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The Silk Road to Beijing |
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A Group tour of deserts and mountains; Bokhara, Samarkand, Kashgar, Xian and Beijing. |
Ref: EX-ACR
21 days
from £0 (minimum 1 passengers)
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Destination:
China Kyrgyzstan
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Go Back
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From the magnificent ancient cities of Central Asia we retrace the epic journey along the Silk Road to Beijing, the capital of modern China. This legendary trade route was not a single road, but one with many branches stretching to all corners of the then known world. The branch from Samarkand across Central Asia to Western China was once a well-used and important part of this network and although its terrain is as forbidding as any in the world, it is not so much its physical difficulties as quirks of 20th Century politics that have seen it closed for so many years. It is now open and we can complete in days a journey which took the silk caravans weeks of arduous travel across deserts and high mountains. Starting with the fabulous cities of Bokhara and Samarkand and the beautiful Issyk-Kul lake, we climb high into snowcapped Tien Shan mountains to the border with China at the Torugat Pass. On the way we cross vast high plains where Kyrgyz nomads, living in their traditional yurts, practice a lifestyle which has changed little over the centuries. Into China, we reach Kashgar for the celebrated Sunday market, and then travel on through the string of oases which skirt the dreaded Takla Makan Desert. Beyond the desert is Dunhuang, where centuries ago pious Buddhists endowed the greatest collection of cave art in the world. After the deserts, Eastern China is strikingly green and lush, and we visit the sights of both the ancient capital, Xi'an, and the bustling modern metropolis of Beijing.
Trip Profile
A comprehensive itinerary by air, train and private bus; fairly demanding with some rugged roads and travel at high altitude.
Group & Staff
min. 10, max. 16, plus leader, drivers and local guides.
Accommodation
Good hotels in Xi'an and Beijing, otherwise generally modest, though all rooms have private facilities except Naryn where there is either a hotel with shared facilities or very basic yurt accommodation; three overnight train journeys with sleeper accommodation.
Food
Full board in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, half board in China except breakfast only in Xi'an and Beijing. |
Day 1 | Depart London. | Day 2 | Arrive Tashkent; short flight to Bokhara. | Day 3 | Full day sightseeing including the Emir's Palace and Char Minar.
| Day 4 | To Samarkand; sightseeing in this most romantic of Central Asian cities; afternoon visit to old bazaars. | Day 5 | Full day sightseeing including Registan Square and Tamerlane's Mausoleum. | Day 6 | To Tashkent; free afternoon. | Day 7 | Early morning flight to Bishkek; city tour; spectacular mountain drive to Naryn via Issy-Kul lake.
| Day 8 | Cross Torugat Pass to market town of Kashgar. | Day 9 | Sightseeing to Abakh Hoja Tomb, Friday Mosque and bazaars. | Day 10 | Full day at the Sunday market, Central Asia's biggest and busiest; overnight train to Kucha. | Day 11 | Visit Kizil Caves, set in a 'Grand Canyon.' | Day 12 | Explore Subashi Ruins; to Korla. | Day 13 | Into Turfan depression, second lowest point on earth. | Day 14 | Visit ancient Buddhist cities, see grape-drying barns and the Flaming Mountains; overnight train to Dunhuang. | Day 15 | Dunhuang: visit giant sand dunes and Mogao Caves. | Day 16 | Fly to Xi'an and visit the Terracotta Army. | Day 17 | Sightseeing in Xi'an including the Great Mosque, Drum Tower and Wild Goose Pagodas; | Day 18 | Visit Longmen Caves and White Horse Temple; to Zhenzhou. | Day 19 | Early morning flight to Beijing, sightseeing in Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. | Day 20 | Excursion to the Great Wall. | Day 21 | Depart Beijing; arrive London. |
Departures Between | Price from | Price TBA | *£0 | | *Prices subject to confirmation |
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FLIGHT INCLUSIVE PRICE
Local payment US$200 (approx. £130)
Optional single supplement £190
Insurance £88
WHAT THE PRICE INCLUDES
In all the items below, “included” means either in the price or in a specified “local payment”.
Flights
The prices include flights from a UK airport to the destination airport and back, UK departure tax, all necessary domestic flights on the trip itinerary and all airport transfers. Where this is not the case it is specifically mentioned in the Dates & Prices box for the individual trip. If you book at the “land only” price, international flights and related airport transfers are not included, but domestic flights generally are, except where tickets for these have to be issued in conjunction with your international ticket. If you do not need our group flights, please ask for the “land only” price.
Accommodation
This is included in the price. If you’re camping, we provide sturdy two-person tents and all necessary communal camping and cooking gear, so you will just need to bring a sleeping bag and, on most trips, a sleeping mat.
Single rooms or tents
Our prices are based on twin share accommodation. If you book on your own (many people do), we arrange for you to share with a person of the same sex. We do not charge a single supplement except on extensions. Where it is operationally possible to do so, we offer an optional single supplement in the price list. On some trips it is not possible to do so, we offer an optional single supplement in the price list. On some trips it is not possible to guarantee single accommodation for the whole tour; where this is the case further information and prices can be found in the Trip Notes. If you would like a single room or tent on a particular holiday you should contact the office for details. Where we are unable to guarantee single accommodation you may be able to arrange and pay for it locally. If you are a smoker we ask you not to smoke in your room or tent if sharing. Please note on certain trips single accommodation is not available due to local operational conditions.
Food
Meal plans vary according to area and circumstances: for every trip, details of what is included are shown in the Food section of each trip, and in the Trip Notes.
Transport
All necessary transport during the trip is included, whether private or public.
Sightseeing
Included wherever it is part of the itinerary (as stated in the Trip Notes). There are usually optional trips too.
Staff
On all trips we provide a leader or local representative, assisted by local guides, drivers and any other staff as appropriate. Leaders usually meet the group locally.
Permits, taxes, and entrance fees
We include in the cost of the holiday or in the stated local payment all necessary local permits, taxes, and entrance fees to National Parks or sites that are part of the itinerary, except for the Kilimanjaro Government Tax, Gorilla Permits and certain Galapagos taxes.
NOT INCLUDED
Any meals and other food not included in the meal plan, visas, vaccinations, travel insurance, foreign airport taxes where not included in the price of the ticket, sleeping bags and other personal equipment, sleeping mats on most camping trips, entrance to historical sites if not specified in the Trip Notes, extra optional excursions and any personal expenditure such as laundry, drinks and tips.
This holiday is operated by Exodus Travels Ltd. ATOL 2582.
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The Silk Road to Beijing
A Group tour of deserts and mountains; Bokhara, Samarkand, Kashgar, Xian and Beijing.
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