My itinerary through Central Asia, from the Caspian Sea to the Gates of Hell: Kazakhstan → Kyrgyzstan → Tajikistan → Uzbekistan → Turkmenistan.

Affiliate disclosure: This article contains GetYourGuide affiliate links. If you book through one of them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

My budget was around 1 800€, excluding flights.

The final three days are also available as a standalone Turkmenistan itinerary.

Itinerary

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Tajikistan

Uzbekistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Day 1 Aktau

Welcome to Aktau, on the Caspian Sea. White cliffs, desalination plants, oil wells, large Soviet avenues and dust everywhere. Along the seafront, people were running, cycling and fishing.

Walk the Skalnaya Tropa Promenade, the path below the cliffs, then look for the Melovoy Lighthouse. It’s built on top of a residential building. The Ship Statue and Taras Shevchenko monument are also on the coastal walk.

If you have more time in the city, do visit the mosque, the memorial and spot the countless Soviet murals on the walls.

Aktau was the starting point for my three-day Mangystau tour. I personally used RedMaya Travel.

They are my first recommendation. If they are unavailable, this three-day Mangystau jeep and camping tour is a GetYourGuide alternative (affiliate link). I did not take that specific tour.

Day 2 Torysh & Sherkala

We left Aktau early in a 4x4, passing the apartment blocks and oil wells on the edge of town. The steppe was surprisingly green after the rain, with camels, dromedaries, horses and goats roaming around.

Our first stop was Torysh, the Valley of the Balls. The spherical rocks are scattered over the ground; there are marine fossils to look for as well. After lunch at a roadside restaurant, we continued to Kolkala, the Blue Mountain, for a climb among the coloured rock layers and quartz.

Next came Sherkala, the large isolated mountain, with remains of a medieval settlement nearby. We finished at Airakty Shomanai, camping among the rock formations that look like castles.

Day 3 Bozjyra Plateau

We packed the tents and drove across the Ustyurt Plateau, passing desert villages and an oil town on the way to Bozjyra.

The ground is white, with huge cliffs, narrow towers and pointed rocks standing above the plain. We saw few animals beyond marmots and traces of goats.

This one was my favourite day of the trip, Bozjyra is truly grand.

Later, rain and wind forced us to move the camp to a more sheltered spot beside the road.

Day 4 Tiramisu Canyon & Boktu

At Tiramisu Canyon, the white and brown layers run across the cliffs. There were plenty of fossils here too. We then made a detour to Boktu Mountain, with mirages appearing over the hot desert.

After the visits, the tour returned to Aktau late in the day.

Days 5 and 6 Astana

I took an early morning flight to Astana. The train would have been far too long!

This city is modern, green, and beautifully planned, a stark contrast to Aktau.

I spent two days walking around its parks, squares and monuments. From Baiterek, walk along Nurzhol Boulevard towards Khan Shatyr, the huge tent-shaped shopping centre. The boulevard has gardens, fountains and government buildings on either side.

Across the Ishim River, visit the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, the glass pyramid, and Hazrat Sultan Mosque.

The other mosque I visited was the Grand Mosque, farther out on the southern edge of the city. It is the biggest mosque in Central Asia, but it was strangely devoid of believers when I visited.

There was plenty of construction during my visit, including the elevated railway.

For the Grand Mosque, bus 12 is among the routes listed by Visit Astana; it also serves the Baiterek area.

Day 7 Aqmola & Alzhir

I used Yandex to find the needed bus and made my way to Aqmola, it took around one hour.

ALZHIR was a camp for the wives of men accused of betraying the Soviet state. The museum and memorial describe their imprisonment and the separation of families.

The exhibits were sparse compared with what I expected. Outside, the memorial grounds are large and mostly empty.

Return to Astana for the night train to Almaty. Those trains are comfortable and the trip ends in no time, even though it lasts 17 hours.

Tickets are sold by Kazakhstan Railways.

Day 8 Almaty City

Arrival in Almaty, a historical city that did not preserve its history.

