Tajikistan and Mongolia Open For Tourism
Your chance to travel Tajikistan and Mongolia this 2021 has just come a bit closer.
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Join us as we depart Ulaanbaatar travel
to Altai Tavan Bogd in search of Kazakh
Eagle hunters!
From 2,680 USD per person
Please apply by 18th September, 2021.
Join us as we depart Ulaanbaatar
travel to Altai Tavan Bogd
in search of Kazakh Eagle hunters!
From 2,680 USD per person
This tour takes us across Mongolia and out to the far west to witness an event that is certainly one of Mongolia’s most incredible spectacles, if not the world’s; the Golden Eagle Festival. It’s one thing to watch a local Kazakh Eagle Hunter working alongside his expertly trained bird, but imagine 70 such hunters all competing against one another against a backdrop of snow-capped Mongolian mountains. That’s the Eagle Festival! We’ll explore the capital, Ulaanbaatar, before catching a flight out to Bayan Olgii, one of the largest cities in the far-west. Here we’ll explore the region’s incredible sights such as the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park and the Khurgan & Khoton Lakes, to name but a few. Sightseeing over, we’ll head to Sagsai Village to witness the festival. We’re heading this far away from modern civilization to get a real sense of how the locals celebrate this festival as opposed to the over-commercialised versions taking place in other cities across Mongolia. It truly is something you’ll not want to miss and will never forget!
**As with all our tours, we pay great attention to your safety. Of course, we will be delivering even greater care this year due to the ongoing COVID situation. Although Mongolia is one of the best countries globally for social distancing (due to its low population level and vast open spaces), all travellers will be issued masks daily and hand sanitisers available throughout travel. This tour is available for booking, although we will not ask for a tour deposit until we can 100% guarantee your place on this adventure!**
Experience the Kazakh Golden Eagle festival -- the biggest festival of the year for Kazakhs Visit Mongolian Kazak and Tuva nomadic families Enjoy camel trekking and horseback riding Hike the great mountains (with views across to Russia and China) Explore the Altai and Bayan Ulgii region of Mongolia Marvel at the skill of local eagle hunters. We'll stop at glaciers, mountains and waterfalls all the while sleeping in Tents, gers and yurts
English speaking guide Western tour leader All meals outside Ulaanbaatar Camels for luggage Internal flights Horse riding All included sight seeing All taxes & entrance fees to protected areas All camping equipment (not sleeping bags.)
Sleeping bags International flights Any alcoholic beverages Meals where specified Medical insurance (can be arranged.) Visas (if needed) Airport pick up 25 USD one way Helmet rental 30 USD Sleeping bag hire (incl cleaning 30 USD for tour) Items of personal nature
Please note! This tour has been specifically arranged to visit these areas; it may have elements of an expedition about it due to the nature and ruggedness of the terrain. As such, any change in the itinerary at the time cannot be helped. We will keep to the advertised itinerary as closely as possible, although please be aware that things are subject to change, especially if we encounter extreme weather conditions. Along the way, all tour decisions will rest with Rich (tour manager) and an expedition leader. We will also be taking advice from local people on the ground whose expertise will far exceed our own.
For those who have booked international flights, should there be any change in the scheduling of these or route cancellation, Koryo tours can not be held liable; however, our crew on the ground will do all they can to help find an alternate flight or make your stay as a little easier.
We insist that with all of our tours, you book comprehensive travel insurance not only to cover your dates of travel but your departure and return.
Please apply by 18th September, 2021.
See Buzkashi, Central Asia’s 'most dangerous sport',
and travel to Tajikistan over the Nowruz Persian
New Year.
From 2,200 USD per person
Please apply by 1st March, 2022.
See Buzkashi, Central Asia’s 'most
dangerous sport', and travel to Tajikistan
over the Nowruz Persian New Year.
From 2,200 USD per person
Travel to Tajikistan over the Nowruz Persian New Year and experience Buzkashi ('goat-pulling' on horseback sport), ancient history, and breathtaking scenery.
As a crossroads of Central Asia and the Silk Road, Tajikistan has a rich and vibrant culture bringing together Persian, Greek, Turkic, Mongol, Russian, and Soviet culture throughout the ages. Beginning from the capital Dushanbe, the centre of modern Tajik culture, we'll explore southern Tajikistan and set out across the countryside to find Buzkashi - goat pulling. Watch as hundreds of horse riders work in teams and as individuals to pull a goat carcass through a goal. Dubbed the 'world's most dangerous sport', Buzkashi is a sight to behold!
We'll then head north over the beautiful and rugged Fann Mountains in the footsteps of Alexander the Great and Babur, the first Mughal emperor, on the way stopping at the large Khoja Obi Garm Soviet sanatorium - a gigantic Bond villain-like hideout - and the crystal clear waters of Lake Alexander. You'll then pass through the 5 km long Anzob tunnel before reaching the Sughd region, once ancient Sogdia at the mouth of the Fergana Valley.
This tour will be led by expert tour leader Rich Beal, who has extensive experience planning and leading tours throughout Tajikistan and Central Asia. Because of Rich's close connection to the country, his fellow Tajik guides and friends like to joke that Tajikistan is his third home (China and Mongolia being first and second)!
Looking to travel the Pamir Highway? See Koryo Tours' Pamir Highway Mountain Crossroads Tour in August from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to Dushanbe, Tajikistan on the M41 Highway through the Pamir Mountains.
Please see below for the Buzkashi and Persian New Year Tour highlights, itinerary, and additional information.
