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23 Days Ancient Trade Routes and Mysteries of the East Tour Package Stand among the crowd that fills the Tashkent plaza as many sojourn to one of the local mosques. The narrow streets are lined with mud-brick houses and there’s a chance of coming across a madrassah (Islamic school.) Uzbekistan’s history and fine art are showcased in many of the museums, however, discovering this country’s culture is not limited to looking through the glass of display cases, but it can be seen even clearly while walking through wondrous palaces and ruins. Come to understand the full impact that the Silk Road has had on the many cities along our tip as we venture through many busy bazaars and see the skilled craftwork. We then go from the unforgiving desert to the white peaks and clear lakes of the Kyrgyz Republic. The capital, Bishkek has many parks that showcase its wild beauty. After making our way through the Chinese border we arrive once again into formidable terrain; the Gobi desert. However, it is home to the beautiful oasis town of Turpan, surrounded by vineyards and cornfields. Other gems hidden away in the desert are the Mogao Caves, which contain some of the greatest Chinese Buddhist murals. Don’t worry, some of the world’s most well-known architectural wonders are also to be visited, such as the 8, 000 Terra Cotta Warriors and the Great Wall of China. Tour Itinerary Day 1 Arrival in Tashkent Today we arrive in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. A NOTE ON UZBEKISTAN VISAS: If you are arranging your own air and are arriving in Tashkent earlier than our tour start date, YOU MUST ADVISE US OF YOUR ARRIVAL DATE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. The support letter that we provide for your visa application is DATE sensitive and must reflect your actual arrival date in Uzbekistan. ALSO PLS NOTE: This itinerary is based in part on internal flight schedules that can change without notice. Some adjustments may be required. THIS IS ALSO A TRIP FOR THE HARDY! The itinerary has been designed to be as comfortable as possible, but some areas visited are still under-developed. Some road journeys are long and accommodation at more remote locations (ie Naryn, Kashgar) are of a simpler standard. Overnight in Tashkent. Dinner if required. Day 2 Tashkent - Khiva This morning we'll visit Tashkent's Old City, which has mosques and madrassas (Islamic schools) housing craft workshops and dating from the 14th century. This maze of narrow dusty streets lined by low mud brick houses seems to have been spared by Soviet planners to show what things would have been like without the glories of socialism. Kukeldash Medressa is a grand 16th century academy undergoing restoration, whose plaza overflows with worshippers on warm Friday mornings; the tiny 15th century Jami mosque nearby was used during the Soviet era as a sheet metal workshop. We hope to have time to visit the History Museum of Uzbekistan and the Museum of Fine Arts. Late this afternoon we fly to Urgench and transfer to the nearby World Heritage Site at Khiva, a city where time has stood still. NOTE: Depending on flight schedules, our Tashkent sightseeing may occur later in our programme prior to our flight to Bishkek. Overnight in Khiva. Breakfast and dinner. Day 3 Khiva: City Tour Legend has it that Khiva was founded when Shem, son of Noah, discovered a well here. The town certainly existed by the 8th Century, as a minor fort and trading post on a Silk Road branch to the Caspian Sea and the Volga. In the early 16th century, Khiva was made capital of the Timurid Empire, becoming a busy slave market and pivot of the khanate for the next three centuries. Until Russia finally wrested the region from Timurid grasp in the 19th century, even the boldest hearts feared encounters with these fierce tribesmen and their desert territory. Khiva is an ancient walled city and looks much like it did in centuries past. It is one of the few sites in Central Asia where one can easily imagine life during the time of the emirates. We will spend the morning wandering its maze of ruins and great mosques. Later, a tour of this living museum includes the Ichon-Qala gates, Muhammad Amin and Rakhim Khan's Medressas, Tosh-Khovli Palace, Islom-Huja Medressa and Minaret. Overnight in Khiva. Breakfast and dinner Day 4 Khiva - Bukhara Our drive to Bukhara is through the arid setting of the Kyzyl Kum Desert. Along the way we stop for some refreshments and see how humans have survived over the centuries in this unforgiving landscape. With buildings spanning 1,000 years of history and a thoroughly lived-in city centre that hasn't changed much in two centuries, Bukhara is one of the best places in Central Asia to catch a glimpse of pre-Russian Turkestan. Most of the city centre is an architectural preserve and includes a massive royal fortress, plenty of former madrassas, a number of