IN THE FOOTSTEP OF MARCO POLO
XIAN TO TASHKENT

Tour operates: April until October

No of days: 23 nights 24 days

Tour cost from: 3290 US Dollar

Destinations:Xian-Lanzhou-Xiahe-Labrang-Jiayuguan-Dunhuang-Turfan-Urumqi- Heavenly Lake-Kashgar-Karakul Lake-Torugart pass-IssykKul lake-Karakol-Bishkek-AlaArcha park-Tashkent-Urgench-Khiva-Bukhara-Shakhrisabz-Samarkand

Accomodations: All comfortable accommodations with private facilities one night in Typical Kyrgyz Yurt with communal facilities.

Transport:Private air conditioned transport, economy class domestic flight, soft sleeper, overnight trains.

Tour starting and ending point: Xian-Tashkent or vice versa

Guranteed Departures: Every wednesday- Minimum 2 people required

Day by day itinerary:

Day 01: Xian (China)

On arrival at Xian airport you will be met by your guide and transferred to the hotel. The rest of the day is free at leisure on your own. Overnight at hotel (D)

Day 02: Xian

Today we visit the exquisite Terracotta Warriors, considered the greatest archaeological discovery of the last century. The figures vary in height from 182cm to 195cm, according to their role; the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. It is estimated that 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses exist in the 3 pits on the excavation site, with the majority still buried in the pit l We return to the city and visit big Wild Goose Pagoda, Xian Great Mosque and Muslim quarter. Overnight at hotel (BLD)

Day 03: Xian- Lanzhou-Xiahe

Morning flight to Lanzhou later transfer to Xiahe.Xiahe is referred to a "Little Tibet", a stunning town surrounded by mountains and bustling with pilgrims. It is a key passage on the ancient Silk Road between East and West. Visit the famous Labrang Monastery - one of the six leading Buddhist Lamaseries in China. (BLD)

Day 04: Lanzhou Overnight train

Return to Lanzhou for city tour before we board an overnight soft sleeper train to Jiayuguan. (BL)

Day 05: Jiayuguan

Jiayuguan is the westernmost end of the Great Wall built in Ming Dynasty. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. After the refreshment, we visit Jiayuguan Fortress, set between snow-capped Mountains of Qilian in south and the Mazong Mountain in North. Take a short climb on the western end of the Great Wall for some spectacular views over this wild and magnificent region. Overnight in Hotel (LD)

Day 06: Dunhuang

Drive to the oasis town of Dunhuang surrounded by rolling sand dunes and home to countless camels. In the afternoon visit Crescent Moon Spring and camel ride or climb one of the sand dunes to enjoy the sunset Overnight at hotel (BLD)

Day 07: Dunhuang-Overnight train

Morning visit the spectacular Mogao Grottos-home to the world acclaimed Buddhist murals and sculptures dating back to 386AD. Free time to explore the local markets before overnight soft sleeper train to Turfan (BL)

Day 08: Turfan

Morning train arrives in Turfan, the oasis city in the province of Xinjiang. Turfan is inhabited mainly by Uighur people. We visit the ancient ruined city of Jiaohe, richly coloured Flaming Mountains and Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves and Grape Valley. In the evening, enjoy the local Uighur dance. Overnight in hotel (LD)

Day 09: Turfan- Urumqi

In the morning, more sightseeing of Turfan. Later drive to Urumqi, visit the museum famous for their Mummies. Tour the Grand Market,

Overnight in Urumqi (BLD).

Day 10: Tianche Lake Excursion-Kashgar

Today we Travel to Tian Chi Lake or Heavenly Lake for breathtaking views the surrounding mountain range. Here you have a chance to walk around the Lake or take an optional boat ride.

Later return to Urumqi to catch an evening flight to Kashgar.

