a swim in the lake - the water will still be warm, and the beach is pleasant! Then we turn inland, cross the mighty Dolon Pass (9,940 feet), and arrive in Naryn, where we will spend the night. Naryn is an eleven-mile long, one-street town, considered the heartland of Kyrgyzstan. Dinner at a rustic local restaurant.
Sleep in Naryn or nomadic yurt stay by Son Kul Lake, 1 night.
Day 9: To the Ferghana Valley
Today we will wave goodbye to the Tien Shan mountains and cross into the Ferghana valley. The Chinese are building a brand new spectacular year-round road across the mountains, with tunnels and bridges. We will join the nomads as they descend from the mountains. Picnic lunch on the way. On the southern slopes, we will stop to see the world’s largest wild walnut forest and taste fresh walnut jam. If the new road is open, we will sleep in Osh. Otherwise, we will stay in Jalal-Abad, Kyrgyzstan’s third largest city. Dinner in a traditional Ferghana restaurant in town.
Sleep in Jalal-Abad
Day 10: Uzgen Rice
We will head to nearby Uzgen, a fascinating ancient Karakhanid city. Today, only a mausoleum and a minaret remain. However, the city has one of Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia’s most interesting products: rice. Uzgen rice, a special variety ideal for plov (pilau), has been cultivated here for more than 2,000 years. We will see how it is grown and then processed using techniques dating back to the eve of the Industrial Revolution. In the afternoon, we continue to Osh, the largest city in the southern Kyrgyzstan, with a proud 3,000-year history. Free time to rest. A short orientation walk, followed by dinner in a good nearby restaurant.
Overnight in Osh, 3 nights.
Day 11: Ancient City of Osh
Breakfast at the hotel. We will tour Suleiman Too, the UNESCO-listed sacred mountain right in the heart of Osh. We will have a traditional Uzbek lunch, and stroll through the oldest part of town and discover secrets of its lively bazaar. Free time to wander the streets on your own or relax. Dinner in a fine nearby restaurant.
Day 12: Bishkek.
Morning flight to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital, and final stop of our tour. Check in at the hotel, right in the heart of Bishkek. Before lunch, we will walk around downtown: Ala Too Square, Parliament, White House, Oak Park, and Erkindik Avenue. Free time to grab lunch and explore on your own. In the evening, we will attend an opera or ballet - the State Opera is just next to our hotel!
Sleep in Bishkek, 2 nights.
Day 13: Working-class Bishkek
After breakfast, we will visit the National Fine Arts Museum, with its collection of carpets and socialist realist paintings, and the State History Museum featuring a curious collection of Silk Road and Soviet-era communist artifacts. Free time for lunch and exploration, or to shop for felt products - if you haven’t done so already! In the latet afternoon, we visit the outskirts of Bishkek-the model 1970s-80s mikrorayoni (microdistricts), built to house hundreds of thousands of workers from across the countryside. We will see striking Soviet mosaics and murals. It is a very rarely visited part of Bishkek, but highly fascinating. We will also visit a local home and hear stories about life in these buildings. Farewell dinner in town.
Day 14: Tour over after breakfast
Tour is over after breakfast.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Two top-notch guides, a certified SRM guide and a local guide
- All local flights
- All land transport (mix of vehicles, a private tour bus for entire itinerary and special vehicles as terrain and climate dictate)
- All accommodations
- All breakfasts
- Half of lunches and dinners
- All entrance fees
- All tips
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