An overnight rail passage by First Class train brings you to Jiayuguan, a city at the most western edge of the Great Wall. The city has three remarkable highlights. The Great Wall, the Jiayuguan Fortress and a unearthed tomb of a wealthy merchant. Board your morning train for the city of Dunhuang, one of the more important posts on the former Silk Road. Visit the Mogao Grottoes, where the statuary and frescoes date back to the early 3rd century. Your stay includes a visit to the enormous sands dunes near the oasis of “Hidden Lake.” An evening flight takes you to Urumqi, your gateway to Kashgar.

An excursion to Turpan offers three major delights: the Emin Mosque, built in 1778, is one of the most photographed sites along the “Silk Road.” The ancient irrigation cannels, which continue to bring snow melt to the city water supply. And, the site of the ancient city of Jiaohe, listed as an UNESCO heritage site. Next morning drive into the countryside for a enjoy the beauty of Heavenly Lake. While en route, visit with some of the villagers who continue with the traditional lifestyle of their forefathers, using Yurts as their homes, making goat cheese and breads, many never to leave their habitat. An evening flight wings you to exciting Kashgar.

Sundays, literally hundreds of merchants from outlying regions travel great distances to the bazaar in Kashgar. It truly is a photographer’s dream given the assortment of colors, lined faces, sundry goods and activities that readily lend themselves to excellent pose and gesture. A genuinely unique experience, Kashgar is a grand destination, one unlike any other that you will have ever visited. A morning departure take you across the countryside along the Pamir Mountain range to the border crossing at Totugart. Here your Chinese hosts will bid farewell as you enter Kyrgyzstan. Continue your journey down the mountain roads until you reach the city of Naryn, where you will enjoy the remainder of the evening at leisure.

A morning drive takes you to Bishkek, where you will visit the Osh Bazaar and the history museum, with its emphasis on Bolshevik memorabilia. Next morning, fly to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, which during the 8th century, was one of the most important outposts along the Silk Road. Drive to the city of Samarkand, one of the world’s oldest cities. During the reign of Tamerlane, Samarkand enjoyed its “Golden Era” with the Persian trained craftsmen and builders contributing to the magnificence of the monuments in the form of mosques, mdrashah, gardens, and mausoleums. Your visits include the Bibi Khanum Mosque, once the biggest mosque in Central Asia, the Gur Emir Mausolem and Shahi Zinda.

Drive to the city of Bukhara, which with some 400 monuments is regarded as one of the largest open-air museums in Central Asia. Your visit will be marked by both prestigious buildings and monuments as well as a vibrant and colorful bazaar. The Kalon Minaret, built in 1127 is one of the defining symbols of the city. The ornamental brickwork, in exquisite form, results in a masterpiece of craftsmanship and design. Return to Tashkent for a city tour and an evening of relaxation prior to your next day departure through Beijing to the United States, with all of the special memories to be shared over a lifetime.