Overnight in Kashgar (BLD)

Day 11: Kashgar Karakul Lake

Day trip to Karakul Lake along the famous Karakorum Highway. The scenery along the way is magnificent. We will be stopping at the Lake where you can enjoy the breathtaking viewsof the Muztagh-ata Mountain. After lunch, free time to enjoy the area. Later return to Kashgar for overnight in hotel (BLD)

Day 12: Kashgar Sunday market

This day is planned to coincide with the famous Sunday market in Kashgar where everything from carpets, blankets, foods, horses, donkeys, sheep and even camels are for sale! Wonderful assortments of people come from all over the region, and the population of the town swells by 100,000! This is truly one of the most incredible bazaars in Asia, and a photographer's paradise. Later visit Ed-gah Mosque, and ApakKhoja's tomb.

Overnight in Hotel (BLD)

Day 13: Kashgar Tash Rabat (Kyrgyzstan)

Morning transfer to the border crossing: the Torugart pass, stop at Tash Rabat Saray caravan and spend the night in a typical Kyrgyz Yurt (BL).

Day 14: IssikKul Lake

Morning drive to Cholpon Ata (IssykKullake) enjoy the stunning scenery (BLD).

Day 15: Karakul

After breakfast visit Cholpon-Ata rock petroglyphs dated back 800 BC-1200 AD. Drive to Karakol, one of the first towns of the Russian Cossak settlements in late 19th century. En-route we visit Przevalski (a Great Russian explorer in late 19th century) Memorial Museum. Later city tour of Karakol includes visiting the museum, Dungan Pagoda type of mosque and the Orthodox wooden Church.

Overnight in hotel (BLD)

Day 16: Bishkek

In the morning drive to Bishkek. En-route we stop at JetyOguz canyon, where you have chance to do some short hikes or optional horse riding, later visitBurana tower which was built in the 11centuries.

Overnight in hotel (BLD)

Day 17: Tashkent (Uzbekistan)

In the morning visit Ala-Archa National Park with picnic lunch later city tour of Bishkek, late in the the afternoon transfer to the airport for flight to Tashkent

Overnight in hotel (D)

Day 18: Tashkent-Urgench Khiva

Morning flight to Urgench and transfer to Khiva. Depending on the flight schedule, possibly half day sightseeing of Khiva city

Overnight in Khiva hotel (BLD)

Day 19: Khiva-Bukhara

City tour of Khiva. 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 including the Ichon-Qala gates, Muhammad Amin and Rakhim Khan's Medressas, Tosh-Khovli Palace, Islom-HujaMedressa and Minaret. Later drive to Bukhara through the arid setting of the KyzylKum 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 at hotel (BLD)

Day 20: 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 centerwhere old men with long white beards gossip for hours whilst drinking tea. Bukhara has been designated a World Heritage Site; resulting in the complete restoration of some of the 11th to 15th century mosques. 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. 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 in common with Indian art styles than local. Its name comes from Tajik although the towers you can see are not actually minarets but simply decorative towers.

Overnight in Bukhara at hotel (BLD)

Day 21: 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 Central Asian history. There's little left of Timur'sAk-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. For most people, Samarkand is as mythical as Atlantis or as remote and legendary as Tombouctou. 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 at hotel (BLD)

Day 22: 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, BibiKhanum Mosque, Mausoleum of Tamerlane, Observatory of Ulughbek, the site where UlegBek, 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 BibiKhanym, 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.

Overnight in Samarkand at hotel (BLD)

Day 23: Samarkand-Tashkent

In the morning we drive along the scenic road as it winds along the eastern spurs of the Pamir Ranges to Tashkent. We continue on a city tour of Tashkent visiting mosques and madrassas (Islamic schools) housing craft workshops and dating from the 14th century. We visit the KukeldashMedressa, a grand 16th century academy undergoing restoration and the History Museum of Uzbekistan and the Museum of Fine Arts.

Overnight at hotel in Tashkent (BLD)

Day 24: Onward flight

Trip will end with airport transfer (B)