Silk Road Tour 3

Silk Road tour 3: Along the Silk Road , Request

Duration: 20 days

Season: the end of May – the end of September

Itinerary

Day 1: Airport - 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 or guest house.

Day 2: Bishkek – Issyk Kul
In the morning transfer to Issyk-Kul Lake ( 260 km ). En route visit Burana tower, which marks the original site of the Karakhanid town, Balasagun. Continue driving to Issyk-Kul. Arrival to Issyk-Kul, accommodation in a hotel on the North Shore of Issyk-Kul Lake.

Day 3: Issyk Kul - Karakol
Drive to Karakol. In Cholpon-Ata visit open-air art gallery of stone, said to date from 500 BC – 100 AD, they depict wolves, long-horned ibex, goats, horses, snow leopards, sacrifices and some hunting scenes. Visit the wooden Russian-orthodox church, Dungan Mosque and Prezhevalsky-Museum. Experience folk music during the dinner. Overnight in Karakol.

Day 4: Karakol – Jety Oguz - Barskoon gorge - Tamga
In the morning drive to Jety-Oguz gorge, which is a lush valley with some striking red sandstone rock formations (the “seven Bulls” from which the valley takes its name). Picnic. Next stop of your trip is in Barskoon gorge where you will have the chance to walk up the gorge and see the waterfall. Overnight in Tamga guesthouse.

Day 5: Tamga–- Salty lake – Skazka - Bokonbaevo
Start driving to Bokonbaevo village. En route visit the Salty lake which has the same feature like Myortvoye Ozero. The minerals within the water support the weight of a person lying on the surface. Next stop in Skazka valley there sandstone cliffs have been shaped by centuries of wind and melting snow into an ensemble of columns, canyons and crag, ranging in color from deep red to bright orange. Dinner and overnight in a home stay.

Day 6: Bokonbaevo – Kochkor - Naryn
In the morning you will see eagle hunting show and then transfer to Kochkor where you can see a process of making Kyrgyz national felt carpets. Lunch with a local Kyrgyz family. Transfer to Naryn. Overnight in a guest house or home stay.

Day 7: Naryn – Tash Rabat
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 8: 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 9: 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 10: 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 11: Kashgar – Irkyshtam – Sary Tash
Early in the morning transfer to Irkeshtam border. The view is "spectacularly amazing", with the Pamir mountain range covered with permanent snow and glaciers on the right-hand side and small hills on the left with summer pastures. Arriving to the border. Transfer to Sary Tash village. Overnight in a home stay.

Day 12: Sary Tash - Osh
After breakfast transfer to Osh ( 220 km ). Right after we leave the village we will drive up the Taldyk pass ( 3615 m). The scenery along this day of the trip is changeable with tree lined mountain slopes, small rivers and gorgeous panoramas. On arrival city tour in Osh. As legends say Osh was founded by King Solomon ages ago and had an important position on trading routes of the Great Silk Road. Today you will visit Suleiman-Too (Solomon’s Mountain), Osh bazaar – this market locates at the same place as in the times of Great Silk Road. Overnight in the hotel or guest house.

Day 13: Osh – Dostuk - Tashkent
In the morning transfer Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan border point Dostuk.  Border formalities. On the way to Fergana sightseeing Andijan and  Quva. Drive to Kokand, visit Khudoyar-khan Palace, Djami Mosque,  Kamol-Kazy Madrasa, Dahman-Shakhon and Madirakhan Necropolis. Visit  Rishtan and silk making factory in Margilan. Depart Fergana valley and drive to Tashkent. Arrive to Tashkent late in the evening. Check in to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 14: Tashkent-Urgench-Khiva
At 9 a.m. sightseeing Tashkent. Visit center of Tashkent, Amir Temur Square, Independence Square, Old City part of Tashkent with the Khast-Imom Complex and Chor-Su bazaar, Applied Arts Museum. Free time. At 16:30 transfer to the airport to get the flight to Urgench at 18:20. Arrival in Urgench at 20:00, transfer to the hotel in Khiva. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 15: Khiva-Bukhara
In the morning guided sightseeing tour program in Khiva: Visit a UNESCO World Heritage site Ichan-Qala fortress. In Ichan-Qala fortress visit Kunya-Ark, Sayeed Alauddin Mausoleum, Arab-Mukhamadkhan Madrasah, Oq-Masjid Mosque, Madrasah of Hodjan Berdi-biya, Shirgazikhan, Abdullakhan, Juma Mosque, Allakulikhan Madrassah, Toshkhovli Palace, Pakhlavan Makhmud Mausoleum, Minaret of Islom-Hoja. Free time. At 19:00 transfer to the airport in Urgench to get the flight to Bukhara departing at 21:00. Arrival in Bukhara at 22:00. Check in to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 16: Bukhara
Sightseeing tour in Bukhara. Visit the Mausoleum of Samani dynasty, Ark Fortress, Chashma-Ayub, Kalon Ensemble, Miri-Arab Madrasah, Magoki-Attori Mosque, Ulugbek and Abdulazizkhan Madrasah, trade domes, Lyabi Khauz complex, Chor-Minor Madrasah. Dinner and national show at Nodira Devan Begi Madrasah. Overnight at the hotel.  

