Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan & Kyrgystan:
Birding Central Asia
May 12-June 1, 2025
Your place on this Venture is reserved when your completed registration form and deposit of $700/person has been received. Deposit may be made via the ‘book now’ button above, or by contacting the Ventures office. We accept credit cards for an additional fee (2.9% for MC, Visa, Discover; 3.9% for AmEx), but you may also pay by bank transfer, cash, check, or money order (payable to ‘VENTURES BIRDING’) sent to PO Box 1095, Skyland, NC 28776. This Venture is limited to 8 participants.
Cost of Uzbekistan + Kazakhstan Venture: $7,695 per person from Tashkent, based on double occupancy ($1,050 single supplement) Prices include: Ground transportation in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, internal flights within Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, all meals, mineral water throughout, taxes, entrance fees, trip information packet, bird list, and guide/leader service throughout Not included: International flights to Tashkent, Uzbekistan and return from Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, alcoholic beverages, visa/letter of invitation from Uzbek Ministry, laundry, gratuities and items of a personal nature.
Pander’s Ground-Jay; the ancient Silk Road cities of Samarkand and Bukhara; very friendly and welcoming people; deserts, wetland and mountains and world-class fruits and spices - the first part of this two-country Venture is an exploration of diverse and exotic Uzbekistan. We start this 8 day tour in Tashkent before traveling southwest to Uzbekistan’s second-largest city. We will spend 2 days in Samarkand, combining birding and an abundance of stunning historical and architectural treasures before continuing onto Bukhara where we again will spend the morning looking for some of the area’s distinctive species, such as Pander’s Ground-Jay, Indian Paradise-Flycatcher and the gorgeous White-throated Robin. The afternoons tend to be hot, so we can spend the heat of the day exploring Bukhara and maybe shopping for one of the world-famous rugs! After returning to Tashkent, where we will head high into the Chimgan Mountains for White-capped Bunting and a spectacular display of wildflowers, and look for Little Bittern, Clamorous Reed-Warbler and other wetland species, we will continue onto the adjacent country of Kazakhstan.
Southeastern Kazakhstan offers endless steppes, lakes, rivers, and pine-covered mountains. Because of the centralized geographic location, birds indicative of both the Oriental and Western Palearctic regions can be found here. From the stony deserts near the former capital of Almaty (Alma-Ata), to the Tien Shan Mountains close to the Chinese border, the variety of landscapes is sure to amaze and the birding is nothing short of spectacular. We will explore rocky canyons, dry deserts (where we stay in a unique Yurt Camp), isolated wetlands and mountain forests. Even the bird’s names evoke the rugged landscape and remote mystery associated with this part of the world; Pallas’s Sandgrouse, Mongolian Finch, Himalayan Snowcock and Sociable Lapwing. Many of the birds we will be seeing are little known and indeed, very rare vagrants to Western Europe. Birding tours are still relatively new in Kazakhstan, and though it is one of our favorite birding destinations, we can only offer this Venture every other year. Accommodations will be comfortable yet simple, and meals are comprised mostly of locally prepared foods.
While in Kazakhstan we will cross the border into Kyrgystan for a three night stay in Karakol near Lake Yssyk. We bird two full days the mountains around the city in search of those Himalayan gems like Rubythroats and tit-warblers, before returning to Kazakhstan.
Bring your sense of adventure and join us for a fascinating exploration of the birds and scenery of this Central Asian paradise.