Istanbul to Beijing

Itinerary

Days 1-2 Istanbul

Bargain in the Grand Bazaar.

Days 2-6 Goreme

Explore the mystical Enchanted Valley.

Days 7-8 Nemrut Dagi

Visit a mountain-top shrine where carved heads stare blindly out over the countryside.

Day 9 Dogubayazit

See the fortress-like Ishak Pasa Palace at the base of the Biblical Mt Ararat.

Days 10-11 Bush Camp

Cross into Iran and travel through its mountainous heart.

Days 12-14 Esfahan

Discover one of the world's largest city squares - a welcome sea of green after days in the dry Iranian countryside.

Days 15-16 Shiraz

Wander through the ruins of once-grand Persepolis en route to the city of Shiraz.

Days 17-19 Yazd

See the unique adobe architecture and shop for silk handicrafts.

Days 20-21 Tehran

Spend time in Iran's immense capital and discover its marvellous museums, palaces and jewel collections.

Days 22-23 Alborz Mountains

Explore the Alborz Mountains and learn a little of the region's geology and ecology.

Days 24-25 Ashgabat

Stroll among the futuristic architecture.

Days 26-27 Bush camp

Watch the natural gas crater ablaze with fire.

Days 28-29 Khiva

From the ancient walls to the turquoise tiled Old City, Khiva is a delight.

Days 30-32 Bukhara

Explore the city's thoroughly lived-in Old Town.

Day 33 Yurt Stay

Spend a night with a Tajik family.

Days 34-36 Samarkand

Discover the romance of this Silk Road city.

Days 37-39 Tashkent

Shop for fresh produce at the Chorsu Bazaar.

Day 40 Fergana Valley

Explore this desert oasis on a guided walk.

Day 41 Osh

Look out over Central Asia from Solomon's Throne.

Days 42-44 Tian Shan Mountains

Camp alongside the hospitable Kyrgyz people.

Days 45-46 Song-Kol Lake

Spend the night in a yurt and join in a game of ulak-Tartys.

Day 47 Issyk-Kul Lake

Pitch a tent on the shores of the 'warm lake'.

Day 48 Karakol

Explore this picturesque town dotted with Russian gingerbread cottages.

Days 49-51 Djety Oguz Valley

Hike through dramatic canyons.

Day 52 Ala-Archa Canyon

See the flowering juniper bushes that paint the canyon's floor.

Days 53-54 Bishkek

Chill out in an open-air cafe.

Day 55 Homestay

Make Kyrgyz friends on a homestay.

Day 56 Bush camp

Camp amid the untamed beauty of these rugged mountains.

Days 57-58 Kashgar

Cross the legendary Torugart Pass.

Day 59 Tashkurgan

Travel down the famed Karakoram Highway.

Days 60-61 Kashgar

Join the 50,000-strong crowds at the Kashgar Market.

Day 62 Bush camp

Follow the southern Silk Road.

Day 63 Hotan

Discover the secrets of silk production.

Days 64-65 Bush camp

Cross the inhospitable Taklamakan Desert.

Days 66-67 Turpan

Escape the desert sands in this laidback town.

Day 68 Bush camp

Camp out in the desert.

Days 69-70 Dunhuang

Admire the Mogao Caves' breathtaking Buddhist art.

Days 71-73 Bush camp

Discover deserted sections of the Great Wall.

Days 74-75 Liujiaxia

Spot Buddhist cliff-side carvings.

Days 76-78 Xiahe

Soak up the Tibetan atmosphere.

Day 79 Lanzhou

Relax beside the rushing waters of the Yellow River.

Day 80 Bush camp

Camp beneath the stars.

Days 81-84 Xi'an

Admire the 2,000-year-old army of Terracotta Warriors.

Days 85-86 Pingliang

Explore the temple-studded Kongtong Mountain.

Day 87 Shapotou

Why not take an overnight camel safari.

Day 88 Yinchuan

Here the sand dunes meet green riverbanks.

Day 89 Bush camp

Sleep in the wilds near Mongolia.

Days 90-91 Datong

Gaze at the cliff-top Hanging Monastery.

Days 92-94 Chengde

Relax in China's largest regal gardens.

Day 95 Huairou/Great Wall

Hike along the Great Wall.

Day 96 Qingdongling/Great Wall

Tear down the mountain in a luge.

Days 97-99 Beijing

Discover the mystifying Forbidden City.