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The Essentials
Days 25-26. Through the Fergana Valley From Samarkand, we journey to the Uzbek capital Tashkent and then Kokand. Continuing through the Fergana Valley we visit the silk producing town of Margilan with its large bazaar and the potters town of Rishton before travelling to Osh, across the border in Kyrgyzstan. Strategically located at the western gateway to the Fergana Valley, Osh prospered with Silk Road trade until the Mongol armies destroyed the city in the 13th century. Days 27-30. The Irkeshtam Pass & Kashgar Beyond Osh lie the high passes of the Tien Shan Mountains, gateway to China and the fabled city of Kashgar. We follow the Silk Road through Sary Tash and over the Irkeshtam Pass to old Kashi. At the crossroads of British India and Imperial Russia's Central Asian territories, this legendary Silk Road town played centre stage in the Great Game, while centuries earlier its strategic position made it one of the most important staging posts of the great Silk Road. Today the Sunday Market, with its incredible characters and riot of colour, is worthy of its reputation as one of Central Asia's best. Days 31-33. The Silk Road Railway to Xian We join the Silk Road Railway at Kashgar, which carries us across the Taklamakan Desert and the far-flung frontiers of Xinjiang Province, eastwards to Jiayuguan, the bastion ramparts of the Great Wall's most westerly garrison. The oasis of Turpan still reflects life as it was along the Silk Road and the faces in the bazaar recall the four corners of Asia. Leaving the desert we board our train for our two night journey to Xian. Days 34-35. Xian - gateway to the Silk Road As ancient Chang'an, Xian was one of the largest cities in the world. This was a time of trade and prosperity and for over 400 years the great caravans arrived through the city's West Gate having endured the perils of the Taklamakan Desert, the high passes of the Tien Shan Mountains and the fabled cities of Central Asia. Today the city walls, towers, pagodas and incredible Terracotta Army reveal the city's long and turbulent history. Days 36-38. Beijing - the adventure is complete Beijing is an incredible contrast of sights, sounds and smells, explore the backstreets (Hutongs) of the old town with their food stalls and street vendors for a taste of old Beijing. Our Scheduled Sightseeing takes in the "must see" sights: the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square and Temple of Heaven, while your Group Leader is on hand for some relaxed City Exploring to the Silk Market, Summer Palace and Forbidden City. Finally our epic journey along the ancient trade routes of Central Asia is complete.
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Prices
GBP EUR AUD NZD USD CAD £3,120 ¬4,590 $7,790 $8,880 $6,240 $6,550
Reverse Itinerary Beijing to Istanbul (39 days)
Group Size
15 maximum, plus Group Leader
Day 1 - Join Beijing Day 2 - Beijing Day 3 - Beijing & to Xian Day 4 - Xian Day 5 - Xian Day 6 - Western Railway Day 7 - Turpan Day 8 - Turpan Day 9 - Kashgar Day 10 - Kashgar Day 11 - To Sary Tash Day 12 - To Osh Day 13 - Andijan and Margilan Day 14 - Fergana Valley Day 15 - To Samarkand Day 16 - Samarkand Day 17 - Samarkand Day 18 - Bukhara Day 19 - Bukhara Day 20 - To Mary Day 21 - Mary Day 22 - Ashghabad Day 23 - To Turkmenbashi Day 24 - Ferry Day 25 - Arrive Baku Day 26 - Baku Day 27 - Tbilisi Day 28 - Tbilisi Day 29 - Gudauri Day 30 - To Kutaisi (via Gori) Day 31 - Kutaisi & to Batumi Day 32 - Batumi to Rize Day 33 - Rize to Gireson Day 34 - Gireson to Samsun Day 35 - Samsun to Sinop Day 36 - Sinop to Safronbolu Day 37 - Safronbolu to Istanbul Day 38 - Istanbul Day 39 - Istanbul
Accommodation
Hotels/Guesthouses - 29 nights (twin share) Yurt - 1 night (shared) Trains - 6 nights (4 berth) Ferry - 1 night crossing the Caspian Sea (1/2/4 berth, subject to availability)
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Local Payment
(See Essentials)
Meals
33 in total. Breakfast (31), lunch (1), dinner (1).
