Silk Road: The Five 'Stans of Central Asia (Almaty - Ashgabat)

What's Included

• MEALS

  28 x Breakfasts28 x Lunches25 x Dinners

• TRANSPORT

  On this tour we will use minibuses, train and domestic flights.

• GROUP SIZE

  Maximum: 12

• CARBON CONTRIBUTIONS

  Contributions to climate and community projects for all bookings

• EXPERT TEAM

  The full services of a Wild Frontiers Tour Leader with local guides where appropriate

• ENTRANCE FEES

  All entrance fees for sights mentioned in the itinerary

• ACCOMMODATION

  All accommodation as outlined in the itinerary

• FITNESS RATING

  Low / Moderate

What's Not Included

• We believe in a completely transparent approach to pricing with no hidden extras. As such, please note that the following are not included in the cost of the tour.Visas & Travel Insurance: Visas will always be tour/nationality dependent but travel insurance is mandatoryTips: Always optional but some guidance will be given in the pre-departure information documentsInternational .Flights: Please ask us for an obligation-free quote for flights which originate in the UKAirport .Transfers: We include complimentary transfers if arriving/departing on the suggested group flights.Beverages & any costs of a personal nature: This will include items such as laundry and souvenirs

• We believe in a completely transparent approach to pricing with no hidden extras. As such, please note that the following are not included in the cost of the tour.Visas & Travel Insurance: Visas will always be tour/nationality dependent but travel insurance is mandatoryTips: Always optional but some guidance will be given in the pre-departure information documentsInternational Flights: Please ask us for an obligation-free quote for flights which originate in the UKAirport Transfers: We include complimentary transfers if arriving/departing on the suggested group flightsBeverages & any costs of a personal nature: This will include items such as laundry and souvenirs

Visas

VISAS

Visas are necessary for many of the destinations we travel to and while we aim to provide you with the most up-to-date information, requirements frequently change and as such for the latest advice we advise that you check with the relevant embassies or contact a reputable visa agency. More details can be found here - https://www.wildfrontierstravel.com/visa

For this tour, UK passport holders currently require visas for Turkmenistan and Tajikistan but NOT for Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan.

Passports should ideally be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the end of your tour.

Non-UK passport holders or non-UK residents should contact the relevant embassies for individual requirements.

VACCINATIONS & ADDITIONAL TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

There are no mandatory vaccination requirements for travellers to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan.

For all destinations, please make sure you are up-to-date with any standard vaccinations (e.g. MMR, Hepatitis A, Tetanus) as recommended by your local health care provider. 

For the most up-to-date information on all vaccination requirements and the most suitable anti-malarial tablets, we strongly suggest that you seek advice from your local travel centre or consult an official travel health website such as www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk or www.travelhealthpro.org.uk

Covid Testing: Mandatory testing is currently required for vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers on entry to Turkmenistan.

If necessary further details will be sent out to you upon booking, however ensuring that correct and valid visas & vaccinations are obtained remains the sole responsibility of the client.

Responsible Travel

With local people, culture and eco-systems in mind, responsible travel and sustainable tourism are at the core of Wild Frontiers. We believe that a successful trip not only delivers a unique and unsurpassable journey for our travellers but also benefits the people and places we visit.

When designing our tours, we actively seek out experiences that have a positive impact on the communities and precious environments we visit - from supporting social enterprises; resting our heads in rural homestays; and eating at locally owned restaurants; to helping fund conservation projects that protect wildlife and their habitats. 

Visit the Responsible Travel area of our website to read more, including the work of the Wild Frontiers Foundation through which we fundraise to aid community empowerment and education projects.

Travelling Solo and single supplements

As a company approximately 70% of our clients are solo travellers, so it’s very unlikely you’ll be alone!

Our prices are typically based on twin-share accommodation but single supplements are not compulsory for any Wild Frontiers tour. If you prefer not to pay a single supplement we’ll pair you with someone else of the same sex for you to share with throughout the trip.

On this trip, if you do opt to pay for a single supplement then please note that it will cover you for all nights of the tour except in the homestays, where you may be required to share more than 2 to a room and use shared bathroom facilities.

Please note that paying a single supplement entitles you to lone occupancy of a single room. In many cases these rooms will be of the same size as a double/twin room, but in some cases they may be smaller.
 

