Visa Processing Instructions for citizens of USA, Canada, Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand
- Visa processing is a part of our service included with all tour packages. All fees related to obtaining your visas such as fees for letter of invitation, consular fee, visa processing fees are included into the price of the tour.
- For visa processing we need a color copy of your passport and a color copy of your photo to be e-mailed to us. We will e-mail your visas back to you within 3 weeks. We do not need original passport.
- We apply for visas on your behalf, just as you did it yourself and cannot be responsible for any delays related to consular timing. Approval of visas is a subject of consular section decision. We have no control over it, and are just applying for visas following all current regulations.
- Visa processing can be initiated at any time between day when you book the tour and minimal time frame needed for visa processing.
Visa requirements
- Country Visited US Citizenship Canadian Citizenship UK, Australia and New Zealand Citizenship
- Uzbekistan e-Visa Do not need Do not need
- Kazakhstan Do not need Do not need Do not need
- Kyrgyzstan Do not need Do not need Do not need
- Turkmenistan On arrival On arrival On arrival
- Tajikistan e-Visa e-Visa e-Visa
- Azerbaijan e-Visa e-Visa e-Visa
- Georgia Do not need Do not need Do not need
- Armenia Do not need Do not need Do not need
China Visa needed in advance Visa needed in advance Visa needed in advance
US Citizenship
Country Visited: Visa Required
- Uzbekistan: e-Visa
- Kazakhstan: Do not need
- Kyrgyzstan: Do not need
- Turkmenistan: On arrival
- Tajikistan: e-Visa
- Azerbaijan: e-Visa
- Georgia: Do not need
- Armenia: Do not need
- China: Visa needed in advance
Canadian Citizenship
Country Visited: Visa Required
- Uzbekistan: Do not need
- Kazakhstan: Do not need
- Kyrgyzstan: Do not need
- Turkmenistan: On arrival
- Tajikistan: e-Visa
- Azerbaijan: e-Visa
- Georgia: Do not need
- Armenia: Do not need
- China: Visa needed in advance
UK, Australian, and New Zealand Citizenship
Country Visited: Visa Required
- Uzbekistan: Do not need
- Kazakhstan: Do not need
- Kyrgyzstan: Do not need
- Turkmenistan: On arrival
- Tajikistan: e-Visa
- Azerbaijan: e-Visa
- Georgia: Do not need
- Armenia: Do not need
- China: Visa needed in advance
Timimg, Clothing, Luggage
Best Time to Visit 5 Stans – Central Asia and Caucasus
With sharply continental climate, Central Asia has hot summers with cold winters making Spring (April to June) and Fall (mid August to mid November) best months to visit. During this time of the year you can expect pleasant weather with sunny days ending with chilly nights, and low chances of precipitation. Central Asia has low humidity, making hot weather feel less disturbing.
Clothing
There are no special clothing requirements. Central Asia is modern when it comes to dress code in major cities and gets more conservative in remote smaller cities. As example dress code is similar to what is in Turkey.
Feel free to wear comfortable shorts, t-shirts and tops depending on weather, however please avoid very short shorts or deep cuts on tops because your itinerary includes visiting religious sites. There are no restrictions for woman to cover head when entering religious monuments, nor a need to be accompanied by a male.
Some of sites might require taking off the shoes. It is recommended to bring light cotton clothing, head, sunglasses and sun screen. Shoes must be comfortable for walking and easy to take off. Layers and light jacket will help to feel warm and comfortable during cooler evenings.
Luggage Suggestions
There are internal flights on the tour allowing up to 40 pounds of luggage in one piece to be checked in with 10 pounds of carry on allowance. Please be sure to feel comfortable moving your luggage yourself.
We recommend you to have a small backpack or carriage for daily use while on the excursion to carry water, camera, valet, etc. There is no need to carry your entire suitcase at all times, for example suitcase can be left in Uzbekistan for overnight excursion to Tajikistan packing only things you might need for 1 day.
More Travel Details
Food/ Drinking Water
Our tours are all inclusive; everyday of the tour we provide full board meals for our clients. Breakfasts are served at hotels each morning. For lunches and dinners we use local restaurants. Restaurants vary from fine restaurants in capital cities to best available in remote locations.
