• Bidding farewell to the amazingly chic and cosmopolitan city of Almaty, we’ll make our first stop at one of the Soviet Union's main radio posts. Radio Centre Number 7 is located near the village of Shelek and was only decommissioned in the 90s. These huge radio towers were designed to block incoming radio signals from China and south from India and Afghanistan, while also sending Soviet radio across the globe.
• After lunch, we’ll head to Charyn Canyon. Created by the Charyn River, this impressive natural monument has gained colorful formations of varying shapes and sizes. The Valley of Castles is probably the most famous sight in Charyn Canyon, with rock deposits resembling towers thought to be created by giants. The Valley of Castles is over 2 km in length, and its width reaches from 20 to 80 m in some places.
• After a long day of sightseeing we’ll head to Saty Village, where we’ll stay at a local homestay. Saty is the main town in the area that accommodates local tourists who come here to enjoy the region's pristine nature and awesome adventure tourism options.

• The Kolsai Lake National Park is famous for its immense beauty and of course its lakes. The main sight is Kaindy Lake. Kaindy Lake, despite looking prehistoric, was only created by an earthquake in 1911, thus why there are still hundreds of tree trunks sticking out of the water, where it once was a forest.
• We will also visit Kolsai Lake, the namesake of the National Park.
• We'll cross the border into Kyrgyzstan at the Karakara border, which is only open from May until October due to it being located on a mountain pass. Unlike the main crossings this is a little more off the beaten track. It's literally just in the middle of a mountain pass.
• After dealing with border formalities, we'll head to the town of Karakol, at the very eastern point of Issyk Kol. A small town with a big reputation, Karakol has a couple of pretty cool things to see, including the Dungan Mosque, unexpectedly shaped like a Chinese pagoda, and the Russian Orthodox Church.
• From here we’ll make our way to a SAIGA favourite – the Jeti Ögüz Health Spa, a Soviet sanitorium which is very tired and dated (as you’d expect a Soviet health spa to be!) but still functioning. You’ll have a chance to explore the grounds and buildings, get a massage, see all the weird treatments available and generally take a step back in time. Depending on who we find, we might be able to get radon baths, electric shock therapy, pulsating circulation treatment as well as mud baths, acupuncture and who knows what else!
  For anyone who loves the weird and wonderful, this creepy little adventure will be right up your alley!
• Then we'll continue on to where we'll stay be spending the night in Jeti Ögüz.

• In the morning we'll start heading along the southern shore of Issyk Kol, and you'll start realising how huge the lake is. To the north the land is much flatter and more like farmland, the mountains very close to the shore. In the south though, it's all canyons, gorges and waterfalls. It's much more rugged, yet the mountains are much further away. To the north the land is much flatter and more like farmland, the mountains very close to the shore. In the south though, it's all canyons, gorges and waterfalls. It's much more rugged, yet the mountains are much further away.
• Today you’ll get to see some of Kyrgyzstan’s natural beauty, with stops at Kök-Zhaik, which means “Valley of Flowers”, and Jeti Ögüz, which translates directly into English as “Seven Bulls” Gorge.

• After lunch we’ll switch vehicles from our minibus into a huge Soviet 4x4 bus to take us up the river to our overnight destination – a mountain hut at Kyzyl Suu. The drive in this vehicle is another SAIGA favourite, bouncing around in the huge all-terrain vehicle, winding our way up a rocky dried riverbed, and the hair-raising moment when we cross a fast-flowing river. Then we’ll arrive at our home for the night, which has literally made people cry because of the untouched beauty.
• We'll be staying in the mountain hut of the people who live here and looks after the nearby Soviet Meteorology Station and the Institute of Glaciers Foundation. Once we’ve settled in they’ll take us for a little tour around the two setups. It’s fascinating seeing the old Soviet ways of measuring everything, compared to the high-tech modern ways of measuring the same things.
• After dinner we’ll no doubt have a bonfire and just relax, taking it all in.

