THE GREAT SILK ROAD OF CENTRAL ASIA

Silk Road also called SILK ROUTE, ancient trade route that, linking China with the West, carried goods and ideas between the two great civilizations of Rome and China. Silk came westward, while wools, gold, and silver went east. China also received Nestorian Christianity and Buddhism (from India) via the road.

Originating at Sian, the 4,000-mile (6,400-kilometre) road, actually a caravan tract, followed the Great Wall of China to the northwest, bypassed the Takla Makan Desert, climbed the Pamirs (mountains), crossed Afghanistan, and went on to the Levant; from there, the merchandise was shipped across the Mediterranean Sea. Few persons travelled the entire route, and goods were handled in a staggered progression by middlemen.

With the gradual loss of Roman territory in Asia and the rise of Arabian power in the Levant, the Silk Road became increasingly unsafe and untravelled. In the 13th and 14th centuries the route was revived under the Mongols, and at that time Marco Polo used the road to travel to Cathay (China).

The road now partially exists in the form of a paved highway connecting Pakistan and Sinkiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China. The old road has inspired a United Nations plan for a trans-Asian highway.

It is in the Central Asia that the most difficult and interesting part of the trip is situated. Going along ways of ancient merchants and travellers, you can see:

• Samarkand — the city with 3000 years history, with its burial-vault of great Timur and observatory of Ulugbek, palaces, squares, mosques.
• Tashkent — the capital of Uzbekistan, which absorbed the Asiatic and European features.
• Dzhambul — a town amidst endless Kazakh steppe.
• Osh — one of ancient cities of the Central Asia with 3000 years history.
• Bishkek — the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic, a garden-city at the foot of snow white mountains of Kyrgyz Ala-Too. You will see Burana Tower - a memorial of the Empire of powerful karakhanids which is guarded by dozens of stone idols.
• And at last the pearl of Central Asia — the Issyk-Kul lake. It is situated at the altitude of 1608 m between mountain summits which are covered with forests of Tien-Shan spruces. It is a wonderful place for rest, before Great Silk Road crosses grand Tien-Shan ranges - Terskey Ala-Too, Kokshaal-Too and Naryn river. Then Great Caravan Path goes up to the altitude of 2000 m. Here one can see Alpine desert, stones and rocks and at Chatyr-Kul lake the path reaches Torugart pass. Here at the altitude of 3600 m the border post and custom-house to cross Kyrgyz border to China are situated. Then mysterious country Kashgar spreads. From this point Silk Road leads through Urumqi to Peking.

THE GREAT SILK ROAD tour proposal

Moscow — Urgench — Khiva — Bukhara — Shakhrisabz — Samarkand — Tashkent — St.Petersburg

We offer you a sightseeing tour which will help you get in touch with curious mix of the old and new in Muslim culture, enjoy the beauty and style of the most majestic examples of Saracenic or Arabian architecture ever erected, see with your own eyes the way of life of the native inhabitants in Uzbekistan. This is also an exceptional opportunity to combine in one journey your tour to Silk Road cities together with a visit to great Russian capitals — Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Program (15 days/14 nights):

• Arrive in Moscow. Accommodation (3 overnights). Sightseeing tour. Excursions: The Kremlin, Historical Centre, Novodevichiy Monastery or Kolomenskoye. Flight to Urgench.
• Bus trip to Khiva: Accommodation (2 overnights). Excursions: Ichan-Kala, the Islam-Hodja minaret.
• Bus trip through Kuzul-Kum Desert to Bukhara: Accommodation (2 overnights). Excursions: Poi-Kalon, the Samanids mausoleum, Char-Minor, the Arch, the country residence of the emirs of Bukhara.
• Bus trip to Shakhrisabz — summer capital of the ancient State of Timur. Accommodation (1 overnight).Excursion Program.
• Bus trip to Samarkand. Accommodation (2 overnights). Excursions: Registan Square, Gur-Emir, Ulugbek's observatory.
• Bus trip to Tashkent. Accommodation (1 overnight). Excursion Program: . Flight to St. Petersburg.
• Arrive in St. Petersburg. Accommodation (4 overnights). Sightseeing tour. Excursions: The Hermitage, Peter-and-Paul Fortress, Petergoff summer Palace or town of Pavlovsk. Petergoff summer Palace is available from May to September.

Notes:

• 2-5 hotel in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tashkent.
• 2-4 hotel in Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva,. Meals BB, HB, FB in the cities.

Options:

Moscow and St.Petersburg options. Taste of Uzbek cuisine and wines. Museum of porcelain. The Theatre of National dress. Folklore show. Helicopter and plane flights to see ancient cities from beard point of view. Camel riding trip.

Tour price per person

• 2 hotel in Moscow/St.Petersburg/Uzbekistan — 400 EURO
• 4 hotels in Moscow/St.Petersburg/Usbekistan — 750 EURO

Flight is additional 590 EURO to the prices above

Payonline system credit card payments are not accepted.