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
**This tour will be accompanied by a western tour leader if there are over five passengers booked**
VISA APPLICATION TO TAJIKISTAN
It is now possible to purchase your visa online, which makes our visit to Tajikistan a lot easier. Please see the following link for more information: https://www.evisa.tj Upon booking we will help should any further information be required.
IMPORTANT NOTE TO TOURISTS
This tour is a group trip designed to have a good amount of free time. We will give you ideas if you want to go out exploring or just take it easy at a café. Please be on time and return to that the hotel in the evening. Please note we will be driving relatively long distances, and seats can be hard, so we suggest bringing a travel pillow/neck support – the view and experience more than make up for a little discomfort though. Khoja Obi Garm Spa - please note this is a Radon spa which has radioactive properties. There are various thoughts on whether this is good for you or not! - please read up beforehand and make your own decision. The different types of treatment with steam sauna and water jets, massage etc. It is in a beautiful mountain area and worthwhile even for those not taking the spa treatments. The Russians built the spa over a religious shrine – for those of you not taking a sauna go pop out and try and find it in this beautiful mountainscape. Massage is 60 somoni head body arms, just need to wear pants or towel provided (radon shower included if you want! ) Carry a colour photocopy of your passport with you at all times.
USEFUL TIPS
Taxis – In 2017 most journeys cost around 20-30 somoni but make sure you agree to a price beforehand. Segafroid Café in Dushanbe is a good place for internet, and Western food- open for billiards and ten pin bowling cost 120 somonis per hour. The Segafroid Café is about a 20 somoni taxi ride from the Hotel Lotus. Dushanbe has the world’s largest tea house open for billiards, and ten-pin bowling cost 120 per hour. Bring sun protection cream. Bring hand sanitiser and toilet paper.
WEATHER
Early Spring weather so bring a light jumper and jacket; however, we will be heading into the mountains so have some warm clothing also as there will be snow.
Please apply by 1st March, 2022.
Kazakhstan is where a vibrant multi-cultural society
meets the dark legacy of deportations, gulags, and nuclear
weapons.
From 2,100 USD per person
Please apply by 4th April, 2022.
Kazakhstan is where a vibrant multi-cultural
society meets the dark legacy of deportations,
gulags, and nuclear weapons.
From 2,100 USD per person
On this incredible 9-night adventure we will start in the new capital of Kazakhstan, Astana and finish in the old, Almaty.
In between these two fascinating cities, we will travel by road, rail, and air as we adventure and explore parts of Kazakhstan only a few have seen before. We will be heading to the industrial base of Karaganda, the infamous Semipalatinsk (in two words; Gulags and Nukes), and Kurchatov - the Los Alamos of the USSR, where the Red Bomb was developed and tested. Plus, we will even visit ‘The Polygon’; the vast nuclear testing range full of abandoned measuring platforms, bunkers, craters, buried machinery, and the scenic yet chilling ‘Atomic Lake’.
We’ll get a history lesson on the darker side of this little-known land, as well as updates on what’s been going on in the cities and countryside as we pass between them seeing local life, industry, and so much more. Combining our expertise working in the country, contacts, and in-depth research, we’ve put together a tour that is like no other to offer you the best in Kazakhstan tourism.
Dates don't suit? Check out our Explore Kazakhstan | Astana to Almaty September Tour, or contact us for more information on private tours.
Scroll down for an overview of our Explore Kazakhstan - Astana to Almaty May tour highlights, tour itinerary, transport options, DPRK tourist visa information, and extra add-ons.
Astana - once the centre of the Virgin Lands campaign, now national capital
Semipalatinsk – fascinating small city and once home to an exiled Dostoyevsky
Nuclear Polygon – USSR’s testing range for atmospheric and underground nukes
Chagan – Abandoned long-range bomber base and garrison town
Kurchatov – Home of the bomb-boffins and Beria. Semi-abandoned these days
Karaganda – In the heart of Kazakhstan, also the heart of the old Central Asian Gulag system
Almaty – The old capital nestled against the Tian Shan Mountains
All hotel rooms on our all-inclusive group tours to Kazakhstan feature twin beds, and will be shared. If you'd like a room to yourself then you can upgrade for an extra $30 USD per night
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
How to Apply: To apply click on the application button listed with this tour and fill out the online form, upload a passport copy and photo (or send to us by email) and you can consider yourself to be booked on this adventure! For any questions, comments, etc. about this trip get in touch with Simon Cockerell at [email protected] We ask for an application to be complete a minimum of one month in advance of the tour, ideally, six weeks or more if possible: Please also indicate where you plan to join the tour from and finish the tour by going (we can offer advice on this, drop us a line to discuss it) We also require a deposit to be paid at this time as we start taking on administrative costs as well as an obligation to pay for the visa invitation as soon as we send off an application. We ask for a deposit of 50% of the tour fee. Cancellation & Refunds: Please note that if you require a visa for Kazakhstan, you will need to pay this fee yourself. Most visitors do not require visas, though. Check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Kazakhstan We practice the same cancellation policy with this tour as we do with our DPRK tours. This is listed on our website T&C. However we do not seek profit from people who cannot go on tours, but we do make arrangements and commit to payments in good faith once a booking is received and payment is made. So we always try to refund more than the minimum. As with any trip it is best to be as sure as possible that you will attend the trip when making the final booking. If Koryo Tours cancels the tour for any reason, then a full refund is of course made. In all cases, we return as much as we can, and we do not take a fee for the client's cancellation. Please be sure that you will definitely be joining the tour when you send all application details.
