The Silk Road - Beijing to Moscow Itinerary

Travel to China and visit Beijing. Explore the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall of China.

Visit Xi'an and marvel at the ancient Terracotta Warriors.

Make friends with local Uyghurs and watch the desert unfold on this spectacular journey.

Flanked by the Flaming Mountains in East Turkistan, this lush oasis is a popular stop for travellers.

Experience the bustle of the Sunday bazaar, a hub for traders from all over Central Asia.

The passage into Kyrgyzstan winds over the Torugart Pass. Stay overnight in a traditional yurt.

Watch nomadic herders graze their flocks on lush alpine pastures.

Discover gardens and cafés in Kyrgyzstan’s leafy capital.

See unique wildlife in the vast expanse of Chong Kemin.

Admire the pristine blue waters of Lake Issyk-Kul.

Stay in a small town once frequented by Soviet cosmonauts who had returned from space endeavours.

Wander around the amazing sights of the multicultural capital of Uzbekistan.

Samarkand is one of Central Asia's oldest and most attractive cities.

Feast on Uzbek cuisine at a homestay in leafy Shakhrisabz.

Marvel at the minarets and medressas in this bustling Silk Road destination.

Narrow lanes, extravagant mosques and Soviet architecture give the Uzbek capital of Tashkent an absorbing, multicultural atmosphere. Relax and look back on the Silk Road Journey adventure.

Visit Ugam Chatkal National Park, home to more than 280 species of fauna and 2,200 species of plants. Admire spectacular scenery – peppered with the bluest-of-blue lakes, snow-covered mountains, verdant valleys and fields of wildflowers – while hiking to the base of Big Chimgan peak.

Travel to Kazakhstan and journey across the former bed of the Aral Sea, once one of the largest lakes in the world. On a 4x4 tour, find out how human folly caused this body of water to shrink to one-tenth of its original size. Visit Aralsk and Tastubek – booming fishing villages in the 80s that are now mostly deserted – and a ship cemetery, before boarding an evening train to Russia.

Descend beneath the buildings of Samara to enter Stalin’s unused bunker and learn why the city was chosen as Russia’s ‘reserve’ capital. Spend an afternoon cruising down the picturesque Volga River. During free time, relax by the waterfront, sample the local beer at the Zhigulevsky Brewery or catch a performance at the Samara Drama Theatre.

Pull into Russia’s intriguing capital, Moscow. Get an up-close perspective on the city’s famous historical sites, including Red Square, the Kremlin, the Armoury and Lenin’s Mausoleum on a fascinating tour. Perhaps check out a cutting-edge art gallery, an upmarket wine bar or a bohemian art-cafe before this Silk Road and Beyond adventure comes to an end.