Ride Central Asia
with Local Guides

From Japan you can fly direct or with a connection, and the route depends on your destination.
Here are the typical options:
• Uzbekistan: direct flights between Narita and Tashkent (the easiest to reach)
• Kazakhstan: usually via Korea, China or Uzbekistan *Direct flights are planned on some routes
• Kyrgyzstan: no direct flights; most travelers connect via Korea, China, Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan
See our blog post for more details.

For a 4-day/3-night trip to Central Asia, budget tours including flights can cost as little as around ¥150,000 (150,000 yen) per person. At ASHU TRAVEL, we offer a Kyrgyz nomad homestay tour as a land-only plan (flights not included) starting from about $850 per person for 4 days/3 nights. Our Kazakhstan retreat horse riding tour is also available from $800 per person for 4 days/3 nights. You may be able to keep airfare down by using connecting flights via South Korea or China. Prices vary depending on the season and number of travelers. See our blog post for more details.

The best season varies greatly depending on the country you visit.

■ Kyrgyzstan & Kazakhstan
June to September is the most popular season. The cities are hot, but the mountains and lakes are lush and green, and at higher altitudes you can enjoy horse riding, escaping the heat in the highlands, stargazing and more.

Rural Kyrgyzstan in particular has many high-altitude areas, so it stays relatively comfortable even in summer.

In winter you can also enjoy horse trekking through snowy landscapes or skiing, and ASHU TRAVEL runs winter tours as well.

■ Uzbekistan
Spring (March to mid-June) and fall (September to October) are the best seasons.

The weather is mild during these periods, ideal for sightseeing in ancient cities such as Samarkand and Bukhara.

August, on the other hand, is extremely hot, and especially in the central and western regions, where deserts stretch out,

sightseeing can be difficult.

Tourist areas in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are generally considered relatively safe within Central Asia these days.

In the main cities and tourist sites visited on ASHU TRAVEL tours, there are no major problems as long as you take normal precautions.
In fact, where our local staff live, the sun sets late in summer, and you can see neighborhood children playing outside until around 10 p.m.

In winter, the streets are sometimes lively until late at night with people enjoying the Christmas lights, and in everyday life there are few situations that feel overly tense.

That said, please be aware of the following:

• Some border areas: There have been incidents in the past in some border regions of Kyrgyzstan. ASHU TRAVEL avoids these areas and uses only routes confirmed to be safe.
• Bazaars and crowds: As in other cities around the world, pickpocketing and bag snatching can occur in crowded places such as bazaars. Please keep a close eye on your valuables.

ASHU TRAVEL shares information with local staff, guides and authorities,

adjusts itineraries to the situation at the time, and runs every tour with safety as our top priority.


■ Before you travel
For the latest safety information, please also check the official pages below (from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Embassy of Japan in Kyrgyzstan; in Japanese).

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Overseas Safety Information | Kazakhstan
https://www.anzen.mofa.go.jp/info/pchazardspecificinfo_2025T020.html#ad-image-0

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Overseas Safety Information | Kyrgyzstan
 https://www.anzen.mofa.go.jp/info/pcinfectionspothazardinfo_265.html#ad-image-0

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Overseas Safety Information | Uzbekistan
https://www.anzen.mofa.go.jp/info/pcinfectionspothazardinfo_183.html#ad-image-0

• Kyrgyzstan Safety Guide (Embassy of Japan)

https://www.kg.emb-japan.go.jp/information/anzen_tebiki.pdf

We recommend at least 4 days/3 nights for one country, and 8 days/7 nights or more if you're touring several countries. In 4 days/3 nights you can see the main sights in Kyrgyzstan, such as the area around Bishkek and Issyk-Kul. With a week or more, you can take your time enjoying everything from Kazakhstan's spectacular nature to Uzbekistan's World Heritage sites with their beautiful blue tiles. Depending on your flight schedule, your time on the ground may be shorter, so it's important to choose a schedule with some leeway.