The Rhubarb Road - Overland Trip
6 weeks: Moscow to Beijing (IMT-APMB)
Intro
Travelling overland from Moscow to Beijing we follow “The Rhubarb Road”, a less well known sister route to the Silk Road of old. We pass through little visited parts of Russia and Kazakhstan on the way to Central Asia. The ancient cities of Uzbekistan are a highlight and we spend time in Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand. We visit the little-known country of Kyrgyzstan. And on to China, stopping at Kashgar and the various oases dotted along the edge of the Taklamakan desert before our journey culminates in Beijing.Group Size
Max 12Activities
Extensive walking at sites, optional swimming, optional horse and camel ridingAccommodation
24 nights simple hotels or guesthouses, 6 nights sleeper trains, 7 nights tourist class hotels, 2 nights homestay with local families, 2 nights in a yurtTransport
Train, private and public bus, 4WD jeep or minivan, taxiFully Escorted
By Imaginative Traveller tour leaderNote:
This is an approximate itinerary and is subject to change according to local conditions. Please be flexible and expect some variations.Itineraries
Day 1 to Day 2,MOSCOWArrive in Moscow. Time to see the sights.
Day 3 to Day 5,RUSSIA AND KAZAKHSTANTake an overnight train south towards the Caspian Sea. Continue through Kazakhstan to the edge of the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan.
Day 6 to Day 9,UZBEKISTANWe explore the ruins of the Khorezm empire, once one of the great centres of learning before it was destroyed by Genghis Khan.
Day 10 to Day 11,BUKHARAWe cross the Kyzyl Kum desert and head for Bukhara with its stunning mosques and mausoleums.
Day 12 to Day 14,SAMARKANDAnother drive takes us to Samarkand, probably the most famous of the great Silk Road cities. We have ample time to enjoy the splendid sites before moving on to Shakhrisabz, Tamerlane’s birthplace, afterwards we drive back to Samarkand and spend a night with a local family.
Day 15 to Day 19,TRAVEL TO KYRGYZSTANTravel from Tashkent to Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital, via the Aksu-Dzhabagly nature reserve. We have time to explore this reserve by foot or on horseback.
Day 20 to Day 23,KYRGYZSTANWe make a circuit of the huge alpine lake Issyk Kul where there are superb trekking opportunities. We also meet local nomads who still practice hunting using golden eagles.
Day 24 to Day 25,KYRGYZSTAN to CHINAWe stay at the ancient caravanserai at Tash Rabat before continuing through the spectacular Torugart Pass into China.
Day 26 to Day 29,KASHGAR TO TURPANFree time to explore this remote corner of China by foot or by bicycle. On Sunday we spend the whole day enjoying the magnificent spectacle of the Kashgar market. Tens of thousands of exotic locals meet to exchange their goods and to socialise. The following day we take the train north with the Tian Shan (Heavenly Mountains) on one side and the Taklamakan Desert on the other.
Day 30 to Day 32,TURPAN AND URUMQIWe arrive in Daheyan and transfer to the delightful oasis town of Turpan where we visit the ruins of ancient cities. We continue to Urumqi where we will have time for a visit to the museum with its extraordinary collection of mummies before catching the next of our trains.
Day 33,DUNHUANGStop in Dunhuang for a visit to the famous Mogao Grottoes. These caves form one of the most extensive and exquisite collections of Buddhist paintings and sculptures in the world - every surface of the walls and ceilings are covered with painted clay stucco, some 45,000 square metres in all.
Day 34 to Day 35,JIAYUGUANSee the dramatic Jiayuguan Fort which marks the western end of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. Visit other dramatic sections of the wall nearby - China's first defence against barbarians of old.
Day 36,TRAIN TO XI'ANOur journey follows the Gansu Corridor between mountain and desert.
Day 37 to Day 39,XI'ANTime to explore this ancient Chinese capital and to visit the world famous Terracotta Warriors before one last overnight train to Beijing.
Day 40 to Day 41,BEIJINGEnjoy the fabulous imperial sites of the capital, culminating in a hike along the Great Wall of China.
Day 42,BEIJINGTour ends.
Last updated: 16th September 2009
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