Merv

Follow in the footsteps of Marco Polo!

Our award winning tour “Treasures of Central Asia 5 Stans” uncover the cultural aspects of Central Asia crafted from fables and fantasies. This small group Silk Road tour visiting Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan was designed for guests to explore Central Asia’s ancient UNESCO World Heritage Sites, discover exotic Silk Road  bazaars, and take in the spectacular scenery of mountains, deserts and lakes along the Silk Road.  The travelers will stay in centrally located comfortable hotels in the capital cities, charming boutique hotels in the ancient cities and one night stay in an nomadic yurt in Kizil kum desert.  The tours will be lead by our experienced guides, curators who have backgrounds in history and art who will share the best of our Central Asia Stan countries. The guests enjoy participating cultural festivals, and cooking classes.

The trip begins in Uzbekistan, the crossroads of civilization and the heart of Central Asia. Guests will arrive in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, to explore ancient mausoleums, mosques and the lively Chor-Su Bazaar. While in Uzbekistan, guests will visit some of the best preserved cities of the Silk Road including: Penjikent,   located not far from the border of Uzbekistan, for a day trip to one of the most ancient cities of Tajikistan; Samarkand, a city more than 2,750 years old to visit several sites including the incredible Registan Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is now the main location for Uzbek’s international music festivals; and Bukhara, another World Heritage Site, to experience local hospitality with an Uzbek family, Silk and melon festivals and a folk-show in Medreseh Nodir Divan Begi. You may be lucky to attend uzbek wedding here as well.

From Bukhara guests will drive to Turkmenistan and through the Kara Kum desert from Mary to Merv. Once belonged to the Achaemenian Empire in the VI th century BC until the invasion by Alexander the Great, Merv is the oldest well-preserved heritage city of the Silk Road and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guests will then head to the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, a haven of museums and bazaars. Here guests will discover the ruins of the ancient Parthian state capital currently being restored by UNESCO, along with unique fortresses, the National Museum of History and Ethnography and Talkuchka Bazaar. Guests will enjoy a sightseeing drive to  Khiva, one of the three historical cities on the ancient trade route, to explore Uzbekistan’s open-air museum of unparalleled examples of architecture.  Continuing onto Kazakhstan guests will arrive in Almaty, the former capital which is situated at the foot of the Zaili Alatau Mountain Range. Guests will visit the remarkable gardens, parks and promenades at Alatau Park and enjoy spectacular views of the Chimbulak mountainous area. Across the famous Kazakh Steppe, guests will drive to one of the greenest cities in Central Asia, Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan. Originally a caravan rest stop from China to Europe, Bishkek is now a bustling shopper‟s delight with bazaars offering exotic foods, colorful clothes, woodcarvings, and more. The last full days will be spent enjoying the beaches of Issyk Kul (Warm Lake), one of the largest and deepest alpine lakes in the world which, although surrounded by the snowy AlaTau mountains, never freezes.  You can also enjoy the horse show and meet Eagle men of Kyrgyzstan.

The ancient Silk Road routes connected East and West; from China to Turkey, through Central Asia to India, Persia and the Middle East. A trade route for hundreds of years and a cultural bridge linking cultures, religions, languages. and traditions. Caravans took years to ply the routes that now take only days for us as we explore destinations in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and the China Silk Road.

This tour is the perfect combination of culture, adventure, ancient and modern history and natural wonders; visit UNESCO World Heritage sites and magnificent mountain ranges and deserts. Clamber over the ruins of Parthian fortresses, feel the shimmer in the desert night of a giant gas crater, enjoy the friendly hospitality of nomadic yurt camps and fabulous boutique hotels. Marvel at the beauty of medieval turquoise tiles glittering in the sun and trek around a stunning glacial Lake in Kyrgyzstan on local ponies. Shop the bazaars from Samarkand to Ashgabat, still as bustling as ever, and discover a world of traditional tastes and authentic cultural experiences. Feel the pulse of civilization thrumming through the treasures of the Silk Road!

Central Asia offers thousands of years of cultural, historical and archaeological treasures and the warmest hospitality in the world! Silk Road Tresure Tours offers you the opportunity to explore, experience and discover these lands of the ancient Silk Road. Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are the places we long to explore, cities of fable, and landscapes of legend; where the pulse of ancient civilization provides the backdrop for recently independent nations. From soaring minarets, desert sands and wind-swept steppe, opulent silk and silver, intricate designs on ancient mosaics and carpets, and colors and exotic offerings in lively bazaars. Discover the fascinating historical and cultural transformations that have taken place from the Sogdian Empire to Islamic Caliphate, from Tamerlane to the Tsars, from Soviet rule to present-day independence. Our outstanding guides will lead you to spiritual centers of Sufi, Buddhist and Zoroastrian origin, ancient petroglyphs and ruins, Islamic mehdressas and mosques, and through bazaars brimming with traditional and contemporary handicrafts and workshops. Meetings with historians, archaeologists, artisans and local families will enhance the experience, rounded out with traditional dance, music and cultural displays on our journey across Central Asia's Silk Road.

From the songs of the mystic Bakhshy troubadours come the treasures of mysterious Turkmenistan. A warm, Turkmen welcome is waiting for you here. Shop the markets and bazaars; redolent with silk, spices and tradition. Find one of the Telpek fur hats or a gorgeous bracelet of silver and carnelian. Enjoy the rich pilaf rice dishes, herb-filled pastries, chorek bread and hearty soups. Visit skilled artisans in their workshops and see the production of luxurious keteni silks and gorgeous, hand-woven carpets. Tour the best of Turkmenistan sightseeing through the romantic Karakum desert. Visit the ancient sites at Gonur Depe, and the UNESCO sites of Merv and Konya Urgench, witnesses to thousands of years of history from the Achaemenid Empire to Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great. Stop at the "Gates of Hell" in early evening when the Darvaza gas crater is at its most dramatic. Explore the archaeological fortress site of Nisa, the ancient Parthian capital and with luck, you'll see a red moon, a phenomenon of the desert. From the Yangyqala Canyons, the shores of the clear Caspian Sea welcome you to the resort at Awaza to see the other side of this incredible country. Arriving back in the capital of Turkmenistan; the "marble city" of Ashgabat, you'll experience this gold-accented, purpose-built creation of the former president Turkmenbashi and visit the hippodrome to see the legendary Akhal Teke horses. Turkmenistan astonishes and entertains with its almost surreal mix of ancient and modern.