23 Days Central Asia + 4 STANS Itinerary

Planning a trip to Central Asia? This 23-day itinerary covers four of the most underrated countries I’ve visited: Kazakhstan 🇰🇿, Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬, Tajikistan 🇹🇯, and Uzbekistan 🇺🇿.

I spent over three weeks traveling across Central Asia using flights, overland routes, and border crossings. From surreal desert landscapes and alpine lakes to Silk Road cities and remote mountain passes, this route combines some of the most diverse scenery in the region.

This guide shares my exact route and day-by-day itinerary to help you plan your own Central Asia adventure.

Itinerary Highlights

Here is the 23 days / 4 STANS route we actually took:

🔃 Days 1-4: KAZAKHSTAN
Almaty → Mangystau → Almaty → Kolsai
🔃 Days 8-18: KYRGYZSTAN
Karakol → Altyn Arashan → Bokonbayevo → Song Kul → Chon-Kemin → Bishkek → Osh
🔃 Days 19-21: TAJIKISTAN
Khujand → Panjakent
🔃 Days 22-23: UZBEKISTAN + RETURN
Samarkand → Dushanbe (Tajikistan) → Almaty (Kazakhstan)

You might notice that the final legs of our actual trip differ from the recommended itinerary posted earlier. The Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan legs (up until Bishkek) went pretty smoothly. Unfortunately, an unexpected Uzbekistan e-visa issue forced us to miss our flight to Tashkent and it messed up our plans for both Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Sharing our exact path below to guide you through how we actually did the trip, along with the lessons we learned along the way.

To keep our trip as hassle-free as possible, we hired a travel agency to handle 95% of the planning. However, because we weren’t fully satisfied with their service, I won’t be recommending or sharing their details here. Instead, I’ve included direct booking links so you can easily check rates online and plan your own itinerary.

2/3/4/5 STANS Package Tours

Book here

Essential apps for Central Asia

✅ Flights: Skyscanner
✅ Money: Wise, GCash
✅ Taxi/Car: Yandex Go, InDrive
✅ Translate: Google, Yandex
✅ Navigation: Google Maps, 2GIS

PART 1: Mangystau, Kazakhstan (Days 1–4)

Kazakhstan was our first taste of Central Asia. From Almaty, we flew to Aktau and spent 3 days on a 4×4 expedition through the wild landscapes of Mangystau. Between camping in the wild and the surreal, out-of-this-world landscapes, it felt like stepping onto a different planet. Mangystau was, hands down, the biggest highlight of our trip!

Day 1: Almaty to Mangystau flight. Overnight in Aktau
Day 2: Start Mangystau tour. Visit Torysh (stone balls), Kok-Kala Tract, Sherkala Mountain and camping at Airakty (valley of castles)
Day 3: See the viewpoints overlooking Bozzhyra Valley and the iconic Fangs Formation.
Day 4: Explore Kyzylkup (Tiramisu Mountain) & Bokty Mountain. Fly back to Almaty.

We booked our flights to Almaty and Aktau ourselves and hired local tour operator to organize our private 4×4 expedition around Mangystau. I shared the list of all tour operators we recommend later in this guide.

Aktau Hotel/Accommodation

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🛌 Dostyk Aktau Hotel (Book here)

Mangystau Tours

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PART 2: Almaty, Kazakhstan (Days 5–7)

Back in Almaty, we explored the city and took in views from Kok-Tobe, before heading into East Almaty region for the turquoise lakes of Kaindy and Kolsai, and the dramatic cliffs of Charyn Canyon. We visited in spring, which was perfect for lush green valleys and majestic views of snow-capped mountains.

Day 5: City Tour of Almaty with stops at Green Bazaar, Ascension Cathedral & more. Ride the cable car to Kok-Tobe Hill.
Day 6: Drive to Saty Village and visit Charyn Canyon (often called the Grand Canyon of Central Asia). Stopover at Black Canyon
Day 7: Day tour of Kaindy Lake and Kolsai Lake.

Almaty City Center is easy to explore DIY. Most of the highlights are actually within a short walk of each other. To get around, use the Yandex Go or InDrive app to book taxi/car rides. To maximize our time and enjoy local insights, we hired a private driver-guide for both our Almaty City Tour and the 2-day, 1-night trip to the East Almaty Region. Since we planned to cross overland into Kyrgyzstan immediately after, having a private driver was convenient.

