Wonders of the Silk Road

Arrive in Ashgabat, a once prosperous frontier town along the Trans-Caspian railway, which was destroyed by a massive earthquake in 1948, only to rise from its ashes and rubble to become the capital of an independent Turkmenistan in 1991. The city then became the personal project of President Niyazov, who set about forming it in his own unique image, renaming the streets and changing the face of the city on an almost daily basis as he approved the destruction of its suburbs to make way for a number of controversial planning projects.

For those arriving on time today our Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 12pm for the welcome meeting and to take us on the afternoon city tour. We have the opportunity to explore the city on a tour that will take in some of the highlights of both the Soviet and Niyazov reigns. We visit Independence Park where we will see the Independence Monument, a large structure designed to resemble traditional Turkmen hats. We will also pay a visit to the Turkmenistan National Museum of History, a rich cache of some 150,000 objects and artefacts that date back to Neolithic times and the Bronze Age era of the Margiana civilisation.

If you would like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Ashgabat International Airport (ASB), which is 20 minutes from the hotel. For those arriving on flights in the early hours of this morning, we'll arrange for your hotel room to be available immediately upon your arrival. For anyone arriving before today please contact us to book additional nights accommodation.

Please note that if you wish to join the afternoon city tour today, you must arrive at the hotel by 12pm. If you are booking your own flights, we recommend giving yourself at least one to two hours to clear the airport. From the airport to the hotel is around 15 minutes' drive, so therefore the latest your flight can arrive is 9am. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information at 6pm. Stay: Sport Hotel (Comfortable)

This morning we aim to visit the city's lively Sunday morning market before driving out to the outskirts of the city to the once mighty fortress of Nissa. Founded in the 3rd century BC as the capital of the 1st Parthian Empire, its walls and towers (43 in total) protected the royal palace, Zoroastrian temples and the power and prestige of successive ruling dynasties until its eventual destruction at the hands of the Mongols in the 13th century. Stay: Sport Hotel (Comfortable) (B)

Our destination today is the town of Mary, our gateway to the ruins of ancient Merv. We travel via the Kaka Oasis and will also stop to view the fortress of Abiverd, the remains of a now long vanished medieval city that once enjoyed a reputation for its superb handicrafts, some samples of which can still be seen littered across the site in the form of broken shards of exquisite pottery Stay: Hotel Mary (Comfortable) (B)

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, considered to have once been one of the great cities of Central Asia, the remains of ancient Merv lie scattered across some 100sq km. Lying along the great trading routes of the Silk Road the city prospered under the Sassanians and the Seljuq Turks, becoming a cultural mecca for Christian, Buddhist, Zoroastrian and finally Muslim cultures. At its height, during the 11th and 12th centuries the city was known as Marv-i-shah-jahan (Merv, Queen of the World) and, after Baghdad, was considered the finest city in all Islam. In 1221 its greatness came crashing to earth with the arrival of the Mongol armies of Genghis Khan when, after refusing to pay tribute to the great Mongol warlord, the city and its entire population of nearly 1 million people was put to the sword (it was believed that the Mongol soldiers were ordered to personally behead between 300- 400 people each). Returning to Mary for lunch we will then spend the afternoon exploring the Mary Museum of History, a rich repository of some of the finest relics rescued from Merv itself, along with an excellent collection of Turkmen carpets and household objects that span a period of some 5000 years. Stay: Hotel Mary (Comfortable) (B)

This morning we drive to the Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan border at Farab and, after completing the immigration formalities, cross into Uzbekistan. Please be advised that this process could take anything up to 2 hours and you will be required to walk the 1.5 km between the two border posts to meet our Uzbek vehicle (porters are usually available to help with luggage, although they will require payment for their services). We drive on to the fabled city of Bokhara, the city that was home to the famed poets Firdausa and Rudaki and is still considered by many to be the 'Bastion of Islam'. For generations Bokhara lay at the centre of the great trade routes, its scholarship and architecture revered far and wide as one of the central bastions of Central Asian art and culture, a factor that saw its ancient heart accredited by UNESCO as an important World Heritage Site in 1993. Over 2,000 years old, its historic centre is one of the most complete examples of a medieval city anywhere in Central Asia, filled with majestic architecture, beautiful madrassas and fabulous tombs. Time allowing this afternoon, we'll start our sightseeing with a visit to the bath houses, arcades and the caravanserai of the Taqi Telpak Furushon area, as well as the Lyab-I Hauz, a magnificent architectural centrepiece that dates from the 16th and 17th centuries and contains the largest madrassa in the city (the Kukeldash). Stay: Hotel Caravan Plaza (Comfortable) (B)

In the morning we take a drive out of the city to visit the Emir's Palace, the Royal Ark and the photogenic Char Minar Mosque. Also known as the 'Palace of Moon-like Stars', the Palace contains the famous White Hall, a structure that took the Emir's 30 architects two years to construct. We also visit the Ismael Samani Mausoleum, dating from the 9th century and considered to be one of the most revered architectural sights in the whole of Central Asia. Built as the final resting place of Ismael Samani, the founder of the last Persian dynasty to rule in the region, the Samanids, it harks back to the city's golden age, when it was the intellectual centre of the Islamic world. Returning to the city for lunch we will then take a tour of its ancient centre on foot, maybe stopping off at a 'chaikhana', a local tea house.. The old town has been fortunate to retain much of its Uzbek character, with more than 140 unique monuments littered amongst its streets and alleyways, and this afternoon we will visit the beautiful blue tiled Abdul Khan Madrasah and Mghoki Arrar Mosque, as well as the tallest monument in town, the Kalyan minaret, or the 'Tower of Death', from which prisoners were once hurled to their death on market days. Stay: Hotel Caravan Plaza (Comfortable) (B)

