Silk Road by Train Tour Program
Day 1 Arrival Isfahan
You arrive in Shiraz. This beautiful city is the culmination of the Persian culture, with its many mosques, palaces, gardens, madrasa and bazaars. You will have at least enough time to see everything, to strike up a conversation with a curious 'local' and looking for some souvenirs at the bazaar. Maybe you will take a Persian carpet home.
Day 2 Isfahan
First day of your tour in amazing city of Isfahan where you find yourself walking in boulevards surrounded by beautiful gardens and splendid art and architecture masterpieces.
This city is famous with its Persian – Islamic architecture and one of the largest city squares, Naghsh-e Jahan square. Your city tour will start with visiting this famous and truly beautiful square, that you will find Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque on its eastern side, this mosque was built during Safavid dynasty, Shah Abbas I and was a private mosque for the royal court.
The next monument is Imam Mosque (formerly Shah Mosque) on the south side of the square also built under the order of Shah Abbas I considered as one of the masterpieces of Persian architecture. Next site, opposite to Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque is the imperial Palace of Ali Qapu, the best example of Safavid art and architecture. Now time for one of the oldest Bazaar in Isfahan, Qeysarie Bazaar in the north side of the square. The entrance of Bazaar is full of paintings and you will be amazed by high ceiling and all the art details you find on the roof. You can find different shops both side and it can be a best place for buying souvenir; Persian carpets & rugs, miniature, calligraphy, tile work… or siting in one the tea houses to get refreshed.
Among other places you can visit in the afternoon Chehel Sotoun is highly recommended, this Pavilion that was built under the order of Shah Abbas II is in the middle of a park and used for his entertainment. After visiting the Chehel Sotoun and its collection of paintings that each has its story you can sit in the its park and enjoy a cup of tea.
In the evening you will enjoy the city on your own, having dinner in one of the many local restaurants that all of them serve high quality food and no matter where your hotel is located, you can always find some of these good places easily.
Day 3 Isfahan
You wake up again in Isfahan while your head is still full of those dreams you had last night of all the eslimi patterns, miniature, frescos… and still another day.
Isfahan is also famous for its Zayandehrood, the largest river of the Iranian Plateau. Anywhere is a river there are some bridges and bridges in Isfahan are among the most beautiful ones. There are eleven historical bridges over Zayanzehrood. You will visit 2 of them. Allahverdikhan Bridge popular as Si-o Se Pol is the largest one. The next bridge is Khaju Bridge, in words of Arthur Pope and Jean Chardin, Khaju is "the culminating monument of Persian bridge architecture and one of the most interesting bridges extant ... where the whole has rhythm and dignity and combines in the happiest consistency, utility, beauty, and recreation.
Isfahan also has great number of Armenian population. You will have a visit to Armenian Quarter in Jolfa district and will visit Vank Cathedral and its museum. While you are walking in streets and alleys of Jolfa you can smell coffee, no wonder, you can find many of coffee bars here and all serve nice coffee. Jolfa is also very nice part of the city to spend your evening. Many young people will come for dinner here and you see a lot of street food and also good restaurants.
Day 4 Isfahan - Mashad
In the morning still time to explore Isfahan. In the afternoon you will board the train to Mashad. This train crosses the Dasht-e Kavir desert, the great salt desert of Iran. Travel time is approximately 18 hours. Next morning you arrive in Mashad.
Day 5 Mashad
In the morning you arrive in the holiest city of Iran. The city Mashad itself was not a famous city in ancient time and gained all its fame after the martyrdom of Imam Reza, the 8th Imam of Shia Muslim, who is buried in this city. Every year millions of pilgrimages visit Imam Reza Shrine. Because of so many visitors Mashad has huge number of hotels, specially the most luxurious ones, after some nights in rural homestays maybe a bit of luxury is not that bad!
In Mashad beside the Shrine of Imam Reza, you can visit the museum of Astan-e Qods Razavi which mostly related to Islamic period. You can visit a valuable collection of ancient Qurans. And you can visit the masterpieces of famous calligrapher Reza Abbasi belongs to Safavid era. Rugs and woven textiles in this museum are also interesting artefacts to see.
The other monument that catches your eyes is Goharshad mosque, in the south side of the shrine. This mosque was built during Timurid period under the order of Goharshad, Shahrukh’s wife. The elegance and beauty of the titles, calligraphy and architectural style makes this masque as one of the masterpieces of Iranian architect in Timurid period and due to the closeness to shrine of Imam Reza, this mosque is one of the most visited mosques in Iran. The other places you may like to visit in Mashad are Nadir Shah Afshar Tomb and Darougheh House.