Hotel/Accommodation

Almaty (Check rates):
🛌 East Palace Hotel (Book here)

Saty Village (Check rates):
🛌  Kolsay_room Guesthouse (Book here)

Almaty Tours

2D1N Kolsai Lake, Caindy Lake + Charyn Canyon. Joiner tour with Almaty pick-up/drop-off & overnight in Saty.

Book hereCompare rates

1D Kolsai Lake, Caindy Lake + Charyn Canyon. Joiner day tour from Almaty

Book hereCompare rates

PART 3: Kyrgyzstan (Days 8–16)

We spent the longest part of our trip in Kyrgyzstan. It was raw, wild, and incredibly scenic. After crossing from Kazakhstan into Karakol, we journeyed to Altyn Arashan, which was the highlight of our Kyrgyzstan leg! The picture-perfect alpine valley was giving Swiss Alps vibe. From there, we followed the road along Issyk-Kul Lake’s southern coast to see canyons, waterfalls, and an eagle hunting show in Bokonbayevo. Next, we drove up the steep 33 Parrots Pass to Song-Kul Lake, where we spent the night in a traditional nomadic yurt, beside the still frozen lake, at over 3,000 meters.

The Kyrgyzstan leg was supposed to wrap up smoothly with horseback riding in Chon-Kemin and a day trip to Ala-Archa National Park from Bishkek, followed by a flight to Tashkent. However, because of Uzbekistan visa issues, we had to change plans.

Day 8: Cross the border to Kyrgyzstan with a stopover a Chernyy Canyon. Overnight in Karakol.
Day 9: Ride a Soviet-era 4×4 jeep to Altyn Arashan. Marvel at the alpine views and hike to the hot spring.
Day 10: Travel back to Karakol for a city tour and side trip to Jeti Oguz Canyon.
Day 11: See the Barskoon Waterfall, Skazka Fairy Canyon, and an Eagle Show on the way to Bokonbayevo (Issy-Kul lakeside).
Day 12: Head up the scenic 33 Parrots Pass to Song-Kul Lake. Sleep in a traditional yurt.
Day 13: Long drive to Chon-Kemin National Park
Day 14: Horseback riding in Chon-Kemin. Stop by Burana Tower on the way to Bishkek
Day 15: Hike & ride the cable car at Ala Archa National Park
Day 16: Bishkek City Tour with stops at Osh Bazaar, State History Museum & Ala-Too Square

We hired a private driver-guide for our entire trip in Kyrgyzstan to maximize our trip. Local transport between destinations is highly inconvenient and generally limited to major hubs like Bishkek and Karakol.

Hotel/Accommodation

Karakol (Check rates):
🛌 Biyik House (Book here)

Bokonbayevo (Check rates):
🛌 Bosogo Yurt Camp (Book here)

Chon-Kemin (Check rates):
🛌 Kok-Archa Guesthouse

Bishkek (Check rates):
🛌 Duo Hotel by Futuro (Book here)

Osh (Check rates)

PART 4: Osh & South Kyrgyzstan (Days 17–18)

For PLAN B, our agency arranged to drive us 14-hours to Osh and cross the border to Tajikistan while waiting for our e-visa result. The whole ordeal was stressful and exhausting, but we got to experience a side of Kyrgyzstan most travelers don’t see, including a snow-covered Ala-Bel Pass and the Kara-Koy mountains.

Day 17: Landtrip to Osh passing by the scenic Ala-Bel Pass. Alternative: 1-hour Bishkek-Osh flight.
Day 18: Day trip to Kara Koy Mountains.

PART 5: Tajikistan (Days 19–21)

Our Tajikistan leg kicked off in the ancient Silk Road city of Khujand after a long overland journey from Osh, Kyrgyzstan. Khujand ended up being another pleasant surprise of the trip, thanks to our visa ordeal. Next was the border town of Panjakent, the gateway to the stunning Seven Lakes of the Fann Mountains, one of the highlights of our time in Tajikistan. Unfortunately, long road trips, detours, and time lost due to our visa issues forced us to skip several places we had originally planned to visit, including Iskanderkul Lake and a city tour of Dushanbe.

