From CAD $3,499
Guarantee
Small Group
Average
Rating
(20 reviews)
Experience Overview
Cross two 'stans off your travel map with a 13-day tour through Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. This well-rounded tour takes you through bustling bazaars and beautiful city mosques in Samarkand and Bukhara, as well as bucket-list natural landscapes like the Darvaza gas crater known affectionately as the Door to Hell. Destinations less-ventured can be challenging to visit on your own, but with a skilled Chief Experience Officer (CEO) leading the way, you'll have incredible experiences without sacrificing safety or your sense of adventure.
Highlights
- Bargain your way through traditional bazaars
- Stay overnight in a local yurt camp
- Visit the desert community of Erbent
- Marvel at the Darvaza crater (known as the "Door to Hell")
- See the city treasures of Ashgabat
Trip Details
Product Code: 1624
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Budget
Transport: Private vehicle, walking.
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Classic
Supplier Code: AUTA
Starts: Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Finishes: Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Duration: 13 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical rating:
Average
Includes
Activities
- Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group Your Local Living Moment: Overnight in a Yurt, Aydar Kŭl Camp
- Amir Timur Mausoleum Visit
- Samarkand City Tour
- Shaki Zinda complex, the bazaar, Bibi Khanum, and Registan Square
- Free time in Samarkand
- Chashma Complex and Holy Spring Visit
- Fortress of Alexander the Great Visit
- Aidarkul Lake
- Authentic Uzbekistan dinner
- Evening Kazakh singing show
- Overnight in a Yurt
- Free time in Bukhara
- Bukhara City Guided Tour
- UNESCO-listed Khiva Ancient City Exploration
- Free time in Khiva
- UNESCO World Heritage Site Kunya Urgench
- Guided tour of Dashoguz City
- Gorogly Monument
- Dashoguz Wedding hall
- Kara-Kum desert
- Fiery Darvaza gas crater, "Gates of Hell”
- Mud Crater Visit
- Sand Dunes of Karakum Desert
- Ashgabat City Tour
- Monument of Independence
- National Museum of History and Ethnography
- Arch of Neutrality
- Gulistan market
- Ancient Settlement of Nisa
- Free time in Ashgabat
Accommodation
- Hotels (10 nts), yurt (2 nts).
- 12 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 2 dinners
Transport
- Private vehicle, walking.
Group Leader
- CEO (Chief Experience Officer) throughout.
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $3499 (CAD $269 /day)
Itinerary
Day 1: Tashkent
Arrive at any time.
Welcome to the eclectic capital of Uzbekistan, where modern skyscrapers mix with Soviet-era architecture and mosaic mausoleums. There are no activities planned until the evening welcome meeting, so get out there and explore.
Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.Accommodation - Harris Hotel
Day 2: Tashkent/Samarkand
Travel on to Samarkand, known for intricately beautiful mosques and mausoleums, situated on the Silk Road. Take an orientation walk to familiarize yourself with the neighborhood before embarking on a city tour, visiting Shaki Zinda complex, the bazaar, Bibi Khanum, and Registan Square. We'll also visit the famed Amir Timur Mausoleum, dedicated to the famous conqueror who once hoped to rebuild the empire of Genghis Khan.
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.Activity - Amir Timur, known as Tamerlane, is an important figure to the city of Samarkand. He was a conqueror in the 14th century hoping to rebuild the empire of Genghis Khan and is considered the last of the great conquerors of the Eurasian steppe. Visit his mausoleum and learn more about his life and contributions.Transport - Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.Activity - Visit the important sights of the city with a local guide. See the Shaki Zinda complex, Samarkand bazaar, Bibi Khanum, and Registan Square.Accommodation - Karvon Hotel Samarkand
Day 3: Samarkand
With a free day in Samarkand, continue exploring the amazing sights, have a cuppa in a local tea house, or wander around the bazaar. Opt to explore the Tomb of Prophet Daniel, famous for the Biblical story of Daniel and the lions.
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Free_time - Head out and discover more of Samarkand.Accommodation - Karvon Hotel Samarkand
Day 4: Samarkand/Aydar Kŭl Camp
Travel out into the desert to visit Chashma Complex, a pilgrimage site in the territory of Nurata, dominated by ruins of Alexander the Great's fortress, Juma mosque, a bath-house, and the ancient Panjvakta mosque. All of this, hiding a holy spring believed to heal diseases. After exploring the complex, head to Aidarkul Lake and opt for a swim before continuing on for an overnight stay in a local yurt camp. Enjoy an authentic Uzbekistan dinner and an evening Kazakh singing show.
