SILK ROAD DISCOVERY

BEIJING TO TASHKENT

Tour operates: April to October
No of days: 22 Tour cost from: 2800 US Dollar
Tour Route: Beijing/Xian/Dunhuang/Turfan/Urumqi/Kashgar/Tash Rabat/Issik Kul Lake/Bishkek/Taraz/Tashkent/Samarkand/Sharisabz/Bukhara/Khiva/Urgench
Transport: Private busses, overnight soft sleeper trains, domestic economy flights
Tour starting point: Beijing

Itinerary

Day 01: Beijing
On arrival at Beijing International airport transfer to the hotel.

Day 02: Beijing
Sight seeing Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven (BLD).

Day 03: Beijing Great Wall
Full day at the Great Wall, with a hike along one of the less visited sections (BD).

Day 04: Beijing overnight Train to Xian
Morning free before we catch overnight train to Xian (BL).

Day 05: Xian Terracotta worriers
Half day tour to Terracotta warriors. Free afternoon (LD).

Day 06: Xian- Dunhuang
Depending on the flight schedule, free time in Xian. Flight to Dunhuang (BLD).

Day 07: Dunhuang Sights seeing Overnight Train
Visit Mugao Grottos, Mingsha sand dunes and Crescent Moon Lake. Transfer to Liyuan for overnight train to Turfan (BLD).

Day 08: Turfan
Tour of the Karez under ground water system, Jiaohe ruined city, Amin minaret and grape valley (BLD)

Day 09: Urumqi-Kashgar
Drive to Urumqi. Visit the museum, famous for their Mummies. Tour the Grand Market, evening flight to Kashgar (BLD).

Day 10: Kashgar Sunday Market
Full day in Kashgar. Visit the Sunday market, Eid Ga mosque and Appak Khoja tomb. (BLD)

Day-11: Kashgar –Tash Rabat
Morning transfer to the border crossing: the Torugart pass, stop at Tash Rabat Saray caravan and spend the night in a typical Kyrgyz Yurt (BLD).

Day-12: Issik Kul Lake
Morning drive to Cholpon Ata (Issik Kul lake) (BLD).

Day 13: Bishkek
Drive to Bishkek, explore Bishkek in the afternoon (BLD).

Day 14: Taraz
Drive to Taraz. Upon arrival visit the Taraz History museum. Transfer to Aksu Djabagly Nature Reserve (BLD).

Day15:Tashkent
Free time before head off to Uzbekistan. Cross the border. Drive to Tashkent.
(BLD).

Day16: Tashkent-Samarkand
Sightseeing in the old section of Tashkent, the Kafelsashi Mausoleum, the Barak Khana, the Tila Shaikh Mosque and Archives, followed by the Chorsu Bazaar, Kukeldesh Madrassah, the Friendship Square and the Navoi Theatre. In the afternoon, we take a countryside drive to the second largest city in the country, Samarkand. (BLD).

Day 17: Samarkand
The historic town of Samarkand is a crossroad and melting pot of the world's cultures and has been declared a World Heritage Site recently. Founded in the 7th century BC as ancient Afrosiab, Samarkand had its most significant development in the Timurid period from the 14th to the 15th centuries. Our tour takes us to the major monuments and includes the Registan Mosque and the adjoining madrassahs, Bibi-Khanum Mosque, the Shakhi-Zinda compound and the Gur-Emir Ensemble, as well as Ulugh-Beg's Observatory. Our afternoon tour also includes the Afrosiab Museum, located on the site of ancient Afrosiab and the Historical Museum of Uzbek Culture and Art, with the coffin of Tamerlane and a large copy of the Koran as part of its collection. (BLD)

Day 18: Samarkand-Shakhrisabz-Bukhara
We depart for the World Heritage Site of Shakhrisabz, hometown of Tamerlane. This historic centre contains a collection of exceptional monuments and ancient quarters, which bears witness to centuries of history with its power climaxing in the 15th century under the empire of Tamerlane. After our tour of Tamerlane, we continue for yet another gem of Uzbekistan, Bukhara (BLD).

Day 19: Bukhara
One of the grandest of Uzbek centers, Bukhara is an open museum with many mosques, madrassahs and a grand minaret. We spend the day visiting some of the finest examples of Islamic Architecture in the world, where exquisite tile and mosaic work complement the beautiful brickwork; it is no wonder the city is a World Heritage Site. Our visit includes the Lab-e-Khauz Complex with the Nadirkhon Devanbegi Madrassah, the Mogak Attari Mosque and the Poi Kalon Minaret. We also visit the Madrassahs of Aziz Khan and the Ulugbek Ark Fortress, the residence cum army headquarters of the Bukharan Emirs which houses an interesting collection of ancient objects. We tour the Mausoleum of Ismail Samanid, featuring some of the best Persian influenced10th century brickwork. We conclude the day with a visit to Sitora-i-Mokhikhosa, the Summer Residence of the former Emirs of Bukhara. (BLD).

Day 20: Bukhara-Khiva
We drive to Khiva via the Kyzyl Kum Desert. Along the way we stop for some refreshments and see how people have survived over the centuries in this barren landscape (BLD).

Day 21: Khiva-Urgench-Tashkent
We explore the World Heritage Site at Khiva. Our visit starts with the main site of Itchan Kala followed by Kalta Minor, the Kunya Ark, the Rakhimkhon Madrassah, the Mausoleum of Pakhlavan Makhmud, the Friday Mosque and the Tashauli Palace and Harem. To complete a perfect day we climb the Khodja Minaret to take in the amazing fairy tale panorama. This afternoon we are transferred to the airport for our flight back to Tashkent (BLD).

Day 22: Depart Tashkent
Our journey along the Silk Road comes to an end today as we bid farewell with “Sau Bolinizder”, as we are transferred to the airport for our departure flight. (B)

Guarantee departures: Every Friday
Minimum 2 people.

Tour Cost

No of Pax.	2	3-5	6-9	10 Above	Single Supplement
Price in US Dollar per person	$ 4095	$ 3350	$ 3150	2800	390

TOUR COST INCLUDES
• All domestic transportation and transfers, train soft sleeper class, domestic flights mentioned in the itinerary.
• Twin sharing accommodation at hotel plus with en-suite private facilities
• Meals full board
• All the sightseeing tours as described in the itinerary and entrance fees
• English-speaking guides
• Visa support

TOUR COST EXCLUDES
• Visa Fees.
• Expenses in hotels such as laundry, telephone and room service, etc.
• Optional activities
• Meals not mention above
• Personal expanses
• Single supplements
• Tips for Guides and drivers