Almaty & Tashkent, 8 Nights

The transfer from the airport heads south through the city towards the mountain wall of the Zailiysky Alatau. Check-in is in the afternoon. There is no sightseeing planned, which suits a long flight. If you want to go out, the pedestrian Arbat and the cafés along Panfilov Street are close to most central hotels, and Almaty is a safe, relaxed city to walk in the evening, with the mountains glowing at sunset in clear weather.

The city's centre in one easy loop. Panfilov Park holds Zenkov Cathedral, built of wood in 1907 and still standing after the 1911 earthquake, and the eternal flame of the war memorial. The Green Bazaar is a few blocks away, good for dried fruit, nuts and Kazakh cheeses, and Rakhat's chocolate shop sits next to it. The afternoon finishes with the cable car from Abay Avenue up Kok Tobe for the view of the city against the mountains.

Up the gorge to Medeu, the high open-air skating rink at about 1,690 m. From there the gondola rises to Shymbulak, where further lifts climb towards the Talgar pass at around 3,200 m. At the top, glaciers and peaks surround you, and it is often below freezing even when the city is warm. Take it slowly in the thin air. Skiers come from December to April, and in summer the upper slopes are open for walking.

East across the steppe, about 200 km, to the Charyn river's canyon of red sandstone. The Valley of Castles is walked from the top: two to three kilometres down a broad gully between towers of rock to the river, and the same back up. There is little shade, so carry water. The canyon is a full day in itself, which is why the Kolsai lakes, further on still, are left for a separate trip with an overnight. You are back in Almaty for dinner.

Transfer to Almaty airport for the flight to Tashkent, which takes about an hour and a half; the two cities share a time zone, so there is no clock change. On arrival, a transfer to the hotel and check-in. The evening is free: Amir Timur Square and the pedestrian Broadway nearby are the obvious first walk, with painters, food stalls and the domed Timurid museum lit up after dark.

Hazrati Imam, the city's religious centre, is a square of madrasas and mosques in the old town. Its small library holds a seventh-century Quran attributed to the Caliph Uthman. Nearby, Chorsu bazaar spreads out under a huge dome. Later, the Monument of Courage marks the 1966 earthquake, and the white Minor Mosque stands beside the canal. Ride a few stops on the metro, whose Soviet-era stations are each decorated differently; Kosmonavtlar and Alisher Navoi are the best known.

North-east into the western Tian Shan, close to Chimgan. Amirsoy is a modern mountain resort whose gondola climbs above the valley for views of the Chatkal range. It carries skiers in winter and walkers the rest of the year. Lower down, the Charvak reservoir fills a valley below the mountains. In summer its shores are Tashkent's weekend beach, with boats and jet-skis for hire. On weekdays both places are much quieter.

An early Afrosiyob from Tashkent reaches Samarkand in about two hours. The Registan is the centre of it: three madrasas facing a square, built between 1417 and 1660. Gur-e-Amir, Timur's mausoleum, has a ribbed blue dome, and Shah-i-Zinda is a lane of tiled tombs climbing a hillside. Bibi-Khanym mosque and the Siab bazaar sit side by side for the afternoon. The evening train brings you back to Tashkent.

Breakfast and packing. Tashkent's airport is close to the centre, so a later flight leaves time for Alay bazaar nearby, good for dried apricots, raisins and spiced nuts, or for Uzbek ceramics from the shops around Broadway. Carry some local currency for small purchases, as not every stall takes cards. The transfer is short and simple, so there is no need to leave for the airport much more than three hours before departure.