Is the train journey included?

Yes. Seven nights aboard the Orient Silk Road Express charter train are included. Your cabin tier (Habibi, Ali Baba, Aladin, or Kalif) determines the space and amenities, with the Kalif tier offering a private bathroom.

What is the group size?

Groups are capped at 26 passengers, or 12 passengers in the top two cabin tiers (Sultan and Kalif).

Yes. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included on most days, served in the on-board restaurant with local specialties. Two optional paid excursion packages offer additional meals and sightseeing in Samarkand and Bukhara.

Is the tour guided or independent?

It is fully guided and escorted. A German-speaking chief tour leader travels on the train, with a German-speaking group guide for each small group and local guides at each destination.

When does the trip run?

Departures are in September 2026, October 2026, and April 2027. Group size must reach 60 passengers; Lernidee may cancel if that is not met 21 days before departure.

How much walking is involved?

Multiple city tours, sightseeing visits, and walks at each stop. The operator notes the trip is not suitable for people with restricted mobility.

lernidee.de · Escorted rail journey (Sonderzug)

Sagenhafte Seidenstraße: Registan von Almaty nach Taschkent

Silk Road rail journey through Central Asia from Almaty to Tashkent

Lernidee operates this 15-day escorted journey through four Central Asian nations aboard the Orient Silk Road Express, a charter train departing from Almaty, Kazakhstan, and ending in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. You spend seven nights in the train's cabins (in your choice of four tiers) and seven nights in three and four-star hotels, traveling at a balanced pace that alternates multi-night city stays with overnight train legs. The itinerary weaves through five UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Registan plaza and Shah-i-Zinda necropolis in Samarkand, the walled cities of Bukhara and Khiva, and the ruins and monuments of Dushanbe. Days blend guided city walking tours, sightseeing visits, and cultural encounters: you visit a nomadic culture center on Issyk-Kul lake, eat lunch in a Uzbek family home, attend folklore performances, and taste local vodka and wine. A German-speaking tour leader accompanies the entire train journey, with a doctor on board and local guides at each stop. Group size is kept to 26 passengers maximum. This trip suits history lovers drawn to the Silk Road, repeat rail travellers seeking a multi-cabin charter experience, and food-and-wine enthusiasts enjoying all meals with regional specialties.

What to know before you look closer

The journey includes two flights (Frankfurt to Almaty and Tashkent to Frankfurt) on connecting routes in economy class; total travel time is longer than the 15 days on land.
The cheapest tier (Habibi, €4,890) is a 3 or 4-bunk shared cabin; the only private bathroom option is the top tier (Kalif, €12,890).
Two optional excursion packages (Samarkand and Bukhara) cost extra and are not included in the base price.
Minimum group size is 60 passengers; Lernidee reserves the right to cancel if that threshold is not met 21 days before departure.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Almaty
Flug Frankfurt – Almaty (Kasachstan)
Anreise per Flug von Frankfurt nach Almaty.
Day 2overnight: Almaty
Almaty – Vater der Äpfel
Landung in Almaty (kasachisch für 'Vater der Äpfel'). Transfer zum Komfort-Hotel. Ausflug nach Medeo (höchste Eislaufbahn der Welt) und Besichtigung des Shymbulak Ski Resort. Willkommensabendessen.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3railovernight: Orient Silk Road Express
Almaty
Stadtrundfahrt mit russisch-orthodoxer Holzkathedrale, Hochzeitspalast, Zirkus, Zentralpark und Zentralmoschee; Mittagessen im Jurten-Restaurant. Nachmittags Beginn der Fahrt mit dem Orient Silk Road Express mit Begrüßungstrunk und Vortrag.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4overnight: Orient Silk Road Express
Am Issykkul-See (Kirgistan)
Ankunft am Issykkul-See; Besuch des Zentrums für nomadische Kultur, Spaziergang und Bootstour auf dem See, dann Weiterfahrt nach Bischkek.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5overnight: Bishkek
Bischkek
Rundfahrt durch die kirgisische Hauptstadt Bischkek, eine der grünsten Städte der Welt, inklusive Nationalpark Ala Artscha.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6overnight: Orient Silk Road Express
Unterwegs auf der Seidenstraße
Fahrt in Richtung Usbekistan mit Bordvorträgen, während der Sonderzug nach Samarkand rollt.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7overnight: Samarkand
Samarkand (Usbekistan)
Besichtigung der Gräberstadt Schah-e-sende, der Ausgrabungsstätten von Afrosiab und des Registan-Platzes. Zwei Nächte im Mittelklasse-Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8overnight: Samarkand
Samarkand, die Glanzvolle
Freie Zeit oder Ausflugspaket: Seidenteppich-Manufaktur, usbekische Papierherstellung, Sternwarte des Ulug Beg, Bibi-Khanum-Moschee und Mausoleum Gur Emir (Grab Tamerlans).
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9overnight: Orient Silk Road Express
Auf Zeitreise
Nach dem Frühstück verlässt der Zug Samarkand; künstlerische Darbietung und Fahrt nach Schahrisabs, Geburtsort Tamerlans. Abends Weiterfahrt Richtung Duschanbe.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10overnight: Orient Silk Road Express
Duschanbe (Tadschikistan)
Rundfahrt durch die tadschikische Hauptstadt Duschanbe inkl. Rudaki-Park. Am späten Nachmittag Rückkehr zum Sonderzug Richtung Buchara.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11overnight: Bukhara
Buchara, die Edle (Usbekistan)
Besichtigung des Kaljan-Minaretts, des Ensembles Labi-Hauz und Folklore-Show in einer Medresse. Übernachtung im Mittelklasse-Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12overnight: Orient Silk Road Express
Das Mausoleum der Samaniden
Ausflugspaket: Medresse Mire-e-Arab, Mausoleum der Samaniden und Festung Ark.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 13overnight: Orient Silk Road Express
Chiwa – Stein gewordenes Märchen aus 1001 Nacht
Besichtigung der Oase Chiwa mit Stadtmauer und Kalta-Minor-Minarett.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 14overnight: Tashkent
Taschkent
Stadtrundfahrt mit Medresse Kukeldash sowie Navoi- und Amir-Timur-Denkmälern. Abschiedsabendessen. Übernachtung im Komfort-Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 15
Heimkehr
Flug nach Frankfurt – Ende einer sagenhaften Reise!

