Chinese Turkestan & Central
Asia
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"We loved all parts of the trip: scenery, cities, people, customs, border crossings - especially with our great MIR Tour Manager, Yulia. Lots of favorites! Visiting families and their hospitality, fascinating musical and dance performances, bargaining in the markets. I loved the mountains we traveled through and the yurt stay. Samarkand has been a place I always wanted to visit and I was not disappointed."
D. & J. Goodell
Ben Lomond, CA
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 Silk, spices, tea, precious metals and jewels, carefully lashed
to pack camels, made their way from one world to another
along the old Silk Road. Follow in the footsteps of early explorers
who plied these trade routes connecting East with West.
Days 1-6: Almaty, Urumqi, Kashgar, Shache, Taklamakan Desert
Assemble in Almaty, Kazakhstan's most important city, before heading
into Western China, where Urumqi and Kashgar won renown as Silk Road centers.
Browse the animal bazaar in Kashgar, still as exciting as in ancient times. Visit the
oasis city of Shache and skirt the nearby Taklamakan Desert on camelback.
Day 7: Torugart Pass, Tash Rabat
After driving over the 12,000-foot
Torugart Pass into Kyrgyzstan, overnight near Tash Rabat, a 15th century stone
caravanserai in a boundless alpine setting.
Days 8-13: Lake Issyk-Kul, Bishkek, Osh, Fergana Valley,
Khujand
Near high-altitude Lake Issyk-Kul, attend a demonstration of horse
games and learn how to put up a yurt. Visit Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek, and
Osh, in the Fergana Valley, heart of Central Asian silk production. Cross the Tajik
border for an overnight in Khujand, founded by Alexander the Great.
Days 14-21: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva
Drive to
the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, and continue overland to the fabled Uzbek oases of
Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, finding gorgeous blue-tiled mosques and madrassahs
in these World Heritage Sites.
Days 22-24: Tashauz, Ashkabad,
Nisa
Fly to Turkmenistan's capital,
Ashkabad, where gleaming new government
buildings rub shoulders
with traditional bazaars. Visit
the UNESCO-listed ancient
Parthian site of Nisa before
celebrating the journey with a
farewell dinner.
Trip Details
| Length of Trip: |
24 days |
Departures: |
2 |
| Dates: |
May 9-June 1, 2012 |
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August 22-September 14, 2012 |
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| Land Tour Cost: |
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| 5-12 travelers |
$7,295 |
Plus internal air
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$750 (economy class, subject to change)
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| Partial Single Supplement |
$995 |
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| No Hidden Costs! |
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MIR Signature Experiences
- Bargain at the legendary Sunday market in Kashgar
- Skirt the Taklamakan Desert on camelback
- Thrill to a display of traditional Kyrgyz horse games
Map - Click to Enlarge
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| Days 1-2: |
Almaty |
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| Day 3: |
Fly to Urumqi |
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| Day 4: |
Fly to Kashgar |
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| Day 5: |
Drive to Shache |
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| Day 6: |
Shache, Taklamakan Desert, return to Kashgar |
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| Day 7: |
Drive across Torugart Pass, Tash Rabat |
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| Day 8: |
Drive to Lake Issyk-Kul, Tash Rabat |
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| Day 9: |
Lake Issyk-Kul |
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| Day 10: |
Lake Issyk-KuL, Bishkek |
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| Day 11: |
Bishkek, fly to Osh, drive to Fergana |
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| Day 12: |
Fergana, day trip to Margilan, Rishtan and Kokand |
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| Day 13: |
Fergana, Kokand, Khujand |
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| Day 14: |
Khujand, Tashkent |
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| Days 15-16: |
Drive to Samarkand
to Penjikent |
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| Day 17: |
Drive to Bukhara |
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| Days 18-19: |
Bukhara |
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| Day 20: |
Drive to Khiva |
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| Day 21: |
Khiva |
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| Day 22: |
Drive to Tashauz,
fly to Ashkabad |
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| Days 23-24: |
Ashkabad with day trip to Nisa |
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| Almaty |
Tien-Shan Mountain Range, Panfilov Park, Zenkov Cathedral, Central Museum, Medeo Sports Complex, Museum of Musical Instruments, Green Baazar, Kazakh Musical Performance |
| Urumqi |
Capital of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of China, Xinjiang Regional Museum with mummy exhibits, Red Hill |
| Kashgar |
Aidkah Mosque, Abakh Hoja Tomb, Kashgar Sunday Market, Old Town |
| Shache |
Taklamakan Desert, Bactrian camel ride |
| Torugart Pass |
12, 000 foot pass at the Sino-Kyrgyz Frontier |
| Tash Rabat |
Overnight in a yurt in the alpine setting, Ancient Silk Road Caravanserai
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| Lake Issyk-Kul |
Second-largest high-altitude lake in the world at 5280 feet |
| Bishkek |
Capital city of Kyrgyzstan, Ala-Too Mountain Range, Traditional Performance |
| Fergana Valley |
Margilan Sunday Market, ceramics master in Rishtan Village, Kokand, Khans Palace, traditional meal in a private home |
| Tashkent |
Square of Independence, the Navoi Theatre,Kukeldash Madrassah, Kaffal-Shashi Mausoleum, Chorsu Baazar |
| Samarkand |
Crossroads of Culture (UNESCO World Heritage Site) Registan, Shah-i-Zinde, Bibi-Khanum Mosque, Uleg Bek Observatory,
Gur Emir Mausoleum, Chorsu Baazar |
| Bukhara |
Historic Centre of Bukhara (UNESCO World Heritage Site) Lyab-i-Khauz Plaza, Kukeldash Madrassah, Kalon Mosque and Minaret, Ark Citadel, Zindan Prison, Ismael Samani Mausoleum, Nodir Divan Begi Madrassah with cultural performance, local baazar, meet architect expert on local architecture
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| Khiva |
Ichon-Qala (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Kyzyl Kum Desert, Amu Darya River, Tash-Hauli Palace, Dzhuma Mosque, Kunya Ark |
| Ashkabad |
Tolkuchka Oriental Bazaar, Museum of Carpets and Textiles
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| Nisa |
Parthian Kingdom of Nisa (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Kopet-Dag Mountains |
Suggested Extensions
Consider a post-tour extension to Iran on MIR's Essential Iran Private Trip. You may also add a private trip to Nukus, Uzbekistan to visit the Savitsky Karakalpakstan Art Museum which was featured in the documentary film "The Desert of Forbidden Art."
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