• Beginning our descent back down the mountains, stop and have a dip at a small natural hot spring, right on the edge of the glacial river, before leaving the mountains and getting back to to Issyk Kol.
• We're going to drive up into another gorge today, this time to see two statues of Yuri Gagarin - one, a very impressive face carved into a huge rock, and the other a much more under-stated bust atop a large plinth.
• Next we will visit the town of Kaji Say. Once a thriving township full of engineers and scientists for the nearby uranium mine and processing plant, now the town is mostly empty with only a few older members of the community still remaining. We will explore the former uranium mine whilst also experiencing a town relatively untouched since independence.
• A highlight will be the large Lenin monument overlooking the town and Issyk Kol.
• Arriving at our yurt camp right on the shores of Lake Issyk Kol, we’ll get our yurts and make ourselves at home, taking in our surrounds at the edge of Issyk Kol, the second largest saline lake in the world (based on volume, actually it’s only fifth biggest based on surface area!).
• Heard of glamping? Well this is glurting, with each yurt decked out like a hotel room, with power outlets, lights, and real mattresses.
• Take a walk to the nearby abandoned Soviet campground. We’ve made friends with the local security guard, so we’ll be able to explore the dorms, industrial kitchens, shower block, theatre, and whatever else you can find. A keen urban explorer can easily spend hours here.
• We’ll have a home-cooked meal inside a huge yurt, and spend the rest of the evening relaxing.

• Today we'll start heading back towards civilsation, and will end up this evening in Kyrgyzstan's capital city of Bishkek.
• Our first stop will be at Burana Tower, one of Kyrgyzstan's most famous sites. A 25 metre brick tower, this was once a 45 metre tall minaret, which was once the minaret of a mosque in Balassagyn city. Now you can climb to the top of it for some great views over the nearby landscape.
• And next up is a real local treat – a game of Kok Boru, which is played on horseback, and the aim is to get a newly decapitated goat into the other team's goal. They'll also demonstrate other horseback sports such as shirtless wrestling.
• If you're game, you can even have a go yourself, whether it's just seeing if you can pick up the dead goat (not as easy as they make it look!), or getting on a horse and actually trying to play.
• And then we'll have another great traditional Kyrgyz activity - an eagle hunting display.
• Next we'll take a look at the town of Tokmok, a stereotypical Soviet town and home of the former air force training base. To honour the town’s past, there’s a MiG-23 mounted as a memorial, which we'll have a quick photo stop at.
• Arriving in Bishkek in the late afternoon, we'll check into our accommodation, and then enjoy the change of scenery from the last few days and experience some of the nightlife the country's capital has to offer.

• We'll start the day by doing a walking tour of Bishkek, a quintessential Soviet city with an amazing mix of Stalinist and Brezhnev era architecture. The wide boulevards and Brutalist apartment blocks, in stark contrast to the snow-capped mountain backdrop.

• We’ll start with the Frunze Museum, dedicated to Mikhail Frunze, whom the city of Bishkek used to be named after (and why the airport code is still FRU!).

• Making our way past Victory Square, the circus and Tsum, we'll visit the Lenin Statue and Ala Too Square, home to the National Museum of Kyrgyzstan and a large Kyrgyz flag. Although this flag isn't quite as famous as their world-record holding neighbours, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan , it is still impressive and every hour, on the hour, there's a changing of the guards.

• We'll continue on to Osh Bazaar, passing the White House on the way, and we’ll finish off the day learning about some of the weird and wonderful produce and delicacies you’ll find in the market.

• In the afternoon there will be some free time so you can do some exploring yourself.

• Leaving Bishkek, we’ll head into rural Kyrgyzstan towards Toktogul, with lots of stops on our way.

