In The Footsteps of Marco Polo (Xian to Tashkent)

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.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Sofitel On Renmin Square
• Tourist Class: Novotel Daming Hotel
Meals Included: Dinner

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.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Sofitel On Renmin Square
• Tourist Class: Novotel Daming Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

Morning transfer to the train station for Bullet train journey 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.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Tianzhu International Hotel
• Tourist Class: Zou Gai Long Zhong Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

After breakfast, visit Labrang Monastery, one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries outside Tibet. Explore the vast monastery complex, walk along the world’s longest corridor of prayer wheels, and experience the rich Tibetan cultural atmosphere.

Following the visit, drive back to Lanzhou

Upon arrival, enjoy an afternoon city tour including Zhongshan Bridge, the historic iron bridge spanning the Yellow River, and Baita Mountain Park, where you can take in panoramic views of the city and the Yellow River.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Sunshine Plaza
• Tourist Class: Baiyuan Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

Early morning transfer to the train station for the express train to Jiayuguan. Jiayuguan is the westernmost end of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. After refreshments, we visit Jiayuguan Fortress, set between the snow-capped Qilian Mountains in the south and the Mazong Mountains in the north. Take a short climb on the western end of the Great Wall for some spectacular views over this wild and magnificent region.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Far East Hualun Hotel
• Tourist Class: Bailu Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

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 enjoy a camel ride or climb one of the sand dunes to watch the sunset.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel
• Tourist Class: Tianrun Yibai or Lu Ye Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

Morning visit the spectacular Mogao Grottos-home to the world acclaimed Buddhist murals and sculptures dating back to 386 AD. Later in the afternoon transfer to the train station for Turfan.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Hampton by Hilton or LaQuinta by Wyndham
• Tourist Class: Jinjiang Metropole Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch

Discover Turfan, a vibrant oasis in Xinjiang, home to the Uighur people and a treasure trove of Silk Road history. Explore the ancient city of Jiaohe and the striking red Flaming Mountains, then marvel at the intricate murals of the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves. Wander through the lush Grape Valley, learn about the ingenious Karez irrigation system, and visit the scenic Tugu Valley. Step back in time at Gaochang, a once-thriving Silk Road city, before ending your day with an enchanting Uighur dance performance.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Hampton by Hilton or LaQuinta by Wyndham
• Tourist Class: Jinjiang Metropole Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

In the morning, continue sightseeing in Turfan, exploring more of this historic oasis city. Later, drive to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, where you will visit the regional museum, renowned for its fascinating collection of ancient mummies and artifacts that provide insight into the area’s early civilizations. Afterwards, enjoy time at the bustling Grand Bazaar, a vibrant marketplace showcasing local culture, crafts, spices, and daily life.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Universal Hotel
• Tourist Class: Hoitak Cinda Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

Travel to Tian Chi Lake, also known as Heavenly Lake, to enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding mountain ranges. Nestled among the peaks of the Tianshan Mountains, the crystal-clear lake offers excellent opportunities to explore the area on foot or enjoy an optional boat ride on its tranquil waters. Later, return to Urumqi in time for your evening flight to Kashgar.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Radisson Blu Kashgar – Home2 Suites by Hilton
• Tourist Class: Kyriad Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

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 views of the Muztagh-ata Mountain. After lunch, free time to enjoy the area. Later return to Kashgar.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Radisson Blu Kashgar – Home2 Suites by Hilton
• Tourist Class: Kyriad Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

This day is planned to coincide with the famous Sunday Market in Kashgar, where everything from carpets, blankets, food, horses, donkeys, sheep, and even camels are traded. People gather from across the region, swelling the town’s population by nearly 100,000, creating a vibrant and unforgettable atmosphere. It is one of the most remarkable bazaars in Asia and a true photographer’s paradise. After visiting the market, continue to the Eidgah Mosque, the Abakh Hoja Tomb, and enjoy a walking tour of the old town.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Radisson Blu Kashgar – Home2 Suites by Hilton
• Tourist Class: Kyriad Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

In the morning, transfer to the border crossing of Torugart pass. After border formalities, you will be met by greeted by our Kyrgyz team. Later, visit the Caravan Sarai, dated from the 11th century, which served as a fortress for travellers along the Great Silk Road. Continue driving to Naryn.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Khan Tengri Hotel
• Tourist Class: Khan Tengri Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast – Dinner