Day 17: Bukhara-Samarkand
Continue sightseeing Bukhara. Trip to the summer palace of Bukhara emirs Sitorai-Mokhikhosa, Chor-Bakr and Bakhoutdin Naqshbandi Mausoleum. In the afternoon depart Bukhara and drive to Samarkand. Arrival in Samarkand, check in to the hotel. Free time in Samarkand.

Day 18: Samarkand
Sightseeing tour in Samarkand. Visit Registan Square, ruins of Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Shakhi-Zinda Necropolis, Gur-Emir Mausoleum, Ulugbek Observatory, and  central bazaar in Samarkand. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 19: Samarkand-Tashkent
In the morning depart Samarkand and drive to Tashkent. Arrival in Tashkent, check in to the hotel.

Day 20: Tashkent-departure
Transfer to the airport, departure. End of the tour.

Accommodation:

Kyrgyzstan tour price includes:

1. All transfers;
2. Twin accommodation;
3. Sightseeing tour programs in each city;
4. Entrance tickets to the sites, museums, mausoleums. Camera and photo fees are not included and should be paid separately;
5. Meals – for the groups of 1-5 people – only breakfast included; For the groups of 6 and more people – full board;
6. English speaking guide to accompany the group;

1. Charges in hotels for additional services;
2. Single supplement;
3. Consular fees for Kyrgyzstan visa;
4. Visa support for Kyrgyzstan visa;
5. Photography and video making fees;
6. Registration in Kyrgyzstan (if required);
7. Personal insurance.
8. Payment for early check in and late check out (check in time is at 13-14.00, check out time is at 12.00);
9. Alcohol drinks;
10. International airfares and items that are not mentioned above;

Chinese tour price includes:

1. All transfers;
2. Twin accommodation;
3. Sightseeing tour programs in each city;
4. Entrance tickets to the sites, museums, mausoleums. Camera and photo fees are not included and should be paid separately;
5. Meals – for the groups of 1-5 people – only breakfast included; For the groups of 6 and more people – full board;
6. Local English speaking guides in Kashgar and Urumqi;
7. Permits to cross Torugart;

1. Charges in hotels for additional services;
2. Single supplement;
3. Consular fees for Chinese visa;
4. Visa support for Chinese visa;
5. Photography and video making fees;
6. Personal insurance.
7. Payment for early check in and late check out (check in time is at 13-14.00, check out time is at 12.00);
8. Alcohol drinks;
9. International airfares and items that are not mentioned above;

Uzbekistan tour price includes:

1. All transfers;
2. Twin accommodation;
3. Sightseeing with local English speaking guide in each city;
4. Entrance tickets to the museums, mausoleums and other sights; Camera and photo fees are not included and should be paid separately;
5. Air-ticket Tashkent-Urgench;
6. Meals – for the groups of 1-5 people – only breakfast included; For the groups of 6 and more people – full board;
7. Visa support letter for Uzbekistan visa;
8. Dinner with folklore show program at Nodir Devan Begi Madrasah in Bukhara;
9. English speaking tour leader from Advantour to accompany the group of 6 persons and more.

1. Charges in hotels for additional services;
2. Single supplement;
3. Consular fees for Uzbekistan visa;
4. Photography and video making fees;
5. Personal insurance.
6. Payment for early check in and late check out (check in time is at 13-14.00, check out time is at 12.00);
7. Alcohol drinks;
8. International airfares and items that are not mentioned above;