• Our first small detour will be to the tiny village of Kojomkul, where you'll never guess what there is - a monument to Kojomkul! Kyrgyzstan's most famous strong man, who you'll a lot about during our trip.
• Continuing on our way we'll stop in the very small village of Manas, where there's a wonderful, you guessed it - statue of Manas.
• And our next slight detour will follow the Agar River and make a stop at Ozero Sazka - Reflection Lake. Named for good reason!
• After a short walk past a yurt camp, a bunch of horses, and across a small stream, we'll come out at the edge of the picturesque lake.
• Continuing on our way, we'll arrive at our destination for the day in the late afternoon. The town of Toktogul, 1000 metres above sea level, was originally named after Toktogul Satylganov, a well-known Kyrygz poet and musician. His contributions and talent were so extensive that he is featured on the 100 Som note.
• You can go for a wander around the town if you want to, before we have dinner at our homestay for the night.

• Leaving Toktogul this morning, we'll continue our road trip through rural Kyrgyzstan.
• We'll be driving along the extremely picturesque Naryn River for most of the day, as we wind our way through western Kyrgyzstan.
• We might stop and buy a watermelon or a box of strawberries, so we can kick it local style and have a lake-side picnic at Toktogul Reservoir. A very popular place for locals to set up for an entire day, with makeshift tents, camp seats and tressle tables everywhere, we'll stop here for a refreshing swim and just to relax and hang out for a while.
• If we've got time, we'll stop will be at the Uzgen Minaret just before arriving in Osh, an 11th Century, 27.5m tall tower, alongside three mausoleums.
• Although in some ways it’ll feel like we’ve re-entered civilisation after a few days in the Kyrgyz countryside, Osh feels a lot different to Bishkek. There’s a bit of a rugged, wild west sort of feel, that’s quite charming.
• We’ll visit the sacred Sulaiman Too Mountain, the main attraction in Osh.
• We’ll walk to the top of the rocky outcrop, no doubt meeting lots of local pilgrims happy to have a chat on the way.
• Not only is the scraggy hill a site in itself, with amazing views out over the whole city, and also peppered with ancient petroglyphs, but it’s also home to Sulaiman Too Museum, one of those famous crazy Soviet buildings that appear on all the lists of weird Soviet structures.
• If there's time we’ll go to the Osh bazaar, one of Central Asia’s largest open-air markets. This is a great opportunity to find some cool souvenirs – hats, coats, rugs, fabrics, ornaments, loads of the cool stuff you’ve been admiring on locals and in their houses since being in Central Asia.

• Leaving Osh this morning, we'll cross the border into Uzbekistan.
• We’ll spend the morning driving through the Fergana Valley into the mountains to visit the town of Yangiabad. Before arriving at our final destinatition though, we'll make a few stops in Angren. Not famous, and certainly not in any way a "tourist spot", Angren has some excellent Soviet stuff in it, which we love to check out. There are several murals, a couple of statues and the House of Culture.
• We'll arrive in Yangiabad in the afternoon. A closed town during the Soviet Union, not even appearing on maps, it was built as a mining town where exiles were sent.
• Once home to about 10,000 people, the population got down to just over 300, and it felt like a crumbling little Russian enclave within Uzbekistan. However, in the past couple of years the mountain air and scenic views have grabbed the attention of Tashkentians, and the area has become a popular local tourism spot.
• We'll spend the afternoon wandering the streets of the town, exploring the Soviet architecture, and soaking in the atmposphere - a difficult-to-describe mix of lively and summery, and decrepit and derelict.
• We'll spend the night at a nearby Soviet “resort”. If it's hot you can go for a swim in the river, or if you just want to relax, we might be able to find the massage lady.