Day 19: Cross the Tajikistan border to Khujand. Explore the Khujand Fortress.
Day 20: Arrive in Panjakent.
Day 21: Explore the 7 Lakes of the Fann Mountains. Cross the Uzbekistan border to Samarkand. Visit The Eternal City at night.

Hotel/Accommodation

🛌 Khujand (Check rates)

Panjakent:
🛌 Marco Polo Homestay (Book here)

PART 6: Uzbekistan + Return (Day 22-23)

Our Uzbekistan trip was cut to one night, forcing us to skip Bukhara and the capital, Tashkent. However, we still managed to explore Samarkand, the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site and legendary Silk Road trading hub near the Tajikistan border.

Day 22: Tour around Samarkand‘s ancient Silk Road heritage sites. Cross the Tajikistan border again and head to Dushanbe.
Day 23: Fly to Almaty. Free time and souvenir shopping at Green Bazaar.

Hotel/Accommodation

Samarkand (Check rates):
🛌 Panorama Hotel & more (Book here)

Central Asia Tour Agencies

After booking our own flights to Almaty and Aktau, we used an Aktau-based agency for our Mangystau trip, followed by an 18-day “4 Stans” tour package for the rest of the journey. This main agency worked with local partners who handled all the logistics, including transport, border crossings, tickets, accommodation, and meals.

I won’t be recommending the main booking agency here. Communication was only over WhatsApp and it was incredibly difficult because they didn’t speak English clearly. Plus, they gave us the wrong Uzbekistan e-visa information, which caused us to miss our flight to Tashkent and ruined our itinerary in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

However, we were satisfied with their local partners. If you want to plan your own trip using these trusted local operators directly, here is the list:

✅ Mangystau Tour 999 (Book here). We booked the 3-day, 2 night expedition package that included 4×4 transport with driver, tent accommodations, entrance fees & all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner).

✅ Discover Kazakhstan Tours (Book here). Our driver-guide for Almaty and East Almaty region. Highly recommended English guide. He drove us from Almaty to Charyn Canyon, Kaindy Lake and Kolsai Lake. Plus, arranged our accommodation in Saty.

✅ Kyrgyz Universe Travel (Book here). Our driver-guide for Kyrgyzstan. Highly recommended English guide with drone shots. He drove us from Kazakhstan Border to Karakol, arranged the overnight trip to Altyn Arashn (with 4×4 soviet van transport). Plus, drove/guided us to Bokonbayevo (Issy-Kul Lake), Song-Kul Lake, Chon-Kemin, Bishkek and Ala Archa.

✅ Marco Polo Travel (Book here). Panjakent-based tour agency for Seven Lakes & Fann Mountains. They also arranged the border crossing to Samarkand and overnight in their homestay in Panjakent.

5 STANS Packages

If you want a hassle-free multi-country tour of Central Asia, you can check out these highly rated package tours on TourRadar (see all packages here)

Budget + Expenses Breakdown

Cost below are per person, traveling in a group of 4.

✈️ Manila-Almaty RT flights — PHP 44K / USD 716

Mangystau (Part 1)

✈️ Almaty-Mangystau RT flights — PHP 18K / USD 292
🛌 Dostyk Aktau Hotel — PHP 1.8K / USD 30
✨ Mangystau Tour — PHP 23K / USD 375

4 STANS (Part 2-6)

✨ 4 STANS tour package (18 days) — PHP 181K, USD 2,950. Includes private car, flights, accommodation, all meals & entrance fees. Covers Kazakhstan (Almaty), Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, & Uzbekistan.