Visit the Green Bazaar for local foods and snacks, then walk to Panfilov Park and Zenkov Cathedral, the colourful wooden church. Nearby is the older wooden building housing the Museum of Folk Musical Instruments.

If you have time, take the cable car to Kok Tobe for city views.

Museums like the Central State Museum offer historical context, but I haven’t been there, someone told me it was more or less the same than the one in Astana.

The city feels like Grenoble (The French chicago) without delinquency.

It’s a really nice city to spend some time in and to base yourself for hikes.

Day 9 Big Almaty Lake

I went to hike to Big Almaty Lake with a friend, starting a bit late due to delays.

Our route followed a paved road, then the water pipes, with ropes needed on part of the climb. Access was restricted by the military, and the lake was nearly empty when we reached it. So it was utterly disappointing.

I included it here because in the end it’s my itinerary, but, it’s much better to skip it and add one more day from the trip to Charyn and Kolsai.

At sunset, the scenery was spectacular, at least and at last, a good thing.

Day 10 Canyons and Lakes

Book one of the numerous tours from Almaty for Kolsai, Kaindy and Charyn Canyon.

Two days is better than one, I did it in one, it wasn’t great. Everything was rushed and my group was super slow.

The first stop was Lake Kolsai, surrounded by pine forest. At Lake Kaindy, dead tree trunks stand upright in the water: the lake flooded the forest after a landslide.

The tour also went to Charyn Canyon, where the red cliffs of the Valley of Castles form towers along the canyon floor. These three sites involve a lot of driving from Almaty, which is why I’d give the tour a second day.

This two-day Charyn Canyon, Kolsai and Kaindy Lakes tour (affiliate link) gives the route the time I wish my one-day trip had. I did not use this operator.

Day 11 Shymbulak Ski resort

A ski resort?? Yup, it’s also a place to hike.

Take bus 12 from Dostyk–Kurmangazy to Medeu, then the gondola to Shymbulak.

The hike climbed about 1 000 m, going above 3 000 m in the Tian Shan. It passed meadows, then rock, snow and glaciers. The path was rocky and slippery, and the descent was even worse. People along the route offered us water and help.

I’d recommend the cable car on the way down, but be careful, it gets crowded. And it’s stupidly expensive too.

Day 12 Bishkek

From Almaty, the bus to Bishkek leaves from Sayran bus station, at 294 Tole Bi Street.

The ride took about five hours, including the border crossing. There were departures throughout the day; the station’s ticket page sells seats on this route.

Kyrgyzstan

Day 13 Bishkek

Bishkek is flat, wide, and rather uninspiring. The small centre was still under construction in parts.

Walk around Ala-Too Square and visit the State History Museum for Soviet and nomadic history. The other big visit is the Central Mosque, built in an Ottoman style.

The hostel I went in was Apple Hostel Bishkek. There were plenty of other travellers, hikers and backpackers to meet, and I spent the evening chatting and exchanging travel tips.

Day 14 Ala-Archa National Park

I left Bishkek early for Ala-Archa National Park, south of the city.

The half-day hike passed through pine forest and steep valleys, following streams and small waterfalls. There were rocky sections and mountain streams to cross.

I found the bus on Yandex. Bus 1 serves the park; its city route now runs along Akhunbaev, Pudovkin, Tokombaev and Baytik Baatyr streets. The municipality’s route notice gives the revised streets, but does not confirm a service all the way from the gate to the hiking trails.

Days 15 to 17 Song-Kul

Three days at Song-Kul, on horseback, sleeping in yurts.

We left Bishkek early and drove through the valleys and mountain passes to Kyzart. After lunch, we were given horses and attached our bags before riding out.

The trek crossed rivers and ridges, with steep climbs before the open plateau. The temperature dropped from about 30°C to 10°C as we climbed.

We slept in shared yurts. Over the following days there were more climbs, stretches of open plain for galloping, and herds of horses and cattle around us. We rode beside the lake before descending to the village on the final day.

