THE STANS TRAVEL GUIDE
Central Asia has a more colloquial name: the Stans. This vast region, stretching from the Caspian Sea to China, consists of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, with Afghanistan and Iran below and mighty Russia looming to the north. The suffix ’stan is Persian and Urdu for ‘land of’. So, if you’re in Kyrgyzstan, you’re in the land of the Kyrgz. Simple. What isn’t simple is generalising about what you’ll find on a trip to two or more Stans. Turkmenistan is dominated by desert, but Tajikistan is all about mountains. Uzbekistan brims with Silk Road cities, but Kyrgyzstan is the place for hiking and horse riding.
Traveling to a handful of Stans brings dazzling variety, but while the sights vary, the welcome never falters.![]()
Tourism is in its infancy, so there’s a real sense of discovery to traveling here, and the few visitors that pass through are treated with instinctive hospitality by local people who, beyond the odd glitzy Soviet capital, live simply, in ways little changed in centuries.
The Stans are/aren't
The Stans are…
five very different countries, with diverse landscapes and long history.
The Stans aren’t…
all about the Silk Road.
WHAT WE RATE & WHAT WE DON'T
UNDERRATED
Active exploration
Trekking around gorgeous Iskander-Kul lake in Tajikistan, horse riding …
Kazakhstan
Despite painting Kazakhstan in a poor light, the film …
RATED
Silk Road cities
Uzbekistan’s famous Silk Road cities never fail to impress: …
OVERRATED
The Silk Road small group tour
Discover the Silk Road in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and China
From
US $4200 to US $5100
14 days
ex flights
The five stans silk road vacation
Step into the pages of history on a silk road tour
From
US $7500
23 days
ex flights
Silk Road highlights tour
Travel the world's famous highway; the Silk Road
From
£1795
20 days
ex flights
Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan vacation, Silk Road explorer
Discover the fascinating ancient history of the Silk Road
From
£2875 to £2999
16 days
ex flights
Central Asia overland tour, the stans
An epic journey through the five 'stans' of Central Asia
From
£5799 to £6099
26 days
ex flights
Turkmenistan to Kyrgyzstan overland tour
Follow ancient trading routes through the 'Stan's'
From
£1795
20 days
ex flights
FOOD, SHOPPING & PEOPLE
EATING & DRINKING IN THE STANS
Plov is eaten all over Central Asia, and a national obsession in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. At its simplest it’s rice with onion, carrots and some form or meat, cooked slowly in layers.
Soup is ubiquitous in the Stans, ranging from tasty noodle soup called laghman to less appetising fatty, meaty broths.
Vodka, a hangover from the Soviet era in every sense, is still popular across the region, and there are plenty of cheap but tasty local varieties to sample as you travel from Stan to Stan.
Soup is ubiquitous in the Stans, ranging from tasty noodle soup called laghman to less appetising fatty, meaty broths.
Vodka, a hangover from the Soviet era in every sense, is still popular across the region, and there are plenty of cheap but tasty local varieties to sample as you travel from Stan to Stan.
PEOPLE & LANGUAGE
Rahmat in Uzbek = Thank you
Languages belonging to the Turkic group are spoken across the Stans – Turkmen in Turkmenistan, Uzbek in Uzbekistan – with sometimes several spoken in a single country. Russian, though, is the de facto language, spoken throughout the region and especially in cities, a linguistic legacy of the time the Stans were the Soviet Central Asian Republics. Very few people speak English.
Learn how to say ‘thank you’ around the region:
Rahmat in Uzbek
Sag bolu? in Turkmen
Raqmet sizge in Kazakh
Learn how to say ‘thank you’ around the region:
Rahmat in Uzbek
Sag bolu? in Turkmen
Raqmet sizge in Kazakh
Kazakhs like to joke that they are second in the world in terms of meat consumption after, no, not Argentina, but wolves.![]()
Our top trip
The Silk Road small group tour
Discover the Silk Road in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and China
From
US $4200 to US $5100
14 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2024: 9 Apr, 23 Apr, 30 Apr, 14 May, 21 May, 28 May, 11 Jun, 19 Jun, 26 Jun, 17 Jul, 7 Aug, 21 Aug, 28 Aug, 4 Sep, 18 Sep, 25 Sep, 2 Oct, 9 Oct, 16 Oct
2025: 9 Apr, 23 Apr, 14 May, 21 May, 4 Jun, 11 Jun, 18 Jun, 25 Jun, 16 Jul, 6 Aug, 13 Aug, 20 Aug, 27 Aug, 3 Sep, 10 Sep, 17 Sep, 24 Sep, 8 Oct, 15 Oct
2024: 9 Apr, 23 Apr, 30 Apr, 14 May, 21 May, 28 May, 11 Jun, 19 Jun, 26 Jun, 17 Jul, 7 Aug, 21 Aug, 28 Aug, 4 Sep, 18 Sep, 25 Sep, 2 Oct, 9 Oct, 16 Oct
2025: 9 Apr, 23 Apr, 14 May, 21 May, 4 Jun, 11 Jun, 18 Jun, 25 Jun, 16 Jul, 6 Aug, 13 Aug, 20 Aug, 27 Aug, 3 Sep, 10 Sep, 17 Sep, 24 Sep, 8 Oct, 15 Oct
Travel Team
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GIFTS &
SHOPPING
SHOPPING
Gorgeous rugs and carpets are a speciality of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, with the Tolkuchka bazaar in Turkmenistan and Bukhara’s four covered bazaars great places to shop. In Kyrgyzstan, look out for shirdaks, traditional felt rugs used by nomads to cover their yurt floors.
Ceramics are ubiquitous, from inexpensive tea bowls in Kyrgyzstan to large plates with bold patterns throughout Uzbekistan.
Most Stans have their own unique style of hat. Turkmenistan has the furry telpek, while Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have embroidered skullcaps. The kalpak has a high crown and is made of white felt or sheepskin, symbolising the peaks of the Kyrgyz Mountains.
Ceramics are ubiquitous, from inexpensive tea bowls in Kyrgyzstan to large plates with bold patterns throughout Uzbekistan.
Most Stans have their own unique style of hat. Turkmenistan has the furry telpek, while Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have embroidered skullcaps. The kalpak has a high crown and is made of white felt or sheepskin, symbolising the peaks of the Kyrgyz Mountains.
According to myth, Timur bought 100,000 craftsmen to work on Samarkand’s Bibi Khanum mosque. When he toured the site, he rewarded workers by throwing coins and meat at them.![]()
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Samarkand to Tashkent by train, Uzbekistan: about £4.50
Plov and tea for two in standard restaurant, Uzbekistan: £1.50-2.50
Kalpak hat, Kyrgyzstan: £13
Loaf of white bread, Kazakhstan: 20p
0.5l beer, Tajikistan: 35p
Plov and tea for two in standard restaurant, Uzbekistan: £1.50-2.50
Kalpak hat, Kyrgyzstan: £13
Loaf of white bread, Kazakhstan: 20p
0.5l beer, Tajikistan: 35p
More The Stans articles
There's a climate of extremes – fierce cold in the winter, soaring heat in the summer.
Discover the natural wonders and Silk Road centers sprinkled across these five countries.
Discover a little more about the five unique countries that are known as the Stans.
You'll find Uzbekistan at the center of this commerce and cultural highway.
Tips and advice from experts and travelers who have already been is invaluable for your Central Asia vacation.