TOTAL

Expenses within the 4-STANS for 23 days
💰 PHP 239K+ / USD 3.8K+

Including Manila RT flights:
💰 PHP 283K+ / USD 4.6K+

Travel Tips For Filipinos

Flights from the Philippines

✈️ Manila → Bangkok → Almaty
✈️ Manila/Cebu → Kuala Lumpur → Almaty
✈️ Manila/Cebu → Kuala Lumpur → Tashkent

Visa requirements for Filipinos

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan → visa-free
🇹🇯 Tajikistan → visa-free
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan → e-visa required
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan → e-visa required

Central Asia Itinerary (23 Days)

Here are the details of our 3-week itinerary in the four “STAN” countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. I’ll be adding more helpful tips either here or on separate posts, so make sure to follow me here for updates:

DAY 0: Manila to Almaty

0950 AM: Manila to Bangkok flight (3 hours) with AirAsia.

1125 AM: Bangkok-Don Mueang Airport (DMK) arrival & layover.

1200 NN: The Coral Executive Lounge DMK. PHP 1,157 / USD 18.8 per person.

Book here

0730 PM: Bangkok to Almaty flight (8 hours) with AirAsia.

1210 AM: Almaty Airport Arrival.

Kazakhstan ATM Withdrawal. Use Halyk Bank for zero international withdrawal fee. GCASH Visa Card gave the best rates. Gotyme Visa Card was competitive too (just slightly lower). BPI and Maribank charged considerable higher fees.

Central Asia eSIM. Covers Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. One of our biggest mistakes was not booking this multi-country 4 STANS eSIM before our trip. We had to get eSIM for each individual country and it was more expensive and needed purchasing at the physical telecom office.

Book here

Kazakhstan eSIM. Book this if you are visiting Kazakhstan only.

Book hereCompare rates

Almaty Airport to hotel/city transfer. Use Yandex Go or InDrive app to book car/taxi rides in Almaty. It’s also available in major cities across Central Asia. We used InDrive app for airport transfers since Yandex Go did not have a 6-seater option. We were in a group of 4 with large luggage. The 6-seater car from Almaty Airport to our accommodation in the city center was KZT 6,500 or PHP 845/USD 13.65. Travel time was around 30 minutes.

0200 AM: Almaty hotel check-in. The best neighborhood to stay in Almaty is “Medeu District”. Tap below and use the filters feature to find the best hotels within your budget.

Book here

compare rates on: Agoda, Klook, Trip

Make sure to check hotels that are near Panfilov Park or Ascension Cathedral. Both areas place you near Almaty City tour highlights. If you are booking homes or Airbnb, always check if they have an elevator. Many older Soviet-era apartment complexes in Almaty only have stairs, which can be brutal if you are carrying heavy luggage.

East Palace Hotel. An okay option, though it feels more like a 3.5-star than a true 4-star hotel. It is located right next to an interchange with little to no walkable attractions nearby, but it does offer a quick drive to city highlights and easy access to the airport.

Accommodation: Almaty

PART 1: Mangystau, Kazakhstan (Days 1–4)

Day 1: Almaty to Mangystau

1115 AM: Go to Arbat to buy eSIM at Beeline. We went to the physical Beeline store at Arbat, a popular walking street in the city center that’s especially popular at night. We were told Beeline has the most reliable network for remote Mangystau. Note: We paid KZT 30K (~PHP 1.3K) for a 30-day unlimited plan.

Takeaway: Just buy your eSIM online beforehand. It’s cheaper, faster, and since there was no data coverage at the Mangystau campsites anyway, any network would have been okay. You cannot get a Beeline eSIM at the airport (only the physical Beeline SIM card or eSIM from other networks are available).

1200 NN: City to Almaty Airport car transfer

0355 PM: Almaty to Aktau flight (3h 15m with SCAT Airlines). Roundtrip fare was KZT 13K (~PHP 18K), including check-in baggage.

0700 PM: Aktau Airport arrival.

Aktau Airport to hotel car transfer. KZT 2.5K (~PHP 334) via InDrive 6-seater car. This should have been included in our Mangystau tour package. Travel time was ~33minutes.

0830 PM: Aktau hotel check-in. The best neighborhood to stay in right in the city center of Aktau. Tap below and use the filters feature to find the best hotels within your budget.

Book here

compare rates on: Agoda, Klook, Trip

Make sure to check hotels that are near the Caspian Sea Lakeside Promenade or in the Eternal Flame World War II Memorial (Victory Square).

Mangystau was the absolute biggest highlight of our entire Central Asia trip! Getting there requires a 3-hour flight from Almaty to Aktau, which serves as the main gateway to the Mangystau region. From Aktau, booking a 3D2N private tour is the way to go—our package was fully inclusive of a 4×4 transport, driver, camping gear, and meals.

