ANCIENT SILK ROAD
Xi'an, China • Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, Dunhuang, China • Ulaanbaatar & the Gobi Desert, Mongolia
The Silk Road Outpost of Samarkand, Uzbekistan • Spiritual Heritage of Armenia • Ephesus & Istanbul, Turkey
Days 1 & 2: Xi'an, China
Option - In addition to an activity or excursion in the main itinerary, choose the following:
While in Xi’an, you may also peruse the souk-like markets of the Muslim Quarter; see the Great Mosque of Xi’an, built during the Ming dynasty; and stroll the ramparts of the Old City Wall, one of the best-preserved examples of an ancient wall in the world. Or, visit the famed Big Wild Goose Pagoda; stop at the Shaanxi Provincial Museum; and at the Yangling Tombs, marvel at the exquisite funerary treasures of Emperor Liu Qu and Empress Wang.
Alternate - Instead of an activity or excursion in the main itinerary, choose the following:
Or, instead of Xi’an, you may visit the Famen Temple outside of the city and admire the 13-tiered pagoda and the largest religious vault ever discovered in China, where Sui and Tang Dynasty riches, including colored glazeware, jewelry, silks, gold artifacts, and one of the few remaining relics of the Lord Buddha, were protected in secret for centuries. Enjoy lunch at the temple before returning to Xi’an in the afternoon.
Our expedition will donate supplies to Xi’an’s Yanta Road Primary School, and will support the work of the Jingrui Jade Carving factory that provides meaningful employment and fair wages to disabled employees.
Days 3 & 4: Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, Dunhuang, China
Our expedition will support the disabled artisans of Guojiapu Village who create detailed paper cuttings, also known as “Window Flowers”—an art form that began in the Han Dynasty.
Days 5, 6 & 7: Ulaanbaatar & the Gobi Desert, Mongolia
The next day, fly by private local aircraft deep into southern Mongolia and spend two nights at a traditional ger-style encampment in the Gobi Desert. Explore the foothills of the Gobi-Atlai Mountains, one of the best-protected ecosystems in the Asian continent. This area is home to an incredible array of wildlife, including the Gobi bear, ibex, blacktailed gazelle, and more than 250 species of birds. At the Flaming Cliffs, search for dinosaur fossils with an expert guide. During the 1920s, adventurer and paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews was the first to find dinosaur eggs, jaws, and skulls here, which we can see at the Museum of Natural History in Ulaanbaatar. Marvel at the ancient petroglyphs by our camp, ride Bactrian camels into the sand dunes, and watch the sun set over the desert’s golden expanse.
Our expedition will provide funding to purchase traditional Mongolian instruments for the Hanhongor Sum School Children’s Music Club.
Days 8 & 9: The Silk Road Outpost of Samarkand, Uzbekistan
In the event that a U.S. travel warning is still in effect for Uzbekistan prior to our arrival, we will visit Almaty, Kazakhstan, a remote outpost of the Mongol empire. Unwind at the Arasan Baths and meet Kazakhs who continue the tradition of hunting with golden eagles and falcons in the Eurasian steppeland.
Our expedition will support the Hayot Center in Samarkand, which is devoted to integrating disabled people and their families into society. Our donation will fund the purchase of materials that members of the center use to create souvenirs they sell to support the center.
Days 10 & 11: Spiritual Heritage of Armenia
Our expedition will support the Pyunic Association for the Disabled in Yerevan, devoted to helping Armenians with disabilities including those who were injured in the devastating earthquake of 1988. We will donate art supplies to the association’s school, and purchase traditional wooden crafts made by its students.
Days 12, 13 & 14: Ephesus & Istanbul, Turkey
The next day, land amidst Istanbul’s exotic skyline of graceful domes and soaring minarets, an iconic scene that has captured the imagination of countless travelers and conquerors for centuries. Visit the colossal Hagia Sophia, a sixth-century Byzantine jewel, whose dome influenced architecture around the world for 1,500 years. Discover some of Istanbul’s finest Byzantine art at the Chora Church. Explore the Topkapi Palace, housing the opulent jewels, furnishings, and other treasures of Ottoman sultans. Enter the 17th-century mosque of Sultan Ahmet I, known as the Blue Mosque, due to its vivid azure iznik tile decor. Cruise the Bosphorus Strait that winds its way through the city. Stroll the Grand Bazaar brimming with jewelry, pottery, spices, and carpets. And in the evening, enjoy a gala farewell dinner.
Kismet Hotel, Kusadasi and Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet
Alternate - Instead of an activity or excursion in the main itinerary, choose the following:
Instead of exploring some of Istanbul’s main sites, take a cooking class at the Istanbul Culinary Institute, and try your hand at Turkish calligraphy, ebru paper marbling, or miniature painting at a local art school.
Our expedition will support the artisan communities of Kahramanmaras and Diyarbakir, who create traditional Turkish metalworks.
Day 15: Homeward
Dates, itineraries and prices are subject to change.
In Xi’an, meet fellow travelers and the expedition staff at a welcome dinner accompanied by a gravity-defying Shaolin monk kung fu performance. Please note that most travelers from the U.S. will need to take an overnight flight departing April 19 in order to arrive in time for the dinner on Tuesday. Begin your exploration of this ancient city with a visit to one of the most significant archaeological finds of the last century—the life-sized funerary army of Emperor Qin’s tomb, meant to accompany and protect the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty into the afterlife. Incredibly, each warrior and horse is unique, totaling over 7,000 in number, and representing a variety of squadrons in full uniform, ready for battle.
