Highlights of the Silk Road - 56 Days
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Overview
Highlights
- Ashgabat - begin your adventure in Turkmenistan's bizarre and modern capital and explore the city on a guided minibus tour
- Darvaza Gas Crater - gaze at the unusual site of a flaming gas crater in the middle of the desert in Turkmenistan
- Bukhara - learn about the gruesome history of the Uzbek city with a visit to the Kalyan Minaret and see historic Zindon Prison
- Kyzylkhum Desert - spend the night in a traditional felt yurt and explore the rolling dunes of the desert
- Samarkand - take in highlights of the Silk Road city including the stunning Registan and Bibi-Khanym Mosque
- Tashkent - explore the Soviet-style Uzbek capital independently and opt to visit the world's oldest copy of the Koran at Hast Imam Square
- Kyrgyz Fergana Valley - overland for two or three days in the breathtaking valley, stopping for numerous hikes in the region
- Song Kol Lake - camp in traditional felt yurts beside the shimmering lake and meet local nomadic farmers
- Bishkek - browse the Osh Bazaar or explore the central Ala-Too Square as you enjoy free time in Kyrgyzstan's charming capital
- Kashgar - enjoy an included visit to Shipton's Arch which is the tallest natural archway in the world
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Details
Destinations
Max Group Size
Trip includes
- 34 breakfasts, 12 lunches and 15 dinners
- 40 nights in hotels & guesthouses
- 11 nights camping (including 7 nights wild camping & 4 nights camping without facilities)
- 4 nights camping in traditional yurts
- Airport arrival transfer on day 1
- All necessary camping equipment (excluding sleeping bags)
- Services of two crew (drivers/tour leaders) and local guides along the way
- Transportation in an overland expedition vehicle
- Sightseeing as per itinerary
- Guided tour of Ashgabat and visit to the Darvaza Gas Crater in Turkmenistan
- Guided tours of Khiva, Bukhara & Samarkand in Uzbekistan
- Eagle hunter demonstration in Kyrgyzstan
- Visit to the Great Wall and fortress at Jiayuguan
- Excursion to see the Terracotta Warriors near Xi’an
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Itinerary
Welcome to Central Asia and the start of your overland adventure. On arrival in Ashgabat, an included transfer will take you to our joining hotel where there will be a pre-departure Welcome Meeting at 10:00am. After you’ve met your tour group, there’s an include...
Ashgabat - Darvaza. Boarding our overland truck for the first time, we leave Ashgabat and head north into the Karakum Desert. We stop at the incredible Darvaza Gas Crater, which is known locally as the “Door to Hell”. The crater was formed in 1971 when Soviet oi...
Darvaza - Kunye Urgench. We continue overlanding through the desert and enjoy a visit to the incredible ruined city of Kunye Urgench this afternoon. This ancient Silk Road settlement survived the invasion of Genghis Khan and highlights include the 60m high Kutlug-Timur Minaret, which is the highest minaret in the whole of Central Asia. We wild camp near the ruins tonight.
Kunye Urgench - Khiva (Uzbekistan). On the morning of day 4 we leave the desert behind and stop at the border town of Dashoguz to browse the vibrant markets here. We then say goodbye to Turkmenistan and cross into neighbouring Uzbekistan. Our overland journey continue...
Khiva - Bukhara. Departing Khiva on day 6, we have a long drive to our next stop on the ancient Silk Road, Bukhara. We spend three nights in the city and there’s a guided tour on day 7 which takes in highlights including the Ismail Samani Mausoleum, Kalon Mosque and A...
Bukhara - Nurata (Kyzylkhum Desert). Leaving Bukhara, we head into the Kyzylkhum Desert this morning and arrive at our yurt camp near the town of Nurata. Yurts are the traditional accommodation of nomadic people in Central Asia and you get to spend the night in one of the comfortable felt tents. There’s also an optional camel ride across the rolling sand dunes.
Nurata (Kyzylkhum Desert) - Samarkand. On day 10 there’s time to explore the Nurata Hills and if you wish, you can take a refreshing dip in Lake Ajdar Kul. After lunch we make our way to Samarkand, one of the most beautiful cities on the Silk Road and the jewel in Uzb...
Samarkand - Tashkent. The morning of day 13 is free to relax in the hotel or further explore Samarkand. We then drive to the Uzbek capital of Tashkent. The clean and modern Soviet-style city contrasts with the Silk Road cities of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand, making i...
Tashkent - Kokand - Fergana. This morning we cross the mountainous Kamchik Pass in local transport, as our overland truck must cross without passengers. We stop in Kokand and have time to visit the sprawling Khudayar Khan’s Palace and the traditional Margilan Silk Fac...
Fergana - Arslanbob (Kyrgyzstan). We say goodbye to Uzbekistan this morning and cross into the mountainous country of Kyrgyzstan, where the scenery is certain to leave you impressed. Once we’ve crossed the border, we drive to Arslanbob in the Fergana Valley, where we ...
Arslanbob - Kyrgyz Fergana Valley. The next three days will be spent overlanding through the Kyrgyz Fergana Valley, home to some of the finest scenery in the world. We’ll make frequent stops to hike amongst the rolling hills and mountains. Along the route we plan to w...
Kyrgyz Fergana Valley - Song Kol Lake. Day 21 sees us journey to stunning Song Kol Lake. Located in remote and pristine scenery, the lake is considered quite inaccessible and we’ll get to enjoy the absolute tranquility of the area. We camp in comfortable felt yurts ne...
Song Kol Lake - Kochkor. We drive to the small village of Kochkor today, where we’ll be staying in small family-run guesthouses. Enjoy some traditional Kyrgyz hospitality here and there’s also time to explore the village. We visit the local museum and a women’s felt m...
Kochkor - Jeti Oguz. Leaving Kochkor behind on day 24, we head up into the mountains to the stunning region of Jeti Oguz. We stop en route to watch a demonstration from a local eagle hunter, who uses his well-trained birds of prey to catch smaller animals for food and...
Jeti Oguz - Karakol. Today we head to the quaint Russian-style town of Karakol where the afternoon is at leisure to explore or relax in the hotel. Perhaps visit the beautiful Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral.
Karakol - Chong Kemin. On day 27 we drive to Cholpon Ata where we can marvel at the impressive ancient petroglyphs which have been carved into the rock. We then continue into the stunning Chong Kemin Valley, where we’ll be spending the next two nights. On day 28...
Chong Kemin - Bishkek. On day 29 we drive to the relaxed capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek. We’ll stop at the Burana Tower en route and there’s plenty of free time to explore. Perhaps head out to Ala-Too Square - the central point of the city or relax in a cafe on the tree-lined Freedom Avenue. There’s an optional excursion to the State Historical Museum during our stay.
Bishkek - Kochkor or Naryn. The itinerary for today is interchangeable. If a number of new travellers join our tour in Bishkek then we’ll return to the village of Kochkor, where there will be time to relax and join any optional activities you may have missed first tim...
Kochkor or Naryn - Tash Rabat. Today we drive to Tash Rabat, an extremely well-preserved caravanserai, which was once a crucial stopover for merchants on the Silk Road. Lying close to the border with China, its position near the Torugart Pass means it also benefits from wonderful mountain views. We’ll visit the caravanserai and camp tonight in traditional yurts.
Tash Rabat - Kashgar (China). On day 33 we leave Kyrgyzstan and cross into China to begin the final stretch of our adventure. We arrive in Kashgar and there's plenty of free time over the next few days to explore this remote western outpost. Wander through the ethnica...
Kashgar - Aksu - Korle. On day 38 we leave Kashgar, beginning our drive through the 250,000 square kilometre Taklamakan Desert. Some Uyghur sources claim that the name “Taklamakan” translates to “once you get in, you'll never get out” due to the size and remoteness of...
Korle - Urumqi. On day 40 we complete our drive through the Taklamakan Desert and arrive in Urumqi, the capital of the province of Xinjiang. We’ll spend two nights here and on day 41 we visit nearby Heavenly Lake. This dazzling lake is surrounded by mountains and is one of the most beautiful spots in the region. There will be opportunities for walking in the area and boating on the lake.
Urumqi - Turpan. On day 42 we arrive in the Turpan Basin, the hottest place in China. Average temperatures in summer can easily reach over 30° Celsius but the lack of humidity makes the heat bearable. The oasis town of Turpan was a crucial stop for traders on the Silk...
Turpan - Dunhuang. On day 44 we have a long drive to the city of Dunhuang. The next day there’s an included visit to the incredible Mogao Buddha Caves. This gigantic complex of caves contains thousands of examples of Buddhist art, spanning a 1,000-year period from the...
Dunhuang - Jiayuguan. Today we drive to Jiayuguan for an included visit to Jiayuguan Fort. This impressive fortress marks the western starting point for the legendary Great Wall of China. Construction on this mudbrick section of the wall began in 1372 CE and took arou...
Jiayuguan - Zhangye. Today we drive to the breathtaking Zhangye Danxia Rainbow Mountains. This incredible mountain range has earned its name because of the colours of the rocks in the area. Tectonic movement has led to the deposits of sandstone and minerals over the l...
Zhangye - Liujiaxia. Today we have a long drive onto the lower slopes of the remote Tibetan plateau before we reach our hotel for the night in the small city of Liujiaxia.
Liujiaxia - Xiahe. On day 49 we visit the famous Bingling Si Caves, located along the Yellow River. The main attraction of the site is the centrepiece Maitreya Buddha statue. This 27m-tall statue is dug into the cliff. However, there are over 180 caves and more than 7...
Xiahe - Lanzhou. Leaving Xiahe, we head to the bustling city of Lanzhou. There’s free time this evening to discover the city independently.
Lanzhou - Pingliang. On day 53 we drive to Pingliang, at the base of Mt Kongtong. The mountain is one of the holiest in Chinese Taoism and we have plenty of time to explore the temples and pilgrimage routes with a full day included excursion. The rest of our stay in P...
Pingliang - Xi’an. Today we travel to Xi’an, our final destination and the end of the Silk Road. On arrival, the rest of the day is free to explore the city independently. Perhaps visit the Muslim Quarter or admire the imposing city walls, which are the largest city walls in the world.
Today our tour comes to an end, but not before we climb aboard our truck one final time. We enjoy an included visit to the incredible Terracotta Warriors just outside Xi'an. This sculpted army, 7-000 strong, was built to protect Emperor Qin Shihuang in the afterlife i...
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Logistics
What's excluded
- International flights and visas
- Items of a personal nature, additional meals and drinks
- Tipping - an entirely personal gesture
- Sleeping bag and roll mat - please bring your own for camping
- Local payment - $1890pp, paid in USD
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18 and over. No upper age limit but anyone over 70 needs to complete a tour suitability form.
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