These are some of our favorite things to do in Central Asia. Ask about incorporating some of these ideas into your own travel itinerary.

Uzbekistan
In Tashkent, explore the remnants of the old city: narrow streets and alleys lined with mudbrick houses and neighborhood mosques...visit the Chorsu Bazaar, a huge open market...take in the artifacts of pre=-Russian Turkistan at the Museum of Fine Arts...outside of Tashkent, go rafting, kayaking, or trekking in the Angren River Valley or south of the Ferghana Valley...in Samarkand, see the ruins of the huge Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the Shakhi-Zinda Necropolis, and the Gur-Emir Mausoleum...see Timur's hometown of Shakhrisabz, filled with the ruins of his summer palace and former seat of government...in Bukhara, admire the former madrasses and fortresses, visit the Djuma Mosque for superb views of the old city center, and see the three-domed bazaar...travel to Khiva for the Kunya Ark palace, the old citadel dating from the 12th century, and the Kalta Minar, an impressive minaret...in Ferghana, shop for silk at the bazaar at Marghlan.

Kyrgyzstan
In Bishkek, the young capital and gateway to the modern republic, walk the tree-lined streets and use the city as a base for visits to the nearby Ala-Archa Nature Reserve...ski the glaciers.summit the region's highest peak.soak in the thermal springs..fish for trout in Lake Issikul in the Tien Shan Mountains, the second largest alpine lake in the world...travel the overland route between Bishkek and Kashgar in China via the Torugart Pass, virtually unknown to westerners.

Turkmenistan
Visit the black sand desert called the Karakum.shop for camels and carpets at the Sunday Tolkuchka Bazaar in the capital Ashghabad, a far flung outpost...visit the Carpet Museum to view the world's largest handwoven rug...in Merv, explore by foot and take in the sites like the Sultan Sanjar's Mausoleum and the ruins at Kyz-Kala...study desert flora and fauna at the research center in the Repetek Desert Reserve...check out the dinosaur footprints at the Kugitang Nature Reserve, a starkly beautiful land of waterfalls and caves...take an adventurous 8-day camel trek from Merv across the Karakum Desert to the north...in Konye-Urgentch, see the slightly crooked Kutlug Temir minaret and Torebeg Khanym Mausoleum or take a hike in the surrounding mountains for excellent views of the town and the sea.