Is train travel included?

Yes. Seven nights aboard the chartered Orient Silk Road Express are included in the package. All meals on board, transfers between the train and hotels, and a permanent German-speaking head guide are part of the price.

What compartment options are available?

The train offers five categories: the Habibi 4-bed compartment (from 4,885 CHF), the Ali Baba 2-bed compartment (from 7,130 CHF), single occupancy of the Ali Baba (from 9,470 CHF), the Aladin 2-bed with shower (from 8,040 CHF), and single occupancy of the Aladin (from 9,840 CHF).

Is this an escorted tour?

Yes. A permanent German-speaking head guide leads the entire journey. A German-speaking group guide accompanies up to 26 guests (12 in the Kalif category), plus local guides at each destination.

What hotels are included?

Seven nights in middle-class and comfort-class hotels, with a double room and bath or shower. One night each in Tashkent (comfort), Bukhara (middle-class), one night in Bishkek (comfortable), two nights in Samarkand (middle-class), and one night in Almaty.

When does this trip run?

Railtour Suisse offers seven departures across 2026 and 2027, in March, April, September, and October. The route can also be booked in the opposite direction (Almaty to Tashkent).

What is not included in the package price?

Flights to and from Switzerland, optional excursion packages, gratuities, personal expenses, drinks and meals not listed in the itinerary, and travel insurance are not included.

railtour suisse · Luxury train journey

Orient Silk Road Express

15-day chartered train through Central Asia from Tashkent to Almaty

Railtour Suisse's Orient Silk Road Express is a 15-day chartered train journey through the heart of Central Asia, departing from Tashkent and ending in Almaty. Travelers spend seven nights aboard the specially fitted train and seven nights in middle-class and comfort hotels, exploring five UNESCO World Heritage sites across Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. On day 4, the train arrives at the oasis of Khiva, where mud-brick city walls and the Kalta Minor Minaret transport visitors to a medieval world. Day 5 brings the highlights of Bukhara, including the 50-metre Kaljan Minaret in the Kysylkum desert, followed by performances of local music and dance. The journey continues through mountain passes and across the Silk Road, with guided sightseeing in Dushanbe, two nights in Samarkand to explore the Registan Square and Afrosiab sites, and time at Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. A permanent German-speaking head guide and group guides (maximum 26 guests per guide) lead all excursions, and a doctor travels on board. All meals, transfers, and entrance fees are included. This tour suits repeat rail travelers, history lovers, and those seeking guided comfort with a mixture of escorted sightseeing and two free days in Samarkand.

What to know before you look closer

Flights to and from Switzerland are not included in the from-price; book these separately
Some sightseeing excursions (for example, the full-day Bukhara program on day 6 and the Samarkand excursion on day 10) are optional add-ons, not included in the base price
The single supplement for the Ali Baba 2-bed compartment (9,470 CHF from) is significantly higher than half the double price (7,130 CHF from), roughly 33 percent more

Day by day

Day 1
Flight Switzerland-Tashkent (Uzbekistan)
Today you fly to Tashkent.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Day 15
Return journey
Flight to Switzerland - the end of a magical journey! This trip can also be booked in the opposite direction.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 4Explore the oasis of Khiva, standing before the mud-brick city walls and Kalta Minor Minaret, surrounded by palaces, mosques, minarets, and madrasas of medieval Oriental architecture
Day 5Visit Bukhara in the Kysylkum desert, viewing the 50-metre-high Kaljan Minaret and Labi-Hauz ensemble, then experience a folklore show with local music and national costumes in a madrasah courtyard
Day 9Explore the Registan Square in Samarkand, the most impressive architectural ensemble in Central Asia, surrounded by three mighty madrasahs, plus the Shah-e-sende tomb city and Afrosiab excavation sites
Day 13Visit the Center for Nomadic Culture and take a boat tour on Lake Issyk-Kul before the train departs for Almaty

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

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?: Yes. Seven nights aboard the chartered Orient Silk Road Express are included in the package. All meals on board, transfers between the train and hotels, and a permanent German-speaking head guide are part of the price.
What compartment options are available?: The train offers five categories: the Habibi 4-bed compartment (from 4,885 CHF), the Ali Baba 2-bed compartment (from 7,130 CHF), single occupancy of the Ali Baba (from 9,470 CHF), the Aladin 2-bed with shower (from 8,040 CHF), and single occupancy of the Aladin (from 9,840 CHF).
Is this an escorted tour?: Yes. A permanent German-speaking head guide leads the entire journey. A German-speaking group guide accompanies up to 26 guests (12 in the Kalif category), plus local guides at each destination.
What hotels are included?: Seven nights in middle-class and comfort-class hotels, with a double room and bath or shower. One night each in Tashkent (comfort), Bukhara (middle-class), one night in Bishkek (comfortable), two nights in Samarkand (middle-class), and one night in Almaty.
When does this trip run?: Railtour Suisse offers seven departures across 2026 and 2027, in March, April, September, and October. The route can also be booked in the opposite direction (Almaty to Tashkent).
What is not included in the package price?: Flights to and from Switzerland, optional excursion packages, gratuities, personal expenses, drinks and meals not listed in the itinerary, and travel insurance are not included.