Asia Tour: Lost Jewels of the Silk Road

Five UNESCO World Heritage sites, traditional arts and architecture, old-world bazaars

The oases of Central Asia were Silk Road epicenters, capitals of ancient empires. Now independent nations, the Soviet-created ‘stans are some of the most mysterious and isolated, yet culturally power-packed and historically significant places on Earth.
The names resound with the poetry of a bygone era—Bukhara, Khiva, Samarkand, Tashkent, Ashgabat—and fire the imagination. Epic history seems strewn across mountain range, desert and steppe, where ancient ruins and sublime minarets recall the great exploits of empire, from Alexander the Great to Tamerlane.
Amid this vast landscape the cultures of the Kyrgyz, Uzbek and Turkmen will be revealed. Their historic struggle with peoples hailing from Macedonia, Arabia, Iran, Mongolia, China and Russia—the clashing of swords, the commercial and intellectual interchange—still reverberates throughout the region. Some of the world’s greatest centers of civilization flourished in this area for centuries, and perhaps would be counted among the great cities today, were it not for the ravages of Genghis Khan. These are cultures to be reckoned with, yet they remain largely unknown in the West.
Join us on this journey to discover the lost jewels of the Silk Road, amid layers of history measureless to man, in the great expanse of Central Asia.

Experience Counts when Planning Travel to Central Asia

Expert tour leadership by Dr. Stephen Halkovic will add immeasurably to this journey, bringing its history alive and offering insights into the art and architecture encountered in the area. A scholar of Central Asian studies and former professor on the subject, he has been researching and tour leading in this area since the 1970s. His authoritative interpretation and jovial personal style makes this journey the definitive exploration of Asia’s frontiers.

• Handle the famous carpets at the Sunday Bazaar in Ashgabat
• Listen to the dutar, the ancient two-stringed guitar of the Turkmen
• Explore the ancient ruins of Merv, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Find yourself in the footsteps of history in the walled city of Khiva
• Sip tea at Lyabikhauz, the historic pool in the center of Bukhara
• Visit the birthplace of Tamerlane, the great 14th century conqueror
• Marvel at the sublime architecture and impossible shades of blue tile in Samarkand
• View women making shyrdak, traditional Kyrgyz felt carpets
• Meet with nomadic peoples near the shores of Kyrgyzstan’s Lake Issyk-Kol

Experience a Journey Beyond the Ordinary™ >>Central Asia Tour

Central Asia Travel Overview | Central Asia Tour Day 1-6 | Central Asia Tour Day 7-13 | Central Asia- Silk Road