It was my first multi days hike on a horse, it was truly something. I hate horses, but someone roped me into going, so I spent three days on a fart machine that did whatever he wanted. Great!

From Kyzart, I shared a taxi with six other travellers heading to Karakol. Road construction made the trip last around seven hours, and we arrived late in the evening.

My trek was booked separately. this three-day Song-Kul trip with a yurt stay and horse riding (affiliate link) includes a shorter horse ride and a yurt stay, rather than the three days on horseback I did.

Day 18 Karakol

Karakol sits between Lake Issyk-Kul and the Tian Shan mountains.

Walk around the centre for the Russian-style wooden houses, the Dungan Mosque and the Tatar Mosque. The bazaar is built from shipping containers, and there are Dungan-Chinese restaurants around town.

It’s the most beautiful city of Kyrgyzstan, probably because it’s a Russian/dungan city. I really appreciated the abundance of Dungan food.

The cafés had plenty of Russian and European visitors. There are also beaches on Issyk-Kul outside town, if you have more time here.

Day 19 Jeti-Ögüz

On a Sunday, begin at Karakol’s animal market. Cows, horses and sheep are brought in and traded there.

(Do it when it’s a sunday, if it’s not, spend more time around Jeti Ogyuz, there are nice hikes in the area)

I then took a minibus towards Jeti-Ögüz, followed by a shared taxi for the final stretch, around 1,50€.

Ask for Jeti Oguz Kurort (Resort), only a handful of buses go there, and not year round, seemingly not everyday either.

The red cliffs are beside the resort. From there, the walk goes into the alpine valley and up to a viewpoint. I found the viewpoint trail less exciting, but the scenery was still beautiful.

I hitchhiked back to Karakol because there was no minibus when I needed one, arriving around 17:00.

Day 20 Altyn Arashan

I took an early minibus from Karakol bazaar towards Ak-Suu, then started the walk into Altyn Arashan.

The first hour was muddy and under construction, with old water pipes along the route. Farther up, we followed the river through pine forest and grey rocky valleys, with horses grazing nearby.

The hike took around eight hours. We reached the yurt camp in the rain and found rather more development than the photos online had suggested.

But so worth it!! When you look up pictures of Kyrgyzstan online, you’ll often see the Altyn Arashan valley. Now it’s crowded with camps, yurts, tourists and booming infrastructure, but you can still find nice spots, especially going further.

Russian jeeps were also taking visitors up the valley, around 20€ per person.

If you’re lazy, you can use a car to go up or down. They ask for 40€ or something similar.

We missed the last minibus on the way back and hitchhiked part of the return.

Day 21 Trip to Osh

From Karakol, I took a six-hour minibus to Bishkek, then a twelve-hour overnight cargo bus to Osh. It was hot, and there was constant honking on the mountain roads.

There is no real night bus to Osh. At least not in 2025. Go to the market and find a Cargo Bus

It’s at the “Kerben section” of the Dordoi market says people online. I haven’t found this Kerben thing, but I went where cargo bus were loaded and found one leaving to Osh, I was allowed to seat behind the drivers. The whole night was seated with a family of four across a single row. Ouch. It was around 20€ for the privilege.

I arrived the following morning.

Day 22 Osh & Pamir Highway Start

Osh felt more Uzbek than Bishkek or Karakol, but surprisingly modern: bubble tea, ice cream, pizza and bars. Parts of the city were under reconstruction.

The sacred mountain didn’t impress me. Don’t waste time there it’s essentially just a starting point to the Pamir Highway or to Peak Lenin.

I joined a seven-day jeep trip from Osh to Dushanbe, through Gorno-Badakhshan. After the briefing, we left through the dry mountains between the Fergana and Alay valleys.

this ten-day, nine-night Pamir Highway tour from Dushanbe (affiliate link) is a ten-day round trip from Dushanbe, with both the southern and northern corridors. It differs from my one-way trip, and I did not use that company.