Today, our destination is Lake Issyk-Kul, which is the second-largest alpine lake after Lake Titicaca in South America. A combination of depth, thermal activity and mild salinity means the lake never freezes, thus its name Issyk-Kul’ meanswarm lake’. Archaeological discoveries from the lake’s bottom include ancient relics and graves dating back to the first millennium BC. An ancient trade centre from the second century BC is thought to have been destroyed by the rise and fall of the lake’s level. Before checking in at our hotel we will visit Cholpan-Ata, known for petroglyphs which are thought to have been created by the tribes of the Neolithic period. The images are mainly primitive long-horned ibex, horses, camels and snow leopards.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Karven Hotel
• Tourist Class: Three Crown
Meals Included: Breakfast – Dinner

In the morning, drive to Bishkek. En route, we drive to visit the Burana tower, which was built in the 11 century. Afternoon city tour of Bishkek, Visit Manas Monument, the main national hero of the Kyrgyz people. Then an excursion to the State History Museum and a walking tour around the main Ala Too Square, Independence Monument, main governmental buildings, and finish at the Old Square with Parliament House and the only surviving in Central Asia Lenin’s Monument.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Orion Hotel
• Tourist Class: Golden Dragon or City Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

In the morning visit Ala-Archa National Park for a picnic lunch followed by a city tour of Bishkek in the afternoon.
Late evening transfer to the airport for Uzbekistan airways flight HY 780 EDT 6:40pm ETA to Tashkent at 7:00pm. On arrival at Tashkent airport you will be met by our Uzbek guide and transfer to your hotel.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Lotte City Tashkent Palace
• Tourist Class: Florence Boutique or Ateca Suits
Meals Included: Breakfast – Dinner

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

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Farovon, Orient Star
• Tourist Class: Malika Khivek, Shaherezada Boutique
Meals Included: Breakfast – Dinner

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’s 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 it’s 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-Huja Medressa and Minaret.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Farovon, Orient Star
• Tourist Class: Malika Khivek, Shaherezada Boutique
Meals Included: Breakfast – Dinner

Depending on the train schedule, you will be transferred to the train station for your journey to Bukhara.
Bukhara is one of the finest places in Central Asia to experience the charm of pre-Russian Turkestan. Much of the city center is a living architectural preserve, featuring a massive royal fortress, numerous historic madrasas, ancient public baths, and the remnants of a once-vast market complex. The city is home to over 140 protected historical buildings, offering a unique window into its rich past.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Mercure Accor, Paradise Plaza, Labi Rud Premium, Shahriston
• Tourist Class: Makon Art, Lyabi House, Nodirabegim Boutique, Rizo Boutique
Meals Included: Breakfast – Dinner

Today we explore the old quarter on foot. Bukhara is an ancient city with 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 centre where old men with long white beards gossip for hours over cups of 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.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Mercure Accor, Paradise Plaza, Labi Rud Premium, Shahriston
• Tourist Class: Makon Art, Lyabi House, Nodirabegim Boutique, Rizo Boutique
Meals Included: Breakfast – Dinner

Full free day at leisure or optional activities can be arranged on request.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Mercure Accor, Paradise Plaza, Labi Rud Premium, Shahriston
• Tourist Class: Makon Art, Lyabi House, Nodirabegim Boutique, Rizo Boutique
Meals Included: Breakfast – Dinner

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 technicolor 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.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Hilton Garden Inn, Continental, Mövenpick, Zafshon Parkside
• Tourist Class: Medina, Rayyan, Registan Saroy
Meals Included: Breakfast – Dinner

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 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.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Hilton Garden Inn, Continental, Mövenpick, Zafshon Parkside
• Tourist Class: Medina, Rayyan, Registan Saroy
Meals Included: Breakfast – Dinner

In the morning, transfer to the train station for the express train to Tashkent. Afternoon, 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 Kukeldash Medressa, a grand 16th-century academy undergoing restoration and the History Museum of Uzbekistan and the Museum of Fine Arts.

Hotel Options
• Comfort Class: Lotte City Tashkent Palace Hotel
• Tourist Class: Florence Boutique or Ateca Suits
Meals Included: Breakfast – Dinner

Our service will end with airport transfer.

Meals Included: Breakfast