Exclusive Cal departure – April 27-May 13, 2020 ALONG CENTRAL ASIA’S SILK ROAD 17 days for $6,494 total price from San Francisco ($5,995 air & land inclusive plus $499 airline taxes and fees) raveling the ancient Silk Road con- T necting East and West, we encounter a mélange of culture and religion, art and architecture that conjures tales of trade and treasure, intrigue and empire. On this exciting small group journey, we relish the exotic – and embrace the humanity we share with the welcoming people of Central Asia. KAZAKHSTAN Almaty UZBEKISTAN Khiva Tashkent Aydar Lake Bukhara Samarkand TURKMENISTAN Destination Ashgabat Air Motorcoach Train Entry/Departure Looking much as it did in centuries past, Samarkand’s Registan has served as the city’s public square since antiquity. Avg. High (°F) Apr May Ashgabat 75 86 Bukhara 75 88 Day 1: Depart U.S. for Ashgabat, Turkmenistan see the Yzmukshir Fortress, which dates back to the Samarkand 70 80 Parthian Empire some two thousand years ago. After Day 2: Arrive Ashgabat Upon arrival in the Turkmen touring, we continue to the Uzbek border crossing capital late tonight, we transfer directly to our hotel. then travel on to Khiva. B,L,D Your Small Group Tour Highlights Day 3: Ashgabat After time to rest this morning, Day 6: Khiva We get a taste of Khiva’s storied past White marble city of Ashgabat • UNESCO archaeological we meet our Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director as a major Silk Road trading post on a morning tour of site of Nisa • Historic walled city of Khiva • Visits with and fellow travelers at a welcome briefing. Lunch the Itchan Kala, the “inner city” whose entirety is a local artisans • Extensive Bukhara touring • Petroglyphs at Sarmishsay Gorge • Home-hosted lunch in Bukhara • is on our own then we begin our journey along the UNESCO site. Here we see the turquoise-tiled Kalta Desert excursion and yurt camp overnight • Legendary Silk Road with a panoramic tour of this showpiece Minor minaret – enormous, stout, and unfinished; Samarkand • Central Asian bazaars in six cities • Private city known for its 543 white marble buildings and Kunya Ark citadel; the immense Madrassah of Muham- visit to Gur Emir Mausoleum • Tashkent touring, including monuments to the glories of the Turkmen. We tour mad Rahim Khan, with its tiled façade; the double- world’s oldest Quran • Russian-accented Almaty the well-regarded National Museum of History then domed Pakhlavan Mahmoud Mausoleum; and the enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. B,D Hunarmand artisans workshop. This afternoon: Islam Day Itinerary Hotel Rating Khoja minaret, Khiva’s tallest; Juma Mosque, with its 1 Depart U.S. for Ashgabat Day 4: Ashgabat/Nisa This morning we head 200 wooden pillars; and 163-room Tash Hauli Palace. 2-4 Ashgabat Nusay Hotel Sup. First Class outside the city to visit the UNESCO archaeological Tonight, we travel to a lakeside yurt camp, where we 5-6 Khiva Hotel Asia Khiva First Class site of Nisa, ancient capital of the Parthian Empire enjoy sunset cocktails followed by dinner and a local rd 7-8 Bukhara Hotel Zargaron Plaza First Class dating to the 3 century BCE. After exploring this folklore performance. B,D 9 Aydar Lake Oxus Resort Yurt Camp Not Rated age-old site, we travel on to an Akhal-Teke horse Hotel Grand stud farm where we have the opportunity to watch Day 7: Khiva/Bukhara This morning we board a 10-12 Samarkand Samarkand Superior First Class a demonstration of the power and grace of these high-speed train for the journey through the Kyzylkum 13-14 Tashkent Hyatt Regency Tashkent Sup. First Class animals. This afternoon, we visit the Turkmenbashi Desert to Bukhara (approx. 4 ½ hours), with lunch 15-16 Almaty InterContinental Almaty Sup. First Class Ruhy Mosque and the Turkman Carpet museum. on board. Upon arrival in this ancient city of Silk Road 17 Depart Almaty for U.S. Tonight we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. B,L,D commerce and religious piety, we visit the Chor Minor Ratings are based on the Hotel & Travel Index, the travel in- madrassah, with its four minarets. This evening we dustry standard reference. Unrated hotels may be too small, Day 5: Ashgabat/Khiva, Uzbekistan We fly this dine at Akbar House, the preserved home of a 19th- too new, or too remote to be listed. morning to Dashoguz, Turkmenistan, where we century Jewish merchant. B,L,D 16 Visit us at alumni.berkeley.edu/caldiscoveries B – Breakfast; L – Lunch; D – Dinner Tour membership limited to 20 Cal alumni and friends Day 8: Bukhara Today begins with a walking tour of the 16th-century Lyab-i Hauz religious complex. We Accompanied by Dianne Fukami, continue to the domed Taki-Telpak Furushon bazaar known for its headgear: embroidered