Days 23 and 24 Tulpar-Kul and Peak Lenin

The drive climbed to around 3 500 m, passing villages and rivers below the red mountains. We stayed in yurts near Tulpar-Kul, with views of Peak Lenin and its glaciers.

With my group we spent one evening and a morning there, we did a small hike and enjoyed the red and green mountains as well as the multi colored lakes. Honestly, one of Kyrgyzstan’s prettiest area.

Tajikistan

Day 25 Karakul Lake

After a morning drive from Peak Lenin, we reached the border then went on to Karakul Lake, at around 3 900 m.

There is almost no vegetation here. The lake is surrounded by bare mountains, with a few settlements along the shore. The water was clear blue, reflecting the peaks, but the wind was strong and it got colder towards evening.

Evening spent at the motel from The Shining near the lake. It’s cold and bare-bones. Just like the landscape. Welcome to Tajikistan.

Day 26 Murghab Plateau

A long day of driving, about 6:30 over rough roads.

We passed abandoned villages before reaching Murghab, a container town trading with China, with a small market. Beyond it, the road got worse and there were a lot of trucks.

We stopped at a clear pond full of fish, then continued to Alichur, a village with both Kyrgyz and Pamiri communities.

Locals invited us to join a football game. We also tried yak-milk ice cream, followed by a yak steak for dinner. At night the sky was clear and full of stars.

Day 27 Langar & Wakhan Valley

We left Alichur for Langar, near the Afghan border.

On the way, we stopped at a high-altitude lake and hiked for about three hours, reaching roughly 4 800 m. There were marmots and wildflowers along the route.

The road then descended towards the Wakhan Valley. Trees and greenery returned as we dropped towards 3 000 m, and we could see villages across the Panj River in Afghanistan.

Our guesthouse in Langar had hot water and electricity, which had been rare during the previous nights.

Day 28 Yamchun Fortress

The drive towards Khorog included Yamchun Fortress, the ruins above the Wakhan Valley. From the walls you can see across the valley and towards Afghanistan.

We visited Bibi Fatima hot springs, mingling with locals in the warm waters (naked lol).

We also walked beside the Panj River, looking across at the Afghan villages, before reaching Khorog.

The vibe there was bad. A member of another group got attacked by a guy with a rock, ended up going to the hospital. My group was followed by a weirdo named Hugo, trying his best to take the girls with him. He followed us everywhere and was always close by, preying.

Day 29 Kalaikhum

Another six hours of driving, along the Panj River, on roads that were still under construction.

We stopped in small villages on the way to Kalaikhum. Across the river, the Afghan villages and paths were visible from the road.

In Kalaikhum, there was time to wash clothes and rest. The only thing worthwhile to do is resting and watching the afghans from afar. A bit boring.

Day 30 Dushanbe

The final drive to Dushanbe included short stops at a viewpoint over Afghanistan, Hulbuk Fortress and its small museum, then Nurek Reservoir.

The drivers pushed on, and we reached Dushanbe around 16:00. We finally had internet access again.

In the end, the best part of the trip was the people I have been with. Otherwise, the landscapes are a bit boring for the most part, the vibe is usually weird, the company scammed me a few bucks and robbed me of two days, plus were unable to answer queries… It’s not a must do, just like Vietnam’s Ha Giang loop, it’s overblown and overrated;

Perhaps it’s better on a motorbike, like many do. I guess it’s part of the appeal.

Days 31 and 32 Panjakent and the Seven Lakes

From Dushanbe, continue to Panjakent, near the Uzbek border. The road journey takes roughly 4–5 hours by car.

In town, visit the bazaar, then walk up to the ruins of old Panjakent in the late afternoon. The archaeological site is above the modern town; the remains are the streets and mud-brick walls of the old Sogdian settlement.

The second day is for the Seven Lakes, also called Haft Kul, in the Shing Valley. A driver booked in Panjakent can take you along the lower lakes and back to town. The lakes are at different heights along the valley, with villages between them and walking routes towards the upper lakes.

It’s great if you transfer to Uzbekistan from there. I mostly followed other people here before heading to Khujand.

