Silk Road Adventure - the Five Stans

The route continues across Central Asia, including Samarkand with its vast Registan Square and mausoleums, Bukhara’s bazaars and old city, and the desert journey to Khiva. One of the more unusual stops is the Darvaza gas crater in Turkmenistan, where a fiery pit known locally as the “Door to Hell” burns in the desert. There is a balance of guided tours and free time, with opportunities such as a local cooking class in a Kyrgyz village, and a wine tasting amid Samarkand's Soviet-era winery.

The tour finishes in Ashgabat with a visit to ancient Parthian ruins and a chance to meet breeders of Turkmenbashi horses, one of the region's rarest breeds. Throughout, the itinerary mixes cultural places with wide open landscapes, in the quiet company of fellow travellers rather than in a rush.