Silk Road Railway, 30 Days

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Updated by Escape Travel on 20/05/2012 10:36:08 PM - Prices below may not include taxes / fees, contact the agent concerned for additional terms & conditions.

	Silk Road Railway, 30 Days			from
				$5719*
	HIGHLIGHTS: Istanbul, Ashghabad, China. Early Silk Road explorers set out from Constantinople to follow the “Golden Road” of trade to Central Asia and the distant empire known as Cathay. Today the journey is far more comfortable, but no shorter! Following our time in Istanbul we join the trans-Asia express for our 3-night journey across the breadth of Turkey to the capital of Iran, Tehran. Our comfortable sleeper berths provide a wonderful opportunity to witness the wild and changing landscape as we travel to the lands of ancient Persia. Tehran is a busy, crowded metropolis which boasts some excellent museums many housed in former palaces. We join the overnight train to the beautiful city of Isfahan with its wonderful blue tiled buildings and covered bazaar and visit the stunning Masjed-e Emam Mosque, one of Iran's great architectural ensembles, with time to explore the Grand Bazaar and discover some of the city's renowned tea-houses then aboard the train destined for our final stop in Iran - Mashhad. The incredible shrine complex of Emam Reza, the eighth grandson of the prophet Mohammed, is one of the great architectural wonders of the Islamic world, and is said to receive more than 5 million pilgrims each year. The “golden” cities of Central Asia Leaving Iran we cross the Kopet Dag mountains to Turkmenistan and its capital Ashghabad. We explore the city before departing by road to the ancient city of Merv then across the Kara Kum Desert to Bukhara. Once known as "holy' Bukhara, it was home to more than 2000 mosques, today its monuments are some of the oldest on the Silk Road; the Ark Fortress, Samanid Mausoleum and the Kalyan Minaret - one of central Asia's tallest and which was spared the destruction of Genghis Khan. We explore the old town and enjoy one of the many chaikhanas (tea-houses) in Lyabi-Hauz. Across the Kyzyl Kum Desert lie the fabulous monuments of Samarkand, Tamerlane's turquoise-spangled capital. We explore Central Asia's most spectacular architectural ensemble; the Registan, plus many other highlights including the Shah-i-Zinda complex, Bibi Khanym Mosque and the Ulug Bek Observatory. Through the Dzungarian Gate to Xinjiang We leave Samarkand for the Uzbek capital, Tashkent and the border with Kazakstan where we join the train to Almaty. Nestled in the foothills of the mighty Tien Shan Mountains, Almaty offers an enjoyable change from the desert landscapes of Central Asia. The long delayed Sino-Soviet Peace Railway project was finally completed, and the railway now traverses the mountains through the Dzungarian Gate to China's Xinjiang Province. Snowcapped peaks can be seen for most of the year at the border post of Druzhba (Peace) before the downhill run to Urumqi. Beyond Urumqi we explore the oasis of Turpan, which still reflects life as it was along the Silk Road and the faces in the bazaar recall the four corners of Asia. Finally, we board the train for the two-night journey which carries us westwards across the great Taklamakan Desert and onwards to Xian. Ancient Chang'an to China's modern capital At the height of Silk Road prosperity Chang'an, as Xian was then known, was the glittering capital of ancient Cathay. Today the old city walls, towers, pagodas and incredible Terracotta Army reveal the city's long and turbulent history. Finally our overnight train carries us from the gateway of the great Silk Road to the nation's capital. Beijing is an incredible contrast of sights, sounds and smells. Explore the backstreets (Hutongs) of the old town with their food stalls and street vendors for a taste of "old Beijing' and of course the must-see sights; the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square and Temple of Heaven. Experience the Silk Road 30 Day Tour departing Istanbul. 5 nights accommodation in Hotels twin share, 13 nights in a Guesthouses twin share, 11 nights onboard trains in a 4 berth. 18 Breakfast, 1 Dinner. Tour Leader. Tour Dossier. Group Size 15 maximum Ask about our great airfares Conditions Valid for sale until 4 June 2012. Price is per person twin share with some multi share. Airfare not included. Additional conditions may apply, please enquire for further details. Prices shown are fully inclusive of taxes. Additional levies, government charges and other applicable fees may apply and are beyond our control. Seasonal surcharges and blackout dates may apply depending on date of travel. Payments made by credit card will incur a surcharge. Prices shown are for payments made by cash in store or Bpay. These prices are a guide to the best price and are subject to change without notice. Prices are subject to change without notice, due to matters outside our control, such as adverse currency fluctuations, fuel surcharges, taxes and airfare increases, please enquire for further details.
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