Community-led Tourism Tours

This is a three night Rwanda safari which includes a stay at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge on the edge of the Volcanoes National Park. Trek to see the highly endangered and magnificent mountain Gorilla in its wild habitat and explore a local village which gives a fascinating insight into life in rural Rwanda.

Experience Tsagaan Sar through the eyes of three of the rural families, one of the most important and traditional of celebrations in Mongolia.

After starting your trip in Ulaanataar, travel to Erdenedalai, meaning ‘Jewel Ocean’ in Mongolian. This small town located in the middle of the Gobi steppe provides a genuine insight into everyday life in Mongolia. On arrival, receive a warm welcome from your host Nergui and his family. You’ll change into your Mongolian Tsagaan Sar clothing and start the Bituun - New Year’s Eve - celebrations.

Wake up before dawn and join the head of the family in the most important of customs – greeting the first sunrise of the new year. You’ll visit the family ovoo and take part in the traditional zologkh greeting.

Travel to Khogno Khan Nature Reserve where you can explore the hidden interiors of the mountain on a 3-hour hike to Erdene Khambiin Khid and the ruined Ovgon Khiid Monastery or camel trek along the Elsen Tasarkhai sand dunes.

Travel to the Orkhon River Valley, one of Mongolia’s four UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You can choose to visit Erdene Zuu and the Kharkhorin Museum with exhibits based on the history surrounding the Orkhon River Valley and the Turkish and Mongol Empire.

Return to Ulaanbaatar where you will experience the Lunar New Year as it is for urban Mongolians.

After arriving in Ulaanbaatar, road trip to Amarbayasgalant Monastery, passing through some of Mongolia’s main agricultural land, before departing for Uran Togoo – Tulga Uul – a national protected area consisting of the extinct volcanoes and spend the evening with the small community of Khutag Undur.

Travel to the southern shore of Khovsgol Lake and explore the frozen surface by horse-drawn sleigh. Spend two days at the Ice Festival, a celebration of local community, networking and collaboration to ensure a better future for the region and its herding community.

Return to Murun and explore the Ushigiin Uver deer stones. Murun is the lively capital town of Khovsgol Aimag which bears the hallmarks of being a trading outpost close to the border with Russian Siberia, in that it is slightly wild and rough around the edges.

Stop at the powerful Selenge River on your way back to Ulaanbaatar.

An escorted small group tour to the highlights of this spectacular but highly underrated country.

From 12th-century mosques to 6th-century walled cities, you’ll experience the very best of the Silk Road and learn how the rise and fall of the Timur Empire left a profound architectural legacy.

But it's not all ancient history here: you'll get a feel for life under Soviet rule -- still fresh in many memories -- as well as get to know the people and culture of contemporary Uzbekistan in all its fascinating complexity.

This itinerary is not about ‘must see sights’ or the highlights of Mongolia. This is about real everyday life for rural communities as the spring thaw has started and the warmth of the sun is slowly bringing freshness to the land.

March is when the livestock start to give birth and this continues through April into May. Its an industrious time of year for Mongolia’s rural herding communities and that’s what this trip focuses on. The rural way of life – whether it be of a nomadic family that move 6 to 8 times a year or a retired couple with just a small number of livestock.

The slow pace of travel gives you enough time to gain local insight into rural life at this important time of year and the spring landscapes of Mongolia through ger homestays and family owned ger camps. You’ll get to experience the traditional way of life but at the same time gain an overview as what it means to be Mongolian in 21st Century Mongolia.

The Gobi Desert provides the backdrop as you explore, discover and understand the Gobi as well as meet some of the people that make their home in these remarkable landscapes.

The Gobi principally spans six of Mongolia’s aimags (provinces) and our Gobi Insight trips takes in three of them - the eastern Gobi (Dorngobi), the Middle (Dudgobi) and the Southern (Omnogobi). Mongolians say they have at least 33 different types of desert - with the types frequently varying depending on water supply, minerals and location. For certain it is huge open expanse of extremes. Granite and limestone rock formations, vast gravel plains, sand dunes, 2800m mountains, gorges and canyons and Saxaul forest - this itinerary is designed so you experience the variety and diversity of the Gobi.

After arriving in Ulaanbaatar, fly out to Ulgii or Khovd – the provincial capitals of western Mongolia. Spend time with the family experiencing their rural way of life and learning about the traditions and culture of the Kazakhs in Mongolia.

Transfer through Ulgii to the small community of Altai district. There is nothing planned as not planing in advance leads to a more respectful and naturally Kazakh experience, but options including learning more about the way of life or even a great horse trek or full day hike into the landscapes of the interior in the company of Aigerim or one of her sisters.

Transfer by road to the small community of Deluun at the foothills of the Khokhserkhiin Nuruu for a celebration of the Kazakh culture and focuses on the speed, agility and accuracy of the ‘berkut’. The festival provides you with a wealth of cultural experience as you mix in the company of small town folk, nomads and the Kazakh hunters.

Travel back to Ulgii where you will celebrate Nauryz, the first day of spring, before flying back to Ulaanbaatar.

Basakhan is a Kazakh eagle hunter and the main trek that forms the centrepiece of the itinerary was designed and put together between EL and Bashakhan. We have worked with Bashakhan for many years and he was always mentioning this trekking route he would like to focus on and so we have created this experience around the route. It is Bashakhan’s local knowledge is what makes this itinerary so special.

You will experience a different more hidden side of the Altai as you trek with Bashakhan from his summer pasture at Tsengel Khairkhan to the Altai Tavan Bogd Lakes of Khoton and Khurgan Nuur. Although this brief description does not do this remarkable region justice - it is unexpectedly beautiful. And off the beaten track. This is the Altai that few others get to see. An alternative to the popular Tsagaan Gol trek.

Roughly 17% of Mongolia's landmass has some form of national environmental protection with a focus on this increasing this up to 30%. A further 10% has local protected area status.

This trip brings you into contact with some of the less visited national parks and nature reserves in the country. The vast landscapes of Mongolia’s middle Gobi and the mountain forest steppe of Khentii provide the backdrop on this active adventure where you will experience the striking raw natural beauty and traditional and 21st century ways of Mongolia. By visiting two contrasting regions - Gobi and Khentii - you will leave with a better understanding of the diversity of the people and their way of life, the landscapes and wildlife in Mongolia.

On our Khangai Wilderness Trails you’ll explore the ancient Khangai Mountains range from east to west - the rugged mountains, alpine lakes, wildflower meadows, river valleys and the southern-forested fringes of the Siberian Taiga that make up the area as well as learning more about the way of life for the local people that make their home in the region.

The centrepiece of the experience is five-days trekking off grid in the stunning Tarvagtai National Park. No formal trekking routes really exist here and that’s what makes trekking in this region such a glorious experience – it’s just you, your trek guide/ horse wrangler and your choice of which horizon to explore and discover. Our Khangai trek is led by Monkhoo - together with his family they herd their livestock in the region through which you will trek and know their home area like the back of their hands.

Trekking in Tajikistan is barely on the tourist radar but those that make the effort will be rewarded with some of the most pristine and precious landscapes on the planet.

Not only will you gain an insight into the diversity of Central Asian culture, but you will also get to explore Tajikistan’s rich cultural heritage. Soviet-style Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s capital, with its landmarks, museums and busy bazaars, is a world away from the tranquil landscapes of the river valleys and mountain passes that make up Tajik countryside.

This Fann mountains hiking tour will take you back in time as you explore wonders such as the Hisor Fortress and the old city of Penjikent. But the great treat in store for you on this trip is that the countryside through which you’ll trek has been little changed for millennia, its glacial lakes as turquoise as they were in the days of the ancients and its mountain peaks as craggy.

Embrace Mongolia’s glorious, limitless space on our Untamed Mongolia small group experience – a celebration of the diversity of Mongolia’s ‘eternal’ landscapes. Mongolia’s landscapes form a backdrop to any journey in Mongolia but are a central element in our Untamed Mongolia experience where the focus is about exploring and discovering the striking landscapes of the Gobi Desert, the high open steppe and the spectacular lake land and northern regions of Mongolia, including Lake Khovsgol.

This is the ultimate road trip combined with a camel trek, wild camping, day hikes and living alongside Mongolia’s herders. Join our Untamed Mongolia for an introduction to the real 21st Century Mongolia – its diversity of landscapes, its people and its way of life.

