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STEPPES & DESERT
Day 1 London Heathrow to Istanbul
Istanbul to Almaty
This morning make your own way to London Heathrow in good time to
catch your flight with Turkish Airlines to Almaty via Istanbul.
Day 2 Arrive Almaty
Arrive into Almaty where you will be met and transferred to the InterContinental
Hotel where you will stay for the next two nights. (B)
Day 3 Almaty
Today enjoy a sightseeing tour of Almaty with places of interest including
the Zenkov Cathedral, the Central State Museum and the Museum of National
Musical Instruments. The largest city in Kazakhstan and the former
capital of the Republic, the population of the city is well over one
million people. A multinational city, sudden exposure to the outside
world has turned Almaty into Central Asia's most cosmopolitan city
with shops, restaurants, hotels and casinos that would make the place
unrecognizable to anyone who had last visited before the fall of the
Soviet Union. (B)
Day 4 Almaty to Bishtek
Bishtek to Issyk-Kul Lake
This morning leave Almaty and drive to Bishtek. Once in Bishtek you
will be met and driven to Issyk-Kul Lake. Extremely deep and warmed
by thermal activity, over the centuries the lake has been something
of an oasis in this inhospitable mountain environment. With diverse
flora and fauna Issyk-Kul Lake and the surrounding environments are
rightly considered to be one of Central Asia most remarkable locations.
Stay for two nights at the Karven Issyk-Kul Hotel. (B)
Day 5 Issyk-Kul Lake
Today you are at leisure to relax and enjoy Issyk-Kul. (B)
Day 6 Issyk-Kul Lake to Bishkek
This morning drive to Bishkek. The capital and industrial centre of
Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek is a city of wide avenues, handsome buildings
and Soviet heritage. The gesturing statue of Lenin can still be seen
in the city’s vast central square, yet it is the permanently
snow capped Kyrgyz Alatau mountain range which towers over Bishkek
providing a quite stunning backdrop. Stay overnight at the Hyatt
Regency Hotel. (B)
Day 7 Bishkek to Tashkent – by air
This morning transfer to Bishkek Airport in good time to catch your
onward flight to Tashkent. On your arrival you will be met and transferred
to the InterContinental Hotel where you will stay overnight. (B)
Day 8 Tashkent to Samarkand
This morning leave Tashkent and continue onto Samarkand where you
will stay for two nights at the Regal Palace Hotel. (B)
Day 9 Samarkand
Today commence your sightseeing of this famous city. Samarkand is
situated in the valley of the River Zarafshan and is the second largest
city of Uzbekistan roughly the same age as the city of Babylon or
Rome. The history of Samarkand is about 2,500 years old and has witnessed
the times of Alexander the Great, the Arabic Conquest, Genghis-Khan
and Tamerlane. Majestic and beautiful Samarkand has attracted poets
and historians and to this day is known as the ‘Rome of the
East’. (B)
Day 10 Samarkand to Nurata
After breakfast, leave Samarkand for Nurata. Once known as Nur this
town dates back to the period before Alexander the Great. Later visit
the famous Sacred Fish pond, Shrine of a Local Saint before returning
to your Yurt Camp where you will stay overnight. (B)
Day 11 Nurata to Bukhara
Today leave Nurata and continue by car to Bukhara where you will stay
for two nights. The settlement of Bukhara in Uzbekistan dates back
to the 8th Century when it was, for 200 years, the centre of an expanding
Islamic kingdom prospering as the trade and intellectual centre for
Central Asia. Stay for two nights at the Asia Hotel. (B)
Day 12 Bukhara
This morning commence your sightseeing tour of Bukhara. One of the
most ancient cities of Uzbekistan Bukhara is believed to have been
founded in the 13th Century BC during the reign of Siyavushids who
came to power 980 years before Alexander the Great. There are more
than 350 mosques and 100 religious colleges in the city and sights
such as the Poi-Kalon, Kos Madras, Ismail Samani Mausoleum and Kalian
Minaret are not to be missed. (B)
Day 13 Bukhara to Khiva
Today leave Bukhara and drive to the UNESCO World Heritage city of
Khiva where you will stay at the Asia Hotel for two nights. (B)
Day 14 Khiva
This morning start your tour of Khiva at Ichon-Qala, the area where
the majority of the architectural monuments are located. Places of
interest are the Kunya-Ark citadel and the Tosh-Khovli Palace, residence
of the Khan, which had been preserved intact along with its ornate
gates. This area prominently displays the simplicity and monumentality
of medieval architectural forms, the delicateness of woodcarvings,
and skilled interweaving of ornamentation. The silhouettes of its
towering minarets, hemmed in by clay built houses with their flat
roofs and surrounded by the fortress's powerful clay built walls,
give a clear idea of a typical Central Asian feudal city. (B)
Day 15 Khiva to Dashogus
Dashogus to Ashgabat – by air
This morning leave Khiva for Dashogus. En-route visit the archaeological
site of Kunya Urgench which is famed for its Putlog Timur Minaret,
Aslam II Mausoleum and Traubel Khanum Mausoleum, all of which date
from the middle of the 14th Century. In the afternoon continue to
the airport for the onward flight to Ashgabat. On your arrival you
will be met and transferred to your President Hotel. (B)
Day 16 Ashgabat
Today explore the capital of Turkmenistan. Places of interest include
the Arch of Neutrality, Lenin Square, the Orthodox Church of Alexander
Nevsky and the Ertogrulgazi Mosque. In the afternoon visit the archaeological
site of Nissa which is rich in history. (B)
Day 17 Ashgabat to Istanbul
Istanbul to London Heathrow
Today transfer to Ashgabat Airport to catch your Turkish Airlines
flight home to London Heathrow via Istanbul. (B)
STAYING ON
Extend your sojourn in Central Asia with a once in a lifetime journey into China following the great Silk Road. Travel from the markets of Kashgar to the Imperial cities of Xi’an and Beijing through a myriad of stunning landscapes and world famous sites.
Planning your journey: We can design a unique journey to suit you as our tours are totally tailor made. By combining your own ideas with our knowledge and experience we can help you to create your own journey tailored exactly to your requirements Once you have formulated your ideas, or if you require some general or specific advice, please call us on 01892 515966 or simply send your ideas to pettitts@btconnect.com. On receipt of your enquiry we will provide you with a full written quotation together with our suggestions and recommendations.
A Guide to Price – STEPPES & DESERT
Prices vary according to selected airlines, hotels and season, however, an indication to the current cost of this itinerary is from £3,620. All prices are per person and are based on a minimum of TWO persons travelling together and sharing a twin bedded room with meals as indicated. If you wish to travel alone we will be pleased to assist you with your arrangements and can provide a proposal on request.
Note: Meal Basis (N) = No Meal; (B) = Breakfast; (L) = Lunch; (D) = Dinner
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