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Silk Road

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-- from 2026/10/01 to 2026/10/15
--The Silk Road
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The Silk Road by train  
from 2026/10/01 to 2026/10/15

The Silk Road journey is punctuated by Wikipedia articles, avoiding idle commentary.
As a prologue, the Wikipedia article outlines the history of the Silk Road and its future under the imperialism of Xi Jinping's China.
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The photos are screenshots from Wikipedia articles.

 

Silk Road Tour Gallery

Gallery of photos taken with the Smartphone of Bernadette,
a trusted lady, during the Silk Road journey.

Click on the photo to open the gallery

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Visit the legendary sites of the Silk Road a Travelite wheelchair

Flight from Nice to Tashkent with Turkish Airlines

Thursday, October 1, 2026: Flight Nice-Tashkent (Uzbekistan)
Departure from Nice Airport to Istanbul at 7:20 PM, flight TK1816
Arrivalstanbul Airport at 11:20 PM, overnight at the airport

 

Tashkent

Friday, October 2, 2026
Departure from Istanbul at 1:15 AM, flight TK368, overnight flight
Arrival in Tashkent early
in the morning, at 7:40 AM.
After a relaxing morning, you will meet your guides and the other participants at noon.
A city tour, including the Kukeldash Madrasa, the Navoi and Amir Timur monuments,
as well as the typical mud-brick houses, will provide
an impressive start to the trip.
Wiki Tashkent img
Overnight stay in Tashkent

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Saturday, October 3, 2026
After a hearty breakfast (see the "Around Tashkent" Wiki above),
you will travel through the narrow valleys of the Chimgan Mountains
towards the Amirsai ski resort. A cable car ride will offer spectacular panoramic views.
After lunch with a view, your journey continues to the Charvak Reservoir, where you will make a short stop to admire its most photogenic aspect.
In the afternoon, you will board the Orient Silk Road Express in Tashkent. Your journey along the legendary Silk Road begins!
A welcome drink and a brief presentation await you on board.
Overnight in Tashkent.

Khiva

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Sunday, October 4, 2026
Today, you will visit the oasis of Khiva,
a true tale from the Arabian Nights.
Before the imposing city walls, with their gates and bastions made of mud bricks,
you will feel transported to another world.
Around the Kalta Minor minaret, life still pulsates as it did in antiquity.
During a walking tour, you will discover all the remarkable sites: palaces, mosques, minarets, mausoleums, and madrasas
form one of the best-preserved examples of medieval Eastern urban architecture form one of the best-preserved examples of medieval Eastern urban architecture.
Wiki Khiva img
Overnight stay: Orient Silk Road Express

Boukhara

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Day 5: Monday, October 5, 2026, Bukhara
Located in the heart of the Kyzylkum Desert, Bukhara is home to a thousand historical monuments that bear witness to the splendor of the Silk Road.
In the old city, you will discover, among other things,
the Kalyan Minaret, nearly 50 meters high,
and the Labi-Hauz complex, on the edge of the pond.
In front of the Nasreddin Monument img,
emblematic figure of Till Eulenspiegel img, You will be able to listen to stories and legends.
In the courtyard of a madrasa, you will attend a performance combining music, traditional dances, and a presentation of colorful national costumes.
Overnight stay in Bukhara at the Asia Bukhara Hotel.

Day 6: Tuesday, October 6, 2026, Bukhara

If you have booked today's excursion, you will discover Bukhara on a full-day tour, including lunch.
The city is like a vast open-air architectural museum, unique and authentic, having preserved its ancient oriental character.
In the morning, we will take you to the magnificent Mire-e-Arab Madrasa and the Samanid Mausoleum, the most precious monument in Central Asia.
Wiki Boukhara img
Next, you will visit the imposing Ark Fortress, a city within a city that was once the seat of power for the rulers of Bukhara.
Overnight: Orient Silk Road Express

Shahrisabz

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Day 7: Wednesday, October 7, 2026 Shahrisabz, Dushanbe
You traveled overnight through the mountains.
An artistic performance will highlight the unique traditions of a region that seems frozen in time.
Afterwards, you will travel to Shahrisabz (Kesh).
Wiki Shahrisabz img, birthplace of Tamerlane
Wiki Tamerlan img.
In the evening, you will take your special train to Dushanbe.
Overnight: Orient Silk Road Express

