The rugged Mingsha Sand Dunes in Dunhuang.  Camels are the main form of transport.  (Photo:   J. Otto)

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DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY FOR SILK ROAD OVERLAND

June 4

Our trip starts out in Islamabad/Rawalpindi, capital of Pakistan, where our staff will personally meet your flight at the airport.   The Pakistanis are a friendly and honorable people.  The British version of English is spoken here, and many Pakistanis have relatives living in such English cities as Bradford, Manchester, and London.  This will be our 14^th visit to Pakistan, and each time we learn something new about the hospitality and customs of these charming people.

After a comfortable few nights in the hotel, a bit of touring around town, including a visit to the sacred and stunning Faisal Mosque, in its radiant setting on the edge of the Murghala Hills, as well as a robust sampling of the tasty-hearty Pakistani curries, we board our bus for the drive up the silk road, now called the Karakoram Highway, or KKH.  Our first planned stop is at the ancient Greco Buddhist town of Taxila, where you may be surprised to learn that both the armies of Alexander the Great from Macedonia, and Buddhist clerics from Tibet and India, were once well established here.  That night, we stop in Besham, a pleasant hill town, with spectacular views of the low Himalayan mountains and foothills.  If you are concerned about your response to altitude, and you are carrying Diamox (acetylzolamide), this might be a good place to begin taking it.

The road becomes windier, as we make our way up into the country called "Hunza".  We drive past the towering giant called Nanga Parbat, eighth highest mountain in the world at 8,126 meters.  If the clouds part, we will be treated to a fantastic glimpse of its 7,000 meter walls.  We reach the capital of Hunza: Gilgit-town (at 1,500 meters).  This is a pleasant market hamlet with a relaxed atmosphere and very colorful bazaar.  On a good day, we can see stunning views of such classic mountains as Rakaposhi.

We drive ever higher into the heart of the Himalaya, through Kareemabad, which is the seat of the local king, the Mir of Hunza.   We had tea with him and his family in 1996.  The mountain views are stupendous as we drive on up to the border outpost of Sust.  Located in a high plateau of 3,100 meters, Sust is an easy place to relax, and begin acclimatizing.

Now, its time to leave Pakistan and change into four wheel drive vehicles for the winding road through the 4,700 meter high Khunjerab Pass.  One really feels like they are at the top of the world up here, on what is claimed to be the "highest international highway on earth".  We drop quickly down into China, and things change rapidly.  One of the biggest changes occurs immediately at the border, when the clocks go forward by 3 hours.  Our hosts greet us at the border post in the Chinese village of Taxkergan (3,300 meters), and we welcome a delicious Chinese style feast with the local Tajik Muslim people, and a much deserved night’s sleep at the inn.

In the morning we are awake early, and board a tour bus for the drive to Karakul Lake, the most picturesque place from which to view the Chinese Pamirs, the highest peaks in this part of China at over 7,500 meters.   We plan a visit to a charming "Kirghiz" yurt village where we can relax in a quiet and beautifully decorated yurt and drink the sweet-milky tea and sample the fresh bread and yogurt favored by the local nomads.

After a 5 to 8 hour bus ride through the Gez river valley beneath the looming flanks of 7649 meter high Kongur, the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar is reached.  We stay in a comfortable hotel, and then it is time to feast, explore this historic "Uighur" people’s city and shop in the multi-hued bazaars.  Our day starts out with a quaint donkey-taxi ride to the ancient tomb of Abakh Hoja, a powerful leader and hero from the 17^th century.   Then, because we have specially arranged for our group to be in Kashgar on Sunday afternoon, it is time for a wander through what is known as the best bazaar in all of central Asia, where the visitor is able to examine and purchase an amazing variety of low-priced handicrafts and manufactured goods, including: jewelry, knives, shawls, carpets, and hats.  At the Kashgar Sunday Market, a wide variety of delicious and well-prepared foods can be found, with fresh fruits, vegetables, meat pies, mutton kebabs, and fish in abundance.

In the morning, there will be time to visit the old city, and then we take a flight to Urumqi, bustling metropolis and capital of the Xinjiang province (formerly known as East Turkistan).  After a night in the hotel, we fly to Dunhuang, on the edge of the forbidding Taklamikan desert.  We drive out to the Mingsha dunes to explore the trackless wastes of the desert, and to ride camels.  After enjoying a Chinese-style dinner, we relax in the hotel.

In the morning we depart early to the Mogao Caves, the richest repository of Buddhist paintings, sculpture, and scrolls, on the entire Silk Road.  Our guide will open the caves for us, and lead us on an intimate tour of the giant statuary, murals, and frescoes, which abound in this treasure trove of culture, begun in 366 AD, and still mainly intact even after removal of relics by such famous scholars as Sir Aurel Stein.

That evening we relax, each in our own full-length berth, on a night-sleeper train to Turpan, the lowest point in Asia, at 154 meters below sea level.  In the morning, we visit Yarkhoto, a massive ruined 3,000-year-old city that was the cultural center of this region, at about the same time as Egypt’s King Tutankhamen was in his heyday.  In the afternoon, we can enjoy a peaceful lunch inside one of the famous grape-arbored bistros, and taste some of the local wine.  After lunch, we tour the quiet Karez springs, and see the ancient underground irrigation system.

The following morning we experience the golden sunrise under the Emin Minaret, built in 1778.  Following breakfast, we drive to Heavenly Lake, a beautiful glacier-fed expanse of blue water nestled in the forested Bogda mountains.  We will do a bit of walking, and stay in a "Kazakh" people’s village yurt, or a small hotel.  The following day we have a chance to visit with the charming Kazakh people and observe how they live their daily lives, as well as hike through the forest above the tree line, just beneath Mt. Bogda.  In the evening we return to Urumqi and stay in a hotel.  The following morning we fly away to Islamabad, across the Himalaya.  If the weather is good, we will be able to spot Nanga Parbat, and perhaps K2.  Once, in 1992, we were able to get the pilot to steer towards K2 for a better photo!  After a night in our Rawalpindi hotel, and a fabulous journey across Asia, it is time to fly home.

• Groups of two or more.  Bring a friend!
• Combining this tour with one or more of our other tours.
• Referrals leading to new sign ups.  Tell your friends!

During travel and trekking, all group equipment and supplies are provided.  All you need to bring is your own personal clothing, warm jacket, waterproof/windproof clothing, and sleeping bag/mat, in a waterproof, locking travel bag.  It is best to bring your own personal items, but they may be hired locally, if you give us plenty of notice.

To participate in this tour you must be a fit and active walker in good health.  Prior to joining our group, please see your doctor and obtain the necessary permission and advice, as well as medications for travel in extremes of altitude, and also for exotic locales.