Central Asia on the Silk Road Adventure Tour

Since opening up to travellers, China and its northwestern neighbours don't seem quite as out-there a destination to some people ' but they're clearly not looking in the right places. This comprehensive 26-day journey from Beijing to Tashkent is one of those experiences that will stay with you for a lifetime. Picking up in the Chinese capital, you'll visit the Uyghur province of Xinjiang, learning about the food, culture and history of this minority group. Then, we'll leave China behind and venture into Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to retrace part of the route that helped build empires: The Silk Road. From stunning snow-capped mountains to arid deserts, experience a side of Asia in a way that you'll barely believe is real.

Highlights

Wander along the Great Wall, stare down the Terracotta Warriors, bargain at Kashgar's Sunday bazaar, stay in a yurt with a Kyrgyz family, marvel at the sights in Bukhara and Samarkand.

What's Included

Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group Your Local Living Moment: Overnight in a Yurt, Tash Rabat Your Local Living Moment: CBT Homestay, Kochkor Your Local Living Moment: Plov Cooking Demonstration and Dinner, Samarkand. Great Wall entrance (Beijing). Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City guided tour. Terracotta Warriors tour (Xi'an). Mogao Grottoes (Dunhuang). Turpan guided sightseeing tour. Sunday bazaar and animal bazaar visit (Kashgar). Torugart Pass (China/Kyrgyzstan border). Yurt stay with local meals. Carpet
making workshop visit. Karakol village tour. Burana Tower visit. Bishkek orientation walk. Tashkent city tour. Khiva ancient city tour (half
day). Bukhara city tour. Samarkand city tour. Plov
making demonstration with dinner. Internal flights. Border crossing and language support. All transport between destinations and to/from included activities.

Accommodation

Hotels/guesthouses (19 nts), sleeper trains (3 nts), community
based tourism/homestays (2 nts, shared facilities), yurt (1 nt, multi
share).

Meals Included

20 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 4 dinners

Transport

Train, private van/bus, walking, plane, camel, metro

Group Leader Description

Your G Adventures group trip is accompanied by a G Adventures Chief Experience Officer (CEO) in China. The aim of your CEO is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. They will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. G Adventures CEOs are experts in their region with a broad, general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local expert guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting
we think it's the best of both worlds.

Emergency Fund

Please also make sure you have access to at least an additional USD $200 (or equivalent) as an 'emergency' fund, to be used when circumstances outside our control (ex. a natural disaster) require a change to our planned route. This is a rare occurrence!

Solo Travellers

We believe single travellers should not have to pay more to travel so our group trips are designed for shared accommodation and do not involve a single supplement. Single travellers joining group trips are paired in twin or multi
share accommodation with someone of the same sex for the duration of the trip. Some of our Independent trips are designed differently and single travellers on these itineraries must pay the single trip price.

Spending Money

Every traveller is different and therefore spending money requirements will vary. Some travellers may drink more than others while other travellers like to purchase more souvenirs than most. Please consider your own spending habits when it comes to allowing for drinks, shopping and tipping. Please also remember the following specific recommendations when planning your trip.

What to Take

What you need to bring depends on the trip you have chosen and the countries or regions you are planning to visit. We suggest that you pack as lightly as possible as your are expected to carry your own luggage. As a rule we try not to have to walk more than 15
20 mintues with your bags which is why we recommend keeping the weight of your bags between 10
15kg/22
30lb. Suitcases are not recommended for G Adventures trips! Most travellers carry a backpack or rolling bag of small to medium size (no XXL ones please!) as they need to fit under the beds when travelling on sleeper trains. You will also need a day pack/bag to carry water, cameras and other electronics like ipods and mobile phones.