Sofitel on Renmin Square, Xi’an
Board our jet for China’s most westerly province, Gansu, once a key gateway to the west. Stop at Dunhuang, ancient Silk Road oasis, and follow in the footsteps of early pilgrim Fa Hsien here as we explore the treasures of the Mogao Caves, set into a cliff wall of the Echoing Sand Mountains. For more than 1,500 years, this extensive network of cave monasteries has been an important site of pilgrimage for traveling monks and houses countless carvings, murals, paintings, and other priceless Buddhist artifacts. Take a camel ride along the Mingsha Sand Dunes to Crescent Moon Lake, a rare and paradoxical spring deep in an arid landscape.
Dunhuang Hotel
Continue by private jet, briefly stopping in Urumchi for departure clearance, to Mongolia—the legendary land of Genghis Khan. Experience the vast expanse of the beautiful steppe that is inextricably intertwined with the nomadic lifestyle of its people. Visit the renowned Gandan Monastery, one of only a few monasteries to survive the political upheaval of the 1930’s. Then visit the Museum of Natural History, featuring a dinosaur skeleton and eggs recovered from the Gobi Desert.
Kempinski Hotel, Ulaanbaatar and Three Camel Lodge, Gobi Desert
Fly by private jet to the Silk Road outpost of Samarkand, traditional home of Tajik merchants who established this city as a major trade center. Discover the city’s vibrant bazaars and grand monuments, most notably Registan Square, an assembly of some of the finest examples of Islamic architecture in the world, including the sparkling turquoise Gur-e Amir Mausoleum and exquisitely decorated madrassahs with fluted domes and minarets.
President Hotel, Samarkand
Fly to Armenia, the world’s first Christian nation.Step into the Matenadaran Museum, an important repository of medieval writtenliterature, including exquisite illuminated manuscripts. The next day, go to Vagharshapatto explore one of the world’s first churches, the Mother See of Etchmiadzin, founded by St. Gregory the Illuminator. Then visit Armenia’s only Greco-Roman structure, Garni Temple, with views of the wildly scenic Garni Gorge, and join Armenian villagers for apicnic lunch. Travelers may then venture to the spectacular Khor Virap Monastery nearthe beloved Mount Ararat, where St. Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned for 13 years before he converted King Trdat III to Christianity and helped found the ArmenianChurch. Or instead of the monastery, visit the Armenian History Museum and theNational Art Gallery to peruse marvelous collections of Armenian paintings, miniatures,and frescoes.
Marriott Yerevan
Fly by private jet to Izmir and transfer to Ephesus, a former trading port connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa. Gaze up at the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Peek into a small chapel believed to be the Virgin Mary’s last home, and go on a special excursion to see the ‘palaces on the slope,’ inhabited by the wealthiest social class of the ancient city. Enjoy a festive dinner at the Celsus Library, a rare example of a public library of the Roman Empire.
After breakfast, depart Istanbul on an independent commercial flight to your home city, or reboard our private jet to London and depart in the early evening. Or, if you wish to extend your stay in Turkey, please call to make further arrangements.
| Date | Priced from | Category |
| April 20 - May 4, 2010 | $29,950 | Double |
| $ 3,990 | Single Supplement | |
| CHINA & TIBET PRE-TOUR $5,990 double occupancy $900 single supplement |
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Following in the Footsteps of Nomads, Monks, Merchants & Kings in China, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Armenia & Turkey
Travel by Private Jet
Make a Difference in the World
Follow Your Passion with a Flexible Itinerary
Extend Your Journey to Other Lands, If You Wish
Chart the course of history along the world’s most famous trade routes, where ancient cities and cultures have flourished and still resonate with their unique, glorious pasts. In the heart of China in Xi’an, marvel at the Qin terra-cotta warriors and a kung fu performance by Shaolin monks, or venture to the legendary Famen Temple to see the Sui and Tang dynasty riches of the largest religious vault ever discovered in the country. In China’s desert frontier, step into the fourth-century cave monasteries of Dunhuang, filled with awe-inspiring Buddhist art that few have ever seen. In Mongolia, search for dinosaur fossils at the Flaming Cliffs and spend an unforgettable night in a comfortable ger camp. In Uzbekistan, admire Samarkand’s markets and traditional Islamic architecture. In Armenia, visit the oldest churches in the world’s first Christian nation. And in Turkey, explore the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus and the Hagia Sophia at Istanbul, legendary wonders of the ancient world.
An ideal way to reach these remote cultures, we fly on a Boeing 757 private jet with 2x2 VIP-style seating for only 78 travelers. We set our own schedules, avoid the hassles of commercial travel, and land in smaller airports closer to our destinations, to provide the ultimate in luxury, convenience, and safety.
By joining The Ancient Silk Road by Private Jet expedition, you will automatically support efforts to enhance the conditions of the places and peoples we visit—there is no further commitment necessary on your part. Our expedition will provide supplies to medical clinics and schools, as well as contribute funds for essential projects that many people depend on.
And throughout the journey, as you are whisked from one destination to the next by private jet, enjoy the ultimate in convenience, security, expertise, and service. Travel with world-renowned experts. Enjoy the finest local cuisine and traditional entertainment. Unwind in the regions’ finest accommodations. And follow your passion with your choice of personalized excursions along the way: Whether you want to take a cooking class, visit a school, or hike off the beaten path, we will ensure that your travels are tailored for you.
This expedition is one of three interconnected journeys, collectively named Hidden Corners Around the World. The other two journeys are Desert Crossroads & The Himalaya and Sacred Places of Asia.
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To check availability or receive additional information on TCS & STARQUEST Expeditions drop us a note, or call.... 800-777-7739 |
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