Please apply by 4th April, 2022.
Visit vibrant multi-cultural Kazakhstan
and enigmatic Turkmenistan
From 4,250 USD per person
Please apply by 2nd April, 2022.
Visit vibrant multi-cultural
Kazakhstan and enigmatic
Turkmenistan
From 4,250 USD per person
On our most adventurous 18-night adventure, we will start in the new capital of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana) and finish in the ostentatious city of Ashgabat Turkmenistan.
In between these two fascinating cities, we will travel by road, rail, and air as we adventure and explore parts places only few have seen before, combining ancient history and the bizarre with the sublime. We will be heading to the industrial base of Karaganda, the infamous Semipalatinsk (in two words; Gulags and Nukes), and Kurchatov - the Los Alamos of the USSR, where the Red Bomb was developed and tested.
Plus, we will even visit ‘The Polygon’; the vast nuclear testing range full of abandoned measuring platforms, bunkers, craters, buried machinery, and the scenic yet chilling ‘Atomic Lake’. We will make sure to visit the main sites during our time in Turkmenistan such as Ashgabat and the Darvaza Gas Crater (Gates of Hell), but also take you off the beaten path to really experience and understand Turkmenistan. Meet local people, learn about their lives and history, their differences and commonalities.
Dates don't suit? Check out our Explore Kazakhstan | Nur-Sultan to Almaty September Tour, or contact us for more information on private tours.
All hotel rooms on our all-inclusive group tours to Kazakhstan feature twin beds, and will be shared. If you'd like a room to yourself then you can upgrade for an extra $30 USD per night
The default rooming option for this tour is shared hotel room or tent (one night). Each hotel room on tour has two separate beds. If you'd like a room to yourself then you can upgrade for an extra $50 USD per night
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
How to Apply: To apply simply click on the application button listed with this tour and fill out the online form, upload a passport copy and photo (or send to us by email) and you can consider yourself to be booked on this adventure! For any questions, comments, etc about this trip get in touch with Rich at [email protected] We ask for an application to be completed a minimum of one month in advance of the tour, ideally six weeks or more if possible: We will require a deposit to be paid at this time as we start taking on administrative costs as well as an obligation to pay for the visa invitation as soon as we send off an application. We ask for a deposit of 50% of the tour fee. Cancellation & Refunds: Please note that if you require a visa for Kazakhstan you will need to pay this fee yourself. Most visitors do not require visas though.
Check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Kazakhstan For Turkmenistan everyone will need a letter of invitation this is used upon arrival to obtain your visa for the country. We will send you further details upon booking. We practice the same cancellation policy with this tour as we do with our DPRK tours. This is listed on our website T&C. However, we do not seek profit from people who cannot go on tours but we do make arrangements and commit to payments in good faith once a booking is received and payment is made. So we always try to refund more than the minimum. As with any trip it is best to be as sure as possible that you will be able to attend the trip when making the final booking. If the tour is cancelled by Koryo Tours for any reason then a full refund is of course made. In all cases we return as much as we can and we do not take a fee for client's cancellation. Please be sure that you will definitely be joining the tour when you send all application details.
Please apply by 2nd April, 2022.
Featuring the white marble fantasy-capital of Ashgabat, a night camping
at the bizarre Darvaza gas crater, the ancient Silk Road ruins of Konye-Urgench,
and more!
From 2,100 USD per person
Please apply by 2nd April, 2022.
Featuring the white marble fantasy-capital of Ashgabat,
a night camping at the bizarre Darvaza gas crater,
the ancient Silk Road ruins of Konye-Urgench, and
more!
From 2,100 USD per person
Join experts in Turkmenistan travel, Koryo Tours, on this epic journey to Central Asia’s most enigmatic and least-visited country; Turkmenistan.
We will see history unfold as we travel from ruined ancient cities to gleaming modern marble-clad towers. From flaming pits deep in the desert to deep subterranean pools of health-infusing water. We will make sure to visit the main sites during our time in Turkmenistan such as Ashgabat and the Darvaza Gas Crater (Gates of Hell), but also take you off the beaten path to really experience and understand Turkmenistan. Meet local people, learn about their lives and history, their differences and commonalities.
We look forward to sharing it with you in Turkmenistan!
This tour will be led by our general manager and travel specialist Simon Cockerell, who first travelled to Turkmenistan in 2004 — on the very first flight from Beijing! He has been to the country over 25 times since. Over the years, he has made close friends there, explored widely, and maintained a deep fascination since first visiting 15 years ago. You can rest assured that you will be in safe hands during your Turkmenistan tour and that you will get the most out of your trip into this unexplored land!
If dates don’t suit, check out our Turkmenistan tour in October, or contact us to organise a private tour.
Scroll down for an overview of the Turkmenistan Tour highlights, tour itinerary, transport options, Turkmenistan visa information, and extra add-ons.
The default rooming option for this tour is shared hotel room or tent (one night). Each hotel room on tour has two separate beds. If you'd like a room to yourself then you can upgrade for an extra $50 USD per night
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
**This tour will be accompanied by a western tour leader if there are over five passengers booked**
HOW TO APPLY
Please email Rich Beal at [email protected] to begin your tour application. We do require a deposit paid upon booking the tour as we start paying tour costs when your visa application process had begun. We ask for a deposit of 50% of the tour fee. You must apply at least four weeks before the tour departure date as the Letter of Invitation that we need to obtain to facilitate the visa can take several days to be issued by the Turkmenistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Most travellers opt to have the visas issued upon arrival into Turkmenistan. If you would prefer to have the visa issued before your arrival or have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. aThe LOI's will be issued to coordinate as closely as possible with the tour dates if you need extra days at each end of your journey please do let us know in advance of your application. If you are joining the tour from somewhere other than Beijing and buying a ticket via Koryo tours; We will email the e-ticket voucher to you as soon as it has been received into our office. If you are purchasing your flight ticket via other airlines or agents, we need these flight details ASAP. We, unfortunately, can not accept any liability for delayed flights and any issue associated with times associated letters of invitations. It is entirely possible to join the tour by flying in from other destinations also. We can also accommodate people joining the tour after entering by land or sea, and a range of exit methods are available to those joining this tour. Single supplement is accessible on this tour at 50 USD per night; if you are travelling alone and wish to share a room to avoid this fee, we will attempt to match you up with another traveller. You will also have to pay the visa issuing fee, at Ashgabat airport this ranges from US$80 to $130 (depending on nationality) payable in cash only.
CANCELLATION & REFUNDS
Please note: The visa fee for this tour is not covered in the tour cost and you will be responsible for this. Due to the extended amount of time that it takes to have a visa authorised and sent to an Embassy of Turkmenistan it is much simpler to collect the visa on arrival at Ashgabat Airport, the fee payable here varies according to your nationality, its usually around US$100. The visa is stamped in your passport and is the same as it would be if issued at a Turkmen Embassy. If you insist on having your visa issued at an Embassy, then please be sure to apply for the tour as early as possible. The deposit is non-refundable if the tourist cancels himself. If however we cannot arrange visas or for whatever reason, it is not possible to travel at the specified time (or you cannot make rescheduled dates) a full refund will be issued. Should the client wish to cancel after the visa application has submitted, charges imposed on us will be paid out of the 50% deposit with the balance being returned to the client. If you have paid in full, we will return 50% plus the balance of what is left after the cancellation fee we pay to our partners in Turkmenistan. If you book and cancel a plane ticket through us, we charge only the airline's cancellation fee. In all cases, we return as much as we can, and we do not take a fee for the client's cancellation. Please be sure that you will be joining the tour when you send all application details.
Please apply by 2nd April, 2022.
This tour is accompanied by Koryo Tours'
GM & Remote Russia specialist Simon Cockerell
From 2,800 USD per person
Please apply by 30th April, 2022.
This tour is accompanied by
Koryo Tours' GM & Remote Russia
specialist Simon Cockerell
From 2,800 USD per person
Above the Arctic Circle, where the mighty Yenisei River meets the Arctic Ocean there sits a vast deposit of valuable Nickel. In 1937 the Soviet Union forced prisoners to open this inhospitable area to industry and the city and area of Norilsk was born properly.
Closed to outsiders since its foundation as a forced-labour nickel mining colony, Norilsk has since grown into an absolutely fascinating and utterly remote region of apocalyptic industrial landscapes, stunning natural beauty, a fascinating and hardy local population, and so much more for pioneering adventurers to discover. It is a 'closed city' with access to foreigners not permitted, but we have a (legal) way in and we would love to take you there with us!
We start the tour in Igarka, an unknown and super-remote place. It is reachable only by a very rare flight and home to some fascinating museums. From here, we travel up to Norilsk by ship along the Yenisei River. We will also travel to Dudinka - Port settlement controlling access from the arctic to the Siberian interior, and Talnakh, a Fascinating town and the base of some of the dirtiest and most apocalyptic industry on the planet. Beautiful and terrifying all at once.
See daily life, the history of the fascinating area, descend into a training mine to see the industry that sustains and pollutes this place, gulags, abandoned areas, learn about indigenous peoples, exploration and opening up of the area, and just so much more besides this.
The June 2022 tours will be led by our general manager and travel specialist Simon Cockerell. Fascinated with the history of Russia and the Soviet Union, Simon has considerable knowledge of these areas, and has been to Russia over 30 times, to every corner of the country — the known and unknown, famous, infamous, and ignored!
Join us for an epic adventure at the top of the world!
IMPORTANT NOTE: These dates are provisional but planned. Final confirmation will come in when domestic flight and boat dates are confirmed. We recommend not booking unchangeable flights to/from Russia until that time.
Dates don't suit?
Norilsk July Tour
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
This tour requires 10 members to operate. The maximum number of participants is 16 members.
Please apply by 30th April, 2022.
This tour is accompanied by Koryo Tours'
GM & Remote Russia specialist Simon Cockerell
From 4,200 USD per person
Please apply by 1st June, 2022.
This tour is accompanied by
Koryo Tours' GM & Remote Russia
specialist Simon Cockerell
From 4,200 USD per person
For fans of adventure, history, the obscure, and the evocative — this is the experience of a lifetime: Magadan! See remote settlements, people living all kinds of lives across the region, abandoned gulags, abandoned towns and cities, stunning landscapes, and so much more.
We’re proud to be able to offer our Magadan tour in 2022 that will take the willing traveller on an odyssey from the remotest corner of Russia deep into the interior. We will be travelling along the world’s longest road; the Kolyma Highway – known as the ‘road of bones’, visiting the chilling gulag site of Dneprovsky, and the utterly unforgettable abandoned city of Kadykchan. This, as well as other semi-inhabited settlements in this stunning, rugged, and remote part of the world.
This tour will be led by our general manager and travel specialist Simon Cockerell, who first visited Magadan in the deep winter of 2010 to research this tour. Fascinated with the history of the Soviet Union, Simon has considerable knowledge of the area and has been to Russia over 30 times and to every corner of the country — the known and unknown, famous, infamous, and ignored! We have been running the particular tour at select times since 2010 and it is now in its 6th incarnation — and better than ever. The remote edges of Russia can be a harsh and unforgiving place, with long journeys, grueling roads, and other logistical issues. However, the rewards of amazing landscapes, incredible people, and some unsettling and tragic-yet-compelling history having been lived and left in this area more than make up for it.
Much more than you ever imagine is included in this adventure. See for yourself with the specialist who developed the itinerary especially for Koryo Tours’ adventurous travelers! Come with us on a journey to the edge of the world, and beyond.
All hotel rooms on our all-inclusive group tours feature twin beds, and will be shared. If you'd like a room to yourself then you can upgrade for an extra 40 EUR per night.
See moreINCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
This tour requires 10 members to operate. The maximum number of participants is 16 members.
Please apply by 1st June, 2022.
Explore Mongolia’s Wild West over the Naadam Festival. Meet Kazakh eagle hunters, hike
in the stunning Altai Mountains, and experience Mongolia’s largest holiday celebration.
Go beyond the Steppe!
From 2,900 USD per person
Please apply by 6th June, 2022.
Explore Mongolia’s Wild West over the Naadam Festival. Meet
Kazakh eagle hunters, hike in the stunning Altai Mountains,
and experience Mongolia’s largest holiday celebration. Go
beyond the Steppe!
From 2,900 USD per person
The summer Naadam Festival is one of the best times to travel to Mongolia for the annual games of horse racing, archery, and wrestling. It is also the busiest time to visit the country. We’ll get you to Mongolia’s far west to see how the Naadam Festival is celebrated away from the crowds. Starting in Ulaanbaatar, we’ll fly west to Hovd and travel overland to Bayan Olgii. Along the way, we’ll experience not only traditional Mongolian life but also the culture of the Kazakh and Tuvan people. Meet and chat with eagle hunters, shamans, and nomads who live in the region.
Travelling off-road and sleeping in ger and tents, we'll also get our hands dirty in the great outdoors of the Altai mountains and have the chance to try out horseback riding. Come along for 12 unforgettable Mongolian summer nights over the Nadaam festival.
Koryo Tours’ tour leader Rich Beal has been leading tours in Mongolia for 15 years and frequently travels beyond the capital Ulaanbaatar to the country’s far west, far north, and south into the Gobi Desert. Looking to see more of Mongolia? Come along for Koryo Tours’ Gobi Explorer right after Naadam.
See below for highlights, full itinerary, and additional information about the Naadam Festival Western Mongolia Tour - Beyond the Steppe.
Experience Nadaam -- the biggest festival of the year for Mongolians
Visit Mongolian, Kazak and Tuva nomadic families
Enjoy horseback riding Hike the high mountains (with views across to Russia and China)
Swim in mountain lakes and rivers
Explore the Altai and Bayan Ulgii region of Mongolia
Construct and sleep in a traditional Mongolian ger (yurt)
Marvel at the skill of local eagle hunters
Stay with and learn from local Yak herders
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
Please note! This tour has been specifically arranged to visit remote areas. As such it may have elements of an expedition about it, due to the nature and ruggedness of the terrain. Due to this, any change in itinerary at the time cannot be helped. We will do our best to keep to the advertised itinerary as closely as possible. However, please be aware that things are subject to change, especially if we encounter any extreme weather conditions. Along the way all tour decisions will rest with Rich (tour manager) and an expedition leader. We will also be taking advice from local people on the ground whose expertise will far exceed our own.
Please apply by 6th June, 2022.
This tour into the vast Gobi Desert offers
a great insight into local life, geology
and scenery.
From 1,600 USD per person
Please apply by 1st July, 2022.
This tour into the vast Gobi
Desert offers a great insight
into local life, geology and
scenery.
From 1,600 USD per person
A short adventure for those who wish to see the great Gobi Desert in a short space of time. During this short but intensive tour, we delve deep into the Gobi Desert and become true explorers. Our first stop is at Mandalagovi.
This desert town was once home to factories during the Soviet Union period. Heading further south, we will check out the Yol Am Valley. This is located in the Gurvan Saikhan Mountain range. Before setting off on our hike, we will pay a visit to the small local natural history museum which includes strange exhibits and 10 million-year-old dinosaur eggs. During this Gobi Desert tour, we also visit the Khongor Sand Dunes, also known as the ‘Singing Dunes’ for the eerie noise they make when swept by the wind, as well as visiting Bayanzag.
This is otherwise known as ‘Flaming Cliff’s due to the rich red colouration of the clays and rocks which have been pushed up to form this landscape. All this, whilst checking out the herds of camels as we go, hiking through untouched and unexplored areas, enjoying breathtaking sunrises, and experiencing life in a Mongolia Ger tent.
Tour leader Rich Beal has 15 years of experience leading tours to Mongolia, including remote areas of Mongolia’s far west and Gobi Desert. If you’re looking for an even more unique experience, head to Mongolia for the Naadam Festival which directly precedes this Gobi Desert Explorer Tour.
See below for the Gobi Explorer Tour highlights, itinerary, and notes.
