Travel with us through Central Asia over the Northern and Southern Ancient Old Silk Road.
This journey along a part of the network of ancient caravan routes, the once important trade route between East and West, is a very special experience.
As true explorers we travel through the countries of Central Asia and visit many legendary ancient caravan cities such as Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand.
We eventually reach Europe again in Turkey.
Travel with your own motorhome over the Northern Old- and the Southern Old Silk Road!
This is a journey that will let the hearts of true overlanders beat faster. This impressive overland journey in the footsteps of Marco Polo and Alexander the Great over a part of the network of caravan routes, the once important trade route between East and West, is a special experience. As true explorers we travel through the countries of Central Asia and visit many legendary ancient caravan cities such as Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand. In addition, we drive through varied landscapes with ever other decors of deserts, oases and vast mountain ranges. We follow the route of the Old Silk Road back through cities like Isfahan and Ashgabat and Tabaz getting back in Europe, where we eventually return. All ancient cities on the Old Silk Road are full of beautiful oriental architecture with beautiful minarets, mosques and medressas’s, decorated with turquoise mosaics. We visit the colourful bazaars and souks, their location betrayed by the delicious spices that you smell from a distance. Sometimes we cannot believe our eyes and have the feeling that we find ourselves in the middle ages and we experience trading drift of yesteryear. The Old Silk Road is still vivid and the magic is palpable present!
‘The Old Silk Road’ is an ‘Individual Guided Adventurous Overland Journey’© which you can make with your own motorhome with many highlights through the countries of Central Asia. With a dozen border crossings, a distance of app. 17.000km and the length of nearly 4 months is this one of the most adventurous guided overland motorhome tours on the Ancient Silk Road. It is a journey in which we slowly travel and with much non-driving days in the program.
It is certainly going to be an adventurous and unforgettable journey with many beautiful and unusual encounters and impressions. We will travel as true pioneers on unfamiliar roads and often far from the beaten tourist track and visit sights that are not overrun by the general public. Experiences and discoveries of the developers of this journey, make it possible to visit these special places and to experience and encounter with different cultures.
Through this journey, we want to introduce you to the wealth of nations and cultures of the countries where we travel through. You come into contact with so many different ethnic and nomadic groups, each with their own way of life. These people are very friendly, welcoming, and curious and look forward to meet you, both in rural and urban areas. In these countries there are a lot of the areas, which we travel through with mostly little tourism. As a result, the population still responds spontaneously and is really looking forward to the arrival of us as visitors.
• An ‘Individual Guided Adventurous Overland Journey’© from approx. 96days
• The Northern and Southern Old Silk Road
• Drive around one of world’s largest mountain lakes, Yssyk Köl
• Visit Jeti Ögüz and Song Köl Lake at 3016 m
• Drive several passes above 3.500m
• Caravan cities such as a.o. Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand
• Darwaza gas craters and Ashgabat the white marble city
• Visit a.o. Tabaz and Chak Chak, Shiraz and Isfahan.
• Drive via the Caucasus Mountains
• Göreme in Cappadocia
• Journey ends in Turkey
This journey is guided by a professional team of highly experienced overland travellers and various local guides. This international team has been carefully selected to make this journey together with you to an unforgettable adventure.
We start our journey in Lithuania in the picturesque and colourful Vilnius, from where we cross the border into the first country of the former Soviet Union.
• Per person € 4.950,- , based on 2 persons per vehicle
• Solo traveller: € 6.950,-
• Travel dates 2018: 27 June to 30 September 2018 | FULL
• Travel dates 2020: 25 June to 28 September 2020• Amount of days: 96
• Information and meeting day participants: 28 and 29 March 2018
• Start location: Rezenke, Latvia
• End location: Aktras, Turkey
• Amount of kilometers ca. 17.000 km
• Suitable for motorhome | travel vehicle | 4×4 travel vehicle
• Number of participants: maximum 12 vehicles
• Competent and professional journey guidance Dutch | German | English speaking
• ‘Individual Guided Adventurous Overland Journey’© of 90 days
• Back up and support by local guides and interpreters in several countries
• Roadmaps of all the countries in this journey
• Maps for Garmin navigation device of the countries we travel through, provided with the tracks
• Expedition Far East Road-book© with GPS coordinates of the sightseeings and overnight locations
• Overnight locations, excursions, entrance tickets and meals according the programme
• Consultancy and advice on the equipment of the vehicle
• Reccomandations and advice for the travel pharmacy
• Advice regarding the most necessary spare parts and tools for the vehicle
• Information and meetingday participants 2-3 months before departure
• Assistance and applications of the visa’s
• Intensive guidance with the preparing of the journey
• Fuel and toll costs
• Costs for taking an extra vehicle (quad, motorcycle, scooter etc.)
• Parking costs and other costs related to the vehicle
• Visa costs and all related costs to the application of the visa’s, fees and letters of Invitations
• Walkie-talkies, CB-radio, 2 meterband-radio
• Entrance tickets, excursions and meals outside the programme
• Personal expenditures and tips
• Optional hotel accommodations during the journey
• Registration costs for the obligatory registration in Russia and CIS countries
• 2e Passport and head pictures
• Insurance of the vehicle and insurance card for the concerned countries, explicitly also for the countries not listed on the insurance card; mandatory
• Carnet de passage (ADAC) for Iran
• Liability insurance relating the vehicle, in some countries it is mandatory to buy one at the border
• Cancellation insurance
• Spare parts for the vehicle, tools and any possible tools like towing cables etc.
