The Heart of Asia Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan & Uzbekistan

Home , Ashgabat, Burana Tower, Chorsu (Samarkand), Ismail Samani, Khiva, Navoi Theater

THE HEART OF ASIA KAZAKHSTAN, KYRGYZSTAN & UZBEKISTAN

May 4 – 16, 2021 & October 5 – 17, 2021 | 13 Days | Overland Adventure Expedition Highlights

KAZAKHSTAN Almaty • Admire the magnificent domes and Dashoguz Khiva Bishkek turquoise spires of Registan Square, the UZBEKISTAN KYRGYZSTAN heart of ancient Samarkand. Tashkent TURKMENISTAN • View the Bibi Khanym Mosque, built Samarkand Bukhara by Tamarlane in the 14th century, CASPIAN SEA Main Tour Extension whose grand size pushed the limits of Ashgabat architectural knowledge.

MAP NOT TO SCALE • Spend two days in the Silk Road trading city of Bukhara, now considered Central Asia’s religious capital. • Explore bustling markets and bazaars, overflowing with exotic foods, colorful produce, spices, jewelry, pashminas, knives, and hand-woven carpets. • Meet with colorfully-clad locals for hands-on cooking demonstrations and a glimpse into their daily lives. 2016Web/Print ECAS160cs4_flat.ai Along the Silk Road: Central Asia by Rail • Itinerary...... page 2 > • Flight Information...... page 3 > • Meet Your Leader ...... page 4 > • Rates...... page 4 > • Know Before You Go...... page 4 > • Optional Post-extension...... page 5 > TASHKENT SPICE MARKET

Day 6 Itinerary ALMATY Based on the expeditionary nature of our trips, there may be This morning, continue your exploration of Almaty, with visits ongoing enhancements to this itinerary. to Independence Square and the National Historical Museum. In the afternoon, drive uphill into the countryside to Medeu, a picturesque, canyon-like valley to visit Chimbulak, a top Days 1 - 3 ski resort and base for alpine mountaineering and enjoy a DEPART USA / ISTANBUL, TURKEY / BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN moderate hike into Tuyuk Su Gorge. Return to the hotel for Board your independent flight to Kyrgyzstan. Arrive in the dinner and overnight. early morning hours of Day 3 where you will be met and transferred to the lovely Hyatt Regency Hotel. After a chance to rest, attend a briefing followed by lunch at a local restaurant. Day 7 Once an ancient Silk Road settlement, modern Bishkek is ALMATY / TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN an attractive town lying under a mountainous backdrop and After breakfast, transfer to the airport of our flight to Tashkent graced with noted cultural and architectural monuments and for your third ’Stans republic, Uzbekistan. A former crossroads expansive parks. An afternoon city tour introduces you to such of Silk Road caravans and invaders, Uzbekistan is rich in architectural highlights as the Music Hall, Kyrgyz Opera & architectural treasures. Enjoy a brief city tour of this European- Ballet Theater, Central Ala-Too Square, and leafy Panfilov’s flavored city. View the beautiful facade of the Navoi Theater Park. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. of Opera and Ballet, visit the Museum of Applied Arts, and tour Old Tashkent, the center of Uzbek culture. Check in to the Day 4 Hyatt Regency Tashkent for dinner and overnight. BISHKEK Today, take a scenic drive visit Tokmok for a visit to the 11th-century Burana Tower, one of the oldest buildings in REGISTAN SQUARE Central Asia. Then take a tour of the small museum which features interesting carvings and coins and observe the collection of ancient grave markers. Join a local family for conversation and a traditional Kyrgyz lunch. Return to Bishkek and enjoy a folkloric performance during dinner.

Day 5 BISHKEK / ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN After breakfast, depart overland for Almaty, the country’s largest city and its former capital. Upon arrival, check in to the Intercontinental Almaty. In the afternoon, embark on a city tour including Panfilovets’ Park and Zenkov Cathedral, a masterpiece of nail-less wooden construction from the tsarist era. You’ll also visit the Kazakh Museum of Folk Musical Instruments and the Almaty Central Mosque. Enjoy dinner a local restaurant and return to the hotel for overnight.

ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS | THE HEART OF CENTRAL ASIA < 2 > BUKHARA SAMARKAND

Day 8 D ay 11 TASHKENT / SAMARKAND BUKHARA Today, take the high-speed train to Samarkand, a prosperous Continue your tour of Bukhara, which is endowed with Silk Road trading city and the capital of Tamerlane’s magnificent examples of Islamic architecture. Visit the 14th-century rule. Check in to the DiliMah Premium Luxury 15th-century Ulugbeg and 17th-century Abdulazizkhan Hotel, then pay a visit to Tamerlane’s tomb, the Gur Emir, madrassas, then browse the wares on offer at the Trading with its turquoise dome and richly gilded interior. Nearby Domes and the ancient Silk Market. Continue to the Magok-i- Bibi Khanym Mosque boasts elegant facades and an Attori Mosque, Lyab-i Hauz complex, and the massive Kalyan interior covered in delicate carved marble, glazed tiles, and Mosque. At the Fayzullo Khodjaev House Museum, get a frescoes. In Registan Square, admire the magnificent domes taste of what life for a wealthy Uzbek family at the turn of the and gleaming turquoise tiles of historic madrassas (Islamic century. After dinner at a local restaurant, return to the hotel seminaries) and, as darkness falls, enjoy an amazing 3-D for overnight. sound and light show. This evening, enjoy dinner in a historic home. Day 12 BUKHARA / TASHKENT Day 9 This morning, transfer to the airport for our flight to Tashkent. SAMARKAND On arrival, check in to the Hyatt Regency Tashkent. Spend This morning, depart overland for the village of Mingbuloq the afternoon touring the city, making stops at Independence to visit the holy site of Shibagata, set on a hill overlooking the Square, Amir Temur Square, and the Alisher Navoi Opera and surrounding vineyards. Take a stroll through the town, visit the Ballet Theater. The Chorsu Handicraft Bazaar is the perfect school, and have a cup of tea with a local family. After lunch, spot to pick up last-minute souvenirs, or sample some local visit Ulug Bek Observatory and the mausoleums of Shakh-i- delicacies. This evening, attend a farewell dinner accompanied Zinda Necropolis. This evening, attend a folkloric show at the by classic Uzbek music. El Merosi Theater before dinner.

Day 13 Day 10 TASHKENT / USA SAMARKAND / BUKHARA Transfer to the airport early this morning for your independent After breakfast, depart by train for Bukhara. By the 10th homeward flight, arriving in the USA the same day. century, this Silk Road trading city had become Central Asia’s religious capital. Its prominence as the capital of the Shaybanids resulted in the flowering of its architectural creativity. Your tour today includes the elegant 10th-century Flight Information tomb of Ismail Samani, the 16th-century Ark Fortress, Bolo Hauz Mosque, and the Chashmai Ayub. Break for refreshments You will need to purchase air fare from your home city/Bishkek and at a Silk Road Tea House, then check in to the Hotel Omar Tashkent/home city. Flights within the itinerary are included in the Khayyam. This evening, join a local family at their home and cost of the expedition. Please contact our in-house Air Department learn how to make traditional Uzbek plov (rice pilaf) during a for fare quotes, reservations, or other air-related questions. hands-on cooking demonstration.

ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS | THE HEART OF CENTRAL ASIA < 3 > Meet Your Expedition Leader

GARY WINTZ – Gary graduated cum laude from Duns Scotus College in Michigan with a degree in philosophy. He has spent most of the past 40 years outside the US researching, writing, photographing, and lecturing about distant lands and cultures, and has traveled to over 220 countries and territories. Gary has worked on humanitarian projects throughout Asia and has contributed his expertise to development projects in Ethiopia for UNICEF. In 1981 he taught as a foreign expert at Chengdu University of Science and Technology in Sichuan Province in China. In 1982 he was employed by Tibet University in Lhasa, thus becoming one of the first Westerners to actually reside in Tibet since the communist Chinese occupation. Gary has met with His Holiness the Dalai Lama many times. Since 1987 Gary has worked as a consultant with development organizations and for media projects throughout Southeast Asia and has lectured on contemporary issues at various institutions, including Harvard, Yale, and the World Affairs Council. He is a longtime member of the Central Eurasian Studies Society, and the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies. Gary has been traveling to SE Asia, including Burma, since 1977, and is a member of the Burma Studies Group and Thailand Laos Cambodia Studies Group of the Association for Asian Studies. Rates $9,990 per person, double occupancy; $11,990 per person, single occupancy Limited to 14 expedition members.

