CENTRAL ASIA

SILK ROAD & CAUCASUS

CENTRAL ASIA Tours

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Vast deserts, towering mountains and ancient cities that were once some of the largest and most prosperous in the world - Central Asia and the Silk road is one of the most exciting parts of the world to visit. We offer a range of tours on comfortable and safe private tourist trains across this fascinating region from Georgia to China and Russia to Turkmenistan and we can't wait to share the secrets of this region with you.

central asia & silk road TOURS FAQs

what countries do your central asia tours visit?

Our tours cover all the highlights of Central Asia including Uzbekistan, the jewel the crown of the Silk Road. The there is Turkmenistan -a secretive and largely closed off country that very much charts its own future based on vast gas wealth. We cross vast Kazakhstan, a land of mighty steppe and mountain ranges. The much smaller Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan offer stunning mountain scenery and nomadic culture. Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are an often overlooked but historically important trip of countries in the Caucasus. All of this is squeezed in between the two giants of Russia and China - destinations in their own right but also covered in part in some of these trips.

See under the tours listed further down below for more details on these countries and the range of superb travel experiences and sights they can offer.

is central asia safe to visit?

A visit to Central Asia is an adventure and is certainly beyond the tourism norms. This is why we only offer such trips using comfortable and secure private tourist trains. By travelling using this method of transport and with guides and tour leaders with plenty of experience in this part of the world there should be no more more issues of safety than you would have with a trip anywhere else in the world.

when is the best time to travel the silk road?

Undoubtedly spring and autumn are the times to travel through Central Asia, Caucasus and the Silk Road. The summers are far too hit for comfort and the winters very cold. Spring offers good climate but the best time we feel is autumn where the climate is good and the skies clear.

HOW DO WE GET STARTED ORGANISING a central asia tour?

Below you will find the tours we offer in Central Asia. We only book private trains so as to maintain the highest standards and we use the Tsars Gold, Golden Eagle and Imperial Russia train. Have a look through the tours and then the best thing to do is contact us by phone on +44 020 8816 8925, email or the form below so we can start planning your BAM adventure!

"The trip was excellent. Loved it, everything was seamless."

SOPHIA HUNT

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GARY HEWITT

"What a fantastic – overwhelming – time we have had!"

JONATHAN HOLUBEKI-FRANCE

CENTRAL ASIA, SILK & CAUCASUS TOUR DESTINATIONS

🇺🇿 UZBEKISTAN

Rightly considered the highlight of Central Asia, Uzbekistan is famed for the ancient architecture of its cities - in particular Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand.

🇺🇿 SAMARKAND

Temur (Tamerlane's) 14th Century capital is still a showcase of the wealth generated from this central position in the Silk Road. The highlight is the Registan complex but this city has many other architectural gems.

🇺🇿 TASHKENT

The capital of Uzbekistan is an impressive Soviet city with wide tree-lined roads and green spaces. There are also some impressive pre-Soviet buildings and a fascinating Central Market.

🇺🇿 BUKHARA

This ancient city played an important role along the Silk Road and also featured in the jousting of the Great Game between the Russian and British Empires. Today over 140 buildings from the Middle Ages remain.

🇺🇿 KHIVA

Located between the vast Kyzylkum and Karakum deserts, this important and atmospheric Silk Road city is remarkably preserved and a real highlight. It's vast city wall is particularly impressive.

🇰🇿 KAZAKHSTAN

The four main stops of Bratsk, Severobaikalsk, Tynda and Komsomolsk on Amur make up the highlights of the BAM. Visiting all is essential in our opinion to get the best out of your BAM experience.

🇰🇿 ALMATY

The former capital city (recently moved to Astana) is still the largest in Kazakhstan and has an impressive location with snow-capped mountains to the South of the city. The architecture is a mix of Soviet and modern.

🇰🇿 BAIKONUR

One of Central Asia's more unusual sights, this cosmodrome has been crucial in the history of space exploration and was where the Sputnik launch of the first manned orbital flight by Yuri Gagarin occured.

🇹🇲 TURKMENISTAN

The four main stops of Bratsk, Severobaikalsk, Tynda and Komsomolsk on Amur make up the highlights of the BAM. Visiting all is essential in our opinion to get the best out of your BAM experience.

