The Five Stans of the Silk Road — Self-Launched

Fly into Bishkek (Manas Airport). Marshrutka #380 or a Yandex taxi into the centre costs 50-800 KGS. Settle into a guesthouse or hostel in the city centre, walk Ala-Too Square and Oak Park, change money at a bank (better rates than the airport), and buy a local SIM (Beeline/O! ~£4 for data). Evening: try lagman and plov at a chaikhana near Chuy Avenue.

🚌Marshrutka/taxi from Manas Airport (~£1-8)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Bishkek centre (dorm £7-10, private £15-20)

• →Bishkek Ala-Too Square and Oak Park walk
• →Buy local SIM and change money
• →Chaikhana dinner on Chuy Avenue

Take a shared taxi or marshrutka east to Tokmok (~1.5 hrs, 150-250 KGS), then a taxi 20 min to the 11th-century Burana Tower and its balbal stone field (£1 entry). Continue into the Chon-Kemin valley by shared taxi (~£8-10 split). Stay in a community guesthouse or CBT / Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism–booked homestay; home-cooked dinner and breakfast usually included (~£20-25 for dinner and bed).

🚌Shared taxi/marshrutka Bishkek–Tokmok, then taxi to Chon-Kemin (~£12 total)

🛏CBT homestay/guesthouse in Chon-Kemin (full board often included, ~£20-25)

• →Burana Tower and balbal field
• →Chon-Kemin valley walk
• →Home-cooked Kyrgyz dinner

Cross the Kalmak-Ashuu pass (3,446 m) by shared taxi/4WD arranged through your guesthouse or CBT Kochkor (~£20-25 pp split, roughly 4-5 hrs). Spend the afternoon hiking along the lakeshore or up nearby hills — horses can be hired at the yurts (~£8-12/hr). Overnight in a lakeshore yurt camp with dinner and breakfast, ~£20-25 pp including meals. Nights at 3,000 m are cold even in summer — bring a warm layer.

🚌Shared 4WD over Kalmak-Ashuu pass (~£20-25 pp)

🛏Lakeshore yurt camp, Song Kul (~£20-25 pp with dinner and breakfast)

• →Kalmak-Ashuu mountain pass crossing
• →Song Kul lakeshore hike or horse ride
• →Yurt overnight with Kyrgyz family

Descend to Kochkor and take a community-based-tourism lunch with a local family (felt-making demonstrations available, ~£6-8). Then head east/south; the easiest independent route is a shared taxi/marshrutka via Balykchy to the south shore of Issyk-Kul, or direct to Tamga via Bokonbaeva (~4-5 hrs, £10-14). Stop en route at Skazka 'Fairytale' Canyon near Tosor — a taxi from the main road is ~£5-8 return. Guesthouse in Tamga village, ~£12-15.

🚌Shared taxi/marshrutka Kochkor–Balykchy–Tamga (~£10-14)

🛏Village guesthouse in Tamga (~£12-15)

• →Lunch with local family in Kochkor
• →Felt-making demonstration
• →Skazka Canyon at sunset
• →Issyk-Kul south shore swim

Shared taxi or marshrutka to Karakol (~2 hrs, £3-5), detouring to Jety Oguz red rock valley and the Seven Bulls formation — a taxi from the village of Jety Oguz costs ~£6-10 return; entry is a dollar or two. In Karakol see the wooden Dungan Mosque and Russian Holy Trinity Orthodox Church (free), plus the Ak-Orgo yurt-building workshop and Sunday animal market if your dates align. Stay at a Karakol hostel or guesthouse (£8-14). Dinner: Ashlyan-Fu (Dungan cold noodle dish) at a local cafe (~£3).

🚌Shared taxi Tamga–Karakol with detour (~£8)

🛏Karakol hostel/guesthouse (~£8-14)

• →Jety Oguz and Seven Bulls
• →Dungan Mosque and Holy Trinity Church
• →Ak-Orgo yurt workshop
• →Ashlyan-Fu dinner

Cross the Karakol–Kegen border into Kazakhstan by shared taxi to Kegen (~£6-10), then a taxi over to Saty village at the edge of Kolsay Lakes National Park (~£10-15, 2 hrs; negotiate or ask your guesthouse to arrange). Important: the border is only open to non-CIS nationals at certain times — check current rules before setting out. Village guesthouse with traditional Kazakh dinner, ~£15-20 half board.

