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Silk Road Explorer
DISCOVERY TOUR
16 Days / 14 Nights from £2,395 Escorted Group or Private Journey · Beijing to Bishkek · Terracotta Warriors · Great Wall · Kashgar · Torugart Pass · Lake Issyk-Kul The Silk Road evokes images of camel caravans journeying across deserts and mountains between the exotic cities of the East and Arabia, Persia and Rome. This journey traces one of these routes between the Tang Dynasty capital of Xian, past the western extremities of the Great Wall to an oasis towns in the Gobi Desert and Kashgar in the far west. Continue from Kashgar over the Silk Road's fabled Torugart Pass into Kyrgyzstan, through spectacular scenery and astounding landscapes, and witness the rapid change in culture. It is also possible to tailor-make an extension continuing further along the Silk Road to Uzbekistan please ask for more details.
Day 10 Kashgar: Kashgar is on the western extremity of China, and has a distinct Middle Eastern flavour. The Sunday bazaar is one of the world's most exotic gatherings with traders from Central Asia, Pakistan and India selling everything from paprika to handcrafted daggers. In the afternoon visit the Id Kah Grand Mosque and the Tomb of Abakh Hoja. (B) Day 11 Torugart Pass: Travel by road to the Kyrgyz / Chinese border `Torugart'. After border formalities, drive 190 km through spectacular mountain scenery to Naryn. Stay one night at the Celestial Mountain guesthouse. (B, L, D) Day 12 To Karakol: After breakfast drive to Karakol, founded in 1864 as a Russian garrison settlement, the old town retains much of its colonial charm including a picturesque Orthodox church, gracious houses and wooden `gingerbread' colonnades. Stay 1 night at the Hotel Amir. (B, L, D) Day 13 Djety Ogyz & Issyk-Kul: Morning excursion to the picturesque Djety Ogyz valley and the red sandstone cliffs of Razbitoye Serdtse. After lunch in a local restaurant, take a tour of Karakol. Continue to Issy-Kul, one of the world's largest and deepest bodies of fresh water, known for its magnificent mountain scenery. Stay 1 night at the Hotel Aurora. (B, L, D) Day 14 To Bishkek: Travel to the capital Bishkek visiting the Burana Tower, the sole remnant of the Silk Road city of Balasagun, and Cholpon Ata to see the petroglyphs. Stay 2 nights at Ak-Keme hotel. (B, L, D) Day 15 Bishkek: Half day tour of the Ala-Archa Nature Park, home to wildlife including ibex, Marco-Polo sheep, wolf, bear, lynx, boar and the rare snow leopard. Afternoon tour of Bishkek including the Historical Museum and Ala-Too Square. (B, L, D) Day 16 To London: Early morning transfer to the airport and fly to London with BA. Afternoon arrival. (B)
Emin Minaret, Turpan
Day 1 To Beijing: Overnight flight from London to Beijing. (N) Day 2 Beijing: Arrive and transfer to the Novotel Peace Hotel for 2 nights. Afternoon tour of the Forbidden City, (N) Day 3 Great Wall: Full day tour to the Great Wall of China and Ming Tombs. (B, L) Day 4 To Xian: Morning tour to the Temple of Heaven. Fly to Xian, the city at the beginning of the Silk Road. Afternoon city tour, including the Muslim Quarter and Grand Mosque. Stay 1 night at the Hyatt Regency. (B) Day 5 To Dunhuang: Morning tour of the Shaanxi Museum and the Terracotta Warriors. Afternoon flight to Dunhuang, the oasis town on the Gobi. Overnight at the Dunhuang Hotel. (B, L) Day 6 Dunhuang: Visit the Mogao Caves, the world's richest collection of Buddhist manuscripts and wall paintings, set in a tiny oasis. Visit Singing Sand Hill and Crescent Moon Lake, with sweeping dunes and epic Gobi desert scenery. Take the overnight train to Turpan. (B, L, D) Day 7 Turpan: Morning arrival. With streets covered in vine trellises, Turpan is known for its `mare's nipple' grapes. Tour the ruins of the ancient city of Gaochang and the Flaming Mountains. Overnight at the Oasis Hotel. Evening Uygur music and dance performance. (B, L, D) Day 8: To Urumqi: Tour the stark Jiaohe ruins and
Karez Wells - an ingenious method of channelling water from underground channels. Continue to Grape Valley and the Emin Minaret. Afternoon drive to Urumqi and stay at the Hoi Tak Hotel for 1 night. (B, L) Day 9 To Kashgar: Visit to the Xinjiang Museum and the spectacular scenery of Nanshan Pasture, with a visit to a Kazakh family. This evening fly to Kashgar. Stay 2 nights at the Qinibak Hotel. (B, L)
For tour reservations and tailor made quotations 020 7873 5000
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