Five Stans guided adventure tour

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

This itinerary has been designed to significantly reduce flying within the region. There are no internal flights included at all, with travel undertaken primarily by overland transport and one high speed rail journey between Bukhara and Samarkand. The use of the Afrosiyob bullet train replaces what would otherwise be a short haul flight, offering a substantially lower carbon alternative while maintaining efficiency and comfort.

Shared transport is used throughout the journey, with travelers moving together in a single vehicle rather than multiple cars. This approach reduces per person emissions and is particularly effective across long desert and mountain routes in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.

Human powered transport is incorporated on multiple days, including guided walking tours in Ashgabat, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, Osh, and Bishkek, as well as walking exploration in Ala Archa National Park. These low impact activities allow deeper engagement with destinations while keeping carbon output minimal.

Accommodation is predominantly small scale and locally run, with generally low energy requirements. Desert camps near Darvaza use minimal lighting and power, often supported by small scale solar systems or generators used sparingly. Hotels and guesthouses along the route rely largely on natural heating and cooling appropriate to the local climate, rather than energy intensive systems.

Meals throughout the trip are largely based on locally sourced and seasonal ingredients, particularly in Central Asian cities and rural areas where supply chains are short. Vegetarian options are available with advance notice, and daily breakfasts are included to reduce food waste and over provisioning.

Travelers are advised prior to departure on ways to reduce the carbon impact of their vacation, including packing lightly, using refillable water bottles, limiting single use plastics, and comparing international flight emissions using tools such as Google Flights or Skyscanner when booking their long haul flights independently.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

Accommodation partners are selected with consideration for their environmental practices, particularly in sensitive desert and mountain regions. Desert camps near Darvaza operate on a low impact basis, with waste packed out, limited water use, and minimal disturbance to the surrounding environment. In mountain and urban areas, hotels typically follow water saving measures and basic recycling practices in line with local infrastructure.

The itinerary includes visits to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites and protected areas, including Konye Urgench, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, and Ala Archa National Park. Entrance fees and the use of licensed local guides contribute directly to the preservation and management of these culturally and environmentally significant sites.

Local expert guides accompany travelers throughout the journey. These guides are drawn from their respective countries and regions and are trained in cultural heritage, landscape interpretation, and site protection. Their knowledge helps ensure that visits to fragile archaeological sites, deserts, and alpine environments are conducted responsibly.

Travelers are provided with guidance on reducing their environmental impact, including respecting archaeological remains, staying on marked paths in mountain and desert areas, avoiding disturbance to wildlife, and conserving water in arid regions where it is a scarce resource.

There are no captive wildlife attractions included in this itinerary. Encounters with nature are limited to wild and protected landscapes, such as the Karakum Desert and Ala Archa National Park, ensuring that wildlife is observed in its natural habitat without exploitation or disturbance.

Invasive species are not a major tourism driven issue in this region, however travelers are advised to clean footwear when moving between desert, mountain, and park environments to reduce the accidental transfer of seeds or organic material, particularly when visiting Ala Archa National Park.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

The majority of accommodation used on this itinerary is locally owned and independently operated, with no reliance on international hotel chains. Hotels such as those used in Dashoguz, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, Dushanbe, Khujand, Osh, Bishkek, and Almaty are locally managed properties, while the desert camp near Darvaza is operated by a local team using temporary, low impact infrastructure. This ensures that accommodation spend remains within the countries visited and directly supports local businesses.

Local economic benefit is further maximised through the consistent use of licensed local guides in each country, as well as local drivers, camp staff, and support teams. The itinerary includes visits to major bazaars and markets, such as Dashoguz Bazaar, Siab Bazaar in Samarkand, the Oriental Bazaar in Khujand, and local markets in Osh and Almaty, where travelers are encouraged to purchase directly from small traders, artisans, and family run stalls. Visits to traditional craft centers, including the Meros Handicraft Centre in Samarkand, also support the continuation of local skills and small scale production.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

Close to 100 percent of the staff employed to operate this tour are nationals of the countries visited. This includes guides, drivers, hotel staff, camp teams, and local coordinators, the majority of whom are drawn from local communities along the route, ensuring that tourism income is widely distributed at a community level.

The itinerary creates income generating opportunities for groups that are often economically marginalised, particularly in rural and desert areas. The desert camp near Darvaza provides employment for local families who prepare meals, manage logistics, and maintain the camp, while market visits and craft centers support independent traders and artisans, many of whom are women working in small family run enterprises.

All ground operating partners are expected to comply with national labour laws and to pay staff at or above the local minimum wage. Employment is based on skills and experience, and repeat work is prioritised to provide greater income stability in regions where tourism is seasonal.

Our operating partners follow an equal opportunity approach to employment, with roles assigned without discrimination based on race, gender, nationality, or other personal characteristics. While the tour is operated professionally and inclusively, it takes place in regions where social and legal frameworks can be conservative. As such, the trip is not specifically marketed as LGBTQ+ friendly, and discretion is advised.

This itinerary is not suitable for travelers with limited mobility, significant vision or hearing impairments, or cognitive issues. It involves long driving days, border crossings, uneven surfaces at archaeological sites, desert terrain, and limited accessibility infrastructure, particularly outside major cities.