Meals included: Breakfast,Dinner
Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - The Chashma Complex in Nurata contains multiple important Islamic sights including the Juma Mosque and spring. The spring is believed to heal diseases and attracts many visitors.Activity - The city of Nurata was founded by Alexander the Great in 327BC and the remains of his fortress are still standing. The area is mentioned in many historical texts as being of strategic importance.Activity - Stay in traditional felt yurts and experience the way of life in the remote reaches of Uzbekistan.Accommodation - Yurt Camp Stay Aidarkul
Day 5: Aydar Kŭl Camp/Bukhara
Travel to Bukhara, known as one of the most charming cities in the country, and get your bearings on an orientation walk. Opt to visit the old city bazaars, enjoy a traditional dinner cooked by a local family, visit a hammam (bathhouse), or just relax in the pleasant atmosphere of this Silk Road city.
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Free_time - Spend the afternoon wandering and get to know the city.Accommodation - Hotel As-Salam
Day 6: Bukhara
Explore Bukhara on a half-day guided walking tour around the beautifully restored mosques, madrassas, and covered markets, or trading domes, that make up the Old City. A centre for pottery, cloth, and carpets, Bukhara is centered around Lyabi-Hauz, a delightful pool of water surrounded by ancient mulberry trees. Wander the artisan shops and narrow twisting streets and alleyways, or sit at a café table and let the evening drift by. Opt to watch a local puppet show held in an old caravanserai, or indulge in a rejuvenating hammam bathhouse.
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Free_time - This is the perfect city for shopping or enjoying tea and snacks at a chaykhana.Activity - Join a local guide to visit the the Samanid Mausoleum, the Ark Citadel, and the Poi-i-Kalon complex. Wander around beautifully restored mosques, madrassas, and covered markets that make up the Old City.Accommodation - Hotel As-Salam
Day 7: Bukhara/Khiva
Enjoy a scenic drive through the desert on a full day's journey to reach UNESCO-listed Khiva, well worth the arduous drive. Get to know this peaceful, picturesque city on a late afternoon orientation walk, and pick your favourite spots to explore more in-depth tomorrow.
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.Accommodation - Hotel Muso To'ra
Day 8: Khiva
Before exploring this historic town on your own, enjoy a guided tour to learn about local life here. Wander through the narrow labyrinth mudbrick alleyways of old town, bargain with locals at the bazaar, admire the madrassas, mosques, and blue mosaic domes, climb up towering minarets, and venture into the dark dungeons Khiva was infamous for back in the 10th century. Explore the inner walls of Ichon-Qala, and enjoy spectacular sunset views on the sand-coloured buildings.
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Khiva feels like a museum city, with well-preserved city walls and ancient monuments. Wander the city on a guided tour, learn about life here and its important place in history.Free_time - Continue exploring this historic town.Accommodation - Hotel Muso To'ra
Day 9: Khiva/Dashoguz
Say goodbye to Uzbekistan this morning as we drive to the Uzbek-Turkmen border and continue to Dashoguz, Turkmenistan. Drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Kunya Urgench to visit the ancient capital of the Khorezmian Empire.
Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch
Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - Cross the border on foot and enter Turkmenistan.Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this town was abandoned in the 1700s and has remained untouched ever since. Visit the series of monuments built between the 11th and 16th centuries including a mosque, the gates of a caravanserai, fortresses, mausoleums, and a 60 meter high minaret.Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Accommodation - Hotel Dashoguz
Day 10: Dashoguz/Darvaza
Enjoy a morning tour of the city of Dashoguz. This evening, enjoy a delicious barbecue dinner then we head out to witness the fiery Darvaza gas crater, also known as the "Gates of Hell." Venture through the Kara-Kum desert and spend the night camping under the stars at a yurt camp.
Meals included: Breakfast,Dinner
Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Explore the city of Dashoguz, an important center of commerce and culture for Turkmenistan, on a tour today! Visit the Gorogly Monument, the main flag pole, the city square and the Dashoguz Wedding hall.Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - Often referred to as the 'Gates of Hell', this gas crater was originally constructed to support a drilling rig but collapsed. As residents discovered the natural gas leak, it was set on fire to burn off over the course of several weeks. Decades later it continues to burn.Accommodation - Darwaza Camping
Day 11: Darvaza/Ashgabat
After breakfast, begin the journey to the capital of Turkmenistan - Ashgabat. On the way, stop and admire its golden sand dunes that stretch out to the horizon. On arrival in Ashgabat, spend the evening at leisure. Opt to visit the Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque, also known as Gypjak Mosque, and capture the sun setting on the symmetrical minarets and golden domes.