ancient public baths and the remnants of a once-vast market complex. There are over 140 protected buildings in the city. Overnight in Bukhara. Breakfast and dinner. Day 5 Bukhara: City Tour Today we explore the old quarter on foot. Bukhara is an ancient city with its bustling "trade domes," active mosques, and the Kalyan Minaret ("tower of death"), one of Central Asia's tallest. We'll stroll around the streets and visit the old town center where old men with long white beards gossip for hours while drinking tea. Bukhara has been designated a World Heritage Site; the resulting restoration of some of the mosques, constructed in the 11th to 15th centuries, make them appear as if they were built yesterday. There are even some structures still standing that date back to Zorastrian times 2,500 years ago. We also visit the massive fortress, The Ark, with the Emir's open-air throne room and the Mausoleum of Ismail Samani, an intricate and beautiful 10th century brick structure that is nicely preserved. Our tour of the Uzbek capital includes Barak Khan Seminary, Kukeldash and Abul Khassim Medressas, and the Uzbek Museum of Applied Arts. We'll also venture to the outskirts of Bukhara and visit the summer palace of the last emir, built by a Russian Czar with grand halls and a harem. We will also see Char Minar, a gate of a ancient madrassa long time gone. It was built in 1809 and has more contact with Indian Art styles than to the local. Its name comes from Tajik although the towers you can see are not actually minarets but simply decorative towers. Overnight in Bukhara. Breakfast and dinner. Day 6 Bukhara - Shakhrisabz - Samarkand We depart early for Shakhrisabz, the birthplace of Tamerlane, where we tour Ak-Saray Palace, Kok-Gumbaz Mosque, House of Meditation and the Crypt of Timur, a man who changed the course of history and made so much of a difference to Central Asia. There's little left of Timur's Ak-Saray Palace except bits of the gigantic, 40 m (98 foot) high entrance covered with gorgeous filigree-like blue, white and gold mosaics, but it's staggering to try and imagine what the rest of this glorious summer palace must have looked like. We continue later to Samarkand. No name is as evocative of the romance of the Silk Road as Samarkand. For most people it's as mythical as Atlantis or as remote and legendary as Tomboctou. The sublime larger-than-life monuments of Timur, the technicolour bazaar and the city's long, rich history work a special kind of magic. On arrival we'll visit the old bazaars for which this exotic city is famous. Overnight in Samarkand. Breakfast and dinner. Day 7 Samarkand: City Tour Samarkand, sometimes called the ?Rome of the Orient' was already flourishing when Rome and Babylon were founded. During the course of our full day tour we visit the famous Registan Square, Bibi Khanum Mosque, Mausoleum of Tamerlane, Observatory of Ulughbek, the site where Uleg Bek, grandson of Tamerlane, made some of the greatest achievements of the pre-telescope era of astronomy in the 15th century. We also visit the regal mausoleums of Shah-i Zinda, site of Central Asia's most sacred Islamic shrine, the massive mosque of Bibi Khanym, and the adjacent colourful market. You can purchase Samarkand's famous bread which Alexander the Great unsuccessfully tried to have duplicated back home in Greece, or try some of the region's local produce, from grapes to the world's tastiest melons of multiple varieties. Our afternoon tour covers the Afrosiab Museum, located on the site of ancient Afrosiab and the Historical Museum of Uzbek Culture and Art, with the wooden coffin of Tamerlane and a large copy of the Koran. Overnight in Samarkand. Breakfast and dinner. Day 8 Samarkand - Tashkent, Uzbekistan - Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic Early this morning we drive along the scenic road as it winds along the eastern spurs of the Pamir Ranges to Tashkent's international airport. At around midday we fly to Bishkek, the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic (formerly Kyrgyzstan). Overnight in Bishkek. Breakfast and dinner. Day 9 Bishkek: City Tour Today we have a city tour of Bishkek. Originally, Bishkek was called Pishpek. In 1926 Pishpek became the capital of the Kirghiz Autonomous Republic. In 1936, as the capital of the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic, Pishpek was renamed Frunze in honour of a major political organizer of the Civil War era called Mikhail Vasilievich Frunze (1885-1925) who was born in Pishpek into a Moldavian family. Today Bishkek is a modern city with vast squares, crowded bazaars, impressive administrative centers, and educational institutions. Our tour includes Oak Park, Central Square, Philharmonic, Statue of Manas, and Victory Square. We will also visit the National Historical Museum. At the northern end of Bishkek's central square, this enormous example of socialist realist architecture was once the Lenin