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
Please note! This tour has been designed to visit not only a few of the more remote areas but also those must see sites that are firmly on the tourist trail. Although with any tour to Mongolia there is still an element of nature and ruggedness of the terrain. Due to this, any change in itinerary at the time cannot be helped. We will do our best to keep to the advertised itinerary as closely as possible. However, please be aware that things are subject to change, especially if we encounter any extreme weather conditions. Along the way all tour decisions will rest with Rich (tour manager) and an expedition leader. We will also be taking advice from local people on the ground whose expertise will far exceed our own.
Please apply by 1st July, 2022.
This tour is accompanied by Koryo Tours' founder Nick Bonner. A rare
chance to travel with one of the biggest and most pioneering names
in unusual tourism!
From 2,800 USD per person
Please apply by 31st May, 2022.
This tour is accompanied by Koryo Tours' founder
Nick Bonner. A rare chance to travel with one
of the biggest and most pioneering names in
unusual tourism!
From 2,800 USD per person
Above the Arctic Circle, where the mighty Yenisei River meets the Arctic Ocean there sits a vast deposit of valuable Nickel. In 1937 the Soviet Union forced prisoners to open this inhospitable area to industry and the city and area of Norilsk was born properly.
Closed to outsiders since its foundation as a forced-labour nickel mining colony, Norilsk has since grown into an absolutely fascinating and utterly remote region of apocalyptic industrial landscapes, stunning natural beauty, a fascinating and hardy local population, and so much more for pioneering adventurers to discover. It is a 'closed city' with access to foreigners not permitted, but we have a (legal) way in and we would love to take you there with us!
We start the tour in Igarka, an unknown and super-remote place. It is reachable only by a very rare flight and home to some fascinating museums. From here, we travel up to Norilsk by ship along the Yenisei River. We will also travel to Dudinka - Port settlement controlling access from the arctic to the Siberian interior, and Talnakh, a Fascinating town and the base of some of the dirtiest and most apocalyptic industry on the planet. Beautiful and terrifying all at once.
See daily life, the history of the fascinating area, descend into a training mine to see the industry that sustains and pollutes this place, gulags, abandoned areas, learn about indigenous peoples, exploration and opening up of the area, and just so much more besides this.
This Norilsk July 2022 will be led by Koryo Tours' founder and president Nick Bonner - one of the biggest names in pioneering and unusual tourism. Traveling with Nick is a rare treat, and this is your only chance in 2022 to be in the remotest parts of Russia with him - don't miss out!
IMPORTANT NOTE: These dates are provisional but planned. Final confirmation will come in when domestic flight and boat dates are confirmed. We recommend not booking unchangeable flights to/from Russia until that time.
Dates don't suit?
Norilsk June Tour
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
This tour requires 10 members to operate. The maximum number of participants is 16 members.
Please apply by 31st May, 2022.
This 10-night tour traces the route of the ancient Silk Road and the adventures of Marco Polo. Starting in the
capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, we will follow the M41 Pamir Highway to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, while passing
the most amazing mountain scenery.
From 2,700 USD per person
Please apply by 1st August, 2022.
This 10-night tour traces the route of the ancient Silk Road and the adventures
of Marco Polo. Starting in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, we will follow
the M41 Pamir Highway to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, while passing the most amazing
mountain scenery.
From 2,700 USD per person
This tour starts in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. We visit the fascinating capital of Bishkek before flying to Osh. From here, we follow the route of the historical M41 Pamir Highway.
We will cross into Tajikistan over high passes and past beautiful lakes and snow-capped mountains. Staying in small towns and villages along the way, this journey will take you to some of this region’s most remote but rewarding destinations, to ultimately arrive in Dushanbe — Tajikistan’s lovely, laid back capital.
This tour will be led by one of our most experienced tour leaders, Rich Beal. Rich has led tours all over the world since 2004 and has personally designed and researched all our Tajikistan tours. Because of his close connection to the country, his fellow Tajik guides and friends like to joke the country is his third home (China and Mongolia being first and second)!
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
Please apply by 1st August, 2022.
Kazakhstan is where a vibrant multi-cultural society
meets the dark legacy of deportations, gulags, and nuclear
weapons.
From 2,100 USD per person
Please apply by 1st September, 2022.
Kazakhstan is where a vibrant multi-cultural
society meets the dark legacy of deportations,
gulags, and nuclear weapons.
From 2,100 USD per person
Visit Kazakhstan on this Explore Kazakhstan adventure with Koryo Tours!
From the new capital city, Nur-Sultan - formerly Astana, to the old capital city Almaty, we will spend 9 nights travelling by road, rail, and air, as we give you the best in Kazakhstan travel. Over the 9-night Kazakhstan adventure, we will tour little-explored areas of Kazakhstan including; the industrial base of Karaganda, the infamous Semipalatinsk (in two words; Gulags and Nukes), and Kurchatov – the Los Alamos of the USSR, where the Red Bomb was developed and tested (over and over again!).
We will even visit ‘The Polygon’. This is the vast nuclear testing range full of abandoned measuring platforms, bunkers, craters, buried machinery, and the scenic yet chilling ‘Atomic Lake’. Like nowhere you will have explored before, visit Kazakhstan and get a history lesson on the darker side of this little-known land. This, as well as updates on what’s been going on in the cities and countryside as we pass between them and talk with locals, seeing local life and industry, and so much more..! Koryo Tours have combined our expertise working in the country, contacts, and in-depth research to offer you the best in Kazakhstan travel.