🇹🇲 ASHGABAT

Turkmenistan's eccentric capital is a vision of white marble, wide yet empty roads and monuments to recent leaders and history. There are few other cities like it in the world so be one of the few to visit here to see!

🇹🇲 DARVAZA

The other unique sight in Turkmenistan is the burning gas fires of the Darvaza crater. Best viewed at night, this is the largest burning gas crater in the world (and, to be fair) also one of the only ones!)

🇹🇯 TAJIKISTAN & 🇰🇬 KYRGYZSTAN

The four main stops of Bratsk, Severobaikalsk, Tynda and Komsomolsk on Amur make up the highlights of the BAM. Visiting all is essential in our opinion to get the best out of your BAM experience.

🇹🇯 DUSHANBE

A classic Central Asia city and the gateway to the Parmir mountains, the capital of Tajikistan is an interesting place to visit. It has the feel of a Soviet city and has matured nicely with parks and tree lined streets.

🇰🇬 BISHKEK

Kyrgyzstan's capital is overlooked by the Tian Shan (Heavenly) mountains and is a good base from which to visit the stunning natural sights of this country. The city itself is a classic planned Soviet experience.

🇰🇬 OSH

Kyrgyzstan's cultural capital is well worth a visit and has been described by some as "The Berlin of Central Asia." A visit here will immerse yourself in Central Asian culture and the city has a large market.

🇰🇬 LAKE ISSYK-KUL

This beautifully located lake in the Tian shan mountains is the 7th deepest in the world and the 2nd largest saline lake after the Caspian Sea and also the 2nd largest mountain lake.

🇨🇳 CHINA

The four main stops of Bratsk, Severobaikalsk, Tynda and Komsomolsk on Amur make up the highlights of the BAM. Visiting all is essential in our opinion to get the best out of your BAM experience.

🇨🇳 KASHGAR

Kashgar is in the remote west of China and where the Chinese Empire meets Central Asia. It is a wonderfully atmospheric place to visit is famed for its old city and the huge market that has existed since ancient times.

🇨🇳 TURPAN

This desert oasis is surrounded by many interesting sights both man made and dating back to its Silk Road heyday and natural desert scenery. It is the hottest place in China and is located below sea level.

🇨🇳 DUNHUANG

Dunhuang is another desert oasis from the Silk Road. Today it is famed for its large sand dunes just outside of the city and the surreal Crescent lake set amongst the dunes. You can also visit the important Mogao Caves.

🇨🇳 JIAYUGUAN

The city itself is bland and modern but has some amazing sights including the Western end of the Great Wall and the vast and impressive Fort the gates of which were known as the "mouth of China".

🇨🇳 XIAN

Xian was China's Tang Dynasty capital and once one of the biggest and richest cities in the world being the Eastern end of the Silk Road. Today it is famed for the astonishing Terra Cotta Army and its City Walls.

🇨🇳 LHASA

Lhasa is the capital of Tibet and is an important and spiritual Buddhist city with some astonishing architecture. First and foremost of that is the Potala Palace, former seat of the Dalai Lamas.

CAUCASUS

The four main stops of Bratsk, Severobaikalsk, Tynda and Komsomolsk on Amur make up the highlights of the BAM. Visiting all is essential in our opinion to get the best out of your BAM experience.

🇬🇪 GEORGIA

Georgia is a highlight of the Caucasus with many sights across the country and a fascinating capital of Tbilisi. It is also famed for scenery and it's food and wine so what is not to like!

🇦🇲 ARMENIA

Armenia has a rich history and culture and is a land-locked mountainous country. Lake Sevan is one of the tourist highlights but there is much else to see and experience here besides the lake.

🇦🇿 AZERBAIJAN

Azerbaijan is another country in the Caucasus that is full of history and is located on the Caspian Sea. Its capital of Baku is pleasant and has grown rich on oil which as also brought its own share of problems.

CASPIAN SEA

This inland sea is the world's largest and separates Turkmenistan in the east from Azerbaijan in the west. To its north is Russia and to the south Iran making its location part of an important crossroads culturally.