🚌Shared taxi Karakol–Kegen border–Saty (~£18-22)

🛏Saty village guesthouse (~£15-20 half board)

• →Kyrgyzstan–Kazakhstan border crossing
• →Saty village stay
• →Kazakh home dinner

Hire a local driver for the day to Kaindy's submerged forest lake and Kolsai Lakes (~£35-45 for the car, split 3-4 ways; park entry ~£3). Alternatively book a group day tour from Almaty on Klook/GetYourGuide (~£35-50 pp). In the afternoon/evening take a shared taxi or minibus to Almaty (~3 hrs, £6-10). Hotel/hostel in the centre near Almaty 2 station or Panfilov Park (£10-16 dorm, £22-30 private).

🚌Local driver for lakes (~£12 pp split); shared minibus Saty–Almaty (~£8)

🛏Almaty hostel or budget hotel (~£10-30)

• →Kaindy Lake submerged forest
• →Kolsai Lakes hike
• →Kolsay Lakes National Park entry

Free walking tour or self-guided route: Panfilov Park and Zenkov Cathedral (one of the world's tallest wooden buildings, free), WWII Memorial, Independence Square, then the Green Bazaar for horse milk, dried fruit and sweets. Ride the Medeu cable car or the Kok-Tobe cable car for city views (~£5-7). Coffee culture here is excellent and cheap — £2-3 a cup. Optional day trip to Big Almaty Lake by taxi or bus (~£8-12).

🚌Metro and city buses (~£1-2); cable cars £5-7

🛏Almaty hostel or budget hotel (~£10-30)

• →Zenkov Cathedral and Panfilov Park
• →Green Bazaar
• →Kok-Tobe cable car viewpoint
• →Optional Big Almaty Lake

Fly Almaty–Dushanbe (Air Astana/Somon Air; book early, £70-120 one way — flights are not daily, so check schedules and consider a Sunday/Tuesday service). Tajikistan e-visa is available online (~£20-25, apply 1-2 weeks ahead; GBAO permit not needed for this route). Airport taxi to the centre ~£4. Afternoon: Rudaki Avenue, the giant flagpole, Mehrgon bazaar and the National Museum. Note Dushanbe hotels must register foreigners within 3 days — your guesthouse should handle it; ask.

🚌Flight Almaty–Dushanbe (~£70-120); airport taxi (~£4)

🛏Dushanbe guesthouse or budget hotel (~£15-22)

• →Rudaki Avenue and flagpole
• →Mehrgon bazaar
• →National Museum of Tajikistan

Shared taxi from Dushanbe to Saratog, then on to the village of Ghazza near Iskanderkul lake (~3-4 hrs, £15-20 total; a private car from Dushanbe is ~£45-55 for the vehicle). Walk to Iskander Darya waterfall from the lake shore (30-40 min). Stay in a village community guesthouse (~£12-15 with dinner). The road is rough after Saratog — allow extra time.

🚌Shared taxi Dushanbe–Saratog–Ghazza (~£15-20)

🛏Ghazza village community guesthouse (~£12-15 with dinner)

• →Iskanderkul lake
• →Iskander Darya waterfall walk
• →Fann Mountains views

Hike to Voru village (2-3 hrs each way over a ridge) where a local blacksmith demonstrates traditional knife-making; a village lunch is easy to arrange through your host (~£4-6). Alternatively hike along the lake or up to the surrounding ridges. Return to the same guesthouse and enjoy the rooftop terrace at sunset. Cash only out here — bring enough somoni from Dushanbe.

🚌On foot

🛏Ghazza village community guesthouse (~£12-15)

• →Voru village hike
• →Blacksmith demonstration
• →Rooftop terrace sunset

Shared taxi to Istaravshan (~£10-15), then explore the old mosque complex, mausoleums and the local museum (~£2 entry). Continue north to Khujand by shared taxi or minibus (~2 hrs, £5-8). Evening in Khujand: Panjshanbe Bazaar, the Panjshanbe 'market' mosque, Sughd History Museum, and a chaikhana dinner (~£4). Hotel or guesthouse near the centre (~£15-20).

🚌Shared taxi Ghazza–Istaravshan–Khujand (~£18-22)

🛏Khujand budget hotel/guesthouse (~£15-20)

• →Istaravshan mosque and mausoleums
• →Khujand Panjshanbe Bazaar
• →Sughd History Museum
• →Chaikhana dinner

Walk or take a taxi to the Oybek border crossing (Khujand–Tashkent, open daily; allow 1-2 hrs bureaucracy). From the Uzbek side a shared taxi or minibus runs to Tashkent metro (~£2-4). Buy an Uzbek SIM (Ucell/Beeline, ~£4). Uzbekistan is visa-free for UK/EU/US passports for 30 days. Settle into a Tashkent hotel/hostel (~£15-25), then walk Chorsu Bazaar and the metro stations (each a work of art — £0.15 a ride).

🚌Oybek border crossing; shared taxi to Tashkent (~£3-5)

🛏Tashkent hostel/budget hotel (~£15-25)

• →Tajikistan–Uzbekistan border crossing
• →Chorsu Bazaar
• →Tashkent metro station tour

Self-guided day: Hazrat Imam complex (including the world's oldest Quran at Moyie Mubarek Library), the Applied Arts Museum, the Amir Timur Museum and Independence Square. Optionally ride the Tashkent TV Tower observation deck for city views (~£4). Lunch at a plov centre in the old town — the Central Asian Plov Centre serves it by the plateful (~£3). Book your Afrosiyob train ticket for tomorrow online (railway.uz, ~£10-14 for Tashkent–Samarkand in economy).

🚌Metro and walking (~£2)

🛏Tashkent hostel/budget hotel (~£15-25)

• →Hazrat Imam complex
• →Plov Centre lunch
• →Tashkent TV Tower views
• →Book Afrosiyob train

Take the high-speed Afrosiyob from Tashkent to Samarkand (~2h 15m, £10-14). Check into a guesthouse near Registan (£15-25). Afternoon: Registan ensemble (~£4 combined ticket), then Gur-e-Amir, Amir Timur's mausoleum (~£3). Evening at the Registan when it's floodlit — free, and the best view is from the terrace cafes opposite. Samarkand's Shah-i-Zinda is best at opening time tomorrow.

🚌Afrosiyob high-speed train (~£10-14)

🛏Samarkand guesthouse near Registan (~£15-25)

• →Registan Square
• →Gur-e-Amir mausoleum
• →Floodlit Registan at night

Get to Shah-i-Zinda necropolis at 8am to have the blue tilework to yourself (~£2). Then Bibi-Khanum Mosque, the Siab Bazaar for bread and dried fruit, and the Ulugh Beg Observatory (~£3). Optional: taxi to the Tomb of Prophet Daniel (Khodja Doniyor, ~£4 return). Optional guided walking tour via GetYourGuide/Klook if you want the history explained (~£20-30). Evening: try Samarkand plov and a hammam (no-frills local bathhouse ~£4).

🚌Taxis and walking (~£5)

🛏Samarkand guesthouse near Registan (~£15-25)

• →Shah-i-Zinda necropolis
• →Bibi-Khanum Mosque
• →Siab Bazaar
• →Ulugh Beg Observatory
• →Optional Tomb of Prophet Daniel

Head to Jizzakh by train or shared taxi (~£4-6), then a shared taxi to Nurata (~£5), where you can see the Chashma complex and holy spring and the remains of Alexander's fortress (free/pennies). Arrange a local driver from Nurata to the Aydar Kul yurt camps on the lake's north shore (~£20-30 for the vehicle; many camps include transfer in a package, ~£35-45 pp with dinner, breakfast and a Kazakh singing show). Swim if it's warm — the lake is shallow and warm by late spring.

🚌Train/shared taxi Samarkand–Jizzakh–Nurata; local driver to lake (~£25 total split)

🛏Yurt camp on Aydar Kul (~£35-45 pp incl. dinner, breakfast, transfer)

• →Chashma holy spring complex
• →Alexander the Great fortress
• →Aydar Kul swim
• →Yurt camp with Kazakh singing

Drive back to Nurata or Jizzakh, then take a shared taxi or train to Bukhara (Jizzakh–Bukhara trains are cheap, £4-6; shared taxi ~£8-10). Long day of travel. Arrive and check into a guesthouse in the old town (£15-22) — Bukhara's old city guesthouses are some of the best value in Central Asia. Evening stroll around Lyabi-Hauz and dinner at a local family-run restaurant (~£5).

🚌Shared taxi/train via Jizzakh (~£10-14)

🛏Bukhara old-town guesthouse (~£15-22)

• →Lyabi-Hauz evening stroll
• →Old city bazaars
• →Traditional dinner

Self-guided walking loop of the old city: Po-i-Kalyan complex, the Kalyan Minaret, Ark Fortress (~£3), Bolo-Hauz Mosque, the Samanid Mausoleum and Chor Minor. A local guide for 3-4 hrs is ~£25-35 per group via GetYourGuide or hotel arrangement — worth it here. Afternoon: visit a hammam (Bukhara's historic bathhouses, £8-15), and in the evening see a folklore fashion and puppet show in the old caravanserai (Nodir-Divan-Begi, ~£5-8).

