Republics of the Silk Road by Private Train - Almaty to Tashkent

Itinerary

• Days 1-2: Almaty (Kazakhstan)
  

  The journey begins in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city and a thriving business center situated amid the majestic Tien Shan mountain range. Visit Panfilov Park, a hub of the city and home to Zenkov Cathedral, and join your fellow travelers for a welcome dinner.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Welcome Dinner in Almaty to meet the other travelers in the group
  • Panfilov Park, a green oasis in the middle of Almaty where locals meet to stroll and unwind
  • Colorful Zenkov Cathedral, one of the tallest wooden structures in the world and an impressive feat of engineering that survived a massive 1911 earthquake unscathed
• Days 3-4: Lake Issyk-Kul (Kyrgyzstan), Bishkek, Tashkent (Uzbekistan)
  

  Enter Kyrgyzstan and examine petroglyphs and watch a demonstration of traditional Kyrgyz hunting eagles near the shores of alpine Lake Issyk-Kul. Then tour its capital, Bishkek, which is filled with striking Soviet-era statues and monuments. Later, stop in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital and largest city, where a visit to a small library in the Old Town provides the opportunity to see one of Islam’s most sacred relics – one of the world’s oldest Korans.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Lovely Lake Issyk-Kul, the second-largest high-altitude lake in the world
  • The Bronze Age petroglyphs along Lake Issyk-Kul’s shores
  • The fierce grace of Kyrgyz hunting eagles
  • The Soviet-era monuments of Bishkek
  • Seeing the Uthman Koran, believed to be one of the world’s oldest
• Day 5-7: Bukhara, Merv (Turkmenistan), Ashgabat
  

  Spend a day in beautiful Bukhara, Central Asia’s most ancient living city. Its UNESCO-listed Old Town encompasses more than 140 protected monuments, including the Labi-Hauz Plaza at the heart of the city and the Ark Citadel, Bukhara’s original fortress. Cross into Turkmenistan and head to the to the UNESCO-listed ruins of Merv, a city of Bronze Age origin. It was such an important Silk Road stop that it grew into one of the world’s largest cities, only to be brutally sacked by the Mongols in the 13th century. Continue to modern capital of Ashgabat. Explore the flamboyant gilded architecture that has sprung from the rubble of a massive 1948 earthquake and gain insight into the country’s history and culture at the beautifully situated National Museum.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Bukhara’s evocative Old Town, with its ageless domed bazaars
  • Central Labi-Hauz Plaza, adorned with a reflecting pool
  • Ark Citadel, Bukhara’s giant ancient fortress
  • The vast archaeological site of Merv, one of the world’s great lost cities
  • The opulent modern architecture of Ashgabat, which holds a Guinness record for the highest density of white marble buildings in the world
  • An optional nighttime visit to the Darvaza flaming gas crater
• Days 8-10: Khiva (Uzbekistan), Shahrisabz, Dushanbe (Tajikistan)
  

  Visit the Uzbek city of Khiva, the last great oasis on the northern caravan route. Wander through the winding alleys of the UNESCO-listed Old Town filled with minarets, cobbled alleys, mosques, and the beautifully preserved Kunya Ark, the original residence of the ruling khans. Make a stop at Shahrisabz, Tamerlane’s birthplace and visit the UNESCO-listed ruins of his Ak Saray (White Palace). Then enter Tajikistan and make a stop at its capital, Dushanbe, to tour the opulent, modern Navruz Palace.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Khiva’s Old Town (Ichon-Qala in Uzbek), a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Tash-Hauli Palace, built in the 19th century for the khan and his four wives
  • Juma Mosque, famous for its carved wooden pillars
  • Kunya Ark, the original residence of Khiva’s khans
  • Shahrisabz’s Ak Saray, a monumental palace complex that was one of Tamerlane’s most ambitious architectural undertakings
  • Giant Navruz Palace in Dushanbe, originally built to be Central Asia’s largest teahouse
• Days 11-14: Samarkand (Uzbekistan), Fergana Valley, Tashkent
  

  Continue to the Silk Road oasis city of Samarkand, the 14th-century conqueror Tamerlane’s legendary capital, hailed by UNESCO as “the crossroad of cultures.” Take in the massive Bibi Khanum Mosque, Ulug Bek’s incredible observatory, and gracefully proportioned Registan Square. Dip down into the Fergana Valley, where lush farmland stretches into three of the five ’Stans. Visit a traditional silk-making factory in the ancient city of Margilan and a family-run ceramics studio in Rishtan. In the town of Kokand, visit a 19th-century khan’s grand palace. Your journey concludes in Tashkent with a farewell dinner.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • UNESCO-listed Samarkand’s Registan Square, bordered by three beautiful madrassahs
  • Tamerlane’s architectural legacy in Samarkand, including Bibi Khanum Mosque, the largest mosque of its day
  • Shah-i-Zinda, a row of mausoleums and tombs that collectively span the history of Samarkand
  • Ulug Bek Observatory, where Tamerlane’s grandson made historic advances in astronomy
  • Yodgorlik Margilan Factory, one of Uzbekistan’s finest silk makers
  • Khudayar Khan’s 113-room palace in Kokand, known in the 19th century as one of Central Asia’s most luxurious palaces, now partly restored to its former glory
  • Farewell dinner back in Tashkent