Programme and details
Southern Kazakhstan · 2 Days / 1 Night · Private Tour
Turkestan from Tashkent
Tashkent – Shymkent – Arystan Bab – Turkestan – Tashkent
The Khoja Ahmed Yasawi mausoleum in Turkestan is one of the largest buildings of Timur’s time, and its main portal has stood unfinished since he died in 1405. It is about 300 km from Tashkent, across the border in southern Kazakhstan. We split the trip into two days: the drive and the Arystan Bab mausoleum on the first, the Yasawi complex and its museums in the morning light on the second.
| Duration | 2 days / 1 night |
| Price | on request |
| Format | Private, or a small group on your dates |
| Where | Turkestan and the Arystan Bab mausoleum near Otrar, southern Kazakhstan |
| Getting there | By car with driver, about 300 km each way via Shymkent, one border crossing each way |
| Best time | April–May and September–October |
Ideal for travellers who have seen Samarkand and want the other great building of Timur’s time, and for anyone adding Kazakhstan to a trip to Uzbekistan.
Taikazan — a bronze cauldron of about two tonnes, cast in 1399 and standing in the Kazandyk hall under the largest dome in Central Asia.
Azret Sultan reserve — the Rabiga Sultan Begim mausoleum, the citadel walls, the Eastern Bath museum and the Kultobe excavations, all within walking distance.
Itinerary
Day by Day
Day 1 · Tashkent – Shymkent – Arystan Bab – Turkestan — Across the border to the Syr Darya
In the morning our driver takes you from your hotel in Tashkent to the border with Kazakhstan. After the formalities your guide and a Kazakh car and driver meet you, and the road runs past Shymkent, about 120 km from Tashkent.
Before Turkestan we turn off to the Arystan Bab mausoleum, about 2 km from the ruins of Otrar and around 60 km south of Turkestan. Arystan Bab is remembered as the teacher of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi; the present building dates from 1909. If there is time, a short stop at the great mound of Otrar nearby.
In the evening you reach Turkestan. If the light allows, a walk to the Kultobe excavations, 350 m south of the mausoleum, where the ancient town of Yasi stood from the 3rd century BC.
Good to know: Time at the border varies, so we plan the first day with a margin and nothing tight in the evening.
Overnight in Turkestan
Day 2 · Turkestan – Tashkent — The Yasawi complex and back
The Khoja Ahmed Yasawi mausoleum opens at 09:00, and the morning is quiet. Your guide takes you through the Kazandyk hall with the Taikazan, cast on Timur’s order in 1399, the side rooms with their carved doors and turquoise tiles, and round to the unfinished main portal. Then the underground Kyluet mosque.
Next, the Rabiga Sultan Begim mausoleum, built for a daughter of ,Timur's grandson, ruler of Samarkand and an astronomer. He built a madrasah on the Registan and an observatory whose star catalogue was used for centuries. Read more → the restored citadel wall with its gate, and the Eastern Bath museum, a 16th-century bathhouse half under the ground.
After lunch, the drive back to the border and on to your hotel in Tashkent in the evening.
Good to know: On request we add Sauran, 44 km north-west of Turkestan, a late medieval city whose walls still stand. It makes the second day long, so we suggest an extra night for it.
Accommodation
Where you stay
| City | Stay |
|---|---|
| Turkestan | A comfortable hotel in Turkestan, 1 night |
We confirm the hotel for your dates before booking.
Price
Price
The price is given on request: it depends on the dates, the hotel, the size of your group and the language of the guide. We are finalising the programme details and confirm the times, the hotel and the route for your dates.
Good to know
Conditions
- Entry rules for Kazakhstan depend on your passport: check them before booking, and we will check them with you.
- You re-enter Uzbekistan on the way back: if you travel on an Uzbek e-visa, it must be a double- or multiple-entry visa.
- Carry your passport on both days: you cross the border twice.
- At the mausoleums cover shoulders and knees; the reserve asks visitors not to come in short sleeves, and women should carry a light scarf.
- Programme details, times and the hotel are confirmed for your dates.
- Reservations are confirmed with passport copies only.
