Bishkek To Istanbul (11 Weeks) Kyrgyzstan, Iran,The 'Stans & Turkey

Join this Ultimate Expedition and follow in the footsteps of Alexander the Great and Marco Polo on this groundbreaking & challenging expedition along ancient trading routes. Discover some of the oldest cities in the world steeped in history and legend, from Troy in Turkey to Esfahan in Iran. Visit the legendary ’Stan’s’ taking in the bizarre city of Ashgabat and the splendour of the Old Registan in Uzbekistan. Experience a night in a Yurt and camp in the epic wilderness of Kyrgyzstan. Days 1 to 13 Please note: Our 2nd August 2019 departure does not visit Almaty.  Please contact us for an itinerary for this departure.

Almaty - Kazakhstan’s largest metropolis

Lake Issyk-Kul - a massive mountain lake with magnificent scenery & loads of€tivities to choose from.

Altyn Arashan

Karakol/Jeti Orguz Region - hiking into the surrounding Terskay Ala-Too Mountains.

Lake Song Kol - Traditional yurt stay, horseback riding and trekking the surrounding areas.

Tash Rabat - visit this ancient caravanserai.

Days 14 to 15 Scenic camping spots

Bishkek - capital city

Days 16 to 17 Bishkek - the Kyrgyzstan capital.  Soviet built city with tree lined boulevards and parks.  A chance to let our hair down, relax and maybe remind our taste buds about western food!

Days 18 to 22 Please note: our 2nd Aug and 18th Aug 2019 departures do not visit Osh, Fergana Valley, Khujand or Tajikistan.  Please contact us for an itinerary for these departures.

Stunning mountains and lakes

Osh – home to oldest Bazaar in Central Asia

Uzbekistan

Fergana Valley – the home of silk and where the great route started from

Khujand – an important city on the old Silk Road

Tajikistan

Iskanderkul Lake and Tajikistan’s highest waterfall

Fann Mountains – 5000 mtr+  peaks

Days 23 to 32 Dushanbe – Tajikistan’s Capital

Drive west towards Uzbekstan border

Stop off in the Unesco town of Shahrisabz (time allowing)

Uzbekistan

Samarkand - as old as Babylon, view the beauty of the Registan, medressas & mosques.

Kyzylkum Desert - beauty & harshness in one.

Bukhara - an important stop on the Silk Rd of old & home to over 350 mosques & 100 Islamic colleges.

Khiva - explore the ancient medressas, mausoleums and museums.

Aral Sea - ships marooned in the desert

Days 33 to 35 Turkmenistan

Kunye Ugench - see the 60mtr high minaret!

Darvaza Gas Craters - a result of Soviet-era gas exploration.

Kara-Kum Desert - arduous days are rewarded by camping out in this barren terrain.

Ashgabat - the fascinating and slightly bizarre ’White City’, fashioned out of marble.

Day 36 Turkmenistan

Ashgabat – Free time and City Tour

Days 37 to 50 Iran

Mashhad - home to the stunning Imam Reza Mosque

Dasht e Kavir Desert - in search of the Asiatic Cheetah

Shiraz & Yazd

Persepolis - ancient ruins partly destroyed by Alexander the Great

Tehran

Esfahan - explore this historic and beautiful city

Tabriz - explore the 35km labyrinthine bazaar and the Blue (Kabud) Mosque

Days 51 to 55 Armenia

Yerevan – World-famous brandy distillery

Savanavank – monastery on the shores of Lake Sevan

Days 56 to 58 Georgia

Telavi - ancient wine-growing region

We continue to Tbilisi

Days 59 to 66 Georgia

Tbilisi – Georgia’s capital city

Gori – birthplace of Stalin

Kutaisi - Georgia’s second largest city

Foothills of the Caucasus - bush camps in rural Georgia

Batumi - on the Black Sea Coast

Days 67 to 77 Turkey

Cappadoccia - explore dwellings carved from the eerily eroded landscape

Pamukkale - hot springs and stunning waterways

Ephesus - built by the Greeks 1000 years BC, then rebuilt by the Romans

Gallipoli - visit the battlegrounds and war graves of the forces that fought here in WWI.

Days 78 to 79 We have a free day to enjoy the sights of Istanbul

Our trip ends after breakfast 11 Weeks - Central Asia & South East Asia - Overland Adventures Please note there may be a kitty contribution - please check the website