Museum, entirely devoted to the man himself. After independence, two of its three floors were cleared to make way for exhibits that reflected Kyrgyzstan's new status as an independent state. Luckily for visitors one floor has been preserved, along with a huge centrepiece statue of Lenin leading the revolutionary masses. The text above the statue, which confronts visitors as they walk to the top of the ground floor staircase, reads 'Proletariat of the World Unite!' Those unfamiliar with the cult of personality that surrounded Lenin in Soviet times will be fascinated and perhaps taken aback by this lavish exhibition. Overnight in Bishkek. Breakfast and dinner. Day 10 Bishkek - Lake Issyk-Kul We depart Bishkek for a long though spectacular mountain drive to Lake Issyk-Kul. This is a territory of wild beauty with alternating white peaks, valleys and gorges and an abundance of wildlife. Despite the rugged terrain, the Central Tian Shan has been inhabited since ancient times and numerous rock drawings and burial sites testify to the fact. On the way we visit the Burana Tower, all that remains of the ancient city of Balasagun, once an important Silk Road trading centre. We will also see the petroglyphs of Cholpon-Ata that predate the arrival of the Kyrgyz tribes to Lake Issyk-Kul. Overnight near Lake Issyk-Kul. Breakfast and dinner. Day 11 Lake Issyk-Kul - Naryn Our route today takes us into the Tian Shan Mountains. On the way to Naryn we cross over the Dolon Pass (3038m / 10,025 ft). The caravans either side of the pass house workers who man the road maintenance depot here, and in winter they help dig cars out of the snow. A seemingly desolate mountain pass -- and each summer yurts and tents of the shepherds can be seen here. PLEASE NOTE: Today and tomorrow our travel involves HIGH ALTITUDE conditions. As our time at these elevations is limited to pass crossing and not over-nighting, we do not require a medical questionnaire for this trip. Nonetheless, we strongly recommend that you consult with your physician if you have any pre-existing medical conditions that might be exacerbated by altitude. Overnight in Naryn. Breakfast and dinner. Day 12 Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic - Kashgar, China Today we cross the Torugat Pass to the bazaar town of Kashgar in China's Xinjiang Province. We travel the main highway to the Chinese border, arriving at the Torugart Pass, the only border crossing between Kyrgyzstan and China. The pass lies 400 km (250 mi) south of Bishkek and 160 km (100 mi) north of Kashgar at an altitude of 3752 m (12,381 ft). The drive is spectacular but we must be prepared for lengthy border formalities. For centuries this cross-roads has been a major trading town. In fact the inhabitants of Kashgar still make their living by trade. Kashgar is a triumph of commerce over both nature and ideology. Historically, it was the junction of at least four branches of the Silk Route, despite being surrounded by awesome physical barriers: the Tian Shan to the west, the Pamirs and Karkorams to the south and the Takla Makan desert to the east. About 300,000 people live here, the majority being of the Uighur ethnic group. Overnight in Kashgar. Breakfast and dinner. Day 13 Kashgar: City Tour We begin our city tour with a visit to a huge statue of Mao -- one of the few left in China. We continue on to the Tomb of Abakh Hoja. This is an unusual piece of Islamic architecture set on the edge of this oasis town. Buried here with Abakh Hoja is one of his daughters. She is also one of Kashgar's famous women, for she was the girl who became known all over China as the Fragrant Concubine. Stolen or given as a gift to the Emperor Qianlong (there are many legends surrounding her fate), she was said to exude from her body a sweet jasmine fragrance. We return to the city centre for a walk through ancient Kashgar's walled city. Here we will visit the Id Kah Mosque, the largest mosque in China. Later we will wander through the local bazaar. The daily bazaar comprises myriad tiny intersecting streets where craftsmen, woodworkers, blacksmiths, coppersmiths, cobblers and other artisans supply the people of the Kashgar area with their daily wares. We will also visit the old town and perhaps have a chance to visit a local family in their home; our local guide will do their best to organize this. Overnight in Kashgar. Breakfast and dinner. Day 14 Kashgar Market - Urumqi Today we witness one of the most colourful outdoor markets anywhere in the world. Together with crowds who have journeyed from all over Xinjian, and from as far away as Pakistan, Tajikstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakstan, Russia and elsewhere, we will make our way to this weekly event. Kashgar's Sunday Market is bustling with flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle and horses, piled high with saddles and ropes, silk fabrics and cottons, fur hats and woven baskets, dried