The 5 Stans: What You Need to Know Before You Travel

The 5 Central Asian ‘Stans’ –Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan were once at the heart of the Silk Road. They served as the crossroads between East and West for over a thousand years.

Today, as a travel destination, the 5 Stans feels like stepping into a living museum of the Silk Road.

The 5 Stans are an emerging travel destination. For most of the 20th century, the 5 Stans lived under Soviet rule. Traditions were suppressed, economies reshaped, and they were under tight Soviet control. As the Soviet Union began to crumble in 1991, each of the Stans began their journey to Independence and by the end of that year, 5 new nations stood on the map – ready for us to start exploring!

There were a lot of unknowns for me whilst preparing for this trip. Here are some of the main topics, I wish I’d known more about before I traveled to the 5 Stans. Hopefully, they will help in your planning too.

1. The 5 Stans -travel destination Vs holiday destination.
2. Be prepared for toilet emergencies!
3. How expensive is it to travel in the 5 Stans?
4. Road conditions in some areas are horrendous!
5. Visa requirements and border crossing information
6. White wine is not your friend in the 5 Stans
7. What Clothes to pack for the 5 Stans
8. Learn a little Russian

1. The 5 Stans is not a Holiday Destination …Yet

Holiday Vs Travel Destination

What I am trying to say is that if you are after a holiday where you relax by the pool, sip a cocktail and read a book – then the 5 Stans is not a destination you would enjoy. If, however, you are looking for a destination jam-packed with history, fascinating culture and stunning scenery to explore, then choosing to travel to the 5 Stans will be the best decision you could make!

The Stans are just beginning to realize their tourism potential and are furiously building infrastructure to accommodate growing demand. Everywhere we looked, we saw building and construction happening. New roads, apartments, hotels and museums.

Accommodation on the Guided Tour

I have to say, I was surprised by the standard of the hotels we stayed in on our Inspiring Vacations Guided Tour, they were all very good! I was expecting low level 3-star hotels, but they were all wonderful!

Some people had an uncomfortable night’s sleep in the yurts, but I loved it! Can you really say you’ve been to central Asia if you haven’t experienced a night in a yurt?!?

The History of the 5 Stans

As I have mentioned, there is so much history in this region, it really is mind blowing. To get your head around it all, a few people on our tour were reading The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan They all raved about it, so I ordered myself a copy! You can order a copy from Amazon here.

Understandably, there are quite a few museum visits on this tour. I love history, so am happy to soak up as much knowledge about the history of the region as I can. All the guides we had on the tour (a different guide in each country), were very knowledgeable as well. They shared information and interesting facts during the bus journeys which helped to break up the hours, but still, it was hours on a bus.

Travel Time on the Guided Tour

There was not a lot of down time on this tour as there was so much to see and lots of travel time between destinations. Long bus rides may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but necessary in this region. Some days required 6 hours in the bus. As comfortable as the buses were, and however many bathroom stops were made, it is still a long stretch. It is for this reason, and the next one as well, that I wouldn’t recommend the 5 Stans as a travel destination for families with young children.

Why Do a Guided Tour?

I know some readers will be thinking of doing a self-guided tour of the Stans instead of being locked into a guided tour. I absolutely understand that reasoning and some members of our tour group were staying on in Kazakhstan to do just that. If you want to include Turkmenistan in your tour though, you can only enter that country at the moment, as a part of a guided tour group.

Personally, I found the tour company taking care of the visa application process for Turkmenistan (see border crossing section for more information) and the support and knowledge of our guides, worth every cent of the cost.

Emerging Holiday Destination

You will recall that I said the 5 Stans was not a holiday destination YET…. I mean yet, because that is rapidly changing. The Stans are quickly becoming a destination of choice for hikers, skiers and lovers of nature. In fact, Intrepid included Kyrgyzstan in their annual Not Hot List, showcasing 10 lesser-known destinations ready to welcome more visitors in 2026. The criteria for being included on this list includes being less visited by tourists but also demonstrating tourist readiness. The area is ready to boom!