Price of the tour includes one salad, one soup, one entrée and unlimited bread, tea or coffee. Guides take requests of tourists into consideration when choosing restaurants. Our clients are able to choose from menu what they prefer to eat. We do not provide partial refunds for unused meals.
Alcoholic beverages are not included with the tour, however accessible in most restaurants at price listed in menu.
Drinking tab water is generally safe, however we do not advise do drink tab water. It is recommended that our clients drink bottled spring water which can be easily purchased.
We provide 1 lt. of bottled water per person per day on our tours free of charge.
Cuisine/Special Meals
All restaurants on the tour offer local and European cuisine with meat and chicken. Fish or sea food is not widely offered due to geographical location of some counties. There are no special vegetarian restaurants, very few restaurants offer special vegetarian meals in their menus. It is possible to order custom vegetarian meal or simply choose meals from the menu that do not have specific products in them. Your guides will be helping to pre order or order meals.
Physical Condition
While our scheduled tours do not require ability for hiking or trekking, they do require ability to walk long distances during sightseeing and walking up and down stairs. Please consider other participants on the tour by avoiding being late for excursions or needing excessive time to sit and rest while sightseeing. It is important that you are able to carry your own luggage. Most of participants on our scheduled tours are in their late 50’s to early 70’s.
Internet Access/ Electricity
Internet is accessible during most part of the tour. All hotels in capital cities and most hotels in remote locations offer free WiFi internet in the lobby. Some restaurants on the tour offer free WiFi internet access as well. Internet speed is slow, usually under 256kb per second. East Site is not responsible for absence of internet for any reason in places where it is advertised, such as hotels, restaurants, etc.
In all countries visited on our tours the voltage is 220W with European plugs, (2 round holes.)
Our tours are all inclusive; everyday of the tour we provide full board meals for our clients. Breakfasts are served at hotels each morning. For lunches and dinners we use local restaurants. Restaurants vary from fine restaurants in capital cities to best available in remote locations.
Price of the tour includes one salad, one soup, one entrée and unlimited bread, tea or coffee. Guides take requests of tourists into consideration when choosing restaurants. Our clients are able to choose from menu what they prefer to eat. We do not provide partial refunds for unused meals.
Alcoholic beverages are not included with the tour, however accessible in most restaurants at price listed in menu.
Drinking tab water is generally safe, however we do not advise do drink tab water. It is recommended that our clients drink bottled spring water which can be easily purchased.
We provide 1 lt. of bottled water per person per day on our tours free of charge.
All restaurants on the tour offer local and European cuisine with meat and chicken. Fish or sea food is not widely offered due to geographical location of some counties. There are no special vegetarian restaurants, very few restaurants offer special vegetarian meals in their menus. It is possible to order custom vegetarian meal or simply choose meals from the menu that do not have specific products in them. Your guides will be helping to pre order or order meals.
While our scheduled tours do not require ability for hiking or trekking, they do require ability to walk long distances during sightseeing and walking up and down stairs. Please consider other participants on the tour by avoiding being late for excursions or needing excessive time to sit and rest while sightseeing. It is important that you are able to carry your own luggage. Most of participants on our scheduled tours are in their late 50’s to early 70’s.
Internet is accessible during most part of the tour. All hotels in capital cities and most hotels in remote locations offer free WiFi internet in the lobby. Some restaurants on the tour offer free WiFi internet access as well. Internet speed is slow, usually under 256kb per second. East Site is not responsible for absence of internet for any reason in places where it is advertised, such as hotels, restaurants, etc.
In all countries visited on our tours the voltage is 220W with European plugs, (2 round holes.)
Border Crossings & Customs
Border Crossing for citizens of USA, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand:
- Origin – China – through airport with visa.*
Origin/China – Kazakhstan – by land without visa.*
Kazakhstan – Kyrgyzstann – by land without visa.*
Note: Transportation is passing separate customs post than tourists. Please be prepared to leave the vehicle and walk the neutral territory before returning to your vehicle.
- Origin/Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan – through airport with visa.*
- Turkmenistan – Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan – by land with visa.