• Setting off from Yangiabad in the morning, we'll drive to Parkent, where we'll visit one of our absolute favourite examples of Soviet architecture. The second largest solar furnace in the world. "What's a solar furnace?" you might be wondering. Good question! Come and find out.
• In the afternoon, we'll drive to Tashkent. Despite certain likenesses between Tashkent and Ashgabat, with their wide boulevards, artificially manicured lawns and pristine facades in front of crumbling Soviet buildings, Tashkent is a vibrant capital city with lots to do.
• Arriving in the afternoon, we'll take a stroll from Independence Square, formerly Lenin Square, along the Broadway. On the way we'll also pass the statue of Amir Timur, the Romanov Palace and the Uzbekistan Hotel (a must for any Soviet architecture lovers).
• This is a great way to take in the atmosphere that is modern Tashkent around dusk, a city which is quickly becoming hip and modern. With myriads of food and drink stands, a small market, scooters for rent, and loads of cool Tashkentians, young and old, it's a great place to start getting a vibe for the city. We can stop and browse in the small market full of old Soviet trinkets, sit under a shady pagoda for a cold drink or ice cream, check out the miriads of food trucks and market stalls, and find somewhere nice to have dinner.
• We'll have dinner in one of Tashkent's many up and coming restaurants, and if you're a bit sick of Central Asian food by now, this is a great chance to have something else. We might find something at the Broadway, or there's a great Korean restaurant that's one of our favourites for example.
• Overnight in Tashkent.

• We'll spend today exploring Tashkent, starting with the famous Chorsu Bazaar, with its iconic blue dome that's now home to meat, dairy and dried fruits. Exploring the stalls you'll learn about traditional bread-making methods, local remedies for everything including of course virility issues, and how Uzbek babies are taught to go to the toilet.
• From here, we'll jump on the Tashkent Metro, one of only two metro systems in Central Asia (the other one being in Almaty). As with most Soviet built metros, the stations are unnecessarily lavish, but Tashkent's are particularly ornately decorated. Until June 2018 it was illegal to take photos inside them, but fortunately now pictures of these incredibly photogenic stations are allowed.
• We'll get off at a couple of stations on the way to have a look at our favourites, but we'll use the metro to get to our next stop - the Museum of Railway Techniques.
• This outdoor museum is full of all sorts of old locomotives, and they don't mind us climbing all over them. We can even take a little train ride around the train museum. You don't have to be a train lover to enjoy this charming museum.
• You'll most likely have tried plov by now, but nothing will prepare you for the National Plov Centre, which will be our lunch stop for today. An absolutely massive operation, with an army of Uzbeks preparing multiple varieties of plov in unbelievably huge cauldrons, it is an exceptionally unique experience, and a great place to try the national dish if you haven't already. Coffee, ice-cream, salads, all sorts of juices and teas and of course super freshly baked bread are also available.
• From here we'll make our way to the Tashkent TV Tower for fabulous 360 degree views of the city. Another iconic piece of Soviet architecture, the inside of the tower itself is just as interesting as the views or the outside.
• And finally, we'll visit Tashkent Land, Central Asia's answer to Disneyland. With its faded welcome sign, crumbling gift shop and creaky rides, this is definitely a step back in time. Most tourists don't make it to this gem of Soviet infrastructure, but we just can't resist it. It's probably just as well that the exhilarating “Boomerang” rollercoaster has finally been decommissioned, but our favourite ride is still there - the “African tour”, a boat trip through the jungle land.
• Tonight is another opportunity to eat in one of Tashkent's many great restaurants, before we have limited options again for the next few days.
• Overnight in Tashkent.

• Today we'll be leaving Uzbekistan (for the first time on this tour), and heading to Tajikistan, crossing the land border into our fourth Stan.
• Arriving in Khujand around lunchtime, we'll have a sightseeing tour in the afternoon, including the Panjshanbe bazaar, Sheikh Muslihiddin Mosque and the Mausoleum of Khujand.
• A highlight of Khujand will be the massive Lenin statue, standing majestically on the side of a hill overlooking the city, this is now the largest statue of Lenin still standing.
• Overnight in Khujand.

Khujand to

To Khoja Obi Garm.

