Silk Road - Journey to Samarkand

Day 1: Arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan

Upon arrival in Islamabad, you are met at the airport and transferred to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax and recover from the long flights to Pakistan.

In the afternoon for those who have arrived on the morning flights, there is a tour of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. In the evening we have a welcome dinner where you will have the opportunity to meet your guides and the other members of the group. Overnight in Islamabad.

Day 2: Islamabad, to Besham

In the morning we have a long drive to Besham, driving through the lush green monsoon-fed hills of Hazara and alongside the Indus River which meets the Karakoram Highway shortly before the town of Besham. We enjoy this scenic and interesting route with a rapidly changing variety of landscape and tribal settlements.

The Karakoram Highway, also known as the "Friendship Highway", was built jointly by 15,000 Pakistani and 10,000 Chinese engineers and workers from 1966 to 1978. At various stretches, the ancient Silk Road merges into the Karakoram Highway. Dinner and overnight in Besham.

Day 3: Besham, to Gilgit

After breakfast we depart on our long scenic drive to Gilgit. Continuing along the Karakoram Highway, we will stop frequently for scenic photos. Upon arrival in Chilas, we stop for lunch. Chilas is a small bazaar town from where we can glimpse petroglyphs dating to the 1st century BC. In addition, intricate inscriptions and carvings appear on hundreds of rocks along the bank of the Indus River.

Stop to view Nanga Parbat 26,660 ft (8,126m), the world's 9th highest mountain. One of the most interesting stops of today is the confluence of the world's three largest mountain ranges: the Himalayas, the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush.

Arrive in Gilgit, a fertile orchard valley region and fabled kingdom once ruled by Maharajahs and Mirs. As capital of the Northern Areas, Gilgit is strategically located at about the halfway point on the Karakoram Highway to Kashgar. The market town of Gilgit has been populated for thousands of years and has seen Buddhist, Hindu and Islam influences. Dinner and overnight in Gilgit.

Day 4: Gilgit, to Shigar

After breakfast we go by jeep to the 7th Century Buddha carving at Karga Nala. After our visit we proceed to Skardu by bus. After an hour drive we leave the Karakoram Highway at the confluence of the Indus and Gilgit Rivers and turn eastwards to Skardu.

Skardu is the capital of Baltistan and is the gateway to the beautiful trekking routes in the Karakoram mountain range. Skardu is also known as "Little Tibet" and the local language is called Balti which is spoken in the entire Baltistan, Kargil and Ladakh regions in India.

Continue another 40 minutes to Shigar valley, the gateway to four of the world's highest mountains including K2 28,251 ft (8611 m), the second highest peak on earth and hundreds of peaks above 22,966 ft (7000 m).

Tonight we stay at the Shigar Fort Residence. At an altitude of 7382 ft (2250 m) this fort palace is standing on the bank of Shigar stream, built upon a massive rock. This 350 years old fort has been renovated by the Agha Khan Trust for Culture and is the only one of its kind in Pakistan.

Day 5: Shigar

In the morning we visit Shigar Village to see the 14th century Amburiq Mosque. One of the most ancient mosques in the Shigar Valley, it was built by the Amir Kabir Syed Ali Hamdani, the first Islamic preacher in Baltistan who converted the majority of the people to Islam. Stroll around in the village and visit the small local bazaar and the intricate Khanqa-e-Moallah Mosque. In the afternoon relax or enjoy an optional hike in the Shigar Valley. Dinner and overnight stay at the Shigar Fort Residence.

Day 6: Shigar, to Shangrila via Skardu

Depart for Shangrila and en route stop at Skardu Town to visit the bazaar. Lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon we drive to the Shangrila Resort area. We enjoy a 15-min hike to the Shangrila view point from where we have a view of Skardu town, the Indus River, the Shangrila resort area and the Kachura village above the resort. For those who do not want to hike, they can relax in their rooms or walk around the resort lake. Dinner and overnight stay at Shangrila Resort Hotel.

Day 7: Shangrila, to Hunza Valley

Early morning departure for Karimabad via Gilgit, driving along the Indus River. The road to Gilgit up to the point where it merges into the Karakoram Highway is comparatively narrow and bumpy, with several steep ascents and descents. We have lunch in Gilgit. After lunch we visit Gilgit Bazaar and a suspension bridge dating from the Raj era, which is considered to be one of the longest suspension bridges in Asia.