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - Visit the otherworldly mud crater just outside of Darvaza. About 30 meters deep, you'll see a beautiful turquoise pond at the bottom. Grab your camera and enjoy some time to visit this interesting place.Activity - Walk across the ancient sands of the central Karakum Desert. Keep your camera handy - the Karakum dunes are a stunning landscape any time of year.
Day 12: Ashgabat
Spend the day exploring bustling Ashgabat. Enjoy a tour of the city in the morning, visiting several city treasures such as the Monument of Independence and the National museum or Neutrality Arch. Afterward, we'll venture to the ancient ruins of Nisa to explore the ruins. Enjoy the afternoon free to continue exploring Ashgabat.
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Start the day exploring the Monument of Independence followed by the National Museum of History and Ethnography. Next, visit the Arch of Neutrality and end the tour at the Gulistan market.Activity - Pay a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Nisa. This ancient settlement was once the capital of the Parthian Empire from the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. Explore the ruins and learn about the history of this amazing place.Free_time - Enjoy some free time today to explore the sights or relax in the city.
Day 13: Ashgabat
Depart at any time. Departure transfer is included.
Meals included: Breakfast
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Tour Operator
G Adventures
G Adventures, founded in 1990 by Bruce Poon Tip, is a global adventure travel company specializing in small-group tours that emphasize authentic, sustainable, and culturally immersive experiences. Originally launched as GAP Adventures (“Great Adventure People”), the company pioneered the concept of community-driven travel by offering affordable trips that connect travelers with local communities while minimizing environmental impact. Today, G Adventures operates in more than 100 countries, offering a wide range of itineraries across themes such as active adventures, wildlife, wellness, family, and National Geographic–partnered tours, while maintaining a strong commitment to responsible tourism and social enterprise through its Planeterra Foundation.
In Business Since 1990
Reviews
Lee B. - Traveled, October 2023
Good balance of tour group time with a little free time. Guides were enthusiastic and keen to impart their knowledge of the culture and history of the countries visited. Schedule got us up and out early. Places to eat were decent and covered a lot of local food. Felt well organized.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/25/2023
Miranda J. - Traveled, October 2023
It was a great experience, but with slight reservations about group travel.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/21/2023
Hsien H. - Traveled, September 2023
Small group size, expert local guides, packed itineraries
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/18/2023
Daniel A. - Traveled, September 2023
Driving time is underestimated in dossier. Meals are sometimes an afterthought, i.e. buying snacks at convenience store and eat on bus, sometimes there is no plans for group dinner so group disbands with smaller groups eating together, some alone, some skipping it. Airport Transit confusing,
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/11/2023
Kim S. - Traveled, November 2023
Professional CEOs to take care of logistics while offering interesting itineraries to learn more about the local people and places in a safe and socially responsible way.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/11/2023
Anne N. - Traveled, September 2023
I have been on 8 G Adventures trips by myself and every one has been excellent.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/11/2023
Ryan S. - Traveled, September 2023
I liked the tour overall, but with some areas that could be improved.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/07/2023
Ailsa C. - Traveled, September 2023
Great tour overall for like-minded travelers
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/30/2023
Matthias G. - Traveled, August 2023
Well organized, great people and landscapes
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/20/2023
Angelo T. - Traveled, August 2023
Well organized trip with single rooms and excellent hotels. The were already assigned. Great off road car. The bus had plant of sets for us. I was accompanied in airport.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/20/2023
Ramona K. - Traveled, August 2023
More areas besides tourist spots covered
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/09/2023
Treasa N. - Traveled, August 2023
I like the travel style of G Adventures, small group, mixture of guided tours with time off to explore places yourself
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/09/2023
James B. - Traveled, July 2023
We have always enjoyed our holidays with G Adventures - good destinations, well designed itineraries and knowledgeable local guides.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/05/2023
Ngoc Huong Jade T. - Traveled, June 2023
I have been on 7 trips with G and always have had great things to say.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/29/2023
Kerrylee M. - Traveled, June 2023
The variation in country of origin of guests, the variation in age ranges and experiences of the group plus the philosophy of G Adventures as a company
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/29/2023
Tuure H. - Traveled, June 2023
Great service, options for destinations and reputation
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/26/2023
Sydney B. - Traveled, June 2023
Mostly just loving the atmosphere on the trip, as well as the extremely competitive price
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/26/2023
Parisa M. - Traveled, June 2023
It is hassle free
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/26/2023
Edoardo P. - Traveled, June 2023
I loved the trip but it's not for everyone, thus I'm not going to suggest it to everyone.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/26/2023
Anwar K. - Traveled, June 2023
Well organized program but with enough flexibility as needed
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/26/2023
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