This trip explores the diversity of Mongolia’s immense and powerful landscapes. As you head west out of Ulaanbaatar, you explore alpine lakes, river valleys, mountains, open steppe grasslands and sand dunes. The diversity of landscapes in such close relation is matched by few other places in the world.

Combined with homestays with local families within these epic landscapes and wild camping, this makes for an exciting and original road trip.

Kazakhstan is a country in the flux of change, where long-held traditions are still valued alongside modern practices. Here, historic, Soviet, and modern cities combine to create a timeless atmosphere. The country’s abundant oil and mineral reserves have financed bold urban landscapes with buildings by world-famous architects, yet Kazakhstan has not lost sight of its nomadic roots, assuring visitors of the warm welcome which has characterised this nation’s attitude to guests for centuries.

Beyond the urban settlements, Kazakhstan’s mighty landscapes will capture both your imagination and your heart. From vividly painted canyons to alpine lakes and juniper forests on mountain slopes, the diverse countryside offers some of the most beautiful scenery in the region. Every drive, walk, or plane ride is another opportunity to be awed by the scale and magnificence of Kazakhstan’s natural environments.

Explore the ancient cities frequented by nomads and conquerors, the architectural legacy left by a flourishing Islam and the great Empire of Timur. Mosques, madrassas, fortresses and unforgettable landscapes await, ranging from fertile valleys to open steppes and never-ending deserts.

Tour modern Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan and the largest city in Central Asia. Visit the Fergana Valley to learn about the strong local traditions of ceramics and silk production, Termez, a historic regional center of Buddhism and well-preserved Khiva, a museum city surrounded by mud brick walls.

Spend time in the charming Old City of Bukhara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site before arriving at the wonders of Samarkand. Along the way you'll meet local people and master craftsmen, who will share with you their expertise in paper making, ceramics, and silk production.

Tracking mountain gorillas is one of the most popular tourist activities in Rwanda. This three day trip takes you into Volcanoes National Park, one of the few places on earth these incredible animals can been seen in the wild.

After a nights stay at the luxurious Five Volcanoes Boutique Lodge, expert guides will lead you into the jungle to track the rare mountain gorillas before you spend the afternoon visiting the Iby'iwacu Cultural Center where you will get to know the traditional history of Rwanda.

For well over a thousand years, merchants carried their wares over remote mountain passes in Kyrgyzstan, along verdant river valleys and through the great Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan.

These nomads, conquerors, and settlers left behind an architectural legacy that draws on forgotten empires and ancient religions. Uzbekistan has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status for its age-old cities: Bukhara, Khiva, and Samarkand, arguably the jewel in the country’s dazzling crown.

Central Asian mosques, madrassas, fortresses, and bazaars combine to create a timeless atmosphere, while out in the countryside, the country’s incredible landscapes will capture both your imagination and your heart.

Kalpak Travel’s Central Asian Silk Road Tour will lead you through the remarkable cities of the Great Silk Road, many of which are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

You will discover the cultural treasures and traditions of both the nomadic people who have crossed the region for millennia, and of the settled population. Explore three of the sprawling, Soviet-era capitals of Central Asia.

Absorb the architectural legacies of flourishing Islamic cultures and the mighty Timurid Empire in Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva. In your two-week stay, you will be immersed in centuries of history and the diverse cultures of the peoples who built the ‘Stans as you see them today.

Kalpak Travel’s Best of Central Asia Tour combines the cultural highlights and natural beauty of five different countries in one epic journey.

In each of the Central Asian republics you’ll visit the modern and historic capitals, and see firsthand the cultural treasures and traditions of both the nomadic people who have crossed this region for centuries, and also the people who have settled in its cities.

The eclectic contemporary architecture of Nur-Sultan and Ashgabat contrasts with the sprawling Soviet-styled cities of Almaty, Bishkek, and Dushanbe, and nothing can prepare you for the impact of the great Silk Road cities, where flourishing Islamic culture and the medieval Timurid Empire left a lasting architectural legacy.

Travel across the five ‘Stans with us to experience the very best of Central Asian hospitality on an unforgettable adventure.