Dostyk Aktau Hotel. Booked here for our arrival day in Aktau. Modern, clean and convenient location near the Eternal Flame WW II Memorial and short ride away from the lakeside promenade. Room rate was KZT 28K (~3.6K) for a twin room with breakfast for two.

Book here

compare rates on: Agoda, Klook, Trip.

9PM Dinner at Lamore (lakeside) and meet-up with our Mangystau tour agency.

Accommodation: Aktau

Day 2: Mangystau 4×4 Expedition

8AM Breakfast at Dostyk Hotel.

0900 AM: 3D2N Mangystau 4×4 Expedition pick-up. Our 3-day and 2-night private tour package cost USD1,500 for a group of 4 or USD 375 per person (~PHP 23K). Inclusive of 4×4 transport, driver, fuel, entrance fees, all meals during the tour (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and camping gears.

We booked with Mangystau Tour 999 (book here). If you have the budget, get an English-speaking to get the most out of your experience. Our driver, Nadyr, was excellent, but he had to set-up tents and prepare all our meals entirely on his own. Having a dedicated guide would have freed us up to explore short trails and viewpoints around the camps instead of waiting around.

1150 AM: Torysh Valley (stone balls).

0130 PM: Kok-Kala Tract. Had picnic lunch here (included in the tour) with tables/chairs set-up by our driver.

0430 PM: Sherkala Mountain.

0550 PM: Airakty (Valley of Castles). We hiked up to one of the viewpoints for sunset. Since our driver was busy setting up camp, we explored the trails on our own. For the best experience, I highly recommend hiring a local guide who can easily navigate the trails if you want to get the absolute best photo spots.

Our driver set up the tents and prepared dinner at our campsite in Airakty. We camped in the wild during the tour. While spring days are warm and reach highs of 25°C, the temperature quickly drops to around 10°C at night, so definitely pack a thick jacket. Yes, this also meant we didn’t shower for three days. And NO, there’s no toilet in the campsites either. You either have to do it in the wild or wait until the next gas station stopover to use the toilet (not a pleasant experience either). You can opt to stay in a Yurt or in the bigger towns, but expect higher costs and longer drive times.

Accommodation: Airakty (camping)

Day 3: Bozzhyra Canyon

0630 AM: Sunrise trekking at Airakty + breakfast

1050 AM: Shetpe. Stopover at Dala convenience store.

0115 PM: Zhanaozen. Had lunch at a local restaurant (included in the package). We got to try local Kazakh food here.

0344 PM: Bozzhyra Viewpoint 7. This is the name of the pin location on Google Maps. I’m not sure if it’s the actual name of the overlook. The view was nice, but I would have rather skipped it so we could spend more time on the next two viewpoints, which are the major highlights of Mangystau.

0450 PM: Bozzhyra Viewpoint 1 (Dragon’s Crest). Must-visit! The viewpoint was just a short walk away from the dropoff.

0640 PM: Bozzhyra Fangs Formation (Urochishche Bozzhyra) Viewpoint. The best overlook in Mangystau! Timing our visit for sunset was perfect! Watching the rocks glow golden was one of the highlights of our trip. Getting the the viewpoint needed around a 20 minute hike.

Accommodation: Lower Bozzhyra (camping)

Day 4: Bokty + Return to Almaty

0730 AM: Breakfast + break camp

0950 AM: Kyzylkup (Tiramisu Mountain). It was stunning to see in person. How I wish we could have arrived here early morning for sunrise golden hour. It would have been amazing to see the valley glow with a pink hue under the soft morning light.

1150 AM: Bokty Mountain. Getting to visit this as our final stop was the icing on the cake. Pun intended! This stunning, layered mountain literally looked like a giant sliced cake in the middle of the desert.

We almost didn’t make it to Bokty Mountain. Due to soft mud, the dirt track from Kyzylkup was completely impassable for our 4×4. There are no paved roads in this desert, meaning routes change constantly depending on the weather. We were devastated when our guide told us we couldn’t cross. We told him we were determined to visit Bokty Mountain even if it meant walking the remaining 4 kilometers through the wild open desert… and we did just that! It was a crazy experience, but after about a kilometer of walking, our driver managed to find stable ground, and “rescued” us from having to travel the rest of the way on foot.