Note: Neutral territory between two custom posts is long. Once you walk through Uzbekistan customs port there is almost 1 mile to the real border line, after real border line there is another quarter mile distance to Turkmenistan customs post. Our guides and transportation are not allowed to cross the border with you, please be prepared to walk the distance yourself and carry your luggage. There are shuttle busses on both sides of neutral territory which are there to drive you through; the cost is from 50 cents to 2 dollars per person. Same on the way back.
- Turkmenistan – Iran – by land with visa
- Uzbekistan – Tajikistan – Uzbekistan – by land with visa.
Note: There is an “unwritten” rule that foreign tourists cross customs without waiting in same line with local citizens (Uzbekistan and Tajikistan). Please walk directly to customs officials.
- Iran – Azerbaijan – through airport with visa.*
- Azerbaijan – Georgia – by land without visa
- Georgia – Armenia – by land with visa
Note: Azerbaijan and Armenia have no mutual open borders, and are not friendly to each other. Therefore if you are entering Armenia through Georgia after visiting Azerbaijan or entering Azerbaijan though Georgia after visiting Armenia, your purchases resembling Armenia or Azerbaijan might be confiscated. Souvenirs such as post cards, musical DVD/CD, maps, craft/art works, etc. If those purchases are expensive or meaningful to you, please consider shipping them home instead of caring with you.
*Entering any country listed above through the airport with visa obtained in advance is a simple, standard procedure similar worldwide.
Between each border there is neutral territory, please be prepared to walk it and carry your own luggage. In some cases the distance is short, and some it is long, up to 1 mile.
Internal Flights
Schedule of internal flights used on the tour are subject to change for reasons out of our control. Internal flights on the tour might be canceled or delayed by the airline/airport for reasons such as weather conditions, etc.
Please be informed in case such events occur, we will be forced to use different flights to stay within itinerary or as close as possible to it. If we will be forced to change the itinerary for reasons related to internal flights, East Site is not responsible for any unwanted consequences it might cause to our tourists.
Declaration Forms/Migration Card
It is important to accurately complete your declaration forms/migration card. Incomplete or wrong information will cause delay in border crossing procedure for entire group.
Please provide exact amounts of currency which you have with you. Declarations/migration cards must be completed in 2 copies, please keep one with you and do not lose, they will be collected upon exit from each country.
Hotel Registration
Each hotel will provide registration slip upon checkout, please keep them in your passport until end of the tour and departure.
Please feel comfortable to e-mail or call with any questions you might have regarding your tour. It is important to us that your trip with East Site comes to your complete satisfaction.
Schedule of internal flights used on the tour are subject to change for reasons out of our control. Internal flights on the tour might be canceled or delayed by the airline/airport for reasons such as weather conditions, etc.
Please be informed in case such events occur, we will be forced to use different flights to stay within itinerary or as close as possible to it. If we will be forced to change the itinerary for reasons related to internal flights, East Site is not responsible for any unwanted consequences it might cause to our tourists.
It is important to accurately complete your declaration forms/migration card. Incomplete or wrong information will cause delay in border crossing procedure for entire group.
Please provide exact amounts of currency which you have with you. Declarations/migration cards must be completed in 2 copies, please keep one with you and do not lose, they will be collected upon exit from each country.
Each hotel will provide registration slip upon checkout, please keep them in your passport until end of the tour and departure.
Please feel comfortable to e-mail or call with any questions you might have regarding your tour. It is important to us that your trip with East Site comes to your complete satisfaction.
Tour Guidelines
Find more information on Early Arrival and Late Departure, Tour Voucher – Confirmation Document, Types of Hotels, Guides and Transportation.
Hotels, Tour Guides, and Departures
Early Arrival and Late Departure
Our service starts with hotel check-in at noon of first day of tour and ends with hotel checkout at noon on last day of tour. In case if you arrive early in the morning of first day of tour or depart later than noon of last day of tour, there will be early check-in/late checkout fee added to your invoice in the amount of ½ of full night rate. In case if your arrival is one or several days before tour begins or one or several days later after tour ends, hotel charges will be added accordingly to hotels’ per night rate.