Insurance

Insurance that provides cover for emergency repatriation in case of a medical emergency is compulsory for all tours. You should be aware that due to some of the geographical areas visited and some of the activities included on certain of our trips some standard insurance policies may not always provide adequate cover. As such we strongly recommend that you purchase a policy that adequately covers your trip. Please see the Insurance section for more details.

KEY ASPECTS TO CONSIDER

This tour offers an incredible variety of experiences and scenery as we travel through five very distinct countries. However with the exception perhaps though of Uzbekistan, this should not be considered as an in-depth tour of any of the individual countries, as it offers more of an ‘overview’ of the region.

Anyone in a reasonable state of health, with an open mind and a sense of adventure should be perfectly able to cope with this tour, especially as all walks are optional. Bear in mind, though, that the sheer length of the tour and distance covered means that it can be tiring and there are some long drives involved.

Please note that in certain places you will be staying in homestays so you should be prepared for basic facilities for part of the trip. We think that what you will be witnessing will easily make up for any discomfort!
 

Key Aspects to Consider

This tour offers an incredible variety of experiences and scenery as we travel through five very distinct countries. However with the exception perhaps though of Uzbekistan, this should not be considered as an in-depth tour of any of the individual countries, as it offers more of an ‘overview’ of the region.

Anyone in a reasonable state of health, with an open mind and a sense of adventure should be perfectly able to cope with this tour, especially as all walks are optional. Bear in mind, though, that the sheer length of the tour and distance covered means that it can be tiring and there are some long drives involved.

Please note that in certain places you will be staying in homestays so you should be prepared for very basic facilities for part of the trip. We think that what you will be witnessing will easily make up for any discomfort!

Please be advised that on this trip vegetarians can be catered for, but the selection and variety is likely to be limited.
 

Book with Confidence

• Free Date Changes

  Wild Frontiers allows you to make 2 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 90 days before the start of the tour.

• Low Deposit

  Wild Frontiers requires a minimum deposit of 200 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 70 days before departure.

• Cancellation Policy

  We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of wild frontiers charges.

  Up to 71 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

  At 51 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.

  At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

• Wild Frontiers' COVID Promise

  You will have the right to transfer without any transfer fee, from any of our trips at ANY time if your trip is not Covid Viable (see below).*
  We will not ask you to pay your final balance if your trip is not yet Covid Viable.
  If your trip is not Covid Viable, by 30 days prior to departure at the latest, we will cancel your holiday and you can either transfer your funds to another departure or have a refund.**
  
  
  We will only consider a trip Covid Viable*** if pre-departure it meets all of the following criteria:
  
  There is no national lockdown or ban on foreign travel for the period when your trip is due to depart.
  Destinations on the tour must not be on the UK’s Red List. ****
  No destinations visited on the tour have in place any significant COVID-19 restrictions for travellers.
  Tourist visas (if required) are available.
  There is reliable airline access to/from the start/end of the trip.
  Following an assessment by both Wild Frontiers and our local partners we are confident that your trip is able to run in both a safe and enjoyable manner.*****
  
  
  
  
  ** If you were originally booked to travel before 30 April 2020 and transferred to a later date, or if you have a tailor-made booking, there may be some irrecoverable costs which we cannot refund. Please speak to us and we will be able to advise you if this is the case for your booking.
  ***Since our HQ is in London, Covid Viable status for our Group Tours will be assessed on UK-based travellers. However we are fully aware that many of our clients live in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and beyond. As such, when we deem a trip to now be Covid Viable, everyone booked will have a chance to review their own personal situation before deciding whether or not to remain booked on the trip. Anyone wishing to, will have the option to transfer without fees to another trip at this time. For tailor made bookings, we may also able to consider additional countries’ travel advice when deciding if a trip is Viable. Please discuss this with us at the time of booking.
  **** This relates to bookings from UK clients only. We may operate trips to destinations which the British FCDO advise against travel for Covid reasons. If this is the case, anyone wishing to will have the option to cancel with a refund or transfer to another trip. In some cases we may choose to offer a tour to a Red destination but these will be at both clients’ and Wild Frontiers’ discretion and will be subject to alternative conditions to be discussed on an ad hoc basis.
  *****If a destination, that we have deemed to be Covid Viable, subsequently fails any aspect of the criteria for two consecutive weeks, you will have the right under our Covid Promise to transfer without any fees.