• This morning you'll have a chance to get some more treatments, take some photos in different light, or just explore the buidlings and grounds some more, before we leave the Soviet splendour of the previous night behind us.
• Arriving in the capital around lunch time, we'll take a tour of Dushanbe's city centre, including Rudaki Street, the Somoni Monument, and the Building of National Spirit (unfortunately it’s not possible to go inside, but it’s still impressive from the outside).
• We'll also walk through Ce ntral Park, where you can gawk at the huge flagpole which was the largest in the world from 2011 to 2014.
• We’ll visit the largest teahouse in the world, which is actually a series of insanely impressive funtion rooms, all adorned with incredibly ornate, but very varied, decorations. From the room that is lined in entirely mahogony, to the mirror room, or the pastel detail of traditional Tajik decor, they all share one thing - the resplendence.
• Then we'll visit the Museum of National Antiquities, where we'll see one of the biggest (literally and figuratively) objects of Tajik pride - the "Buddha in Nirvana" (Reclining Buddha), an impressive 13 metre long clay statue. ​​​​
• Overnight in Dushanbe.

• Today we'll be leaving Tajikistan and will re-enter Uzbekistan, crossing the border at Jarteppa.
• However, before farewelling Tajikistan, there are a few ancient sites in and around Penjikent that we'll make stops at.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Our first stop will be the UNESCO listed ruins of Sarazm, an archeological site dating back to the 4th Millennium BC (yes, millennium, not century!).
• In Penjikent you’ll visit the Museum of Rudaki, the local bazaar, and the ruins of Sogdian and Sarazm.
• Arriving in Samarkand in the evening, you'll have free time to start getting your bearings around this fascinating city.

• Once known as the “Pearl of the Muslim World”, Samarkand is a city synonymous with the Silk Road, full of towering minarets, shimmering domes and home to a splendid technicolour bazaar, which you will have time to wander around and discover for yourself.
• We'll start with what everybody’s waiting for when they go to Samarkand –  the famous and spectacular Registan Square, which is flanked by three beautifully decorated, sparkling blue mosaic madrassas. Once the city’s commercial centre, Registan Square is modern Samarkand’s centre piece and a pride of the Silk Road.
• Having died in September 2016, Islam Karimov, the First President of Uzbekistan, now has his mausoleum on the newly renamed Islam Karimov Street. Often missed on Samarkand tours, we think this is a must-see site and an important piece of the jigsaw that is Uzbekistan's modern history.
• We'll also pay visits to Bibi Khanum Mosque, Amir Timur's Mausoleum, Siyab Bazaar, and the grave of St. Daniel which is said to grow a foot in length every ten years.
• In the afternoon we'll visit Romanenko House, a place that is difficult to describe. This small suburban house has been transformed into a completely unique textile workshop where thirty men and women redesign ancient Central Asian clothing into colourful, modern designs.
• We'll organise an optional wine tasting at one of the local wine factories for anyone who's interested - this can be a really fun way to see another side of Samarkand life.
• After dinner we'll stop at the front of the Registan for the epic sound and light show that is put on every evening after dark. Some say it's tacky, others find it spectacular - whichever camp you find yourself in, it is definitely something!

• This morning we'll head off from Samarkand and drive to Bukhara.
• Arriving in the afternoon, you will have an opportunity for some free time.
• We'll be staying very close to the centre of the old town, so anyone who wishes to start exploring, you can, or for those who need some down time to catch up on laundry, messages, sorting photos, sleep, or whatever else you might be running behind on this is a great chance for that too.
• In the evening we'll meet up with anyone who wants to have dinner together at our favourite spot in Bukhara, next to the lake in Lyabi Hauz square - a beautiful setting right in the centre of the old town.
• In the evening we'll sit by the lake, chilling out and taking it all in over a cold drink and a chat.