If you are sick of negotiating crowds of tourists, want an authentic cultural experience, where you are welcomed enthusiastically by the friendliest locals you will ever meet, where fascinating history is around every corner, then the 5 Stans should be your next travel destination. Do it now, costs are already increasing rapidly as the world is beginning to realize what they have been missing out on.

2. When traveling to the 5 Stans, Never Trust a Fart!

I mean this in all seriousness – I actually paid to use the bathroom just to check! 😬

I have traveled to Bali and know how to avoid the infamous Bali Belly, but I was not prepared for the recuring bouts of diarrhoea I experienced when traveling to the 5 Stans. Cautiously, I only drank bottled water, brushed my teeth with bottled water and avoided salads but it still hit me in the most embarrassing way.

I don’t want to go into too much detail, but you know I love to keep it real, so here’s what happened. Some people on the tour had already had toilet issues, so I was well aware. We were touring an historic madrasah (or place of learning) on sprawling grounds when I felt it and knew I had to find a bathroom fast.

Power walking while clenching, I made my way to the toilet block and paid a little old lady a small fee to use one. They were squat toilets, but desperate times make us less fussy. The door was stuck but the old lady yanked it open and in I jumped not a moment too soon.

It was only afterwards that I realized there was no toilet paper in the stall and also that my aim was off. Cursing, I waddled over to my backpack hanging on the back of the door, to retrieve some tissues I had in there. It was at this precise moment that the door was yanked open again (I was sure I had locked it!). Screaming, I pulled the door shut, but not before the old lady and 3 other women got an eyeful of me with my pants around my ankles and the mess behind me.

God, I have never been more embarrassed! What is it with me and toilets?!?

What you need to Know about the Toilets when Traveling to the 5 Stans

Except for in the hotels, most toilets are pay for use. Therefore, it is a good idea to always have small denominations of the local currency on hand. Often, they don’t have toilet paper in them, so always carry a spare roll.

The sewerage systems in the Stans don’t accommodate toilet paper, so you don’t flush the paper, but rather deposit it in the nearby waste-paper basket.

I have mentioned that infrastructure is madly being built to accommodate the burgeoning tourism industry, this includes bathroom facilities. They are getting there…slowly. Rural rest stops in some cases, are a test in holding your breath. Most are squat toilets, but more western style toilets are being installed everywhere.

Perhaps another thing to pack is some hand sanitizer!

What to include in your Medical Kit

My tummy issues were not an isolated case! I think about 20 out of our tour group of 24 had recuring tummy issues. My advice is to pack your Imodium, and not just one sheet! I would also include some hydrolytes, Buscopan or similar for cramping, and a broad spectrum anti-biotic that covers gut issues – just to be safe. Oh, and some paracetamol!

By the end of the trip, a greeting such as ‘Morning, how are you?’ from a fellow traveler, could be answered with a perfectly acceptable response of ‘Solid!” 😂

Don’t forget to keep scripted medication in its box with your name on it. My medication wasn’t checked but yours may be. Don’t bring codeine in your medication, it is restricted. Find alternative pain relief instead.

3. It is an Inexpensive Travel Destination

The cost of guided tours to the Stans is increasing, but once you are there, everything is quite cheap. Talking to other travelers on our Inspiring Vacations tour, they were appreciative of the fact that all of the entry fees to museums, national parks etc were covered in the cost of the tour – there were no additional add-on costs apart from some meals that we paid for ourselves.

Exchange Rates in the 5 Stans

The most confusing thing is working out the currency conversion rates for each Stan. You just get your head around how to calculate the conversion then you change countries and have to start all over again! We found this app, My Currency Converter, which works without data, very helpful. Generally, the exchange rate is quite good for the Australian dollar and the $US.

Currency Exchange when Traveling to the 5 Stans

On a guided tour, your guide will either have local currency for you to exchange as soon as you enter the country, or they will be able to direct you to an exchange office with good rates. Be wary, some of the Stans have official exchange rates, and then they have business exchange rates which are much better – your guide will be able to tell you everything you need to know.