skull caps, turbans, Enrichment Lecturer and heavy fur hats; then on to a bazaar where we watch silk weavers at work. Next, we return to the Old Jewish Tamerlane’s resting place. We dine together at a Quarter to visit the home of a Sufi miniaturist, where local restaurant then make a last stop to see Registan we learn about his craft and enjoy a traditional lunch lit up for the evening. B,L,D of plov – lamb and rice – the Uzbek national dish. Tour- ing continues this afternoon at the Poi Kalyan religious Day 13: Samarkand/Jizzakh/Tashkent En route by center; the massive earthen Ark of Bukhara Fortress, motorcoach today to the Uzbek capital, we stop at Jizz- th which served as an active fort from its 5 century- akh to visit Jilanuti Pass, the “Gates of Tamerlane” passage origins until 1920; and the Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum, between the Nuratin and Turkestan hills. We continue whose spring water is believed to have healing powers. B,L on to Tashkent, arriving early this afternoon. B,L Day 9: Bukhara/Sarmishsay/Aydar Lake We set Day 14: Tashkent A morning tour of Uzbekistan’s out today on a thrilling overnight excursion, board- capital begins in the Old City at the Khazrati Imam ing 4x4 vehicles through the Kyzylkum Desert bound Complex of mosques and madrassahs. Here we see for Aydar Lake. We stop first in Gijduvan to visit a the world’s oldest surviving Islamic holy book, the 8th- renowned ceramicist, then see some of the 4,000-plus century Uthman Quran, brought to Tashkent by Tamer- Bronze Age petroglyphs at Sarmishay Gorge. We con- lane. Next: Chorsu Bazaar, under whose massive tinue on to Nurata, where we enjoy a home-hosted green dome locals purchase everything from produce lunch with a local to clothing. This afternoon we call on the studio of family, then pass renowned ceramicist Akbar Rakhimov. After dinner through the Nur- at a local restaurant, tonight we attend a performance ata Mountains to of ballet or opera at the national opera house. B,L,D Aydar Lake and our yurt camp, an eco- Day 15: Tashkent/Almaty, Kazakhstan At the resort set within the Museum of Applied Arts this morning, we see fine endless steppe. After examples of Uzbek crafts, including embroidery, settling in, we explore jewelry, ceramics, and carpets. Then we transfer to our surroundings from the airport for our flight to Almaty. B,D Cityscape of Khiva, historic Khorasam atop the two-humped Bactrian camels of Day 16: Almaty Kazakhstan’s largest city and cultural Central Asia. B,L,D and commercial center, Almaty has a decided Russian Tour Departs: April 27, 2020 flavor, as we see on this morning’s tour. Highlights: Prices include international airfare and all taxes, surcharges, and fees Day 10: Aydar Lake/ Panfilov Park, Holy Ascension Cathedral, and the Mu- Boston, New York, We visit several local markets. $6,194 Samarkand This seum of Kazakh Musical Instruments. Then we have Washington, DC morning we visit the remote mountain village of free time for lunch and to explore Zeelyoni Bazaar, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Uhum, where we meet with a local family in their $6,494 Almaty’s central market. Early this evening, we head Miami, San Francisco home. Then we travel on to Samarkand, legendary outside the city to ascend Kok Tobe mountain for pano- Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, stop on the Silk Road. This afternoon we take ramic views and a farewell dinner at a mountaintop $6,694 Dallas, Philadelphia an orientation tour of one of Central Asia’s oldest restaurant. B,D continuously inhabited cities – some 2,500 years. Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis, Orlando, As the sun begins to set, we stop at vast Registan, the Day 17: Depart for U.S. Very early this morning $6,794 mosaic-tiled public square flanked by three ornate we depart for the airport for our connecting flight to Phoenix, Portland (OR), madrassahs that have stood here for centuries. B,L,D the U.S. B Seattle, Tampa Land Only (transfers not included) $5,195 Day 11: Samarkand Alexander the Great and Genghis Your Tour Price Includes Please call if your city is not listed. Prices are per person Khan left their marks on Samarkand, as did Tamerlane • Round-trip air transportation from listed cities; all flights based on double occupancy and include airline taxes, (Timur), who made it capital of his Islamic empire in within itinerary surcharges, and fees of $499, which are subject to change the 14th century; he or his descendants built many of • 15 nights’ accommodations: 14 nights in Superior First until final payment has been made. the historic buildings and monuments we see here Class and First Class hotels; 1 night in yurt camp Single travelers please add $1,295.