Visit Kazakhstan with us and it will be a trip of a lifetime!
Dates don’t suit? Check out our Explore Kazakhstan | Astana to Nur-Sultan May tour, or contact us for details on private tours.
Scroll down for an overview of our Explore Kazakhstan - Astana to Almaty May tour highlights, tour itinerary, transport options, DPRK tourist visa information, and extra add-ons.
All hotel rooms on our all-inclusive group tours to Kazakhstan feature twin beds, and will be shared. If you'd like a room to yourself then you can upgrade for an extra $30 USD per night
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
How to Apply: To apply simply click on the application button listed with this tour and fill out the online form, upload a passport copy and photo (or send to us by email) and you can consider yourself to be booked on this adventure! For any questions, comments, etc about this trip get in touch with Simon Cockerell at [email protected] We ask for application to be complete a minimum of one month in advance of the tour, ideally six weeks or more if possible: Please also indicate where you plan to join the tour from and finish the tour by going (we can offer advice on this, drop us a line to discuss it) We also require a deposit to be paid at this time as we start taking on administrative costs as well as an obligation to pay for the visa invitation as soon as we send off an application. We ask for a deposit of 50% of the tour fee. Cancellation & Refunds: Please note that if you require a visa for Kazakhstan you will need to pay this fee yourself. Most visitors do not require visas though. Check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Kazakhstan We practice the same cancellation policy with this tour as we do with our DPRK tours. This is listed on our website T&C. However we do not seek profit from people who cannot go on tours but we do make arrangements and commit to payments in good faith once a booking is received and payment is made. So we always try to refund more than the minimum. As with any trip it is best to be as sure as possible that you will be able to attend the trip when making the final booking. If the tour is cancelled by Koryo Tours for any reason then a full refund is of course made. In all cases we return as much as we can and we do not take a fee for client's cancellation. Please be sure that you will definitely be joining the tour when you send all application details.
Please apply by 1st September, 2022.
Visit vibrant multi-cultural Kazakhstan and eclectic
Turkmenistan. Come with us and see all of the above
and much more!
From 4,350 USD per person
Please apply by 1st September, 2022.
Visit vibrant multi-cultural Kazakhstan
and eclectic Turkmenistan. Come with
us and see all of the above and much
more!
From 4,350 USD per person
On our most adventurous 18-night adventure, we will start in the new capital of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana) and finish in the ostentatious city of Ashgabat Turkmenistan.
In between these two fascinating cities, we will travel by road, rail, and air as we adventure and explore parts places only few have seen before, combining ancient history and the bizarre with the sublime. We will be heading to the industrial base of Karaganda, the infamous Semipalatinsk (in two words; Gulags and Nukes), and Kurchatov - the Los Alamos of the USSR, where the Red Bomb was developed and tested.
Plus, we will even visit ‘The Polygon’; the vast nuclear testing range full of abandoned measuring platforms, bunkers, craters, buried machinery, and the scenic yet chilling ‘Atomic Lake’. We will make sure to visit the main sites during our time in Turkmenistan such as Ashgabat and the Darvaza Gas Crater (Gates of Hell), but also take you off the beaten path to really experience and understand Turkmenistan. Meet local people, learn about their lives and history, their differences and commonalities.
This tour will be led by our general manager and travel specialist Simon Cockerell, who first travelled to Turkmenistan in 2004 — on the very first flight from Beijing! He has been to the country over 25 times since. Combining our 15-year expertise working in this region, contacts, and in-depth research, we’ve put together a tour that is like no other to offer you the best in Kazakhstan & Turkmenistan tourism.
Dates don't suit? Check out our Explore Kazakhstan | Nur-Sultan to Almaty September Tour, or contact us for more information on private tours.
All hotel rooms on our all-inclusive group tours to Kazakhstan feature twin beds, and will be shared. If you'd like a room to yourself then you can upgrade for an extra $30 USD per night
The default rooming option for this tour is shared hotel room or tent (one night). Each hotel room on tour has two separate beds. If you'd like a room to yourself then you can upgrade for an extra $50 USD per night
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
How to Apply: To apply simply click on the application button listed with this tour and fill out the online form, upload a passport copy and photo (or send to us by email) and you can consider yourself to be booked on this adventure! For any questions, comments, etc about this trip get in touch with Rich at [email protected] We ask for an application to be completed a minimum of one month in advance of the tour, ideally six weeks or more if possible: We will require a deposit to be paid at this time as we start taking on administrative costs as well as an obligation to pay for the visa invitation as soon as we send off an application. We ask for a deposit of 50% of the tour fee. Cancellation & Refunds: Please note that if you require a visa for Kazakhstan you will need to pay this fee yourself. Most visitors do not require visas though.
Check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Kazakhstan For Turkmenistan everyone will need a letter of invitation this is used upon arrival to obtain your visa for the country. We will send you further details upon booking. We practice the same cancellation policy with this tour as we do with our DPRK tours. This is listed on our website T&C. However, we do not seek profit from people who cannot go on tours but we do make arrangements and commit to payments in good faith once a booking is received and payment is made. So we always try to refund more than the minimum. As with any trip it is best to be as sure as possible that you will be able to attend the trip when making the final booking. If the tour is cancelled by Koryo Tours for any reason then a full refund is of course made. In all cases we return as much as we can and we do not take a fee for client's cancellation. Please be sure that you will definitely be joining the tour when you send all application details.
Please apply by 1st September, 2022.
