Itinerary
- Intro
Introduction
- Day 1
Bishkek
Bishkek- Meals
- Dinner (Welcome dinner at a local restaurant)
Included Activities
- Afternoon city tour visiting Ala Too Square, Parliament House, the White House, Lenin Statue, and Manas Monument
Optional Activities
- Pre-tour hotel nights in Bishkek (can be arranged through sales representative)
Landmarks Ala Too Square Parliament House Manas Monument Lenin Statue - Day 2
Bishkek to Chon-Kemin Gorge
Bishkek to Chon-Kemin Gorge- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Burana Tower (11th-century Karakhanid minaret and UNESCO World Heritage site) with option to climb to top
- Explore Ak Beshim ruins including Chumysh Fortress, Nestorian monastery, Christian churches, Buddhist temples, rock paintings, and burial mounds
Landmarks Burana Tower Ak Beshim ruins Chon-Kemin National Park - Day 3
Chon-Kemin Gorge to Djety Oguz Gorge
Chon-Kemin Gorge to Djety Oguz Gorge- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Drive along southern shore of Issyk Kul Lake through Tien Shan mountains
- Visit Barskaun Gorge and hike to waterfall
Optional Activities
- Traditional eagle hunting observation at Bokonbaev village (approximately US$120 per group)
Landmarks Issyk Kul Lake Bokonbaev village Barskaun Gorge Djety Oguz Gorge - Day 4
Djety Oguz Gorge to Karakol
Djety Oguz Gorge to Karakol- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Home-cooked meal at a local Uygur or Dungan family home)
Included Activities
- Hike in Djety Oguz Gorge through fir forest, yurt settlements, and grazing lands with local legends (approximately two hours)
- Sightseeing tour of Karakol including old Russian-style houses, Russian Orthodox church, wooden Dungan mosque, and Karakol bazaar
Optional Activities
- Hike to waterfall in Djety Oguz (note: trail can be slippery, not advisable in wet weather)
Landmarks Djety Oguz Gorge Karakol bazaar Russian Orthodox church Dungan mosque - Day 5
Karakol to Almaty
Karakol to Almaty- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Border crossing from Kyrgyzstan to Kazakhstan
- Drive through Karkara valley
- View Charyn River, Moon Canyon, and Black Canyon from viewpoints with short walk and photo time
Landmarks Charyn River Moon Canyon Black Canyon - Day 6
Almaty
Almaty- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Esik Burial Mounds, a major Scythian-Saka archaeological site
- Explore Esik State Historical and Cultural Museum including the Golden Man tomb site
- Visit Issyk Lake and walk along the southern shore
Landmarks Esik Burial Mounds Esik State Historical and Cultural Museum Issyk Lake - Day 7
Almaty to Tashkent
Almaty to Tashkent- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Zhenkov Cathedral (Ascension Cathedral), wooden structure built without nails
- Explore Panfilov Park with Monument of Panfilovs 28 Guardsmen and eternal flame
- Visit Museum of National Instruments
Landmarks Zhenkov Cathedral Panfilov Park Monument of Panfilovs 28 Guardsmen Museum of National Instruments - Day 8
Tashkent
TashkentIncluded Activities
- Evening excursion around Tashkent (Independence Square and Old City sightseeing begins)
Landmarks Independence Square Hast Imam complex - Day 9
Tashkent to Samarkand
Tashkent to Samarkand- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Continue exploration of Tashkent including metro system ride
Landmarks Registan Square Ulughbeg Madrasah Sherdor Madrasah Tilya Qori Madrasah - Day 10
Samarkand
Samarkand- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Registan Square
- Visit Gur Emir Mausoleum, burial place of Tamerlane and family
- Explore Bibi Khanum Mosque
- Visit Shakhi Zinda necropolis with mausoleums from 14th-15th centuries
- Visit Siab Bazaar
- Visit Necropolis and Ulughbek's Observatory
- Visit traditional paper factory
Landmarks Registan Square Gur Emir Mausoleum Bibi Khanum Mosque Shakhi Zinda Siab Bazaar Ulughbek's Observatory - Day 11
Samarkand to Bukhara
Samarkand to Bukhara- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Continue exploring Samarkand (time available before train departure)
Landmarks Bukhara - Days 12 - 13
Bukhara
Bukhara- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Lyabi Khauz complex with oldest pool and Kukeldash Madrasah
- Visit Poi-Kalyan religious complex with Kalyan minaret and Kalyan Mosque
- Visit Samanid Mausoleum
- Visit the Ark citadel
- Visit Bukhara Miri-Arab Madrasah
Landmarks Lyabi Khauz complex Kukeldash Madrasah Poi-Kalyan religious complex Kalyan Mosque Samanid Mausoleum Ark citadel Bukhara Miri-Arab Madrasah - Day 14
Bukhara to Khiva
Bukhara to Khiva- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Toprak-Qala, 2,000-year-old ruined city fortress
- Visit Qizil-Qala oasis
- Visit Ayaz-Qala sixth-century fortress
Landmarks Toprak-Qala Sultan Vais mountains Qizil-Qala Ayaz-Qala - Day 15
Khiva
Khiva- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Walking tour of Khiva old city
- Visit Kunya-Ark 12th-century fortress and khan's residence
- Visit Kalta Minar
- Visit Pakhlavan Makhmud mausoleum with tiled courtyard
- Visit Juma Mosque with 218 wooden carved columns
Landmarks Kunya-Ark Kalta Minar Pakhlavan Makhmud mausoleum Juma Mosque - Day 16
Khiva
KhivaOptional Activities
- Group transfer to Urgench airport (timed for Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul)
- Extend stay in Khiva (contact sales representative)