lizards and pickled snakes, cut glass jewellery, brooms and carpets and even freshly made carts and newly trained young donkeys to take it all home. Recently the Chinese government has constructed new facilities to house the market and it has lost some of its exotic atmosphere, but the visit is still very much worthwhile. Later today we board our flight to Urumqi. Overnight in Urumqi. Holiday Inn or similar. Breakfast and dinner. Day 15 Urumqi - Turpan: Jiaohe Urumqi means 'beautiful pastures' in Mongolian. It stands 900 m (3,000 feet) above sea level, just below the northern foothills of the Heavenly Mountains. The snow-clad Bogda Peak dominates the skyline. The city is predominantly Han, but does include many other ethnic minorities. This afternoon we drive through the desert to the oasis town of Turpan (pronounced 'toor-fan'). A short drive west of Turpan brings us to the ruined city of Jiaohe, which means "confluence of rivers". The layout of the city is still clear among the dusty ruins, including private homes, government buildings, watchtowers and a Buddhist monastery complex. Although the city developed many centuries earlier, most of today's remains are from the Tang Dynasty, a period when the population numbered more than 5,000. Overnight in Turpan. Breakfast and dinner. Day 16 Turpan - Gobi Desert - Overnight Train The population of Turpan is predominantly Uighur. These people are famous for the raisins they make from the grapes grown in this oasis. This morning we will visit the Emin Minaret and Song Gong Ta Mosque, located at the edge of the oasis surrounded by vineyards and corn fields. This exquisite minaret is made entirely of mud bricks and stands 36 m (118 feet) high. The elegant tapering style is known as pre-Safvid, and originates in Iran. We will also visit the ancient karez irrigation system. The water, which flows from the melting snows of the northern mountains, is supplied to Turpan by man-made underground channels or "karez". Over 1600km (992 miles) of these channels prevent the water from evaporating in the intense summer heat before reaching the town. Today the water is used to irrigate the grapevines, a key feature of the oasis. In the afternoon we will visit the impressive ruins of the ancient city of Gaochong, 47km (29 miles) southeast of Turpan. Having come about as a garrison town and a Chinese base for grain production, this town eventually became the capital of the Kingdom of Gaochong. The practice of Buddhism led to the establishment of many tombs, monasteries, temples and large religious communities--the ruins of which can still be seen today. This evening we will board the southeast bound train for an overnight train ride to Dunhuang (4 OR 2 person compartments, as available; single compartments NOT available; single supplements reflect sharing for this one night). Overnight train. Breakfast and dinner. Day 17 Arrival in Dunhuang Today we will disembark from our train journey in the large oasis town of Dunhuang. The people of Dunhuang are overwhelmingly Han, and one immediately feels one is in the China of the east. Overnight in Dunhuang. Dunhuang Hotel or similar. Breakfast and dinner. Day 18 Dunhuang: Mogao Caves & Dunhuang Oasis Early this morning we will make a visit to the Mogao Caves, the greatest repository of Chinese Buddhist cave art, spanning the period from the Northern Wei to the Yuan dynasties (7th to 14th centuries). Begun in AD 366 and constructed over 1,000 years, these caves are filled with murals, dedicated mainly to Buddhism. In AD 33, a vision inspired a monk to cut the first hundred caves and over the next ten centuries, Dunhuang became a flourishing centre of Buddhist culture on the Silk Road. In the early days of the Silk Road, Dunhuang (meaning "Blazing Beacon"), was an important centre and the western-most outpost for China in the first century BC. Later this afternoon we will take a short drive to the edge of the Dunhuang Oasis, where cultivation is brought to a halt by 40 km (25 miles) of sand dunes (the highest dune rises 1715 m / 5,660 feet above sea level). The spring-fed crescent lake is nestled amidst the high yellow sand dunes of Mingsha Shan. Camel rides into the dunes are available (optional expense), or you may choose to climb the dunes for a view of the Dunhuang Oasis and surrounding desert. Overnight in Dunhuang. Dunhuang Hotel or similar. Breakfast and dinner. Day 19 Dunhuang - Xi'an Today we fly from Dunhuang to Xi'an, the ancient capital of 11 dynasties and one of the largest medieval cities in the world when visited by Marco Polo. Of all cities on the China itinerary, Xi'an and its history most vividly exemplify the extraordinary continuity of Chinese civilization. Once the largest city in the world and a paradigm of imperial splendor, Xi'an served as the capital of 11 dynasties. Only in recent years, however, has Xi'an become well-known outside of China, owing to the discovery there