USD - $400
Travel by
Train: Comfortable 4-berth sleepers. There are 5 rail sectors on this journey Tbilisi to Baku (1 night), Turkmenbashi to Ashghabad (1 night), Kashgar to Turpan (1 night), Turpan to Xian (2 nights), Xian to Beijing (1 night). Other: A variety of private chartered vehicles (China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan & Georgia) and public buses (Turkey) are used on the non-rail overland sectors. For 'Scheduled Sightseeing' we generally use small minibuses, and for 'City Exploring' we use local taxis, public transport and go on foot.
Dates
Istanbul to Beijing
(code ACIB) 2008 Start Finish 26 Apr - 02 Jun this date coincides with our Gallipoli option. 10 May - 16 Jun 26 July - 01 Sep 16 Aug - 22 Sep 13 Sep - 20 Oct 2009 Start 25 Apr 09 May 25 July 15 Aug 12 Sep
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Sightseeing
Scheduled Sightseeing is part of the itinerary and includes all transport, entrance fees and English speaking local guide. While too numerous to detail here, extensive 'Scheduled Sightseeing' is provided in the following cities: Beijing, Xian, Turpan, Kashgar, Osh, Andijan, Margilan, Kokand, Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Mary, Ashghabad, Baku, Tbilisi, Gori, Kutaisi and Istanbul. Full details in the Trip Dossier. City Exploring is further sightseeing outside the itinerary guideline but with the Group Leader.
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Finish 01 Jun 15 Jun 31 Aug 21 Sep 19 Oct
Beijing to Istanbul
(code ACBI) 2008 Start 02 May 23 May 01 Aug 29 Aug 12 Sep 2009 Start 01 May 22 May 31 July 28 Aug 11 Sep Finish 09 Jun 30 Jun 08 Sep 06 Oct 20 Oct
Local Payment
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Gallipoli 2008 (option)
This optional add on is available prior to the 26 April 2008 departure only. 24/04/2008 Depart Istanbul for Gallipoli, stopping along the way for lunch before the arriving at the cove. On the tour to ANZAC Cove you will visit the memorial sites, Shrapnel Valley, Conkbay Hill, Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair as well as the many cemeteries. We then tour the Kabatepe Museum and orientation centre. Dinner then back to Anzac Cove in the late eveningto get a place among the crowd for the Dawn Service. 25/04/2008 This special day starts very early for the dawn service. A packed breakfast is provided today. Sleeping bag and warm clothes are recommended. After the Dawn Service you will attend to the Australian Memorial Service at Lone Pine and the New Zealand Memorial Service at Chunuk Bair. After the ceromonies drive back to Istanbul. For full cost contact Sundowners or your travel agent.
Your Local Payment is the final balance payment of your tour price and is to be paid directly to your Group Leader at the Pre Departure Meeting on day 1 of your tour. The Local Payment is utilised by your Group Leader to pay for various locally provided services.
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Visas
Required for China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey (depends on nationality). Sundowners will provide all required invitation letters and full visa support, including detailed visa guidelines.
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Finish 08 Jun 29 Jun 07 Sep 05 Oct 19 Oct
Experience in the region
This is the forth year we have offered this itinerary, however Sundowners have been operating tours to all the regions visited (except the Caucasus) for more than 15 years.
Underlined dates correspond with the Beijing Olympics & some schedules & accommodation may be adjusted. For full details contact Sundowners.
Trip Dossier
Our dossier provides further information about this journey and is available on request. Call Sundowners or your agent, or visit www.sundownersoverland.com
Note
Due to the remote areas visited you should be prepared for some basic accommodation and rail sleepers on some sectors.
Istanbul
Black Sea Sinop
TURKEY
Batumi
GEORGIA
Safronbolu
Trabzon
Tbilisi
Caspian UZ BEK Sea ISTA N KYRGYZSTAN Turkmenbashi Bukhara Tashkent Osh AZERBAIJAN TUR Kokand KM ENIS TAN Samarkand Irkeshtam Baku Kashgar Ashghabad Pass Merv
Turpan
Beijing
CHINA
Xian
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