For true travelers seeking something different, we highly recommend Zegrahm Expeditions land-based tour, “The Five Stans: The Hidden Heart of Asia”. This 18-day journey beginning September 7th, 2012, includes time in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan,and Turkmenistan. Participants will follow in the footsteps of Marco Polo gazing at river-studded plateau steppes, snow capped mountains, camel caravans, and rich cultures from the legacy of Chinnggis Khaan to Samarkland’s Islamic cities.
This is a portion of the ancient Silk Road that is, even today, rarely visited by outside travelers and participants should not expect hotels that meet western standards, Priced from $10,980 per person, this is our “Expedition of the Year” because it is the perfect 
tour for those in good health seeking a truly unique, well off the beaten track, cultures on this famed trading route. Imagine touring the glacier peaks of the Tuyuk Su Gorge in Kazahkstan or strolling the streets of Tashkent in Uzbekistan. Then there’s Tajikistan where 90% of the country is covered by mountains topped with snow. Once you have hiked the nature trails of Kazakhstan, walked the streets of Almaty or Bishkek, and experienced the Bukharan sashlik, you will realize that you have been on a “journey” not just a tour. Congratulations to Zegrahm for creating the year’s most interesting expedition