in 1974 of the astonishing burial site of emperor Qin Shi Huangdi (3rd century BC). Today we view the Terra Cotta Warriors,* an impressive legion of thousands of life-size terra cotta warriors that has been guarding the emperor's burial site for over 2,000 years. In 1974, a group of peasants digging a well in Lintong County, about 30 km east of Xi'an, accidentally made one of the century's greatest archeological discoveries. What they stumbled upon were thousands of life-size terra cotta warriors; an estimated 8,000 figures have thus far been identified. We will visit pits 1, 2, and 3 as well as the amazing Bronze Chariots. Tonight we will enjoy a local specialty--a Xi'an Dumpling Banquet. En route to the centre of this busy city we'll see just how much life spills on to the streets of an average Chinese city at night. * Flight times may require us to move our sightseeing to the following morning,. Overnight in Xi'an. Breakfast and dinner. Day 20 Xi'an - Beijing Today we fly to Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China. While many of its elements are common to other Chinese cities, the sum of this city--its scope and presence in history--has no equivalent in China or anywhere else in the world. Beijing is not only the political and administrative center of the People's Republic of China, it is also China's single greatest repository of monuments and treasures from the imperial era. It is also the second-largest and fastest growing municipality in today's China, the home and workplace of 9.3 million people. Overnight in Beijing. Breakfast and dinner. Day 21 Beijing: Great Wall & Summer Palace This morning we travel north of Beijing to the Great Wall of China. A walk along the enormous undulating towered and turreted wall is spectacular. Rising and falling in concert with the ridges of the northern hills and undulating far off into the distance, the Great Wall consistently exceeds visitors' expectations and remains one of humankind's most remarkable accomplishments. The wall's construction began during the Warring States Period (403-221 BC), when separate sections were built in scattered strategic areas. Following China's unification under the first Qin Emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi (221-206 BC), 300,000 men--many of them political prisoners whose bodies are buried in the wall--were put to work connecting the segments into one huge rampart of stone and earth. We will have plenty of free time to explore the wall before returning to Beijing early this afternoon. After lunch we will have a tour of the The Summer Palace, located in the northwest area of the city. During the late Qing Dynasty this was the summer retreat from Beijing's heat for the imperial family and court. Originally created as an imperial garden by Emperor Qianlong, it was destroyed and plundered during the Second Opium War in 1860. In 1888 the notorious Empress Cixi used the money intended for the Chinese Navy to build this opulent summer retreat for herself. In 1900 the Summer Palace was damaged extensively once again during the Boxer Rebellion, but was rebuilt shortly thereafter. Equally famous as the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace is called "Yiheyuan" (Garden of Nurtured Harmony) in Chinese. It is up to now the best preserved and the largest imperial gardens in China. Overnight in Beijing. Breakfast and dinner. Day 22 Beijing: Forbidden City & Temple of Heaven We begin today with a visit to Tian'anmen Square, the place where one million students rallied for democracy in 1989. This is the largest public square in the world. Originally built in 1651, the square was quadrupled in size in 1958 to its present 40.5 hectares (100 acres) during a massive city-wide reconstruction program. Each flagstone is numbered so that parade units can line up in their assigned places. From here we walk to the Forbidden City, a huge complex of palaces, pavilions, courtyards and gardens, which was off-limits to commoners for 500 years. This is where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties carried out their administration and lived, now open as a Palace Museum. This afternoon we visit the Temple of Heaven, completed in 1420, and expanded over the years by two Qing Dynasty Emperors. Qinian Hall, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, with the three blue-tiled cone-shaped roofs, has become a worldwide symbol of Beijing. It was hit by lightning in 1889 and completely restored. No nails or pegs were used in the original construction nor in the restoration. Overnight in Beijing. Breakfast and dinner. Day 23 Departure Departure from Beijing. Breakfast. BON VOYAGE! Save time, money and stress! For reservations: Fill out the vacation planner to be contacted by our Uzbekistan vacation specialist. Contact: Travelwizard.com Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252 9/09 |
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