Today is free to explore Bokhara in your own time. Stay: Hotel Caravan Plaza (Comfortable) (B)

Today we drive on to the remarkable ancient city of Khiva. The early history of the area is still sketchy, but by the time the Arabs arrived in the 8th century there were three important cities in the region, of which Khiva was one, largely on account of its strategic location along the Volga branch of the Silk Route. Conquered by the Persians, it then became a pawn in the great game between the Russian and British Empires, finally succumbing to Russian forces in 1873 (following the fate of both Samarkand and Bokhara before it). Its ancient heart has remained largely intact behind towering brick walls, some 40 bastions enclosing an incredible collection of historic monuments and 18th and 19th century houses and exploring the old citadel is like stepping back in time into a scene straight out of the stories of the Arabian nights. Originally the 12th century fortress dominated the city, but later additions of palaces, harems, barracks and mosques encroached on the old fortress, compelling the Khan to build a second outer wall to make his citadel even more secure. Please note that today's drive to Khiva is a long drive of approximately 9hrs due to the bad road conditions in this area. We will attempt to break up the journey as much as possible with stops along the way. Stay: Hotel Musa Tura (Comfortable) (B)

This morning we will begin our exploration of this ancient city. We'll take in some of its rich wonders including the Kunya Ark and the Tah-Khauli Palace, whilst a walk up the steps of the Dzhuma Minaret presents a captivating panoramic view of the maze of streets below. In the afternoon we drive on to Urgench to catch the overnight train to Samarkand. Stay: Overnight Train from Urgench to Samarkand (Simple) (B)

Stormed by Alexander the Great and reduced to ashes by Genghis Khan, Samarkand was nevertheless transformed into one of the world's most glittering cities in the 14th century by Tamerlane, who made it his capital. Today it is still generously endowed with some glorious monuments to its golden era, their blue domes towering above the city skyline. Our overnight train arrives in the city early morning and after transferring to our hotel for breakfast, we plan to set out and explore some of its wealth of treasures. Most of the city's more lavish monuments date to the time of Tamerlane and his direct descendants, including the exceptional Registan, the focal point of the city and one of Central Asia's most magnificent settings; a majestic square formed on 3 sides by huge blue tiled madrasahs (ancient centres of religious learning). We will also visit the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, constructed by Tamerlane's Chinese wife and once one of the grandest mosques in the entire Islamic world, with a gateway that measured an impressive 35m in height. The third visit of the morning will be to the Gur Emir Mausoleum, a somewhat modest structure that nonetheless contains the graves of not only Tamerlane himself, but also two of his sons and two grandsons. The afternoon is left free to relax or explore more by yourself. Stay: Kamilla Boutique Hotel (Simple) (B)

Another half-day city tour this morning introduces us to the Ulug-Beg Observatory and the Shah-i-Zinda, one of the city's oldest and most sacred buildings, with a double row of jewel-like mausoleums that are said to contain the grave of Qusam ibn-Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Mohammed. It was in Samarkand that Ulug-Beg, the great medieval astronomer, built the gigantic sextant that enabled him to calculate the length of a year to within just 10 seconds and the remnants of his 15th century astrolabe, which measured an impressive 30m, still remain on the outskirts of the old city. The rest of the day has then been left free to explore more of this exquisite city at your leisure, perhaps re visiting Registan Square, or enjoying an excursion to the site of Afrosiab and Marakanda, where you will find the excavations of early Samarkand. The bazaar presents us with one of Samarkand's liveliest settings, an eclectic mix of sound and colour that harks back to the days of the great caravans that plied these ancient trading routes, whilst the old town itself still holds considerable medieval charm and along its sun baked, winding, narrow alleys traditionally dressed locals perform their daily rituals or relax in the shade drinking 'kokchai' (traditional green tea). Stay: Kamilla Boutique Hotel (Simple) (B)

This morning we drive to Tashkent, the Uzbek capital and one of Central Asia's most vibrant cities. Occupying a prime spot on the central Eurasian trading routes, Tashkent grew to be one of the most important stops on the caravan routes across Central Asia. It grew under the auspices of the Mongols, Tamerlane and the Shaybanids, before finally falling to the Russians during the 19th century. A massive earthquake destroyed much of the city in 1966, affording its Russian overlords the chance to resurrect a 'perfect' soviet city from the ruins. Parts of the old city do remain though and we explore in afternoon. A visit to Chor-Su affords us the opportunity to take a look at the handicraft bazaar, before moving on to some of the city's more modern monuments, including the Mustakillik Square (Independence Square), the Navoi Theatre (named after the renowned Uzbek poet) and the Earthquake Monument. We also take a ride for 2-3 stops on the Tashkent Metro, which boasts some flamboyantly decorated stations. Stay: Hotel Uzbekistan (Comfortable) (B)

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Tashkent.

There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Tashkent at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport (TAS), which is 20 minutes' drive from the hotel. (B)