• We've got the whole day to explore Bukhara, starting with a walking tour , strolling through the iconic streets of Bukhara's old town.
• Of course we'll see all the famous minarets, mausoleums, mosques and madrassas, however listing these just doesn't capture Bukhara's charm.
• Aside from the impressive brick and blue tiled buildings, at every turn there are shops selling interesting things you might not have seen before. This is a great place to buy all sorts of kinds of souvenirs.
• We'll have the opportunity to learn about and watch demonstrations of various local handicrafts, such as suzany (a local type of embroidery), blacksmithery, woodwork, cooking (usually of plov), and tons of other stuff.
• We'll end our walking tour at a huge structure that looks like a giant ark. Known as the Ancient Ark Fortress, this was the Palace of Bukhara’s Emirs, and parts of it are still open for visitors. This is probably the single most iconic building in Bukhara.
• We'll spend the evening soaking in the atmosphere. Not only is the old town of Bukhara popular with tourists, but it's always absolutely buzzing with locals too, and there's a great lively vibe.

• Today we will cross the land border at Farap, into Turkmenistan, our fifth and final Stan - another great item to add to your list of quitessential Central Asian experiences. And this in itself can be quite the experience. Hopefully there won’t be many locals crossing and it’ll be relatively quick, but you need to have your wits about you for this crossing.
• Arriving in Turkmenabat in the afternoon, we’ll visit the Lebap Regional Museum. You wouldn’t expect much, but it’s actually a pretty cool little museum, with a fascinating array of taxidermy, multiple dioramas, and huge models and murals of the surrounding area, including depictions of dinosaurs making the footprints in the nearby Dinosaur Plateau. Not to mention some very informative displays about the wheat production and oil production of Turkmenistan of course.
• We'll have a quick dinner at our favourite Fitchi House - a local hotspot. And you'd never believe it, but it's not the only one. They also have a branch in Seattle!
• And then we'll head to the airport and you’ll fly on Turkmenistan Airlines! Departing from the very impractical, but equally as beatuiful star-shaped airport in Turkmenabat, we'll catch the evening flight to Ashgabat.
• And if you thought the airport in Turkmenabat was unnecessarily impressive, just wait til you land in Ashgabat!
• Arriving in the capital for the first time, we'll check into the hotel in Ashgabat and free time for the rest of the evening.

• Your first full day in Turkmenistan will be a slow moving day. We've just covered a lot of ground exploring the previous 4 Stans and we've made it to the grand finale.
• We'll take today at a relaxed pace, with a lot of flexibility. We'll take a walk to the local bazaar. We'll catch a local bus and check out some small local sights such as the Alley of Inspiration and Tashkent Park.
• In the evening we'll head to one of our favourite restaurants, Berk, which is a very popular restaurants for locals and expats alike.
• Overnight in Ashgabat.

• You’re going to be in awe of everything that the capital has to offer. We’ll spend the day taking in all the main sites of Ashgabat, including all those crazy monuments you’ve probably seen pictures of, as we begin explaining all the weird and wonderful aspects of Turkmenistan that make it such a special place.
• We’ll start with a driving tour of Ashgabat's main sites, including Independence Park and Independence Monument, the Monument to the Constitution, the Arch of Neutrality, Lenin Park, and a drive-by of the Olympic Complex which was built for the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. The complex is home to the famous Horse Stadium ( the largest structure in the shape of a horse in the world – you’ll hear plenty more of these records! ), but unfortunately is closed to the public.
• A highlight of the day will likely be the Alem Centre, which is the complex in which the Wheel of Enlightenment is, the largest indoor ferris wheel (yes, there’s another one). And YES, for just $2.50, you can even take a ride!
• Stop for lunch at Berkarar Shopping Centre, where you can go ice-skating, play in the games centre, ride a miniature double-decker bus, and even have a cappuccino in a hipster café – bet you weren’t expecting that!
• In the afternoon we’ll visit the state-run bookshop, a great chance to pick up some very cool, unique Turkmenistan swag, including where you can find amazing coffee table books written by and about the president, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, as well as ones about Ashgabat and Turkmenistan. You can even get them in English! They also have postcards and posters, and if you're lucky they might even have a copy of the Ruhnama, the book written by Turkmenbashy.
• Spend the night at the Ak Altyn Hotel.
• We are here for Indepedence Day, however it is unfortunately very unlikely that tourists will be allowed to attend any special events. With the increase in use of social media and sharing things online, and a larger number of tourists trying to attend each year, the government has become stricter about outside access to high level events. When we first started doing this, getting a group of 10 people together felt like a massive achievement and our presence was so unexpected and confusing that we almost could get away with anything! But it has been getting increasingly more difficult over the years with more and more tourists going at this time of year. This is of course very frustrating after a decade of working to gain access to things, however this is just how it is. Of course, we will absolutely be attending anything that we are able to, however we cannot guarantee any specific events. However, luckily Turkmenistan is such an exciting and interesting place, that there's never a dull moment anyway, regardless of events or no events!