Spend 7 nights in Central Asia’s least visited country! Visit Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s white
marble fantasy capital, see the bizarre Darvaza Gas Crater, and explore the ancient Silk Road
ruins of Konye-Urgench.
From 2,190 USD per person
Please apply by 1st September, 2022.
Spend 7 nights in Central Asia’s least visited country! Visit
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s white marble fantasy capital, see the
bizarre Darvaza Gas Crater, and explore the ancient Silk Road
ruins of Konye-Urgench.
From 2,190 USD per person
Join Koryo Tours this October for our Turkmenistan tour as the adventures continue. Turkmenistan is Central Asia’s least visited country.
This means it may be a bit difficult to access and travel around, but it certainly doesn’t have any less to offer! Join Koryo Tours as we explore the beautiful capital city Ashgabat, camp over at the famous Darvaza Gas Crater, otherwise known as ‘the Gates of Hell’, and be dazzled by the colourful desert canyons to the Caspian Coast.
As we journey through the country we will see the serious and the sublime, the freaky and the frivolous – join us on this amazing adventure that we simply do better than anyone else. Koryo Tours have been working in Turkmenistan for over a decade. Over this time, we’ve built this special experience through dozens of visits and the best local contacts and relationships meaning our Turkmenistan tours are unrivalled in quality, experience, and fun!
We look forward to sharing it with you in Turkmenistan!
This tour will be led by one of our most experienced tour leaders, Rich Beal. Rich has led tours all over the world since 2004 and has been leading tours to Turkmenistan for 5 years (and to the rest of Central Asia twice as long!). He is incredibly knowledgable about the area and a great storyteller — ask and he will tell you plenty of fascinating travel anecdotes from his many adventures!
If dates don’t suit, check out our Turkmenistan tour in May, or contact us to organise a private tour.
Scroll down for an overview of the Turkmenistan Tour highlights, tour itinerary, transport options, Turkmenistan visa information, and extra add-ons.
The default rooming option for this tour is shared hotel room or tent (one night). Each hotel room on tour has two separate beds. If you'd like a room to yourself then you can upgrade for an extra $50 USD per night
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
HOW TO APPLY
Please email Rich Beal at [email protected] the following information a minimum of one month in advance of the tour, ideally six weeks or more if possible: Full Name Gender Date of Birth Passport Number Address Job Title Company Details of any previous visits to Turkmenistan Please also indicate where you plan to join the tour from (London, Beijing, Istanbul etc). We also require a deposit to be paid at this time as we start taking on administrative costs as well as an obligation to pay for the visa invitation as soon as we send off an application. We ask for a deposit of 50% of the tour fee. You must apply at least 4 weeks before the tour departure date as the Letter of Invitation that we need to obtain in order to facilitate the visa can take several days to be issued by the Turkmenistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We can arrange to have the visas issued on arrival at Ashgabat airport or any other point of entry to the country, but if you would prefer to have it issued at the Turkmenistan Embassy in your home country or have any questions at all about the visa process (it is rather complicated!) please contact us early! the LOI's will be issued to coordinate as closely as possible with the tour dates if you need extra days at each end of your journey please do let us know in advance of your application. If you are joining the tour from somewhere other than Beijing and buying a ticket via our offices we email the e-ticket voucher to you and also inform you if anyone else is joining the tour from your place of departure so that you can meet up on the way to join the tour. If you are purchasing your own flight ticket via alternate airlines or agents we need these flight details ASAP. We, unfortunately, can not accept any liability for delayed flights and any issue associated with times associated letters of invitations. It is entirely possible to join the tour by flying in from other destinations also. We can also accommodate people joining the tour after entering by land or sea, and a range of exit methods are available to those joining this tour. Single supplement is available on this tour at 50 USD per night, if you are travelling alone and wish to share a room to avoid this fee we will attempt to match you up with another traveller. You will also have to pay the visa issuing fee, at Ashgabat airport this ranges from US$80 to $130 (depending on nationality) payable in cash only.
CANCELLATION & REFUNDS
Please note that for this tour you are required to pay the fee for the issuance of the visa yourself. Due to the extended amount of time that it takes to have a visa authorized and sent to an Embassy of Turkmenistan it is much simpler to collect the visa on arrival at Ashgabat Airport, the fee payable here varies according to your nationality, its usually around US$100. The visa is stamped in your passport and is the same as it would be if issued at a Turkmen Embassy. If you insist on having your visa issued at an Embassy then please be sure to apply for the tour as early as possible. The deposit is non-refundable if the tourist cancels himself. If however we cannot arrange visas or for whatever reason, it is not possible to travel at the specified time (or you cannot make rescheduled dates) a full refund will be made. Should the client wish to cancel after visa application has been made, charges imposed on us will be paid out of the 50% deposit with the balance being returned to the client. If you have paid in full we will return 50% plus the balance of what is left after the cancellation fee we pay to our partners in Turkmenistan. If you book and cancel a plane ticket through us we charge only the airline’s cancellation fee. In all cases we return as much as we can and we do not take a fee for client's cancellation. Please be sure that you will definitely be joining the tour when you send all application details.
Please apply by 1st September, 2022.
Your chance to travel Tajikistan and Mongolia this 2021 has just come a bit closer.
Read full storyTop 10 things to do in Ulaanbaatar. Don't miss when visiting Ulaanbaatar!
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Room A409, Jucai Building. No. 76 Caoyuan Hutong.
Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100027, PR China
中国北京市东城区草园胡同76号聚才大厦A 座409 室,
邮编:100027
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