INCLUDED: NOT INCLUDED: • Flights within the itinerary • Airfare from home city/Bishkek and Tashkent/home city • Daily activity options including nature walks and cultural tours • Excess baggage charges • All gratuities • Airport arrival and departure taxes • All accommodations • Transfers for independent arrivals and departures • World-class expedition leader • Passport and/or visa fees • All meals including selected beverages with lunch and dinner • Travel insurance • All entrance fees and taxes • Items of a personal nature such as laundry, alcoholic beverages (other than listed at left), and other incidentals • Arrival and departure transfers on group dates • Email/Internet/fax/telephone charges • Gift certificates for recommended expedition gear • Medical expense coverage and emergency evacuation insurance

A 25% per person deposit will reserve your space on this expedition. All rates are per person, quoted in dollars, and must be paid in dollars. Rates and itineraries are subject to change. Please review our Terms & Conditions online at www.zegrahm.com/terms, or call our office for a printed copy. Know Before You Go The ’Stans are countries rarely visited by outside travelers. As such, they have poorly developed tourist infrastructures. It is our policy to always use the best available accommodations, transportation, and services of the countries we visit, but lodgings and food are not always up to Western standards. Participants should also be aware that deviations from the published itinerary are possible, that flights may change, and that we may experience delays during border crossings. Travelers should also be prepared to walk or stand for extended periods, and some days of the expedition will include long bus journeys over sometimes-rough roads. Travel to this part of world requires sensitivity to local cultures and customs; at times, you may need to remove your shoes and women may be expected to cover their heads. Due to the time involved to procure the visas required for this program, participants should plan to relinquish their passports for up to three months prior to the departure date. If you have interim inter- national travel scheduled during that time, you must obtain a second passport. Please contact our office if you have questions about this procedure.

To reserve, visit www.zegrahm.com/central-asia or contact your travel consultant. < 4 > TURKMENISTAN

May 13 – 18, 2021 & October 14 – 19, 2021 | 6 Days

Day 1 longest canal, which carries water nearly the entire length TASHKENT / KHIVA of the country. This beautiful city was recognized by the After a morning at leisure, visit the History Museum, Prince Book of Guinness, as having the most white marble in the Romanov’s residence, the Museum of The Repression, and world, boasts the world’s largest fountain complex, and is the Ural Tansikbaev House Museum. Transfer to the airport home to many impressive public buildings, monuments, and for our flight to Khiva and check in to the Hotel Asia Khiva for parks. Visit the Oriental Bazaar, the largest in Central Asia, dinner and overnight. where you will find exotically-dressed Turkmen shopping for everything from food to carpets to camels. Admire the graceful Akhal-Teke, a local breed of horse, in action at the Day 2 KHIVA exciting Sunday Horse Race. Discover the ruins of ancient The ancient city of Khiva was founded 2,500 years ago as Nisa, this UNESCO World Heritage Site was the capital of one of the Silk Road’s most important trading posts. Now the Parthian Empire during the 3rd century BC to the 3rd a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it lies at the crossroads century AD. Visit the National Museum of History, which between Mongolia, Russia, China, and Persia. Khiva is truly chronicles the history of Turkmenistan from the Stone Age magnificent to behold, rising out of the desert to reveal a through modern times. wealth of impressive mosques, bazaars, and minarets. A full-day walking tour includes the Madrasah Muhammad Day 6 Amin Khan, Kelte Minar, Kunya Ark, Pakhlavan Mahmud ASHGABAT / ISTANBUL, TURKEY / USA Mausoleum, Islam Khoja Minaret, Juma Masjid, and Tash Transfer to the airport for your independent homeward flight, Hovli Palace. arriving in the USA the same day.

Day 3 KHIVA / DASHOGUZ, TURKMENISTAN / ASHGABAT Flight Information After breakfast, visit the Nurillabay Residence and Toza Bog Palace, then drive to the border at Dashoguz. After clearing You will need to purchase airfare from your home city/Istanbul/ into Turkmenistan, board our flight to Ashgabat. Upon Bishkek and Ashgabat/Istanbul/home city. The flight from Dashoguz/Ashgabat is included in the cost of the extension. arrival, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant, then check in to Please contact our in-house Air Department for fare quotes, Yyldyz Hotel for overnight. reservations, or other air related questions.

Days 4 & 5 ASHGABAT Rates Spend two full days exploring Ashgabat, the country’s $4,990 per person, double occupancy capital, located at the base of the 10,000-foot Kopet Dag $5,990 per person, solo occupancy Mountains. The city borders the Karakum Canal, the world’s

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