| DAY .1 | Arrive Tashkent |
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| Khush Kelibsizlar - Welcome to Uzbekistan! |
| DAY .2 | Tashkent/Khiva |
| | Tour of the Uzbek capital includes Barak Khan Seminary, Kukeldash and Abul Khassim Medressas, Uzbek Museum of Applied Arts and the many gardens and fountains. A short flight gets us to Urgench where we visit Khiva to see the ancient walled city. Our tour of this living museum includes the Ichon-Qala gates, Muhammad Amin and Rakhim Khan's Medressas, Tosh-Khovli Palace, Islom-Huja Medressa, Minaret and a meet with local folks still living within the walled city. Return to Urgench |
| DAY .3 | Urgench/Bukhara |
| | We experience a whole different landscape as we drive through the Kyzylkum Desert for Bukhara. |
| DAY .4 | Bukhara |
| | We visit Mausoleum of Ismail Samani, Ark Fortress, summer residence of former Emirs, the famous Kalyan Minaret, and Labi-hauz. This is followed by visiting the statue of the "wise fool" Sufi Hoja Nasruddin, Caravanserai of Nadir Divanbegi culminating with a walk through the narrow streets of the old city, where we enjoy a unique opportunity to meet the local folks. |
| DAY .5 | Bukhara/Shakhrisabz/Samarkand |
| | We depart for Shakhrisabz and tour the birthplace of Tamerlane including the Ak-Saray Palace, Kok-Gumbaz Mosque, the House of Meditation, Crypt of Timur - the man who made so much a difference to Central Asia. Continue to Samarkand. |
| DAY .6 | Samarkand/Tashkent |
| | Rome of the Orient" - a city which was already flourishing when Rome and Babylon were founded. Samarkand full day tour offers the world famous Registan Square, Bibi Khanum Mosque, Mausoleum of Tamerlane, observatory of Ulughbek, Shahi- Zinda necropolis and a stroll through the old town where we meet Uzbeks, Tajiks, Russians, Georgians and other Central Asian nationalities living side by side. Late afternoon depart for Tashkent. |
| DAY .7 | Tashkent/Bishkek |
| | Next stop is Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, which during Soviet days was known as Frunze. It is a cool, tidy city 806m above sea level at the foot of the Tien Shan Mountains. |
| DAY .8 | Bishkek/Naryn |
| | Morning tour of Bishkek then followed by a scenic drive to Naryn, meeting shepherds in their yurt accommodated homes. We visit their homes and join the families for soup. |
| DAY .9 | Naryn/Kashgar |
| | Crossing "modern" fronteirs is half the fund on the Silk Road today. We cross over to China and head for the Silk Road centre of Kashgar. |
| DAY .10 | Kashgar |
| | Our tour includes the tombs of Abakh Hoja, Yusup Hazi Hajip, Sayyid Ali Asla Khan, the famous Id Kah Mosque and the most unique old town with typical Uyghur styled homes. We visit the various shopping alleys full of noodle shops, bakeries, teashops, blacksmiths and carpenters. Time has stood still - try a local taxi, which is a donkey cart. |
| DAY .11 | Sunday Bazaar/Tashkurgan |
| | The famous and historical Sunday Bazaar brings over a 100,000 people of different nationalities and ethnic groups. They come on foot, horsebacks, bikes, modern motorcycles, and donkey carts. Early afternoon with our bargains from the bazaar we head for Karakol, with its excellent view of the Muztagh Ata peak on the Pamirs before reaching Tashkurghan. |
| DAY .12 | Khunjerab Pass/Hunza |
| | Conquering the world's highest border crossing we descend on the last living Shangri-La at the 'Lost Horizon' valley of Hunza. This is probably the most scenic drive one can ever take offering a panoramic view of high mountains over the 7-8,000 meters with a beautiful green valley and the mighty Indus River roaring southbound. We arrive early evening at Karimabad, the capital of Hunza and have ample opportunity to meet the locals and get to know the secrets of the longevity of the Hunzakuts. |
| DAY .13 | Hunza |
| | Our visit starts with the Tibetan style Baltit and the 900 year old Altit Fort. We will also visit a home of the Hunzakuts and walk through the one street town of Karimabad. Walking through the valley we observe their irrigation system on a very challenging and difficult terrain. The afternoon is free to wander in the Hunza valley. Evening optional Baltit Fort by night. |
| DAY .14 | Hunza/Gilgit/Chilas |
| | Driving on the world famous Karakorum Highway with its majestic scenery and cultural experiences we reach the ancient Silk Road town of Gilgit. We visit a local school, home of a Gilgiton and the typical Silk Road bazaar before visiting the impressive rock carvings of Lord Buddha near Kargah. We then continue for Chilas. |
| DAY .15 | Chilas/Swat Valley |
| | A spectacular drive over the most beautiful Shangla Pass gets us to the enchanting Swat Valley. En route we stop to meet various local folks and picturesque sites. |
| DAY .16 | Swat Valley/Peshawar |
| | A tour of Saidu Shariff and it's colorful twin town of Mingora with a visit to the impressive Swat Museum which is richly stocked with local artifacts. Later, we descend on the Malakand Pass for the historic city of Peshawar. |
| DAY .17 | Peshawar & Khyber Pass |
| | Walking back into history with a visit to the Khyber Pass - a silent witness to countless invasions by the Greeks, Buddhists, Huns, Moghuls etc. It is also reputed that the army of Alexander crossed this pass in 327 BC. An afternoon tour of Peshawar city includes the Museum which houses a rich treasure of art, sculpture and historical relics dating from the Gandhara period (300 BC to 300 AD). We then visit Yadgar Square, the beautiful Mahabat Khan Mosque and the mystical Qissa Khawani Bazaar (storyteller's bazaar). |
| DAY .18 | Peshawar/Taxila/Islamabad |
| | Driving on the historic Grand Trunk Route we stop at Taxila, which was once the seat of oriental culture. It is famous for the rare specimens of stucco from the Gandhara period. The museum houses objects and sculptures dating from the 4th century BC. to the 5th century AD. Continue for Islamabad Airport for our departure flight and it's Khuda Hafiz - a warm farewell from us. |