🚌Walking

🛏Bukhara old-town guesthouse (~£15-22)

• →Po-i-Kalyan and Kalyan Minaret
• →Ark Fortress
• →Samanid Mausoleum and Chor Minor
• →Hammam bathhouse
• →Caravanserai puppet show

Take the shared taxi or the daily train to Khiva via Urgench (shared taxi ~£8-12, 6-7 hrs; the train is slower and less frequent — many travellers use the shared-taxi rank at Bukhara's Kolkhozny bazaar). Check into a guesthouse inside or just outside the Ichon-Qala walls (£15-20). Evening walk along the walls at sunset, free.

🚌Shared taxi Bukhara–Urgench–Khiva (~£8-12)

🛏Khiva guesthouse near Ichon-Qala (~£15-20)

• →Ichon-Qala walls at sunset
• →Old town evening wander

Buy the combined Ichon-Qala ticket (~£8-10, covers 20+ monuments) and work through the madrasas, the Juma Mosque's carved pillars, the Kuhna Ark (best sunset view over the city, included), Tosh-Hovli Palace and the Islam Khodja minaret (climb for ~£2). Self-guided is fine here — everything is within the walls. Try Khorezm-style shivit oshi (green noodle dish) for lunch (~£4).

🚌Walking

🛏Khiva guesthouse near Ichon-Qala (~£15-20)

• →Ichon-Qala combined ticket
• →Kuhna Ark sunset
• →Islam Khodja minaret climb
• →Shivit oshi lunch

The independent option: Turkmenistan requires a pre-arranged licensed guide and a Letter of Invitation for a transit visa (roughly £60-100 visa + guide costs). Your guide meets you at the Shavat/Dashoguz border (2-3 hrs crossing; the border is open to foreigners but slow). Visit Kunya-Urgench's UNESCO Silk Road monuments — the Gutlug Timur Minaret, Turabek Khanum mausoleum and Sultan Ali mausoleum. Overnight in a Dashoguz hotel (~£20-30). Budget ~£250-450 pp total for the 5-day Turkmen segment split across 3-4 travellers (more if solo) — this is the one leg where a group genuinely saves money.

🚌Uzbekistan–Turkmenistan border; guide vehicle

🛏Hotel in Dashoguz (~£20-30, via guide)

• →Uzbekistan–Turkmenistan border crossing
• →Kunya-Urgench UNESCO monuments
• →Gutlug Timur Minaret

Quick Dashoguz city look (bazaar, mosque) before driving south into the Kara-Kum desert (~3-4 hrs on rough tracks). Reach Darvaza by late afternoon, set up camp near the crater rim, and watch the 'Gates of Hell' burn after dark — it's one of the most surreal sights on earth. Barbecue dinner cooked at camp. Basic tents and bedding provided; bring warm layers, the desert gets cold at night even in summer.

🚌Guide 4WD/van through the Kara-Kum (~included)

🛏Darvaza tented camp (~included in guide package)

• →Dashoguz bazaar
• →Kara-Kum desert drive
• →Darvaza gas crater at night
• →Barbecue dinner at camp

Sunrise at the crater, then a stop at the bubbling mud/water craters nearby before the long drive south to Ashgabat (~4-5 hrs). Optional detour to the vast Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque at Gypjak. Arrive Ashgabat and check into a hotel or guesthouse (~£25-35; accommodation in Turkmenistan is state-regulated and pricier than elsewhere in the region). Evening: the marble city lit up — walk along Archabil Avenue.

🚌Guide vehicle Darvaza–Ashgabat (~included)

🛏Ashgabat hotel/guesthouse (~£25-35)

• →Sunrise at Darvaza
• →Mud crater stop
• →Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque
• →Night walk in marble Ashgabat

City tour with your guide: Independence Monument, the Arch of Neutrality, the National Museum (worth 2 hrs — great on Turkmen history and the Silk Road), and the carpet museum if you have time. Afternoon to the UNESCO-listed Parthian fortress of Old Nisa (~£3 entry, 18 km from the centre). Final dinner out (~£8-10) — Turkmen cuisine leans on meat, dumplings and melons.

🚌Guide vehicle / taxis (~£5-10)

🛏Ashgabat hotel/guesthouse (~£25-35)

• →Ashgabat monuments and National Museum
• →Old Nisa Parthian fortress
• →Carpet museum

Morning for last-minute bazaar shopping (Teke bazaar for carpets and melons) before a taxi to Ashgabat airport (~£5-8). Note: international flights out of Turkmenistan are limited — most travellers fly Ashgabat–Istanbul or Ashgabat–Dubai onward; check schedules well in advance as departures are often at unsociable hours. Keep your migration card to hand at passport control.

🚌Taxi to Ashgabat airport (~£5-8); onward flight not included

• →Teke bazaar shopping
• →Departure