• Happy Independence Day!
• Today we’ll start off by leaving the city, to visit Nisa, a UNESCO site which was once the capital of the Parthian Empire.
• We’ll then continue on to Kipchak to see the resplendent Turkmenbashy Mosque and Mausoleum, where Turkmenbashy is buried beside his mother, father and two brothers in their white marble mausoleum. There aren’t too many Turkmenbashy related sites still around, but this one is truly spectacular.
• Return to Ashgabat in the afternoon and you'll have some free time to enjoy a beer by the pool at the hotel or take a walk around the old part of the city where the hotel is located, before we set off in the evening.
• Night tour of Ashgabat. With the white marble buildings lit up by brightly coloured neon lights, Ashgabat is a truly spectacular place after dark. We'll make a stop at the Palace of Happiness in the foothills of the Kopetdag Mountains, from where you can get a fantastic panorama of the whole city.
• For dinner this evening we’ll go to the Yyldiz Hotel – the newest and most expensive hotel in Turkmenistan, where you can have a real 5 Star restaurant experience for 1 Star prices, complete with 360 degree views of the city.

• This morning we will have free time, so you'll have a chance to organise yourself for the evening ahead. We'll be checking out of the hotel in Ashgabat, but you can leave luggage behind for the overnight.
• In the early afternoon, we'll set off on our desert adventure, driving the 250km north to Darvaza, The Gates of Hell.
• One the way we’ll make a few stops – including to see a salt lake, and two other craters (one full of mud, one full of water).
• Our favourite stop on this drive though is the town of Erbent, where you'll get a real up-close look at how rural Turkmens live - very different to what you've seen so far in Ashgabat and other regional cities and towns. We'll patronise the village shop, no doubt take some photos of some dust, possibly an old motorbike or two, maybe even a camel, and if we're lucky we might bump into some school kids. We will also of course use their toilet (not a luxurious one!) before continuing on our way.
• Crossing the sand dunes to get to Darvaza, we’ll arrive in time to watch the sunset over the fiery crater and experience dusk turn to dark at this breathtaking site.
• We will either set up tents near the crater, or stay in one of the nearby yurt camps, depending on many factors, including weather. Either way though, we'll spend the evening viewing the fiery crater from every angle, seeing the colour change as the sun sets and the darkness creeps in, until the crater is in full glow. It's completely mesemerising.

• We'll wake up this morning at the Gates of Hell. What a place to wake up!
• Make sure you get your fill of fiery pits over breakfast, before we start heading back to Ashgabat, arriving around lunchtime.
• Arriving back in Ashgabat, you will have some free time until you need to be driven to the airport for your departure flight.
• If you'd like to see some more of Turkmenistan while you're there, why not join us on the 5 Stans Autumn Original Tour , where we'll also visit Kow Ata, Nokhur, Balkanabat, Turkmenbsahy and Yangykala Canyon, or the 5 Stans Autumn Mega Tour , where we'll visit all those things plus the remote far east of the country..