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Grand Asian Caravan
An incredible adventure along Asia's ancient routes of trade and conquest. From China's Forbidden City and Silk Road oases to the once forbidden frontiers of the Tien Shan Mountains and the fabled cities of the Silk Road; Samarkand and Bukhara. And beyond, across the desert to the shores of the Caspian Sea and the ancient sites of Georgia; Mtskheta, Tbilisi and Kutaisi, before following the Black Sea coast to Istanbul - gateway to Europe.
Itinerary - Istanbul to Beijing
- 38 days
TURKEY + GEORGIA + AZERBAIJAN + TURKMENISTAN + UZBEKISTAN + KYRGYZSTAN + CHINA
Days 1-6. The Black Sea coast to Istanbul Many of the caravan trade routes began at the ports of the Black Sea where ships carried the valuable merchandise onwards from Constantinople and the Mediterranean. Our first few days follow the Black Sea coast from Istanbul through Safronbulu and Samsun to Trabzon. Days 7-12. Trans-Caucasus adventure to Tbilisi Crammed between the Caspian and Black Sea is an incredible treasure trove of early Christian monuments set amongst the most incredible mountain scenery. We explore Georgia's ancient capital, Mtskheta, with its beautiful Jvari Church and Sveti-Tskhoveli Cathedral and the old town of Tbilisi. The Caucasus were a crossroads of trade and conquest through the centuries and we discover the best the region has to offer, with time to enjoy their legendary hospitality and fine wines! Days 13-18. Across the Caspian Sea and Kara Kum Desert From Baku, we board our ferry across the Caspian Sea to the port of Turkmenbashi. From here, the trans-Caspian railway takes us onwards to Ashghabad, where we explore the city and perhaps visit the markets with their red sea of traditional Turkmen carpets. Beyond the city we enjoy some time in the Kopet Dag Mountains visiting the ruins of Nisa, the Parthian royal city that existed here over 2300 years ago. Beyond Ashghabad we travel to Mary and the ruins of Merv, one of the greatest of all the ancient Silk Road cities, before crossing the Kara Kum Desert to Bukhara. Days 19-24. The cities of Central Asia - Bukhara & Samarkand We explore the mud-brick monuments of Bukhara. Once known as holy Bukhara, it was home to more than 2000 mosques, today its monuments are some of the oldest on the Silk Road; the Ark Fortress, Samani's Mausoleum and, spared the destruction of Genghis Khan, the Kalyan Minaret - one of central Asia's tallest. Explore the old town and enjoy one of the many chaikhanas (tea-houses) in Labi-Hauz. Across the Kyzyl Kum Desert lies 'golden' Samarkand, the most evocative of the ancient Silk Road cities, Tamerlane's turquoise-spangled capital. We explore Central Asia's most spectacular architectural ensemble; the Registan, plus other highlights including the Shah-i-Zinda complex, Bibi Khanym Mosque and the Ulug Bek Observatory.
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S m a l l G ro u p J o u r n ey s
1. Small Group travellers 2. Samarkand Spectacular architecture 3. Uzbekistan Carpet market 4. Merv Towering ruins of one of the Silk Roads most ancient and important cities 5. Gelati Monastery Beyond Georgias Bagrati Cathedral and on a wooded hillsits this impressive monastery 6. Gaochang Ruins - China In Chinas Xinjiang Province 7. Kashgar Colourful & bustling market
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