0220 PM: Zhanaozen for lunch. Last meal included in our package.

0500 PM: Aktau Airport arrival

0850 PM: Aktau to Almaty flight

1120 PM: Almaty Airport arrival. Got picked up by Discover Kazakhstan Tours (Book here), our driver guide for the rest of our trip in Kazakhstan.

Accommodation: Almaty

PART 2: Almaty, Kazakhstan (Days 5–7)

Day 5: Almaty City Tour

1030 AM: Lunch at Navat. This aesthetic restaurant is one of the best places to taste Kazakh and Central Asian food. Group meals are huge! Stick to individual sizes so you can try more dishes.

Must-try local dishes:

✅ Manti (dumplings)
✅ Shashlyk (grilled meat)
✅ Plov (fried rice)
✅ Beshbarmak (horsemeat)
✅ Lagman

Safe, walkable, and easy to explore, Almaty City Center offers a mix of modern city life, rich history, and nature vibes. Overall, one full day is plenty of time for a city tour of Almaty. The main highlights are located within walking distance to each other.

Almaty is easy to DIY. The main areas are very walkable, and for longer distances, you can easily rely on the metro or ride-hailing apps like Yandex Go and InDrive. In our case, having a driver-guide, added more convenience and lots of local insights we wouldn’t have known otherwise

11:40 AM: Panfilov Park. The cathedral is located inside a massive park, so make sure to walk around the grounds to see the Eternal Flame and WWII memorial sculptures.

12:12 NN: Ascension Cathedral. The most iconic landmark of Almaty. Spring was perfect for Tulip blooms

0112 PM: Green Bazaar. The best spot in the city for souvenir shopping. Polite haggling is totally acceptable here, so don’t be afraid to negotiate a bit. Also, make sure you don’t miss the chocolate factory outlet. It’s just a short walk away.

0600PM Kok-Tobe Hill. Best sunset views over Almaty. In late April, we were lucky enough to catch a stunning sunset against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains.

Look up the sunset time online and plan to head up the mountain two hours early. We missed out on the cable car because we arrived too late on a weekend, and the lines were already long. We would have missed the sunset if we had waited in the queue.Instead, we ended up driving up to the top to catch the view just in time.

If you’re planning to go DIY, taking the iconic cable car will cost you KZT 10,000 roundtrip. It’s a bit pricey, but the ride up is completely worth it. Trying to save some cash? Skip the cable car and hop on the shuttle bus instead for a much more budget-friendly KZT 3,000 roundtrip.

The Fast Coaster at Kok-Tobe Hill. Worth it! Especially if you time it perfectly for the golden hour. Grab the “Fast Coaster + Cable Car + Ferris Wheel” combo ticket for KZT 16,800. It’s cheaper than paying for each attraction separately.

Dostyk Plaza. This premium + laidback mall was the perfect weather escape for dinner and last-minute shopping before the long trip ahead.

Accommodation: Almaty

Day 6: Charyn Canyon

0900 AM: Almaty to Charyn Canyon by car (3 hours).

1200 NN: Charyn Canyon. The Grand Canyon of “Kazakhstan”. Start with the top viewpoint looking down into the valley. If you have some extra time to spare, take the stairs down into the Valley of Castles. Ride the shared jeep straight to the river first, then take your photos on the walk back.

If you’re on a budget, the best way to visit Charyn Canyon is by joining a group tour. Most itineraries bundle Charyn Canyon, Kolsai Lake, and Kaindy Lake into a single trip, as these “Big Three” attractions are all located within the eastern Almaty Region.

One-Day Joiner Tour (Cheapest option). Price on Agoda is around KZT 12.7K / PHP 1.6K / USD 26 per person.

Book hereCompare rates

Keep in mind that the drive from Almaty City alone takes 3 to 4 hours each way. These tours typically start at 4:30 AM and get back to Almaty around 10:30 PM. You will be spending over 10 hours just sitting in a bus. While it is doable, it leaves you with very limited time to explore each stop.

Two-Day Joiner Tour (Better Option). One day just isn’t enough because the best photo spots require walking and more time at each stop. Overnight stay is in Saty Village, which is around 20 minutes drive to both Kaindy Lake and Kolsai Lakes.