If you desire to skip it, use that time to get one more day in Dushanbe, and perhaps one more day for the Fergana valley or something.

Days 33 and 34 Khujand

I took a shared taxi from Panjakent to Khujand, around four hours.

The centre has a reconstructed fort, museums, a mausoleum and parks along the Syr Darya. The fort and the riverfront are close together, with the market streets farther into town.

The city is worth it for its big museum (close to the boring Sugd historical museum, from the entrance, go left until you find the small gate heading inside) You’ll find a fake village, a building similar to the one in Uzbekistan, with hilarious paintings of the great leader inside as well as a hill overlooking the city.

Uzbekistan

Days 35 and 36 Tashkent

The crossing from Khujand involved long queues in the sun on the Tajik side and a single building for passport control. The Uzbek side was faster. Then came a crowded marshrutka and several detours through the suburbs before reaching Tashkent.

The road crossing is Buston–Oybek. The Uzbek side is around 95 km from Tashkent, about two hours by car, in addition to the drive from Khujand and the border formalities.

Start with Chorsu Bazaar, beneath the huge domed roof. The stalls sell spices, fruit and piles of melons. Walk through the surrounding market streets, then continue to Khast-Imam, with its blue-domed mosques, courtyards and Quran collection.

For the second day, use the metro to reach Amir Timur Square and the central avenues. The stations are part of the visit: marble halls, chandeliers and mosaics, with different designs from one stop to the next.

Above ground, there are Soviet mosaics and large concrete buildings along the boulevards. Between them are parks and fountains.

Days 37 and 38 Samarkand

The morning bus from Tashkent reached Samarkand by early afternoon. Buses leave from Tashkent Avtovokzal, beside Olmazor metro station on Bunyodkor Avenue; the journey is roughly 4–5 hours.

Begin at Gur-e Amir, Timur’s mausoleum. Its blue dome is visible from outside, but the gilded interior is the main part of the visit. From there, walk to the Registan, with its three madrassas facing the square.

Visit Ulug Beg, Sher-Dor and Tilya-Kori, including the courtyards and the gold-covered mosque inside Tilya-Kori. Return to the square around sunset for the illuminated façades.

From the Registan, the pedestrian street continues towards Bibi Khanym Mosque and Siab Bazaar. Bibi Khanym was partly restored, with very large gateways and domes. The market is beside it.

On the second day, go to Ulug Beg Observatory and the Afrosiyob Museum. The museum holds the surviving wall paintings from ancient Samarkand; the archaeological site around it is the earlier city.

Finish at Shah-i-Zinda, where a stairway leads between the tiled mausoleums. The façades are close enough to examine the different patterns and colours as you walk through.

For Samarkand–Bukhara, daytime trains take roughly 1:30–3 hours, depending on the service. Buy tickets through Uzbekistan Railways. Bukhara’s station is in Kagan, about 15 km outside the old city, so there is another transfer after the train.

Days 39 and 40 Bukhara

Bukhara has narrow lanes, sand-coloured walls and courtyards between the mosques and madrassas.

Start at Poi-Kalyan: the brick minaret stands beside Kalyan Mosque, facing Mir-i-Arab Madrassa. From there, walk through the covered trading domes and the streets of ceramics and jewellery workshops towards Lyabi-Hauz.

The square is built around a pond, with mulberry trees and places to sit for tea.

For the second day, visit the Ark Fortress, the former residence of Bukhara’s rulers, and Bolo Hauz Mosque across the square. The wooden columns of its porch stand beside another pool.

Then walk back through the smaller lanes and madrassas of the old town. There are more workshops and courtyards along these lanes.

Continue to Khiva by train from Kagan. Depending on the service, the journey takes roughly 3:20–5:40. Tickets are sold by Uzbekistan Railways.

Days 41 and 42 Khiva

The train crossed the steppe to Khiva. Inside the walls of Ichan Kala, the streets run between mud-brick houses, madrassas and tiled minarets.

