Silk Road Tours & Trips

What our customers ask about Silk Road Tours & Trips

• What's The Deal With Visas Along The Silk Road?

  Getting visas for your Silk Road adventure really depends on where you're from and which countries you're planning to visit. Here's the good news - Uzbekistan's pretty relaxed about it now with many nationalities getting 30 days visa-free. Kazakhstan's also opened up with visa-free options for shorter stays and Kyrgyzstan welcomes lots of nationalities without visas for different lengths of time. Tajikistan still needs visas but you can sort that out online or when you arrive. Now Turkmenistan that's a bit trickier - you'll need an invitation letter and usually need to book a tour first. If you're on our Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan Adventure we'll help get that LOI sorted for you. Best to check with embassies though as these things change pretty often.

• How Do You Get Around On The Silk Road?

  Getting around's actually pretty impressive these days especially in Uzbekistan where you've got high-speed trains connecting the main spots like Tashkent Bukhara and Samarkand. Our private Uzbekistan tour uses these Afrosiyob trains and they're really comfortable. When you're heading into the mountains of Kyrgyzstan you'll be in private vehicles - that's what we use on our Central Asia in-depth tour. Sometimes we'll need to fly between the bigger distances like Almaty to Dushanbe. In the cities themselves walking's great for really getting to know the place and local taxis and buses are there if you need them.

• Which Ancient Cities Should I Definitely See?

  You've got to see Samarkand in Uzbekistan - the Registan Square is just mind-blowing and you'll find amazing Islamic architecture like the Bibi-Khanum Mosque. Our 14-day Classical tour really shows it off well. Bukhara's another must-visit with its medieval center still intact - those madrassas and the Kalyan Minaret are incredible. Check out Khiva too with its walled city and stunning minarets. If you're heading to Turkmenistan Merv's fascinating - it's this huge archaeological site that's been around since the 6th century BC. You can explore it on our Central Asia 5 Stans tour.

• What Kind of Local Experiences Can I Have?

  There's so much you can actually do hands-on! In Kochkor Kyrgyzstan you can learn traditional felt-making from local artists - we include this in our Central Asia in-depth tour. Over in Bokonbaevo you can watch amazing falconry displays it's been part of their culture for generations. Gijduvan in Uzbekistan has these incredible ceramic workshops run by families who've been doing it for six generations. The bazaars are everywhere and they're great for finding traditional crafts and local goods. One of our travelers absolutely loved the carpet museum in Turkmenistan - it's pretty special.

• What About Natural Attractions Beyond The Cities?

  The natural scenery's absolutely stunning! Issyk-Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan is this massive alpine lake where you can hike and swim - it's part of our Kyrgyzstan Silk Road Journey. Kazakhstan's Charyn Canyon is incredible looks a bit like the Grand Canyon actually. The red rocks at Jety-Oguz Gorge in Kyrgyzstan are spectacular especially when the wildflowers are out. You can spend the night in a yurt in Uzbekistan's Kyzylkum Desert - nothing beats stargazing there. The Pamir Highway through Tajikistan's just breathtaking with all those mountain views. Our Bishkek to Ashgabat tour takes you right through there and the scenery's unforgettable.