How Much Money to Take on a Guided Tour of the 5 Stans?

Our tour was 22 days, so I tried to calculate how many meals I would have to purchase myself plus a little spending money for drinks and souvenirs, but I still overbudgeted. I took $750US cash, to convert into local currency in each country, but still came home with over $100US. Of course, if you are a bit of a shop-o-holic or love a beer, you can always manage to spend the dollars – where there’s a will, there’s a way!

I also took a travel Visa card, but some of the Stans don’t use cards, particularly Turkmenistan. Kazakhstan, which is the most touristy of all the 5 Stans, has no issues using cards.

4. Be Prepared for a Bumpy Ride

Some of the roads we drove on were the worst I have ever seen! Due to the extremes in weather conditions (in some cases going from 40-degree heat in summer, to minus 40 in winter), some road surfaces don’t last longer than 10 years. Driving out to the Davarza Gas Crater in Turkmenistan required expert 4WD skills!

Maybe because I didn’t have to actually drive, I loved the four-wheel driving! But if you suffer from a bad back or other conditions that bumping around in the back of a 4WD might exacerbate, then you need to take that into consideration.

5. Border Crossings and Entry Requirements

Turkmenistan was by far the most complicated Stan to gain entry into. Many of my fellow travelers had questions about the entry process, so you probably do too. I will do my best to simplify the entry requirements.

Turkmenistan is the only Stan that requires an entry visa if you are traveling on an Australian passport. The easiest way to check visa requirements for yourself is to go to your country’s official government travel advisory website. In Australia, it is Smartraveller. Remember, you need to check requirements against what passport you hold. Even if you reside in Australia, but have a British passport, your visa requirements will be different.

Entry into Turkmenistan

Back to Turkmenistan… Each visitor needs a letter of invitation (LOI) from the Turkmenistan government before you can get your visa. Our tour company applied for our LOIs, but we had to supply passport photos as well as fill in the application form. Once lodged, it is a waiting game. The LOI notoriously arrives a day or 2 before you are due to arrive in Turkmenistan.

I printed my LOI out because I wanted to have a physical copy, but we were told a digital copy was ok (handy if you are traveling beforehand and don’t have access to a printer). Once you arrive at the Turkmenistan airport, you make your way to the Visa counter. We were told to head to the counter first, but I was stopped for my ‘covid test’ first.

Having a Covid test is an entry requirement but it is not really a Covid test. I’m pretty sure the swab didn’t even enter my nostril! There certainly wasn’t any waiting for test results, the swab just went straight in the bin, and I was then directed to the visa counter. It is clearly a revenue earning exercise, so don’t be concerned about what happens if you test positive – there is no actual test.

At the visa counter you will queue, how long for will depend on how many tourists arrive on your flight and how many other flights arrive at the same time. There is only one person manning the visa counter! Once he checks your passport and your LOI, he will retain your passport and send you to the adjacent counter with some paperwork. This is where you pay for your visa and your ‘Covid test’. There were 2 people manning the payment counter – gives you an idea of their priorities!

Here is the frustrating part, after you pay – in $US and in cash, then you head back to the queue at the visa counter with your receipt of payment to collect your passport. All in all, it took us 2 hours to get processed and $130US each. The charge seemed to vary amongst our group, not sure what the criteria is, but it might be wise to factor-in a little more cash just in case.

Our airport transfer, organized by the tour group, was waiting for us as soon as we had collected our luggage. Important to note – as we were the last in our group to be processed, the luggage carousel has stopped, and bags were stacked nearby. The airport staff required to view the luggage sticker I was issued when I checked-in my luggage at home…. so don’t lose that sticker!

Border Crossings

At each border crossing, the process was fairly similar. With our luggage, we made our way to passport control and customs. This involved checking and stamping your passport, then walking your suitcase through no-man’s land to repeat the process on the other side as well as a bag screening before entering the new country.

