Silk Road Discovery

Welcome to your Silk Road journey in the vibrant city of bustling markets, and a mix of modernity and rich tradition. Meet your Tour Leader and the rest of your travel companions at your afternoon Welcome Meeting. 

The high-speed train covers the 120 km in about an hour, to the historic and dynamic city of Guangzhou. On the way, you will witness a blend of modern skyscrapers and lush landscapes, transitioning from Hong Kong's urban energy to the southern Chinese Cantonese history. Guangzhou offers a glimpse into China's past and present.

A high speed train takes us to Xian, ancient Chang'an. Once this was the glittering capital of Cathay. Old pagodas, city walls and watchtowers remain.

The city still captures the romance of its rich imperial past and the glories of the Silk Road. There is so much to explore in this city, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and the Shaanxi History Museum being some of the highlights. 

Today we board the train to Jiayuguan, arriving in the late afternoon we catch our first glimpse of the western point of the Great Wall of China.

The Great Wall extends 7300 km and we find ourselves at the western end. We take time to visit Jiayuguan Fort as well as the Great Wall Museum to uncover the secrets of this engineering feat. 

We continue our journey west. As the train crosses this arid expanse, the stark desert scenery transitions into the lush greenery and rugged terrain surrounding Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang.

Bounded by the Tien Shan and Altai mountains to the north and the Taklamakan Desert to the south Urumqi is one of the most remote cities in the world and our gateway to China and Tibet. The Xinjiang Regional Museum houses one of the most extensive collections of Silk Road artefacts. This evening we leave for the border town of Khorgos. 

As we journey towards Almaty we stop to explore Charyn Canyon, part of Charyn National Park the canyon stretches 154 kilometres and is up to 300m in depth. Its many weathered and colourful rock formations are said to be as impressive as those of the Grand Canyon.  We travel on to Almaty. 

 
Nestled into the mountains Almaty will deliver diversity of architecture, history, influences and cuisine. We spend some time exploring the city inluding the fascinating Ascension Cathedral (Zenkov Cathedral), a wooden structure built entirely without nails. 

An early morning departure from Almaty, we settle in to life on board as the train moves westward across the expansive steppe, offering stunning views of open plains and distant mountains. 

As the train approaches Aktau, located on the Caspian Sea coast, the scenery gradually shifts to arid desert and rugged terrain.

Aktau is our gateway to the unique geological formations of the Mangyshlak Peninsula with its multi coloured rock strata, canyons and strange geological formations such as the Valley of Balls and Sherkala Mountain. Here too the unique 10thC underground mosque of Shakpak-Ata.  

An early morning flight takes us across the Caspian Sea to the colourful capital of Tbilisi in Georgia. This afternoon we discover the old town before before dinner - our introduction to the unique food and wines of Georgia. 

Beyond the city we discover Jvari Monastery. We continue along the Georgian Military highway deep into the Caucasus Mountains where we ascend to the Gergeti Trinity Church (2170m) enjoying spectacular views of the surrounding peaks of the high Caucasus. 

Our journey continues on to the Black Sea coast and the resort town of Batumi. The landscape transforms into subtropical greenery, with views of the Black Sea on the horizon. Batumi itself offers a blend of modernity and tradition, with its beautiful coastline, botanical gardens, and the fusion of Georgian and seaside culture.

Once a thriving city on the Silk Road, Ani was one of the world's largest cities. Sacked by the Mongols, hit by an earthquake in the 13th century the city subsequently fell off the trade routes. The city may no longer stand but the archaelogical site tells stories of ancient times. Ani is a widely recognized cultural, religious, and national heritage symbol for Armenians sitting just over the border in Turkey. 

We join the Dogu Express this morning for the scenic journey across the eastern Anatolian Plateau to Turkey's capital, Ankara. We are lulled to sleep on the train as it crosses the country. 

Without the  the tourist crowds of Istanbul, Ankara offers a more relaxed and authentic Turkish experience. Our sightseeing inludes the citadel and Roman ruins, the Museuem of Anatolian Civilisations and Anitkabir - the mausoleam to Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic  who declared Ankara its capital in 1923. We enjoy discovering the city with our local guide. 

For our final train service across the Asian continent we boad the high speed train to Istanbul, the eternal crossroads for East to West and our gateway to Europe and our final leg of this remarkable journey.  

Our sightseeing today will take in some of the most elegant buildings of the Ottoman period as well as the classic sights of the city; Rustem Pasha Mosque (1562), Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar. Indulge in some shopping or perhaps a hammam before our final dinner together this evening. 

Our journey draws to an end. We bid our fellow travellers farewell after an epic railway adventure.