We will arrange hotel booking once we are informed of your arrival and departure flight details. Meeting at the airport upon your arrival and transfer to hotel, as well as transfer to the airport at the end of the tour for departure are included as part of our service regardless of your arrival and departure time schedule. Upon your arrival please locate a sing with your name on it at airport exit; the driver will take you to hotel.
Tour Voucher – Confirmation Document
14 days before tour starts we will provide a Tour Voucher – Confirmation Document which will contain:
list of hotels we have booked for your tour day by day with hotels’ name, address, phone/fax number
names and cell phone contact details of guides and drivers who are scheduled for your tour in each country names and cell phone contact details of local land tour operators who are working on your tour
in case of emergency contact details of embassies of your citizenship.
Please print your Tour Voucher – Confirmation Document and carry with you on the tour. We advise to leave a copy of your Tour Voucher – Confirmation Document with your friends and relatives at home, so they are able to get in touch with you at hotel, or by calling guides’ cell phone in case if needed.
Types of Hotels, Guides and Transportation
We aim to use best available hotels on our tours. In most capital cities we are using 5 Star hotels; in remote locations we are using best available hotels which may be small boutique hotels, guest houses or B&Bs. Hotels which are used on the tour are chosen upon careful consideration of many obstacles such as: location; feedback from previous clients regarding breakfast, room service and comfort; views and accessibility to local sights. East Site is not responsible for hotels’ maintenance and staff.
Guides who are going to be working with your group are licensed and certified professionals to work with foreign tourists; they are selected upon careful consideration based on experience, knowledge of language and their subject, as well as feedback from previous clients. We do not hire guides who have received a single negative feedback from any of our previous clients.
Transportation on the tour is based on number of participants; we are using trusted drivers, who have perfect driving records, experience of working with tourists and positive feedbacks from previous clients. Transportation is checked for safety, equipped with a/c and of recent make.
Early Arrival and Late Departure
Our service starts with hotel check-in at noon of first day of tour and ends with hotel checkout at noon on last day of tour. In case if you arrive early in the morning of first day of tour or depart later than noon of last day of tour, there will be early check-in/late checkout fee added to your invoice in the amount of ½ of full night rate. In case if your arrival is one or several days before tour begins or one or several days later after tour ends, hotel charges will be added accordingly to hotels’ per night rate.
We will arrange hotel booking once we are informed of your arrival and departure flight details. Meeting at the airport upon your arrival and transfer to hotel, as well as transfer to the airport at the end of the tour for departure are included as part of our service regardless of your arrival and departure time schedule. Upon your arrival please locate a sing with your name on it at airport exit; the driver will take you to hotel.
Tour Voucher – Confirmation Document
14 days before tour starts we will provide a Tour Voucher – Confirmation Document which will contain:
list of hotels we have booked for your tour day by day with hotels’ name, address, phone/fax number
names and cell phone contact details of guides and drivers who are scheduled for your tour in each country names and cell phone contact details of local land tour operators who are working on your tour
in case of emergency contact details of embassies of your citizenship.
Please print your Tour Voucher – Confirmation Document and carry with you on the tour. We advise to leave a copy of your Tour Voucher – Confirmation Document with your friends and relatives at home, so they are able to get in touch with you at hotel, or by calling guides’ cell phone in case if needed.
Types of Hotels, Guides and Transportation
We aim to use best available hotels on our tours. In most capital cities we are using 5 Star hotels; in remote locations we are using best available hotels which may be small boutique hotels, guest houses or B&Bs. Hotels which are used on the tour are chosen upon careful consideration of many obstacles such as: location; feedback from previous clients regarding breakfast, room service and comfort; views and accessibility to local sights. East Site is not responsible for hotels’ maintenance and staff.
Guides who are going to be working with your group are licensed and certified professionals to work with foreign tourists; they are selected upon careful consideration based on experience, knowledge of language and their subject, as well as feedback from previous clients. We do not hire guides who have received a single negative feedback from any of our previous clients.
Transportation on the tour is based on number of participants; we are using trusted drivers, who have perfect driving records, experience of working with tourists and positive feedbacks from previous clients. Transportation is checked for safety, equipped with a/c and of recent make.