In the afternoon we have a short drive to Hunza Valley with some interesting stops on the way: one which marks the old silk route, followed by a second stop at the photogenic mountain of Rakaposhi 25,551 ft (7,788 m). This is one of the few places in the world where you can take in nearly 4 vertical miles of mountain in a single glance.

Karimabad is the capital of Hunza Valley, the valley that formed the inspiration for the novel Lost Horizons. In Hunza, we stay in the local capital of Karimabad, which serves as our base for exploring the green terraces of the Hunza Valley; an area in which the Ismaili Islamic sect prevails and commercial barter transactions are still the norm. The local Hunzakuts are known for their longevity, many of whom are reportedly over 90 years old! Dinner and overnight in Karimabad.

Day 8: Hunza Valley, Eagle's Nest

On our jeep excursion today we visit Duiker 9514 ft (2,900 meters), a view point above Altit Fort and Altit Village. Altit Village is one of three ancient villages of Hunza Valley which has retained its old traditional houses.

We continue with a steep jeep drive to the Eagle's Nest Hotel 9,514 ft (2,900 m) at Duiker. This is the only place in the world from which you have views of 5 peaks above 22,966 ft 7,000 m. Besides the spectacular view of high mountains, the panoramic view of Hunza and Nagar Valley is superb from here.

Lunch at Eagle's Nest hotel and afterwards, for those who like to walk, we have the opportunity to hike down the trail and the jeeps will pick you up on the way back. Or just relax and wait until the jeeps start driving down. Late afternoon free to stroll through the bazaar in Karimabad or . Dinner and overnight in Karimabad.

Day 9: Hunza, Baltit Fort, to Gulmit

This morning we visit the 765 year old Baltit fort - a Tibetan style fort built by the Balti artisans. The fort was built as a dowry when a Balti Princess married a Prince of Hunza, and remained the residence of the local ruler until a new residence was built in 1950. The fort was later restored as a historical building. After a short drive to Gulmit, we check in and then have lunch in a local house with food served the traditional way.

Gulmit, the capital of Gojal (upper Hunza) is a fertile plateau 8202 ft (2,500 m) high with irrigated fields on either side of the road. Prior to the expansion of Hunza Valley, Gulmit served as the summer capital for the Mirs of Hunza. There are many interesting places in and around Gulmit, such as the Gulmit museum - with its traditional ethnic artifacts from the region, located in a room of the present Raja Bahadur Khan's home. In addition, the former Mirs residence, water mills, old houses, carpet weaving and handicraft centers are all worth visiting. If time permits, we will be able to stroll through the village. Dinner and overnight in Gulmit.

Day 10: Khunjerab Pass to Tashkurgan

Today is a long day as we drive over the Khunjerab Pass into China along the Karakoram Highway. This is a fantastic trip through a high pass which at 4,730m (15,372ft), is the highest international border crossing in the world and has spectacular mountain views.

On the other side of the pass we reach the Chinese town of Tashkurgan, where we complete our immigration formalities and spend the night. The town itself has a Tajik and Chinese population, and there is a 14th century Chinese fortress sitting on the only rise of the otherwise flat bottomed Tashkurgan river valley.

Day 11: Drive to Kashgar, Kara-Kul Lake, Pamir Mountain Giants

This morning we drive to Kashgar, stopping to visit Kara-Kul Lake located between China's two Pamir mountain giants, Mustagh Ata, 24,524 ft (7475 m) and Kongur, 25,086 ft (7646 m). We visit a small village along the way and reach Kashgar in the afternoon, where we settle into our hotel for the next three nights.

Day 12: Kashgar - Id Kah Mosque, Market

A full day to explore the interesting city of Kashgar. In the morning, we explore a cottage industry market, a handicraft factory and the central mosque, Id Kah. In the afternoon, we visit a beautiful mausoleum and wander the streets of the old city. Overnight in Kashgar.

Day 13: Kashgar Market

Today we visit the fabulous market in Kashgar. This bazaar is the destination for a variety of colorful Central Asian nationalities who gather to barter everything from rugs to radios to horses.