Begin around Kalta Minor, the broad, unfinished minaret covered in turquoise tiles, then visit Kuhna Ark, the fortified residence of the khans.

The following day, walk to Tosh Hovli Palace for its tiled courtyards and carved wooden columns. Juma Mosque has rows of wooden pillars supporting the roof, and the Islam Khodja minaret rises over this side of the old town.

The Melon Festival brought music and parades into the streets, with people offering slices of fruit to passing visitors.

From the rooftops and city walls, you can see over the houses to the minarets.

Days 43 and 44 Nukus & Karakalpakstan

From Khiva, the drive north to Nukus takes roughly 3–4 hours, about 200 km.

Visit the Savitsky Museum, with its collection of Soviet avant-garde art, including works saved from censorship, and Karakalpak art and objects. Outside Nukus, there is Mizdakhan Necropolis, with its tombs and mausoleums, and the nearby remains of Gyaur-Kala Fortress.

The second day is the trip to Muynak, the former fishing port on the Aral Sea. It is around three hours each way from Nukus by road; a driver booked in Nukus can combine the ship cemetery with the necropolis on the return.

At the Ship Cemetery, rusting fishing boats lie in the sand below the old shoreline. You can walk down from the cliff to the boats. The town’s museum covers the fishing industry and the loss of the sea.

There is no water beside Muynak anymore. The remaining shore is farther away and needs a longer excursion.

For the continuation into Turkmenistan, my border departure was from Khiva, as described below. The return from Nukus to Khiva is another 3–4 hours by road.

Turkmenistan

Tips on how to travel Turkmenistan

The Agency

There are plenty of agencies out there, but I can personally recommend the one and only Ruslan Hydyrov from IndieGuide. He was reliable, quick to answer emails, and knows the system inside out.

Contact:

• Phone: +993 61 67 22 66
• Mail: ruslanhydyrov@gmail.com

If you get in touch, tell him you come thanks to Timothé Paris (that’s me). He’ll know.

Day 45 Konye

First thing first, find your way in the country. I started from Uzbekistan. The logical road used to be UZ-TM-IR nowadays, it’s only possible to go from UZ to TM. So I went to the Shavat border in Uzbekistan, taking a shared taxi from Khiva One hour later I was at the border, filled with Turkmen coming home with their shopping (TVs, PS4, computer stuff, air fryers…).

After a very long and stupid trip (you have to pay a bus to cross 200m through the No man’s land), I reached the Turkmen outpost, met my guide, Ruslan there.

After paying the necessary 100$ or something for the visa, entry and covid test, I was in!

The price is not the same for everyone, check with your guide and our nationality Also, carry a lot of cash with fresh USD notes, it’s mandatory

So, yeah, I got in the country, my guide met me at the border, we got a driver and went all the way to Konye Urgench to see the ruins. Felt a bit meh compared to Uzbekistan, much more ruined and spread out. It’s still nice for history buffs, especially when doing a guided tour, thing I didn’t do back in UZ.

After Konye, we went to Darva- not. Back to the border town of Dashoguz. Yup, the road to Darvaza is not finished from Konye, so enjoy the long detour.

Finally, after a bumpy road that was dreadful, I arrived at Darvaza, the gates of Hell!

We visited at night to see the beautiful flames and the stars.

See the pictures:

Nice isn’t it?

Day 46 Darvaza

This is a bit mixed with the previous day, sorry.

(After a barbecue and some wildlife spotting, I slept in a Yurt near the crater until sunrise. The Darvaza crater during the day is quite a worrying sight, dying out and not much to boast. The gates to Hell are soon to be just a hole in the desert.

Anyway, we continued, seeing other craters on the way as well as the sand dunes, through the bumpy road. To where? Ashgabat of course.

A city of white marble, of elegance, of rules (And of a ruler), dazzling in the desert. Ashgabat is only missing Aladdin and his flying carpet to be complete.

