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 15 Ala-Archa Nature Reserve - an option to go trekking to the edge of glaciers, in spectacular scenery.

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.

Bishkek - Capital City.

Day 16 Bishkek

Free day

Days 17 to 20 Kazakhstan

Aksu-Dzhabagly Nature Reserve – green valleys, wildlife and snow capped peaks!

Time to explore this southern corner of Kazakhstan.

Days 21 to 31 Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital

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 - see ships marooned in the desert

Days 32 to 34 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 35 Ashgabat – Free time and City Tour

Days 36 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 54 Armenia

Yerevan – World-famous brandy distillery

Savanavank – monastery on the shores of Lake Sevan

Days 55 to 58 Georgia

Telavi - ancient wine-growing region

Days 59 to 66 Georgia

Tbilisi – Georgia’s capital city

Gori – birthplace of Stalin

Kutaisi - Georgi’a 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.

Day 78 Istanbul - 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