The moments this trip is built around

Day 2Visit Medeo, the world's highest ice skating rink, and Shymbulak Ski Resort in the mountains above Almaty.
Day 3Board the Orient Silk Road Express in Almaty after a city tour of the Russian Orthodox wooden cathedral and central mosque.
Day 4Stop at Issyk-Kul lake in Kyrgyzstan, visiting the Center for Nomadic Culture and taking a boat tour on the water.
Day 7Arrive in Samarkand to see the Registan plaza, the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, and the Afrosiab excavation sites.
Day 13Explore Khiva, the walled oasis city with the Kalta Minor minaret, stepping into the pages of Arabian Nights tales.

Included

Flüge Frankfurt – Almaty und Taschkent – Frankfurt in der Economy Class (Umsteigeverbindung)
7 Übernachtungen an Bord Ihres Sonderzuges in der gebuchten Kategorie
7 Übernachtungen in Mittelklasse- und Komfort-Hotels im DZ mit Bad oder Dusche
Mahlzeiten laut Reiseverlauf (F = Frühstück, M = Mittagessen, A = Abendessen)
Ausflugs- und Besichtigungsprogramm inkl. Eintrittsgeldern laut Reiseverlauf
Sämtliche Transfers im Zielgebiet laut Reiseverlauf
Ständige deutsche Chefreiseleitung während der Zugfahrt im Zielgebiet und Deutsch sprechende Reiseleitung für je maximal 26 Gäste (in den Kategorien Sultan und Kalif: 12 Gäste)
Deutsch sprechende örtliche Reiseleiter
Arzt an Bord
Begrüßung mit traditionellen Tänzen an den Bahnhöfen Buchara und Samarkand
Besuch bei einer usbekischen Familie
Wodka- und Weinprobe

Not included

Ausflugspakete
Trinkgelder

Questions travellers ask

Is the train journey included?: Yes. Seven nights aboard the Orient Silk Road Express charter train are included. Your cabin tier (Habibi, Ali Baba, Aladin, or Kalif) determines the space and amenities, with the Kalif tier offering a private bathroom.
What is the group size?: Groups are capped at 26 passengers, or 12 passengers in the top two cabin tiers (Sultan and Kalif).
Are meals included?: Yes. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included on most days, served in the on-board restaurant with local specialties. Two optional paid excursion packages offer additional meals and sightseeing in Samarkand and Bukhara.
Is the tour guided or independent?: It is fully guided and escorted. A German-speaking chief tour leader travels on the train, with a German-speaking group guide for each small group and local guides at each destination.
When does the trip run?: Departures are in September 2026, October 2026, and April 2027. Group size must reach 60 passengers; Lernidee may cancel if that is not met 21 days before departure.
How much walking is involved?: Multiple city tours, sightseeing visits, and walks at each stop. The operator notes the trip is not suitable for people with restricted mobility.