Kashgar is truly a triumph of commerce over both nature and ideology. Historically, it was the nexus of at least four branches of the Silk Road despite being surrounded by awe-inspiring physical barriers of mountains and deserts. See thousands of people from the countryside traveling by cart and donkey, to sell their produce, woven goods, and livestock. Overnight in Kashgar.

Day 14: Drive to Naryn, Kyrgyzstan

We depart Kashgar for the short drive to China's western border with Kyrgyzstan. At the border, we change vehicles for our long drive through the beautiful rural landscape of Kyrgyzstan to the town of Naryn.

The town, set between the fast flowing Naryn River and the steep sides of the river valley, was founded in 1868 as a Russian garrison and currently has a population of about 40,000 people. Our accommodation for the night is in a basic guesthouse.

Day 15: Lake Issyk-Kul

We drive from Naryn to the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul, the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and surely its most beautiful. We relax and take in the view from a lakeside 'spa' as we prepare to continue on to Bishkek the following day. Overnight in Cholpan Ata.

Day 16: Bishkek via Altan Mountains

We continue our drive through Kyrgyzstan heading west to the pleasant capital city of Bishkek. The snow-covered 13,000 ft (3962 m) peaks of the Kyrgyz Altan Range are only 25 miles from the city and the melting snow from these mountains provides a continuous source of water, feeding the abundant trees within the city.

In the early evening, enjoy a short walking tour of the downtown area. Overnight Bishkek.

Day 17: Fly to Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Today we fly to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. Tashkent rightfully claims to be the biggest and most cosmopolitan city of Central Asia.

Although it has been continuously inhabited for over 2000 years, a massive earthquake in the 1960's leveled the entire city, and a modern city was born out of the debris. The remainder of the day is at leisure in Tashkent. Overnight in Tashkent.

Day 18: Fly to Urgench, Walled City of Khiva

In the morning, we fly to Urgench, followed by an excursion to the fabled city of Khiva. A trip to Khiva is a journey back in time. The town's mud streets and inward looking squares are so well preserved it feels like a film set.

With its intact walls, Khiva is the best preserved oasis city on the old Silk Road with one of its highlights being the beautiful painted ceilings of the Tash Khauli Palace and the spectacular minarets. Overnight in Khiva.

Day 19: Drive to Bukhara via the Kyzylkum Desert

A full day's drive across the Kyzylkum Desert takes us to Bukhara, regarded by many to be one of the most cultural and evocative cities in the world.

Time permitting, we will have an evening walk through the old city maze, in the intact and still inhabited historic core. Overnight in Bukhara.

Day 20: Ancient Monuments of Bukhara

A full day to explore the beauty and history of Bukhara; a city rich in historical monuments and dramatic architecture. Our full day tour includes the 1000-year-old tomb of Ismail Samani, the founder of the Samanid Dynasty and the richly-decorated Bolokhauz Mosque - a one time center of the Emirs of Bukhara.

We also visit the Ark of the Citadel and the multi-shaped domes of Chashma-Ayub - the place of miracles. In the evening, we attend a traditional Bukhara cultural show. Overnight in Bukhara.

Day 21: To Samarkand

A four hour drive from Bukhara takes us to Samarkand - the Eastern capital of the ancient world. Set on the edge of the Kyzylkum Desert within sight of two mountain ranges, and watered by the Zerafshan River running between them, Samarkand has provided a home to people for the last 10,000 years! Many have called Samarkand the most inspiring city in the world, as all visitors are enchanted by its rich and romantic history. Overnight in Samarkand.

Day 22: Samarkand - Registan Square

In Samarkand we visit the famous Registan Square, Ulughbek's Observatory, the madrassas Shir-Dor and Tillya-Kari, as well as one of the world's most significant monuments - the Mosque of Bibi Khanym.

The mosque was built in the early 15th century with the help of 200 architects, 500 laborers and master craftsmen and masons brought in from the rest of the empire. Overnight in Samarkand.

Day 23: Tashkent City Tour - Navoi Opera and Ballet Theater

This morning we drive from Samarkand to Tashkent. On arrival we embark on a city tour, which includes a visit to the Museum of Applied Arts. Tonight we enjoy an evening performance at the Navoi Opera & Ballet Theater and savor our experiences along the Silk Road at our final dinner. Overnight in Tashkent.

Day 24: Depart Tashkent

Tour arrangements conclude in Tashkent. We transfer to the airport to connect with departing flights.