Day 6 Mashad / excursion Neyshabur and Tus
Today after breakfast you make an excursion to cities near Mashad. First you drive to Neyshabur.
This town was founded during Sassanid dynasty, but has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. Neyshabur had a great position in old Silk Road and it linked west to China.
Neyshabur was very famous for its pottery works during the 9th and 10th century, the Islamic golden ages. Many of the discovered ceramic works from this region now are exhibited in Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Still there are 4 pottery workshops in Neyshabur. This city is also very much known for its carpets and rugs. But one special thing that has worldwide fame is Neyshabur Turquoise.
This region is the home of many famous and notable people. The legendry Omar Khayyam, famous Iranian poet, astronomer and mathematician was from Neyshabour. His Rubaiyat is very much popular in the west. The other famous person of this area is Attar. He was Persian poem and theoretician of Sufism. You can visit the mausoleums of Khayyam and Attar today.
Your next visit will be Tus. Tus is an ancient city in Iran. It is the city of Ferdowsi, author of the Persian epic Shahnameh. You can also visit Harounieh dome, which is believed that the 11th century great Persian philosopher and theologian, Al Ghazali rest here.
For the evening we may suggest you to drive to Shandiz. Not only to cool down in cooler Shandiz, but also ry the best shishlik kebab of the world (of course if you are not a vegetarian).
Day 7 Mashad - Ashgabat
It's time to say goodbye to Iran and be welcomed in a new country; Turkmenistan. You will travel to the border of Badjgiran. After visa procedures you will be welcomed by our team from Turkmenistan. You will be driven to capital Ashgabat.
Day 8 Ashgabat
The Turkmen capital is very vast and full of statues, squares and past palaces (the palaces themselves cannot be visited). With any luck, you will end up in one of the squares in a wedding procession and can participate in a photo session in front of a golden statue of Turkmenbashi and marvel at the tapestry-like veils in which the brides are enveloped.
You will visit the Ertugrul Gazi Mosque, one of the most beautiful Islamic mosques in Turkmenistan. Like all other buildings built in Ashgabat during the period of independence, the mosque stands out with its size and rich decoration. Located in the heart of the city, this mosque can accommodate up to 5,000 people. You will also visit the National Museum in Ashgabat consisting of three different museums: History Museum, Nature & Ethnographic Museum & Presidential Museum. You can choose which museum you are interested in. Of course, a visit to the Monument of Neutrality should not be missed during your city tour. The 95-meter high monument has the shape of a lighthouse supported on three pillars. On two pillars are cable cars that take visitors to the second floor of the monument where a restaurant is located. A glass elevator takes visitors to a height of 50 meters where there is a viewing platform. Atop the monument is a golden statue of Turkmenistan's first president - Saparmurat Niyazov - stretching his arms to the sky with a flying flag in the background. After President Saparmurat Niyazov died of heart failure in 2006, his successor Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov decided to banish the monument to a suburb of Ashgabat where it has stood since 2010.
If you are in Ashgabat on a Thursday, Saturday or Sunday then a visit to the Tolkuchka bazaar is worthwhile. This market reaches its peak on Sundays (with the trade in animals). It is a true paradise for photographers, but even without a camera you will feast your eyes. Everywhere gray-bearded Turkmen with colorful hats, sturdy boots and long coats. Especially at the cattle market you will feel as if you are centuries behind when you see the buying and selling of camels. Sheep, goats, cattle and chickens are also traded. But also cars, buses and trucks. Most colorful is the huge carpet bazaar. Here you will find mostly women in flowered dresses with bright head scarves sitting on huge piles of carpets. Large, small, cheap, expensive, antique and factory carpets, you will find it all there. Buy your own coat, or a fur hat, Turkmen jewelry or Soviet attributes? All possible. And of course a seemingly endless amount of vegetables, fruits, fresh breads, dairy products and cheap textiles and products from China.
Day 9 Ashgabat - Mary
You continue your journey by train. No modern high speed train, but slow old soviet style train will bring you in a nostalgic way to the city of Mary. You will cross the bleaken landscape of the Karakum desert.