Book hereCompare rates

Because we planned to cross the border into Kyrgyzstan after exploring the Almaty region, we went for a customized private tour and spent two nights in Saty.

0630 PM: Black Canyon.

0700 PM: Saty Accommodation check-in. Tap below and use the filters feature to find the best hotels within your budget.

Book here

Kolsay_room Guesthouse. Stayed here for two nights. Room were basic but clean.

Book here

Accommodation: Saty Village

Day 7: Kaindy + Kolsai Lakes

0825 AM: Saty to Kaindy Lake by car

0850AM: Kaindy Lake. Known for its incredibly unique “sunken forest” vibe. From the parking lot, you’ll need to ride a soviet van to the trailhead. The ride costs is KZT 1,000 per way and takes around 5 minutes. For a more scenic journey, go on a horseback ride for KZT 9,000 per way. Once you reach the trailhead, it’s another 10-minute walk to the actual lake.

0115 PM: Kolsai Lakes. The most scenic alpine lake we visited in Almaty! Make sure to spend around 2 to 3 hours here as reaching the best viewpoints requires a fairly long walk or hike. We actually spent the whole afternoon here (4-5 hours).

0145 PM: Tary Cafe at Kolsai. Picture-perfect views + aesthetic cafe. This is the big reason why you’ll need to budget more time in Kolsai. It’s a long but scenic 30-minute hike. From the parking lot, head down to the lake shore, follow the lakeshore path to the left, and then go a flight of steep uphill stairs. Super effort, but 100% worth it for the coffee and panoramic views!

Falcon + Traditional Thai costume photoshoot. The guy charged us KZT 4,000 per picture. He took lots of photos and didn’t charge extra for the costume. When we told him the four of us just wanted one photo each, he offered to give us soft copies of all photos for KZT 20,000.

Accommodation: Saty village

PART 3: Kyrgyzstan (Days 8–16)

Day 8: Border crossing to Karakol

0920 AM: Breakfast + Checkout

0940 AM: Saty to Kygyzstan Border by car

1055 AM: Chernyy Canyon stopover. An hour later, we did another photo stop at beautiful yellow flower fields.

0135 PM: Border crossing from Kegen, Kazakhstan to Karkara, Kyrgyzstan. It was not a busy land border. The process took us no more than 5 to 10 minutes and it went smoothly.

Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan crossing via Kegen-Karkara border

Basically, our Kazakh driver dropped us off at the checkpoint in Kegen will all our luggage. After clearing the Kazah immigration, we crossed over to the Karkara checkpoint on the Kyrgyz side. Though the walk was short, it was super cold and windy that time, so make sure to prepare a jacket. The Kyrgyz immigration officers requested to see our printed e-Visas, and once our passports were stamped, we met up with our Kyrgyz driver who took us directly to Karakol.

Philippine passport holders need an e-visa to enter Kyrgyzstan. If you need one too, make sure to apply online well ahead of your trip. They don’t process Visa on Arrival at this land border.

3:30 PM: Karakol arrival. This town is the adventure hub for Issy-Kul Lake region and other popular spots like Altyn Arashan.

Accommodation: Karakol 

Day 9: Altyn Arashan

Altyn Arashan village. This is an absolute must-visit in Kyrgyzstan! Getting there involves a 2-hour ride from Karakol on a rugged, Soviet-era 4×4 van. Fair warning, it will likely be the bumpiest ride of your life, but the stunning Alpine views are 100% worth the journey. Visiting in spring was absolutely perfect, as we got to experience a breathtaking contrast of lush green valleys set against dramatic, snow-capped mountains.

Hot springs trek

Accommodation: Altyn Arashan

Day 10: Jeti-Oguz + Karakol

Altyn Arashan to Karakol by car

Holy Trinity Cathedral

Jeti Oguz Canyon

Accommodation: Karakol

Day 11: Issyk-Kul Region

Stopped over must-visit places in Issyk-Kul region on the way between Karakol & Song-Kul/Bishkek.

Barskoon Waterfall

Issyk Kul Lake view

Skazka Canyon. 

Eagle Show at Bokonbayevo.