• Tips for guides, these are going to be collected at the beginning of the journey
• Border costs, will be cashed at the start of the journey
• Costs for the journey to the starting location and back from the end destination of the journey to home or any place
• SIM cards for mobile phone | internet
• Navigation device
• Vaccinations
• Travelinsurance with worldcoverage incl. repatriation, medical insurance and cancellation insurance are mandatory
• Experienced travel guidance
• Travel guidance has an First Aid and AED certificate
• AED present
• Satellite phone present
• Participant is in sufficient physical and mental health condition to be able to participate on the journey “The Old Silk Road”
• The vehicle of the participant is in excellent technical condition
• International participants
• No driving in convoy, unless obliged by (local) authorities
•Participants takes part in traffic with his/her own vehicle entirely at his/her own risk
Registration has started! Should you wish to receive a detailed itinerary and conditions please let you know.
a
a
A journey over the northern and southern ancient Old Silk Road through the countries of the former Soviet Union, Iran and Turkey is not an all day journey you ‘just simply’ make. It is a long journey of 3 months, which requires a thorough preparation from both of us, as well the organisation, as you as a participant.
The main goal of this journey is not to enjoy a relaxing holiday, but to get to know and experience the wealth and treasures of the nations and cultures of the countries where we will travel through. We are above all travellers. You will get in contact with many different ethnic and nomadic groups, who each have their own way of life. These local people are very friendly, welcoming and curious about you, as well in rural as urban areas.
In the countries we will visit and the areas, where we will be travelling through there is little to none tourism, so that the local people respond spontaneously to the arrival of us as visitors.
You drive this journey with your own vehicle at your own risk.
To make this motorhome journey not only to a beautiful adventure, but also organizational to a good result, we use during this journey the guidance of a good and knowledgeable team of highly experienced overland travellers. The guidance will be assisted by local guides and interpreters where necessary and they will possibly travel along with us for a part of the journey.
This journey is organised by Expedition Far East. The terms and conditions of Expedition Fare East are valid.
Our Individual Guided Adventurous Overland Journeys© goes through countries with very different customs and habits then we are used to. Not often there can be fulfilled to our Western European expectations and standards and there is usually not a luxury campsite available in these countries. Therefore a journey like this demands a flexible altitude of the participants, a good physical and mental condition and health. As well the vehicles have to be in excellent condition.
You drive at your own speed and pace. You will receive the Expedition Far East Road-book© with detailed information and the necessary information on attractions and sights and the GPS coordinates to be able to arrive at the next overnight location. We don’t drive convoy, unless absolutely necessary or when it is obliged by the local governments. You can leave in the morning, whenever it is the most convenient for you and stop as often as you like, to have as much individual freedom as possible. Plenty of time to fully enjoy and in the evening you don’t need extra time to search a safe overnight spot, very relaxing!
An ‘Individual Guided Adventurous Overland Journey©’ of Expedition Far East has many advantages. One of the most important ones is that we only travel in small groups; maximum up to 12 vehicles. Further advantages are; always a back-up from fellow travellers and the journey guidance, the sense of security far away from home, supported by experienced guidance, difficult border crossings we always take as a group together and when necessary, with the help of local guides, a safe overnight place and from special value, cosy spontaneous evenings together, to share our experiences and adventures.
The route and itinerary are designed with the maximum possible interesting touristic highlights and sites are included on our route. Many are included in the program, others are optional. Of course, we also did take into account the overnight places and we have done our best effort to stay at the most beautiful places and locations. The daily distances range from 75 to 400km per day and are so divided that we have enough time to visit the sights and attractions, to take a break, to do some shopping and to relax. Obviously there are many non driving days, so you will be able to organise your own day. You will receive the Expedition Far East Road-book© with the day schedule and lots of tips and information, interesting sights and the overnight location related information and the required GPS coordinates.
This journey can be made with an average camper. It is not necessary to have a 4WD, but of course may be very useful, if you have one. However, you must realise that a journey like this is also very heavy for the vehicle. Campers with an overhang at the back of more than 3,5 meters, behind the rear axle, cannot participate in this journey. Strong suspensions and very good shock absorbers are a must!
Most of the countries which we travel through are both politically and economically rather stable. The crime rate has dropped and the purchasing power of the people is fortunately rising almost everywhere. With our campers we are at no greater risk as when we are travelling through European countries. We travel through 9 countries and we keep informed during our journey about the security situations in the areas we are going to travel through
Most of the roads on our route are asphalted. Only less than 10% of this journey we drive over unpaved roads. Parts of this are sometimes in very bad or poor condition! Often the roads are to be compared with the roads in Europe, sometimes even better. But the asphalt in these countries has often suffered heavily from the high temperatures in the summer and the extreme winter conditions. Large potholes in the roads will not be strange. In the big cities the roads are often crowded and it is just as back home in the traffic jams!
We will barely overnight at campsites at this journey, because in the areas we cross, there are none. We will stay at safe overnight places. As far as possible this will be wild camps in free nature and if not possible at hotels, churches, sport complexes or just a parking spot or something similar. Therefore it is necessary that you can be self-supporting for a few days concerning food, bathroom, shower and electricity.
