COPENHAGEN, Denmark - 7 July, 2026 - Penguin Travel has confirmed that its 18 September 2026 departure is the final 2026 date with availability on "The 5 Stan-s - Follow in the Footsteps of Genghis Khan," a 21-day journey across Central Asia that culminates in a Turkmenistan tour finale at the country's extraordinary Darvaza gas crater. Every other 2026 departure has now closed or sold out, leaving this date as the last chance to join the trip this year before it resumes in April 2027.
The route follows the old Silk Road across five former Soviet republics - Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan - beginning in Bishkek and ending in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat. Along the way, travellers cross deserts, steppe, fertile valleys and high mountains that once formed the backdrop to Greek and Persian armies, Mongol hordes, Silk Road traders, and Soviet-era experiments. Limited to a small group and led by a Penguin Travel tour leader alongside local guides, it is designed for travellers who want to reach some of the least-visited corners of the continent in a single overland journey.
Highlights along the route include:
- The Darvaza gas crater in Turkmenistan - a burning natural-gas crater known as the "Gates to Hell," experienced with a fire-cooked dinner and an overnight in a desert yurt camp.
- The Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan - Samarkand's Registan Square, the old town of Bukhara, and UNESCO-listed Khiva, among the most spectacular ensembles of tiled mosques and madrasas in the world.
- Issyk Kul in Kyrgyzstan, the world's second-largest mountain lake, with a night in a lakeside yurt camp and a traditional eagle-hunting display.
- Charyn Canyon in Kazakhstan, often likened to the Grand Canyon, and the apple-city of Almaty.
- Iskanderkul Lake in Tajikistan, named after Alexander the Great, set high in the Fann Mountains.
- Old Nisa in Turkmenistan, a UNESCO-listed Parthian capital, plus the marble city of Ashgabat and the prized Akhal-Teke horses.
Rated 4.74 out of 5 across 210 reviews and a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, Penguin Travel specialises in small-group adventure and cultural journeys to destinations well beyond the mainstream.
Tour at a glance
- Tour: The 5 Stan-s - Follow in the Footsteps of Genghis Khan (21 days, 5 countries)
- Featured departure: 18 September 2026 - the last 2026 date open for booking
- 2027 dates: from 12 April 2027 onwards
- Price: from €2,690 per person (single supplement €490)
- Group size: 6–15 travellers
- Route: Bishkek, Issyk Kul, Almaty, Dushanbe, Penjikent, Khujand, Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Darvaza and Ashgabat
- Includes: hotels, homestay, guesthouse and yurt-camp accommodation, meals per the itinerary, all ground transport and Silk Road train tickets, a complimentary invitation letter for the Turkmenistan visa on arrival, local English-speaking guides and a Penguin Travel tour leader (minimum 10 travellers)
- Excludes: international flights, visas, entrance fees, the Almaty–Dushanbe flight, insurance, tips and personal expenses
Full itinerary and booking: https://www.penguintravel.com/Offer/RoundtripsandCulturalTours/2162/The5Stan-s-FollowinthefootstepsofGenghisKhan.html
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