Accommodation: Bokonbayevo

Day 12: Song Kul Lake

Aksay Canyon

33 Parrots Pass

Song Kul Lake

If you want to truly experience authentic Kyrgyz nomad culture, this is the best spot for it. The drive to the lake takes about 5 hours from Bokonbayevo in the Issyk-Kul region, taking you via the incredibly scenic 33 Parrots Pass.

Be prepared to rough it out a bit. We spent one night in a traditional yurt right beside the frozen lake at an elevation of 3,016 meters.

Accommodation: Song Kul (yurt)

Day 13: Chon-Kemin

After Song-Kul, we took a ~5-hour drive to spend the night in Chon-Kemin (if you’re coming straight from Bishkek, it’s a much shorter 2-hour journey). The mist and rain during our stay gave the entire valley major Twilight vibes. While there, we tried horseback riding and stopped to explore the historic Burana Tower, an impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Chon-Kemin National Park

Accommodation: Chon-Kemin

Day 14: Bishkek Arrival

Horseback riding at Chon-Kemin

Burana Tower

Accommodation: Bishkek

Day 15: Ala Archa National Park

Ala Archa National Park

Red Poppy fields

Accommodation: Bishkek

Day 16: Bishkek

Bishkek City Tour

Osh Bazaar

Faiza (lunch)

Victory Square & Eternal Flame

Ala-Too Square & State History Museum

Accommodation: Bishkek

Note: We originally planned to fly from Bishkek to Tashkent, Uzbekistan (Day 17). However, we were unable to board the flight due to visa issues.

For our Plan B, we took a long overland drive to Osh, near the Tajikistan border, and explored Tajikistan first while waiting for our Uzbekistan e-Visa to be approved. The long drives were extremely tiring.

The only upside was that we were able to experience the scenic Osh, Ala-Bel Pass route in Kyrgyzstan, and Khujand in Tajikistan. However, looking back, I would have preferred to stick with our original itinerary and visit more destinations in Uzbekistan.

PART 4: Osh & South Kyrgyzstan (Days 17–18)

Day 17: Bishkek to Osh

Bishkek to Osh transport by car

Ala-Bel Pass. a 4-hour drive from Bishkek on the road to Osh, we found this jaw-dropping spot right along the highway 😱 Pure raw nature and one of the most underrated places we saw in Kyrgyzstan!

Accommodation: Osh

Day 18: Osh

Kara Koy mountain view

Sulayman Too Mountain sunset

Accommodation: Osh

PART 5: Tajikistan (Days 19–21)

Day 19: Khujand

Osh to Khujand transport by car

Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan via Isfara-Batken border crossing

Kayrakkum Reservoir Park

Khujand City Tour

Mausoleum of Sheik Muslihiddin

Sughd Region Museum

Khujand Fortress

Accommodation: Khujand

Day 20: Panjakent

Khujand to Panjakent

Accommodation: Panjakent

Day 21: Seven Lakes + Uzbekistan entry

Seven Lakes & Fann Mountains

These stunning alpine lakes are located near the Tajikistan-Uzbekistan border and make for an incredible side trip. The drive from Panjakent to the sixth lake—widely considered the most beautiful of the bunch—takes about 2 hours. If you’re starting your journey from Dushanbe, expect a 5 to 6-hour drive just to reach Panjakent.

Border crossing to Samarkand

Tajikistan to Uzbekistan via Sarazm-Jartepa border crossing

Samarkand.

This stunning city is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and incredibly easy to reach. You can get there from Tashkent via a quick 1-hour flight or a 2-hour high-speed train ride. In our case, we actually crossed into Uzbekistan over the land border from Panjakent, Tajikistan, which took about 2 hours in total.

The Eternal City

Accommodation: Samarkand

PART 6: Uzbekistan + Return (Day 22-23)

Day 22: Samarkand

Samarkand City Tour

Registan Square
Gur-i Amir Mausoleum
Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Hazrat Khizr Mosque
Siyob Bazaar

Uzbekistan to Tajikistan via Jartepa-Sarazm border crossing

Panjakent to Dushanbe transport (car)

Accommodation: Dushanbe

Day 23: Back to Almaty

Dushanbe to Almaty flight

Green Bazaar

Kok Tobe Hill sunset

Transport to Almaty Airport

Day +1: Bangkok to Manila

Almaty to Bangkok flight (early morning)

Bangkok to Manila flight