Silk Road Tour 1: Tours in Kyrgyzstan, China, Kazakhstan

Price upon request

An interesting Silk Road Tour 1 to the most famous tourist places of Kyrgyzstan is ahead of you. You will go on excursion to Bishkek, visit the trading town Osh, enjoy magnificent nature of Chichkan gorge and Arslonbob pecan grove, get acquainted with the rural life of Sary-Osh, Kochkor and Naryn. In China you will have an excursion to Kashgar which holds the world’s largest bazaar on Sundays.

Silk Road tour 1: Kyrgyzstan – China - Kazakhstan

Duration: 14 days
Season: May -October

Itinerary

Day 1 (Sunday): Bishkek
Arrival in Bishkek. Transfer to the hotel. Sightseeing tour: Oak Park, Ala -Too Square, Philarmonic hall, Statue of Manas, Victory Square. Overnight in the hotel.

Day 2 (Monday): Bishkek - Kochkor
Transfer from Bishkek to Kochkor. Visiting a felt carpet workshop on the way where you can see the process of making Kyrgyz National carpets. Lunch with Kyrgyz family. En route visit Burana tower, which marks the original site of the Karakhanid town, Balasagun. Family run accommodation.

Day 3 (Tuesday): Kochkor – Son-Kul
Transfer to Son-Kul. Son-Kul is one of the highest lakes in Kyrgyzstan (2030 m above sea level). It’s a place where you can experience a nomadic life. You will have a chance to ride a horse, see edelweiss flowers, camels, yaks, golden eagles, and to see how local women make Kyrgyz national drink – Kymyz (fermented mare’s milk). Overnight in the yurt camp.

Day 4 (Wednesday): Son-Kul - Naryn
Transfer to Naryn via Kurtka pass (3173 m), one of the most beautiful view in Kyrgyzstan is guaranteed. Naryn is a small town surrounded by mountains. Overnight in the guest house or B&B.

Day 5 (Thursday): Naryn – Tash-Rabat
In the morning transfer to Tash-Rabat ( 115 km ) towards the Chinese border. Tash Rabat, Caravan Saray 11th century, served as a fortress for travelers along the Great Silk Road. This is a carefully restored stone building. Overnight in yurts (Kyrgyz dwelling).

Day 6 (Friday): Tash-Rabat – Torugart – Kashgar)
Breakfast. Transfer early in the morning to Torugart Pass. Meeting with the Chinese travel company at Kyrgyz-Chinese border. Drive to Kashgar. Overnight at a hotel.

Day 7 (Saturday): Kashgar
City tour around Kashgar: visit Id Kah Mosque (the largest Mosque in China) and the Tomb of Yusup Hazi Hajup. Overnight at a hotel.

Day 8 (Sunday): Kashgar
Full day visiting  Sunday market. As traveler Marco Polo wrote about Kashgar “It is an eastern Cairo, where there are mountains of goods, and people swarm like bees”. The Sunday Bazaar is believed to be the largest outdoor market in the world.

Day 9 (Monday): Kashgar – Urumqi
In the morning take a flight to Urumqi.
On arrival there will be city tour in Urumqi: visit Regional museum, Red hill. Overnight in a hotel.

Day 10 (Tuesday): Urumqi – Khorgos
Full day driving to Khorgos. Overnight in a guest house.

Day 11 (Wednesday): Urumqi – Khorgos
Breakfast. Transfer to Chinese – Kazakh border. Meeting with the Kazakh travel company at the border. Transfer to Almaty. Overnight in the hotel.

Day 12 (Thursday): Almaty
At 10.00 start the excursion: visit Panfilov Park, Zenkov Wooden constructed Cathedral, National Musical Instruments Museum, Central State Museum, Panoramic view at observatory, Almaty's Green Bazaar, St. Nicolaus Cathedral. Overnight at a hotel.

Day 13 (Friday): Almaty – Tamgaly petrogliphs - Almaty
One day excursion to Tamgaly petrogliphs. There are about 4000 unique petroglyphs. It feels like in ancient open-air art gallery. Each picture is a message from centuries back telling about gods, rituals and life of ancestors of present days Kazakhs. Some inscriptions are as much as 3 thousand years old and even more. They are made on black flat surfaces of rocks and cliffs darkened by ages of influence of solar radiation by metal chisels. Drive back to Almaty. Overnight at a hotel.

Day 14 (Saturday): Almaty - airport
Transfer to the airport. Fly home.

Accommodation: