Tour Highlights

• Encounter an exotic mélange of culture and religion, art and architecture, on this tour of Central Asia’s ancient Silk Road connecting East and West.
• Get inspired by tales of trade and treasure as you are embraced by the welcoming people of Central Asia.
• Discover Kyrgyzstan’s delightful capital, Bishkek, with a panoramic tour of this former Soviet republic’s largest city.
• Travel to the village of Burana to see its 11^th-century tower and ancient “balbal” stone statues.
• Enjoy lunch in the home of a Kyrgyz family and experience traditional Kyrgyz culture at a yurt-making demonstration.
• In Tamgaly Gorge, admire the Tamgaly Petroglyphs that date to the Bronze Age.
• Spend a day touring Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, ascending a nearby mountain for panoramic views and attending a falconry demonstration.
• Explore Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, home of one of the world’s oldest surviving Qurans as well as vast Chorsu Bazaar.
• Tour Khiva’s “inner city,” another UNESCO site, which reveals this Uzbek city’s storied past as a major Silk Road trading post.
• Continue on to Kunya Ark citadel and the Hunarmand artisans’ workshop.
• In ancient Bukhara, watch silk weavers at work and visit a Sufi miniaturist’s home to learn about his craft and savor a traditional plov
• Visit one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Central Asian Muslims: the Memorial Complex of Naqshband, housing the mausoleum of the 14^th-century Sufi theologian.
• Join a calligraphy workshop and visit a historic winery for a tour and tasting
• Experience another legendary Silk Road stop, Samarkand, with its vast Registan Square and the magnificent 15^th-century Bibi-Khanym mosque.
• At this cultural crossroads visit the Gur Emir Mausoleum, Tamerlane’s tomb, and the Afrasiyab Museum with its ancient artifacts.

If you would like to view a digital copy of this trip’s brochure, please click on the words “Digital Brochure” under Additional Resources (follows directly below Itinerary at a Glance) on this webpage.

* Cal lecturer’s participation cannot be guaranteed and is contingent upon a minimum number of paying travelers.