Cancellation policy
| Cancellation timing | Penalty |
|---|---|
| 21 days before the service | 20% |
| 20–7 days | 50% |
| 6–0 days | 100% |
Transportation
| Vehicle | Group size |
|---|---|
| Chevrolet Cobalt | 2 pax |
| Hyundai Starex | 3–4 pax |
| Toyota Hiace / King Long | 5–8 pax |
| Mercedes Sprinter | 9–14 pax |
Vehicles may differ in make and colour.
🌿 Responsible tourism: we allocate part of our profits to good causes and are preparing for GSTC certification.
Expert opinion
Pluses
- Amir Timur (Tamerlane, 1336–1405), founder of the Timurid empire, which had its capital in Samarkand. Born near Shahrisabz.’s other masterpiece: the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi mausoleum, on the UNESCO list since 2003, with the Taikazan cauldron cast in 1399.
- No rush: a night in Turkestan, so you see the complex when it opens at 09:00.
- Two countries, no flight: a car with driver on both sides of the border and a guide on both days.
Minuses
- Long drives: about 300 km each way, plus time at the border.
- Paperwork: Kazakh entry rules depend on your passport, and an Uzbek e-Entry rules depend on your passport. Once you are here, each stay must be registered within three days, and hotels do it for you; customs and registration rules are in our guide. Read more → must allow a second entry.
- Hot in summer: in July the afternoon in Turkestan averages over 36 °C.
AroundCA numbers
How we counted
By the AroundCA programme: we count only what is written in the day-by-day programme of this tour. If the programme gives no figure, we show nothing.
- Hotel changes
- none — one hotel
- Longest transfer
- 5 h · by car
- On the road in total
- 10 h
Best time
Apr–May, Sep–Oct
April–May and September–October: afternoons of 21–29 °C in Turkestan, before and after the summer heat.
Better to avoid
Jul
A typical day
On day 2 you are at the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi mausoleum when it opens at 09:00: the Kazandyk hall and the Taikazan, the side rooms and the unfinished portal, then the Rabiga Sultan Begim mausoleum, the citadel wall and the Eastern Bath museum. After lunch you drive back to Tashkent.
What the price includes
What is included
- A private car with driver from your hotel in Tashkent to the border and back
- A car with driver in Kazakhstan on both days
- A guide speaking your language on both days
- Accommodation in Turkestan: 1 night with breakfast
- Entrance tickets on the programme
- A check of the entry rules for your passport before booking
Not included
- Lunches, dinners and drinks
- Photo and video fees at the sites
- Visa fees for Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan (if applicable)
- Sauran and an extra night (on request)
- International flights
- Tips and personal expenses
Extra cost on site
- Lunches, dinners and drinks
- Photo and video fees at the sites
Good for
- Travellers who have seen Samarkand and want the other great building of Timur’s time
- Anyone adding a second country to a trip to Uzbekistan without a flight
- Lovers of architecture, history and archaeology
Maybe not for you if
- Travellers whose passport or visa does not allow a trip to Kazakhstan and back
- Anyone who does not want long days on the road: it is about 300 km each way
Questions about this tour
How much does the tour cost?
The price is given on request: it depends on the dates, the hotel, the size of your group and the language of the guide.
Do I need a visa for Kazakhstan?
It depends on your passport. Check the entry rules for your nationality before booking; we check them with you. If you travel on an Uzbek e-visa, it must allow a second entry into Uzbekistan.
Can Turkestan be done as a day trip from Tashkent?
It is possible, but it means about 600 km and two border crossings in one day. We recommend two days, with a night in Turkestan.
What should I wear?
Cover shoulders and knees at the mausoleums; the reserve asks visitors not to come in short sleeves. Women should carry a light scarf.
What is included?
Everything that is and isn’t included, and what you pay on site, is in one list: What the price includes
Can we add Sauran?
Yes, on request. Sauran is 44 km north-west of Turkestan; for a relaxed visit we suggest an extra night.
Didn’t find your answer? Ask about this tour →
Make it your trip
Tick what you’d like to add — it goes into your request, and the manager confirms the final price.
