(A UNIT OF NOVA GROUP OF COMPANIES)
NOVA TRAVEL
The Legendary Silk Route by Rail-14 Days
Itinerary-14 Days
Day 1: Fly to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.(N)
Day 2: Ashgabat
Early morning arrival in Ashgabat. Transfer to the Hotel. Afternoon at leisure. (B)
Day 3: Ashgabat
Morning city tour with a visit to Tolkuchka bazzar, a colourful market. Continue to the Unesco-listed ruins of the ancient city of Nisa. After lunch, return to Ashgabat for a city tour. Board the Orient Silk Road Express. Overnight on train. (B, L, D)
Day 4: Merv
Morning arrival in Merv for a chance to see the gigantic walls, ramparts and ruins of this Unesco world heritage site. Enjoy lunch in a picturesque artist’s courtyard. Board the train bound for Uzbekistan. Overnight on train. (B, L, D)
Day 5: Bukhara, Uzbkekistan
On arrival in Bukhara, visit the great Kalyan minaret, the Labi-Hauz architectural ensemble and the ‘Nasreddin on a Donkey’ monument. Dinner is served in a madrasa’s courtyard, accompanied by local music and dancing. Spend 2 nights at the Hotel (or similar). (B, L, D)
Day 6: Bukhara
Full-day city tour, with visits including the beautiful Mire-e-Arab madrasa, the Ark (fortress), the Samanid mausoleum and the last emir’s summer residence. At the end of the day, see the world’s only mosque that is exclusively for women. Board the train for an evening departure. Overnight on train. (B, L, D)
Day 7: Khiva
Morning at leisure in Bukhara before the train departs for Khiva. Overnight on train. (B, L, D)
Day 8: Khiva
On arrival in Khiva, enter the imposing old city and, after visiting palaces, mosques, minarets and mausoleums, enjoy lunch at the former emir’s summer palace. Evening train departure to Samarkand. Overnight on train. (B, L, D)
Day 9: Samarkand
Full-day tour of Samarkand, with visits to Shahi- Zinda necropolis, the imposing madrasas on Registan Square and the excavation sites of Afrosiyob, the oldest part and ruined site of the ancient and medieval city. Stay at the Hotel for 2 nights. (B, L, D)
Day 10: Samarkand
Another day to explore Samarkand, with a chance to see the Bibi Khanum mosque, the Ulugh Beg observatory, and the Gur Emir mausoleum, as well as visiting a carpet factory and local craftsman’s family. (B, L, D)
Day 11: Shahrisabz
Take a 2-hour drive out to the mountain region of Shahrisabz, partly following the great Silk Road. The day includes a regional folklore performance and a visit to the site of Tamerlane’s large summer palace, as well as the monumental memorials to the Mongol prince. In the evening, the train departs for Tashkent. Overnight on train. (B, L, D)
Day 12: Tashkent
Morning arrival into Tashkent, followed by a sightseeing tour, including the Kukeldash madrasa, the Kavoj and Amir Timur monuments and the opera house. In the evening, schedules permitting, attend the famous Tashkent Navoy Opera. The train leaves in the evening for Kazakhstan. Overnight on train. (B, L, D)
Day 13: Turkestan, Kazakhstan
An early afternoon arrival into Turkestan in Kazakhstan, followed by a visit to the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a Unesco site famed for its dome hall and monumental mosque. The train leaves in the evening for Almaty. Overnight on train. (B, L, D)
Day 14: Almaty
Arrive in Almaty after lunch and visit Zenkov Russian cathedral, one of the world’s tallest wooden buildings. Farewell dinner in Kazakh yurts before transferring to the hotel for a 1-night stay. (B, L, D)
Day 15: Fly home (N)