Trans-Asia Express

Days 1-3 Beijing

Visit the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall.

Days 4-5 Xi'an

Marvel at the ancient Terracotta Warriors.

Day 6 Silk Road Railway

Make friends with local Uyghurs and watch the desert unfold on this spectacular journey.

Days 7-8 Turpan

Flanked by the Flaming Mountains, this lush oasis is still an important stop for travellers.

Days 9-10 Kashgar

Traders spill into town every Sunday for one of Asia's largest markets

Day 11 Tash Rabat

The passage into Kyrgyzstan winds over the Torugart Pass. Stay overnight in a traditional yurt.

Day 12 Song-Kul Lake

Spend a day at Song-Kol Lake. Watching the nomads taking care of their animals and maybe even try some fermented mares' milk - the national drink.

Day 13 Kochkor

Experience warm Kyrgyz hospitality at a homestay.

Day 14 Bokonbayevo

Drive to the spectacular southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul and meet a local eagle hunter.

Day 14 Chichkan Valley

Mountains, rivers and high roads make for a spectacular day.

Day 15 Karakol

Travel through Jeti Oguz Gorge and the Kok Jaik 'Valley of Flowers', stopping for a picnic lunch on the way before arriving in frontier town Karakol.

Day 16 Tamchy

Continue around this alpine lake to Tamchy and wonder at the petroglyphs of Cholpan Ata.

Day 17 Bishkek

Explore the capital, stopping along the way at the Burana Tower.

Days 18-19 Tashkent

Wander around the amazing sights of the multicultural capital of Uzbekistan.

Days 20-21 Samarkand

The evocative skyline of Samarkand is one of Central Asia's most romantic.

Day 22 Shakhrisabz

Feast on Uzbek cuisine at a homestay in leafy Shakhrisabz.

Days 23-24 Bukhara

Marvel at the minarets and medressas in this bustling Silk Road destination.

Days 25-26 Tashkent

Narrow lanes, extravagant mosques and Soviet architecture give the Uzbek capital an absorbing, multicultural atmosphere.