THE RHUBARB ROAD ITINERARY
| • Days 1-2, MOSCOW | |
| Arrive in Moscow. Time to see the sights. | |
| • Days 3-5, RUSSIA and KAZAKHSTAN | |
| Take a train to Astrakhan on the Caspian Sea. Continue through Kazakhstan to the edge of the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan. |
|
| • Day 6-9, UZBEKISTAN | |
We visit the remains of the Aral Sea which has now receded leaving ghost towns and ships eerily marooned in the desert. We also explore the ruins of the Khorezm empire, once one of the great centres of learning before it was destroyed by Genghis Khan. |
|
| • Days 10-14, SILK ROAD CITIES of UZBEKISTAN | |
We visit Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand, three of the great silk road cities with stunning mosques and mausoleums. We also visit Shakhrisabz, Tamerlane’s birthplace, and spend a night with a local family. |
|
| • Days 15-19, Travel to KYRGYZSTAN | |
| Travel from Tashkent to Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital, via the Aksu-Dzhabagly nature reserve. We have time to explore this reserve by foot or on horse-back. | |
| • Days 20-23, KYRGYZSTAN | |
| We make a circuit of the huge alpine Issyk Kul (lake) where there are superb trekking opportunities. We also meet local nomads who still practice hunting using golden eagles. | |
| • Days 24-25, KYRGYZSTAN to CHINA | |
| We stay at the ancient caravanserai at Tash Rabat before continuing through the spectacular Torugart Pass into China. | |
| • Days 26-30, KASHGAR to URUMQI | |
| In Kashgar we stay in comfort at Chini Bagh, the former British Residence. Enjoy the amazing Sunday Market where tens of thousands of exotic locals meet to exchange their goods and socialise. Ride the train to Urumqi with the Tian Shan (Heavenly Mountains) on one side and the Taklamakan Desert on the other. | |
| • Days 31-32, TURPAN | |
| Transfer to the delightful oasis town of Turpan and visit the ruins of ancient cities. | |
| • Day 33, DUNHUANG | |
| Stop in Dunhuang for a visit to the famous Mogao Grottoes. These caves form one of the most extensive and exquisite collections of Buddhist paintings and sculptures in the world - every surface of the walls and ceilings are covered with painted clay stucco, some 45,000 square metres in all. | |
| • Days 34-36, GREAT WAL | |
| See the Jiayuguan Fort which marks the western end of the Great Wall. Continue to Zhangye, birthplace of Kublai Khan. | |
| • Day 37, TRAIN TO XI’AN | |
| Our journey follows the Gansu Corridor between mountain and desert. | |
| • Days 38-39, XI’AN | |
| We visit the Terracotta Warriors and have time to explore. | |
| • Days 40-41, BEIJING | |
| Enjoy the fabulous imperial sites of the capital, culminating in a hike along the Great Wall of China. | |
| • Day 42, BEIJING | |
| Tour ends |
ASIA
IMTRAV
Turkey Land & Sea •
Athenas to Istambul •
Beijing to St. Petersburg •
North Indian Highlights •
Sri Lanka Discovery •
China Explored •
Empire of the Sun •
Wilderness Adventure •
Vietnam Explorer •
Borneo Revealed •
Mongolian Vistas •
Cambodia Discovery •
The Silk Road •
Beijing to Kathmandu •
Hunza Highroad •
Into the Heart of Irian Jaya •
Bali and Lombok Explored •
The Rhubarb Road •
Bhutan the Dragon Kingdom •
Moscow to Beijing
Travelling overland from Moscow to Beijing
we follow “The Rhubarb Road”, a less well known sister route to the Silk Road of old.
We pass through little visited parts of Russia on the way to Central Asia. The ancient cities of Uzbekistan are a highlight and we spend time in Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand. We visit the little known country of Kyrgyzstan. And on to China, stopping at Kashgar and the various oases dotted along the edge of the Taklamakan desert. Our journey ends in Beijing. A real pioneers adventure.
COUNTRIES: China • Kazakhstan • Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan • Russia
DURATION: 42 Days
ACTIVITIES: Walking,Trekking & hiking
CODE: APMB
PRICE: US$ 3855.00
Dates and rates •
map •
itinerary •
what's included •