I thoroughly enjoyed the visit, mostly by car, to the grand buildings and all the center of interests. Everything is so spread apart and most of the touristic attractions are actually outside of the lively city. It’s not a ghost town, just that most things you see on the internet are located near government buildings and near a soon-to-be forest.

At night, the city is also quite lively, I walked freely, met some people, spoke with soldiers, shook I don’t know how many hands, said hi to everyone and well… just enjoyed the city by myself

Day 47 Ashgabat

Depending on you tour, you may have more time to have an in depth visit of Ashgabat. I think it’s worth it. The mosque is beautiful and the acoustic is incredible, it’s nice to see the busy train station, the roundabouts deserve their own tour, the indoor ferris wheel is stupid, the marriage center might be where you will find a bride, the station, a bribe… The commercial centers are nice for shopping too, shop for the dried apricots, they are lovely (Best I had so far).

On your way out, admire the airport built like a bird and enjoy the cheap, fixed rate, flights to europe and more. I went Ashgabat-Milano as Paris is not deserved since covid, it was inexpensive for the quality, the only downside was the 100€ bus to go back home. One hundred for a bus, sheesh, what a bunch of loonies. Turkmenistan > Italy.

More days? Planned vs Done

Kazakhstan

Two days for the canyons and lakes

I did Charyn Canyon and the Kolsai Lakes in one day. Everything was rushed and my group was super slow. If I were planning it again, I would use two days around Almaty: one for Charyn, then one for Kolsai and Kaindy.

Burabay from Astana

Burabay is a possible extra day trip from Astana for lakes, forest and rock formations; Visit Astana lists a one-day excursion with return transport. I did not go. You could also stay overnight for more time by the lakes.

Turkestan—mostly if you skip Uzbekistan

Turkestan is the other addition I considered. I skipped it because I was continuing into Uzbekistan. From what I found while planning, it looked too similar to the Silk Road architecture waiting later in my trip, and the detour was not worth it for me. If Kazakhstan is your only Central Asian country, or you are not going to Uzbekistan, Turkestan makes much more sense.

Kyrgyzstan

What I had planned around Bishkek

My original plan included Burana Tower and Ala-Archa National Park as outings from Bishkek. Then I went horse riding with my friend Sofianos instead. I still reached Ala-Archa, but did not visit Burana.

Burana is a separate day trip east of Bishkek. Take a marshrutka to Tokmok, then arrange the return transfer to the tower. The Bishkek tourism department describes this route but does not list a direct bus to Burana. An accommodation-arranged driver can cover the Tokmok–Burana section, including the wait during your visit.

Naryn

The Naryn area has mountain scenery and routes towards Tash Rabat. I did not go, so I cannot give you much firsthand information.

Should you go to Osh?

Osh was useful to me because it is the main departure point for the Pamir Highway. Otherwise, I would skip it. Go onward towards Uzbekistan, return towards Kazakhstan, or spend those very long transport hours elsewhere in Kyrgyzstan. The city itself did not justify my cargo-bus night.

Kyrgyzstan is often combined with Kazakhstan through Almaty. Work is underway to widen busy sections of the Almaty–Bishkek road.

You may hear predictions of a future two-hour connection: I know the place well, it will take time. A lot of time. But the road is indeed planned.

Tajikistan

One more day in Dushanbe

I regret not spending a full day in Dushanbe. I arrived at 16:00 and essentially got an evening. I would add a day for the parks and the grand buildings around the capital.

Panjakent, Seven Lakes and Khujand

From Panjakent and the Seven Lakes, you can continue directly into Uzbekistan towards Samarkand.

I went the other way because I wanted to join my friends in Khujand, hence the weirder itinerary. The detour was not actually that long, and getting from Panjakent to Khujand was quite easy for me.

Uzbekistan

Chimgan, Charvak and Ugam-Chatkal

Near Tashkent, you can add the mountain area around Chimgan, Charvak Reservoir and Ugam-Chatkal National Park. I did not go.

Use one day for a Chimgan and Charvak excursion. With two days, stay overnight and add a hike in Ugam-Chatkal.