Travel through no-man’s land from Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan was courtesy of an old soviet style bus, which was quite the adventure in itself!

By far the easiest border crossing was from Kyrgyzstan to Kazakhstan. We passed through on a mountain road, that was sealed (easy to wheel your suitcase) and had hardly any other traffic.

Prior to travel, I was told to pack extra light because we would have to carry our bags through no-man’s land. I tried to keep my bag light, but it was still a big bag. If there was any lifting to be done, someone from the group or even someone from border control helped me with it. Mostly, I was just able to wheel it everywhere, so there was no problem.

6. Say No to Wine When Traveling to the 5 Stans

I love a cold glass of white wine. Sadly, my advice when traveling to the 5 Stans, if you love white wine like me, would be to forego the wine and opt for beer (finding a cold one can be a mission) or vodka instead.

These are former Soviet countries, and the population are not wine drinkers. We started our trip in Turkmenistan and the white wine there, if you can find any, could be likened to vinegar. As our journey progressed to the more touristy of the Stans – Kazakhstan – the white wine was much nicer and easier to find…. but expensive!

Red wine was easier to find and tasted better according to my fellow travelers, but I am not usually a red wine drinker. Never say never though, and I did try red wine one night…it was much nicer than the white!

I say embrace the culture you are surrounded in and taste some of the many delicious, cheap vodkas on offer instead. ‘Zatvoe!’

7. What Clothing to Pack when Traveling to the 5 Stans

As I mentioned previously, I tried to pack light, and I think I succeeded. You will need to pack for all seasons though. We started our tour in Turkmenistan in early September, and it was hot. Remember you will need to dress conservatively in most of the Stans so a top with sleeves or a scarf to drape over yourself when entering mosques is essential.

As you move north the weather cools down, we even got to experience a little snowfall! Luckily, I packed a lightweight thermal top, which came in very handy in Kyrgyzstan. I doubt anyone would be traveling to the 5 Stans in the middle of winter, temperatures can drop to minus 40! So, my advice is to pack clothes that have the ability to layer and definitely pack a jacket!

We rinsed clothes out in our bathroom on hotel stays of 2 nights and they were always dry before we needed to pack up again. Some of the hotels we stayed in even had a laundry service – 5 garments washed for free! However, as I mentioned, tourism is an emerging industry and their laundry service needed a little bit of reorganizing… some clothes were delivered to the wrong rooms, and some clothes had temporarily gone AWOL 😁

My top tip for packing is packing cubes! They completely changed the way I pack…. everything is so organized now and easy to find. Tops in one, bottoms in another etc…. you can label each cube too, but I didn’t bother. My cubes pictured are from Zoomlite, but there are so many on the market now, including compression cubes, so you can squeeze even more into your suitcase. I was trying to pack light so didn’t need the extra space. Here is the Amazon link to order yours.

8. A little Russian Goes a Long Way

Each of the 5 Stans has their own language which can be a little frustrating if you are linguistically challenged like me! One language they all have in common is Russian. So, if you can learn a few little phrases in Russian, such as thank you and hello, the locals will love you.

Most of the schools teach a foreign language to their students. English is a very popular choice, and they can’t wait to test out what they have been learning! So many times, we were greeted by children with ‘Hello! How are you?’ One young toddler wanted to shake hands with everyone in our group!

The locals are very friendly, they are curious about visitors, waving at the bus as it drives by and asking questions. One immigration officer looking at my passport pointed to the Coat of Arms and said ‘Kangaroo?’ I replied ‘Yes!” He then pointed at the Emu and asked what it was. When I told him, he repeated ‘Emu’ and smiled at me.

More Information to Come

I loved traveling to the 5 Stans, despite having the runs for most of it! Some of the things I saw were thousands of years old and it just blew my mind. I have written detailed blog posts on each of the Stans that we visited, so if you are planning to travel to the 5 Stans soon, or even if you are just curious to know more about them, make sure to check out my other posts on Central Asia!