Fables of the Silk Road

Depart Auckland/Christchurch on your flight to Dubai.

On arrival in Dubai check in to your hotel. Later you may wish to join a city tour of Dubai. Evening transfer to the airport for the flight to Almaty.

Arrive in the early hours and transfer to your hotel. Later this morning enjoy sightseeing of Almaty with its backdrop of the snowcapped Zailiysky Alatau. Visits include Panfilovtzev Park, Zenkov Cathedral, the Monument of Independence, Republic Square and Central Mosque.

Drive to Charyn Canyon, a unique natural wonder formed around 12 million years ago. Picnic lunch before continuing to the Kolsai Lakes to check in to your simple guest house.

Arrive at stunningly beautiful Kaindy Lake. Explore and enjoy lunch before returning to Almaty.

Visit Kok-Tobe Hill on the outskirts of town for panoramic views over Almaty. This evening fly to Bishkek.

Drive to Kajissay on the southern shores of Issyk-Kul Lake, stopping en route at the Burana Tower.

Visit Dzhety Oguz gorge to enjoy a waterfall walk and lunch at a yurt camp. Continue to Karakol and visit a mosque and 19th century wooden Orthodox church before checking in to your hotel.

Climb aboard a military 4WD vehicle for the drive to Altyn Arashan gorge to visit the thermal wells. Return to Karakol for overnight.

Drive along the northern shores of Issyk-Kul to Bishkek, visiting the Ruh-Ordo historic centre in Cholpon-Ata en route.

Morning flight to Osh for a short visit. Cross into Uzbekistan and drive to the Fergana Valley. Enjoy a dinner of local specialties in a chayhana (tea room).

Morning sightseeing in Fergana, the garden city, known for its exceptional crafts and artisans and its kaleidoscopic bazaars. Continue to Margilan to see how the magnificent Uzbek material of Khan-Atlas is produced in a silk weaving factory. Dinner this evening is traditional national cuisine.

Drive across the Kamchik Pass, stopping at Rishtan, famous for its blue glazed pottery. En route to Tashkent explore ancient Kokand, once an important trade centre on the Silk Road.

Drive to the Uzbek-Tajik border and to Khujand. Visit the museum and the city’s 7th-century fortification, then explore Payshanba oriental bazaar, the largest in Central Asia.

Drive to Iskanderkul via Istaravshan. Visit Mug Tepa in Ura-Tube, one of the ancient settlements of Tajikistan. Explore the Khazrati Shoh complex and continue to Iskanderkul Lake, named after Alexander the Great. Explore the five springs, Zmeinoe Lake (Snake Lake), and the Fan Niagara waterfalls.

Depart for Penjikent, the birthplace of Abu Abdallah Rudaki, the father of Persian poetry. Visit the Museum of Rudak and the excavated remains at Penjikent. Proceed to Samarkand.

Explore the glorious city of Samarkand, its observatory, necropolis and the huge Bibi Khanym Mosque, built by Tamerlane. After a traditional Plov lunch, visit the famous mausoleum of Tamerlane and spectacular Registan Square.

Visit the paper mill in Konigil and this afternoon transfer to the station for the high-speed train to Bukhara.

A full day to explore this wonderful medieval city. Visit Samonid’s Mausoleum, the Ark Citadel, the Minaret Kalan Complex, trading domes and the architectural wonder of Lyabi-Hauz.

Drive to the border at Farab and cross to Turkmenabat for your flight to Ashgabat.

Visit the beautiful, World Heritage fortress of Old Nisa, at the foot of the Kopet Dag Mountains, the earliest of the Parthian Empire capitals. Visit Arkadash stud farm, home of the famous Akhal-Tekke horses, one of the oldest breeds in existence. In the afternoon, visit the Russian market and see the rare collection of handmade Turkmen carpets at the the National Museum.

Enjoy the day at leisure.

Morning flight to Dashoguz. Drive to Kunya Urgench, the ancient capital of Khorezm, which was part of the Achaemenid Empire. Visit the mosque, the gates of the caravanserai, the fortress, mausoleum and minaret. Lunch in Dashoguz before we cross the Uzbek border for Khiva.

Full day exploration of the beautifully preserved, medieval town of Khiva. Wander the fabled Ichon-Qala (inner walled city) and visit the old citadel, the Emir’s Palace, the magnificent Juma Mosque and the caravanserai.

Travel to the ancient fortress of Ayaz-Kala, one of the largest surviving castle fortresses of the Khorezm region. Visit Toprak-Kala before travelling to Nukus. Visit the Igor Savitsky Museum, with the world’s second largest collection of Russian avant-garde art

This morning is at leisure until our flight to Tashkent.

Explore Uzbekistan’s 2,000-year-old capital, where Soviet-style architecture contrasts with traditional mud-walled houses. Visit the Khast-Imam Islamic complex, the Museum of Applied Arts, the History Museum and Amir Timur Square. Later explore the Tashkent metro, where each station is uniquely decorated. Enjoy a farewell dinner this evening before a late transfer to the airport.

An early departure to Dubai to connect with your onward flight to Auckland or Christchurch. Overnight on the flight.

Your flight arrives in Auckland or Christchurch mid-morning.