Beijing to Istanbul

Itinerary

Days 1-2 Beijing

Discover the mystifying Forbidden City.

Day 3 Qingdongling/Great Wall

Tear down the mountain in a luge.

Day 4 Huairou/Great Wall

Hike along the Great Wall.

Days 5-7 Chengde

Relax in China's largest regal gardens.

Days 8-9 Datong

Gaze at the cliff-top Hanging Monastery.

Days 10-11 Yinchuan

Here the sand dunes meet green riverbanks.

Day 12 Shapotou

Why not take an overnight camel safari.

Days 13-14 Pingliang

Explore the temple-studded Kongtong Mountain.

Days 15-18 Xi'an

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

Day 19 Bush camp

Camp beneath the stars.

Day 20 Lanzhou

Relax beside the rushing waters of the Yellow River.

Days 21-22 Xiahe

Soak up the Tibetan atmosphere.

Days 23-24 Liujiaxia

Spot Buddhist cliff-side carvings.

Days 25-26 Bush camp

Discover deserted sections of the Great Wall.

Days 27-28 Dunhuang

Admire the Mogao Caves' breathtaking Buddhist art.

Day 29 Bush camp

Camp out in the desert.

Days 30-31 Turpan

Escape the desert sands in this laidback town.

Days 32-33 Bush camp

Cross the inhospitable Taklamakan Desert.

Day 34 Hotan

Discover the secrets of silk production.

Day 35 Bush camp

Follow the southern Silk Road.

Days 36-40 Kashgar

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

Days 41-42 Tashkurgan

Travel down the famed Karakoram Highway.

Days 43-44 Homestay

Make Kyrgyz friends on a homestay.

Days 45-46 Bishkek

Chill out in an open-air cafe.

Day 47 Ala-Archa Canyon

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

Day 48 Issyk-Kul Lake

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

Days 49-50 Djety Oguz Valley

Hike through dramatic canyons.

Day 51 Karakol

Explore this picturesque town dotted with Russian gingerbread cottages.

Days 52-54 Song-Kol Lake

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

Days 55-57 Tian Shan Mountains

Camp alongside the hospitable Kyrgyz people.

Day 58 Osh

Look out over Central Asia from Solomon's Throne.

Day 59 Fergana Valley

Explore this desert oasis on a guided walk.

Days 60-62 Tashkent

Shop for fresh produce at the Chorsu Bazaar.

Days 63-65 Samarkand

Discover the romance of this Silk Road city.

Day 66 Yurt Stay

Spend a night with a Tajik family.

Days 67-69 Bukhara

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

Days 70-71 Khiva

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

Days 72-73 Bush camp

Watch the natural gas crater ablaze with fire.

Days 74-75 Ashgabat

Stroll among the futuristic architecture.

Days 76-77 Alborz Mountains

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

Days 78-79 Tehran

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

Days 80-82 Yazd

See the unique adobe architecture and shop for silk handicrafts.

Days 83-84 Shiraz

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

Days 85-87 Esfahan

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

Days 88-89 Bush Camp

Cross into Iran and travel through its mountainous heart.

Day 90 Dogubayazit

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

Days 91-92 Nemrut Dagi

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

Days 93-95 Goreme

Explore the mystical Enchanted Valley.

Days 96-99 Istanbul

Bargain in the Grand Bazaar.