Day 10 Mary - Merw - Buchara
You will start the day by visiting one of the legendary cities of the ancient Silk Road: Merw. A huge area of ancient ruins, with a few protruding buildings. One of the most distinctive buildings is the Kyz Kala palace, used from the 7th to 11th centuries. Dromedaries usually graze around the palace. The city was built in the 6th-century BC as part of the Aechemenid empire. That empire was defeated in the 3rd-century BC by Alexander the Great, although it is uncertain whether he himself visited Merw. Subsequently, the city became one of the most important centers in the empire of the Seleucids, the Bactrians, the Parthians and the Sassanids.
In the 11th century, the city revived as the eastern capital of the Seljuk Empire and even grew to become one of the most important cities in the Islamic world. But eventually this city too fell to the destructive power of Djenghiz Khan and his Mongol troops. Since then, the city has been at the mercy of the desert sands. Not surprisingly, a city with such a rich past actually consists of many cities, each recalling a different era. And much of the past is still buried underground. But even now you can feel the history shimmering through the desert heat.
You will continue your journey through the desert of Turkmenistan towards Turkmenabad and the border with Uzbekistan. Along the way you will pass the Repetek Nature Reserve. At Turkmenabad you will cross the Amu Darya to the border town of Farab and return to Uzbekistan. After border formalities, the Uzbek driver will be waiting to take you to Buchara.
Located on the edge of the Kyzylkum Desert, Buchara is probably the city that will appeal most to travelers. The many mosques and madrasahs may not match the splendor of those in Samarkand, but the atmosphere exuded by the old city, with its narrow streets, mud houses and blue domes, ensures that one can imagine oneself centuries back here. Not for nothing was it said of "Buchara al Sharif" ("the Noble One") that the light here shines from below to above, rather than the other way around. With its many mosques and madrasahs, this was the holiest city in Central Asia.
You can spend hours wandering the narrow alleys of the old city. There is something new to discover everywhere; in addition to the well-known structures, there are dozens of unnamed remains of mosques, madrasahs and caravanserais. However, Buchara is not just a city of structures; people live and work everywhere among the ancient monuments. This makes it all the more interesting to get yourself lost in this ancient labyrinth.
Day 11 Buchara
Today you can spend the whole day exploring this city. In fact, all the sights are within walking distance of each other. Visit the Samani mausoleum and the Chasma Ayub, the source of Job. A tour of the Ark, the ancient fortress, should not be missed. Stroll through the bazaar and visit the many madrasahs.
The Poi Kalyan ensemble is the religious heart of Buchara. The Kalyan Mosque dates back to 1514 and is the second largest in Central Asia. The mosque measures 127 by 78 meters and can accommodate 12,000 worshippers. Opposite the mosque is the Mir-i-Arab madrasah, with two striking turquoise domes.
Not far behind the Pol Kalyan ensemble are the Ulugh Bek madrasah and the Abdul Aziz madrasah. One of Buchara's oldest buildings is the 12th-century Magok-i-Attari mosque. This is one of the few remaining structures of the Karakhanids. The mosque was built on a site previously occupied by a Buddhist temple, a Zoroastrian temple and a mosque built by the Arabs. Of the original structure, only the south gate and foundations now exist; the rest dates back to the 16th century.
The center of the old city is the Lyab-i-hauz ("bank of the basin"). A u-shaped complex was built here in 1620, which inspired the Registan in Samarkand. The madrasah is strikingly decorated with white birds. Inside are now souvenir stores and some workshops. In front of the madrasah is the statue of Khodja Nasruddin, a 13th-century Turkish Sufi saint whose stories laced with humor and optimism are still used in children's stories. All structures notwithstanding, the Lyab-i-hauz should be visited mainly for doing nothing. Drink tea inde chaikhana or sit on a bench in the shade and watch the people spend the day playing games and exchanging news. In the Lyab-i-hauz you will get the feeling that life here has gone on the same way for centuries.
Day 12 Buchara
The surroundings of Buchara also have much to offer. During a half day tour you will see a number of sights outside Buchara:
- the Sitotai Mokhi Khosa (old summer palace of the emir full of paraphernalia),
- the Bolo Khauz mosque, with mausoleum complex of Chor Bakr.
- the impressive Sufi complex of Naqhsbandi. The liberal Sufis kept Islam alive during Soviet rule. It is an impressive complex honoring one of the most important saints for Sufis.
Rest of the day you can explore the old city of Buchara.
Day 13 Buchara - Samarkand
By comfortable train you will travel to Samarkand; there are several trains each day. We try to reserve seats on the super-fast Afrosiab train.
The monumental buildings of Samarkand are the most evocative remnants of Uzbek history. Here you can admire the architectural highlights of the Timurid era. One of the oldest cultural centers in the world, this city, whose name means "fertile settlement," has always played a significant role in the history of Central Asia. Alexander the Great and Djenghiz Khan stood at its gates, and it was the capital of Timur Leng's empire. Trade brought prosperity to Samarkand and the Zerafshan supplied the city with water, making it one of the most pleasant cities in Central Asia. A city whose beauty inspired many poets over the centuries, including Oscar Wilde, Keats, Edgar Allen Poe, Hafez and Omar Khayyam.
Day 14 Samarkand
Two days to explore Samarkand. The most famous square in Uzbekistan and Central Asia, and one of the most beautiful in the world, is Registan Square. This square in the center of the city is surrounded by three madrasahs. We recommend visiting this square several times a day. This is because you will see how the sunlight gives a different dimension to this fabulous square each time.
Within walking distance of the square are several other sights of this city. The Gur Emir is one of the most monumental buildings of the Timurid era. Timur Leng himself is buried in this mausoleum. Also be sure to visit the bazaar and the adjacent Bibi Khanum Mosque, a huge structure. A little further on, on a hill at the edge of the former Afrasiab, is the complex of Shah-i-Zinda, equipped with the most beautiful mosaic work Uzbekistan has to offer. This necropolis (city of the dead) contains many magnificent mausoleums. While walking, you will see the evolution of local architecture of the 14th and 15th centuries. While the oldest buildings are still simple mausoleums with one room under a dome and a vestibule, the later buildings were given multiple domes and the portal became an increasingly important part of the mausoleum, thus becoming an example of high quality architecture.
Samarkand is not only the city of beauty, romance and poetry, it is actually an "ordinary Soviet city. A Russian city has risen up around its monumental buildings, taking away much of its romantic past. But those who walk along the Registan or through the Shah-i-Zinda soon forget the city around them and can be carried away by the beauty of these ancient structures.
Day 15 Samarkand - Tashkent
Whole day to explore Samarkand, before you will board the evening train to Tashkent.
Day 16 Tashkent
Tashkent is a city where the Soviet past is still clearly visible; it is a grand city with huge squares, wide streets and imposing government buildings. the central Amir Timur square is adorned by a huge statue of this harsh leader of yesteryear. In the old part of the city you will find the round dome of the Chorsu bazaar, next to the Friday mosque and the Kukeldash medressa.
Day 17 Tashkent - Shimkent / excursion Turkestan
By train you will cross the border into Kazachstan. The journey ends in the Kazach town of Shimkent. In the afternoon drive to Turkestand and excursion to the ancient site of Turkestan. Here you will visit the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmad Yasawi, the Turkestan Museum and the Mosque of Khoja Ahmad Yasawi. Khoja Ahmad Yasawi was a 12th-century religious leader and poet who died in Yasi - the then name of Turkestan. After Timur Lenk's victory over the Golden Horde, he decided to build a mausoleum for Khoja Ahmad Yasawi in 1389. After Timur Lenk died in 1405, construction was demolished and the mausoleum was never completed. The total building measures 46.5 meters by 65.5 meters.
Day 18 train Turkestan - Almaty
During the day a visit to Sayram, where several mausoleums can be admired, including those of the father and mother of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. Also a visit to Kemekalgan, where you can visit the sacred "adam and eva" rock. Then return to Turkestan to board the overnight train to Almaty. For decades this was the capital of Kazakhstan, but is now officially Astana, due to its central location. Almaty is now the southern capital, but still the city where it happens.
Day 19 Almaty
In the morning arrival and rest of the day to visit the former capital of Kazakhstan. Officially, Nur-Sultan (previously Astana) is the new capital, but Almaty remains the beating heart of the country. The city is beautifully situated on the edge of the Tien Shan Mountains. It is a green city, with many parks. Take a walk through the city and visit the Panfilovtzev Park. This park was built in 1975 to commemorate the Soviet people's 30-year victory in the Great Patriotic War (or victory over the Germans in World War II). Nearby stands the country's most famous cathedral, the Zenkov Cathedral. You can also visit the Museum of Musical Instruments and the Central Mosque. Don't miss a visit to the Zelonniy (Green) Bazaar and the Kok Tube hill from which you have a magnificent view of the city, either.
Day 20 depart Almaty