 

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Douchanbe

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Day 8: Thursday, October 8, 2026, Dushanbe
After arriving in Dushanbe in the morning, you will discover the many sights of the Tajik capital on a guided tour.
For a relaxing break in one of the city's many parks, you will stop at the idyllic Rudaki Park.
Wiki Douchanbé img
In the late afternoon, you will board your special train to Samarkand.
Overnight: Orient Silk Road Express

 

Samarcande

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Day 9 Friday 09/10/2026 Samarkand
Today, you will discover the must-see sites of this city steeped in history.
Wiki Samarcande img
the necropolis of Shah-Zende img
((whose name paradoxically means "living sovereign" in Persian),
the archaeological site of Afrosiab img
with a guided tour of the museum and Registan Square,
undoubtedly the most impressive architectural ensemble in Central Asia.
The Registan img
is surrounded by three magnificent madrasas. Ulugh-Beg img
Cher-Dor img
Tilla-Qari img
Their immense, richly ornamented portals are breathtaking in their decoration and colors.
In the background, the mosque domes shimmer as if from an oriental fairy tale.
In 1917, on this historic site, the women of Uzbekistan burned their veils and ushered in a new era.
You will spend the next two nights in a mid-range hotel in the heart of legendary Samarkand.
Overnight: Registan Hotel

Jour 10 : Samedi 10/10/2026 Samarcande
Today you have free time.
If you have booked the excursion, you will visit a silk carpet factory and
a family of Uzbek artisans who make paper from mulberry bark.
You will discover the Ülugh Beg Observatory img and the ruins of the Bibi Khanum Mosque.
You will also visit the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum. img, A magnificent building housing
the tomb of Timur (Tamerlane), a renowned builder who transformed his capital into a veritable paradise,
but who also entered history and inspired numerous poems as a fearsome conqueror,
the most famous being that of Edgar Allan Poe image. The PDF file is a copy-paste of the results of a search using ChatGPT.
Overnight: Registan Hotel

 

Relaxation day

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Day 11: Sunday, October 11, 2026 - Relaxation
After breakfast, your special train departs for Kyrgyzstan.
Enjoy a relaxing day aboard the Orient Silk Road Express
and attend fascinating lectures.
Overnight: Orient Silk Road Express

Bichkek

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Day 12: Monday, October 12, 2026, Bishkek
After breakfast on board, you will arrive in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan,
and discover its many attractions during a city tour.
With approximately 100 square meters of green space per inhabitant, Bichkek img
Bishkek is one of the greenest cities in the world!
Ala Archa National Park is also included in the itinerary.
You will spend the night in a comfortable hotel in Bishkek.
Overnight in Bishkek

Issyk Koul

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Day 13: Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Issyk-Kul
After breakfast, your special train will depart for the beautiful Lake Issyk-Kul. img.
A visit to the Nomadic Culture Center will give you a better understanding of this tradition,
before a stroll along the lake shores.
Perhaps you'll even take a dip?
After a boat trip on the lake, you'll board your train to Almaty.
Overnight: Orient Silk Road Express

Almaty

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Day 14: Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Almaty
After lunch, you will arrive at Almaty img,
A city whose Kazakh name means "Father of Apples,"
because the very first apple trees on Earth grew there thousands of years ago.
A visit to the city will allow you to admire the wooden Russian Orthodox Cathedral,
the Wedding Palace, the circus, and the Central Mosque.
During your farewell dinner in a traditional yurt
restaurant, you can share anecdotes with your travel companions about the highlights of your journey
before spending one last night at the hotel.
Overnight stay: hotel

Back home

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Day 15: Thursday, October 15, 2026, flight to Nice
Departure 9:00 AM Almaty, flight TK353
Arrival Istanbul 1:25 PM
Departure Istanbul 4:15 PM, flight TK1815
Arrival Nice 6:20 PM
Taxi for the return trip home
Overnight: at home