railtour suisse · Luxury train journey

Orient Silk Road Express

Orient Silk Road Express, a rail journey with railtour suisse

Travel along the historic Silk Road aboard railtour's Orient Silk Road Express. Discover fascinating cultures and breathtaking landscapes on this journey.

Day by day

  1. Day 1

    Flight Switzerland-Tashkent (Uzbekistan)

    Today you fly to Tashkent.

  2. Day 2overnight: Tashkent (comfort hotel)

    Tashkent

    In the early morning you arrive in Tashkent and are taken to your comfort hotel. After a morning of relaxation, you will meet your tour guide and fellow travelers in the afternoon. An impressive start to your trip is provided by a city tour with the Kukeldash madrasah, Kavoy and Amir Timur monuments and the typical mud houses.

  3. Day 3railovernight: On board the Orient Silk Road Express

    Tashkent

    After breakfast, you leave for the Amirsai ski resort through the narrow valleys of the Chimgan Mountains, travel by cable car and enjoy the view. After lunch, return to Tashkent where you move into your compartment on the Orient Silk Road Express in the afternoon. A welcome drink and a short lecture await you on board.

  4. Day 4overnight: On board the train

    Khiva - a fairytale from 1001 nights

    Explore the oasis of Khiva. Standing in front of the mighty city wall of Khiva with its gates and bastions made of mud bricks, you will feel transported to another world around the Kalta Minor Minaret. Tour palaces, mosques, minarets, mausoleums and madrasas forming one of the best-preserved ensembles of medieval oriental urban architecture.

  5. Day 5overnight: Bukhara (middle-class hotel)

    Bukhara

    Situated in the middle of the Kysylkum desert, Bukhara has around a thousand monuments reminiscent of the glory days of the Great Silk Road: the almost 50-metre-high Kaljan Minaret and the Labi-Hauz ensemble. In a madrasah courtyard, experience a folklore show with music, local dances and national costumes.

  6. Day 6overnight: On board the train

    The mausoleum of the Samanids

    If you have booked today's excursion package, a full-day sightseeing program including lunch: the Mire-e-Arab madrasah, the Samanid mausoleum, and a tour of the mighty Ark Fortress.

  7. Day 7railovernight: On board the train (departs evening for Dushanbe)

    Time travel

    Overnight you have traveled through the mountains. Experience the unique traditions of this region at a folklore performance today. You then travel to Shahrisabz, the birthplace of Tamerlane. In the evening, you depart on your special train to Dushanbe.

  8. Day 8railovernight: On board the train

    Dushanbe (Tajikistan)

    After arriving in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe in the morning, discover numerous sights on a sightseeing tour, including a break in the idyllic Rudaki Park. In the late afternoon, you return to your train and set off in the direction of Samarkand.

  9. Day 9overnight: Samarkand (middle-class hotel)

    Samarkand (Uzbekistan)

    Explore the Shah-e-sende tomb city, the excavation sites of Afrosiab with a guided museum tour, and Registan Square, the most impressive architectural ensemble in Central Asia, surrounded by three mighty madrasahs. You stay in a middle-class hotel for the next two nights.

  10. Day 10overnight: Samarkand (middle-class hotel)

    Samarkand

    Free time today. If you have booked the excursion package: a silk carpet manufactory, an Uzbek paper-making family of craftsmen, the observatory of Ulug Beg, the ruins of the Bibi Khanum mosque, and the Gur Emir mausoleum, tomb of Tamerlan.

  11. Day 11railovernight: On board the train

    On the Silk Road

    After breakfast, your train sets off in the direction of Kyrgyzstan. Enjoy a relaxing day on the Orient Silk Road Express and listen to the exciting presentations on board.

  12. Day 12overnight: Bishkek (comfortable hotel)

    Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan)

    After breakfast on board, you reach the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek. Discover its numerous sights on a round trip, including the Ala Artsha National Park.

  13. Day 13railovernight: On board the train

    At Lake Issykkul

    After breakfast, your train sets off for the breathtaking Issykkul Lake. Visit the Center for Nomadic Culture, walk or swim along the Issyk-Kul, and take a boat tour before your train sets off for Almaty.

  14. Day 14overnight: Almaty (hotel)

    Almaty (Kazakhstan)

    Arrival after lunch. Explore the Russian Orthodox wooden cathedral, wedding palace, circus and central mosque. Farewell dinner in a typical local yurt restaurant before spending a last short night at the hotel.

  15. Day 15

    Return journey

    Flight to Switzerland - the end of a magical journey! This trip can also be booked in the opposite direction.

Included

  • Travel on the charter train
  • 7 nights on board your train in the booked category
  • 7 nights in good middle-class and comfort-class hotels in a double room with bath or shower/WC
  • Meals as per itinerary (F=breakfast, M=lunch, A=dinner)
  • Permanent German head tour guide during the train journey and German-speaking tour guide for a maximum of 26 guests each (in the Kalif category: 12 guests)
  • Excursion and sightseeing program incl. entrance fees as per description
  • All transfers in the destination area as per program
  • Doctor on board

Not included

  • Arrival and return journey (flight to/from Switzerland)
  • Excursion packages
  • Gratuities and personal expenses
  • Drinks and meals not mentioned
  • Cancellation costs and travel insurance

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