Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan : Silk Road Journey
March 10 – 23
Travel the heart of the Central Asian Silk Road — the countries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
You begin your journey in the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan, re-living ancient songs and admiring Small Almaty Gorge, where the world-famous Medeo Sports Complex is located. Set among the craggy peaks and alpine slopes that bear the traces of an ancient glacier, the Olympic-size skating rink has seen 180 world records set.
From Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital, the group will travel the countryside to visit all four of the country’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites — the Silk Road oasis of fabled Samarkand, Tamerlane’s blue-tiled capital, with its wealth of arched mosques and soaring minarets; the desert trade center of Bukhara, ruled over by cruel emirs for many years; Shakhrisabze, Tamerlane’s birthplace, boasting the monumental remains of his Ak Saray (White Palace); 
and Khiva, its walled Old Town now an architectural preserve. Observe the ancient traditions of carpet weaving at a factory in Samarkand, where the weavers grow indigo, coleus, and dahlias to use for dye; in Khiva, stroll the ancient mudbrick streets and enjoy a costume show and dance performance by local folklore experts.
Visit two renowned ceramics masters’ workshops – one in Tashkent, where the family has been working in this medium since 1790, and the other in Gijduvan, where the pieces are characterized by flower ornamentation and natural colors.
Price: from $5,795 per person, double occupancy