Holidays
in Central Asia- Tour Itineraries
A 13 day extensive tour of
Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan from £2295 per person
Back by popular demand - combining Kazakhstan
and Kyrgyzstan, in one itinerary, this tour is an excellent
choice for an overview of these two great cultures.
Based in Almaty, you will see alpine lakes, ancient
rock drawings and Grand Canyon-style gorges. In Kyrgyzstan
the highlights include a stay in the pretty lakeside
town of Karakol, where you can bargain for a Lada boot-load
of piglets or simply wander through the hustle and bustle
of agricultural trade at the Sunday Livestock Market.
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Itinerary
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| Day 1 |
FLY TO ALMATY
Fly with British Airways to Almaty |
| Day 2 |
ALMATY
Arrive Almaty and transfer to Hotel Otrar for 3
nights. After breakfast and brief rest you will
start with a city tour of Almaty, including the
Central State Museum of Kazakhstan, where you can
see the golden armour of a Scythian warrior, Zenkov
Cathedral and the Museum of National Musical Instruments.
Time permitting, you will also visit the Medeo Ice
Skating Rink high in the mountains overlooking Almaty. |
| Day 3 |
BIG ALMATY LAKE
Morning excursion (5 hours) including a picnic lunch
to Big Almaty Lake, located some 2,450 metres above
sea level in the gorges of Zailiysky Alatau. This
stunning alpine lake changes colour according to
season, from pale jade green to turquoise blue.
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| Day 4 |
TAMGALY TASH PETROGLYPHS
Excursion including picnic lunch to Tamgaly Gorge,
where 4,000 unique petroglyphs were discovered,
including scenes depicting hunting and religious
rituals as well as a host of animals such as mountain
sheep, goats, steppe antelope and Przhevalsky’s
horses.
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| Day |
ALMATY TO CHOLPON ATA,
KYRGYZSTAN
Transfer from Almaty via the Charyn Canyon to
Cholpon Ata. Charyn Canyon is one of Kazakhstan's
finest natural wonders. Here, you can walk in
the valley with its extraordinary Grand Canyon-style
rock sculptures and multi-coloured gorges and
enjoy a picnic lunch before continuing on to Cholpon
Ata. Overnight in Hotel Aurora.
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| Day 6 |
CHOLPON ATA TO KARAKOL
Meet Kyrgyzstan guide and visit the excellent
Issyk Kul Museum, which offers a comprehensive
sweep through Kyrgyzstan’s history and displays
the best collection of historical artefacts relating
to Issyk Kul Lake and the Chui Valley. Also included
is a visit to the Cholpon Ata petroglyphs, thought
to have been created by Sak and Usun Scythians.
Drive to Karakol, stay at guesthouse in Yurt Camp
Turkestan for 4 nights.
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| Day 7 |
KARAKOL
Free day to explore the town of Karakol. Sights
include the Dungan Mosque (an exotic-looking building
constructed in 1910 for the Dungans, who were
Chinese Muslims escaping persecution in 1880s)
and the wonderful Karakol Regional Museum.
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Day 8
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EXCURSION TO ALTYN-ARASHAN
VALLEY
Excursion to Altyn-Arashan Valley including picnic
lunch
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| Day 9 |
KARAKOL
An early morning excursion to Karakol Livestock
Market. Every Sunday, several drab-looking blocks
on Karakol's northern outskirts are transformed
into a vibrant spectacle, alive with energy and
colour. The livestock market (mal bazaar in Kyrgyz)
attracts an array of thousands of smallholders
and nomads from all over the Issyk-Kul region.
Jammed tightly together amongst the animals, this
huge, jostling swarm of people barter over sheep,
pigs and cattle, scatter the crowds by 'test driving'
powerful stallions and stock up on feed for their
new purchases.
By dawn, the market is already underway with
groups of white bearded men in fur-trimmed caps
bargaining animatedly, hawkers pushing through
the crowds proclaiming their wares and women in
bright headscarves patting and prodding ewes to
assess their rump fat. This is an unmissable Kyrgyz
cultural experience. Rest of day at leisure.
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| Day 10 |
DAY EXCURSION TO DJETY OGUZ
Excursion to Djety Oguz, located around 35 kilometres
from Karakol. This extraordinary 'Valley of Seven
Bulls', is famous for its unusually bright-red sandstone
rock formations. You can spend the day relaxing,
walking or we can arrange horse-riding as well.
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| Day 11 |
KARAKOL TO BISHKEK
Drive to Bishkek via the southern shores of Lake
Issyk-Kul. The road hugs the water’s edge and
winds through remote Kyrgyz villages, against a
spectacular backdrop of the Central Tien Shan Mountains.
We also include a visit to Bokonbaevo village, where
you can observe the production of national handicrafts.
Your journey will continue to Bishkek with a stop
at Burana Tower. Check-in Silk Road Lodge for 2
nights.
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| Day 12 |
BISHKEK
Morning city tour of Bishkek including the National
Historical Museum and Osh Bazaar - the biggest,
brightest and busiest of the city’s markets
and a true taste of Central Asia. Rest of day at
leisure.
|
| Day 13 |
FLY TO THE UK
Early morning transfer to airport for your British
Airways flight back to the UK.
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Prices
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LOW SEASON
(1 JAN-13 JUN, 1
SEPT-12 DEC 29-31 DEC 2008)
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Price per person twins-share
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£2295
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Price per Sole Traveller
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£2995
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HIGH
SEASON (14 JUN -
31 AUG, 13-28 DEC 2008)
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Price per person twins-share
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£2360
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|
Price per Sole Traveller
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£3060
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| PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO A HUGE INCREASE IN FUEL SURCHARGES IMPOSED BY BMI SINCE PRINTING OUR BROCHURE - THERE IS A SUPPLEMENT £68 PER PERSON ON ALL THESE ITINERARIES |
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Included in
Cost of Itinerary
|
| · Return flights in economy
class with BMI direct from London Heathrow |
| · All airport taxes and security
surcharges |
| · Accommodation in three-star
hotels and guesthouses with breakfast |
| · Half board on day 3, 4, 5
and 11 (breakfast and lunch) |
| · Full board on days 6 to 10 |
| · All transfers and transportation
throughout |
| · Sightseeing with English
speaking guide |
| · Entrance fees on sightseeing
tours |
|
Not Included
in Cost of Itinerary
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Kazak & Kyrgyz visa
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Ask for details
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Bookings
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| To make a booking, please take a moment
to read through our booking conditions. Then complete,
sign and return our booking form with a deposit
of £200 per person. |
| This itinerary and quotation is only
a suggestion. Please let us know if you would like
any changes to be made to your quotation. |
| ITINERARIES
MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT SHORT NOTICE DUE TO
LOCAL CONDITIONS |
| Please note that all prices shown
are subject to availability at time of booking. |
Should
you wish to inquire about any of this itinerary or require
more information about tailor-making a tour to Central Asia - please contact our specialist:
Carl@regent-holidays.co.uk
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