Day 1London
Depart Heathrow today on your overnight flight to Beijing.
On arrival into Beijing, collect your luggage and transfer to your flight to Xian, the ancient eastern source of the Silk Route. Here you will be met by your local guide and driver and be taken to your hotel within the city walls for the night.
Your guide and driver will meet you again this morning and take you to the airport, stopping at the excellent Hanyangling Tombs. Fly to Dunhuang - an oasis town in the Gobi desert where you local guide and driver will be waiting to take you to your hotel.
Visit the famous UNESCO World Heritage site of Mogao this morning, more commonly known as the Thousand Buddha Caves, for a tour with a specialist guide. This afternoon, visit the towering Mingsha sand dunes - arguably some of the highest in the world, before taking your overnight train through the desert to Turpan.
On arrival into Turpan this morning, you will be taken to your hotel for breakfast. Later, visit the ransacked caves at Bezeklik in the striking Flaming Mountains before a walk through a traditional Uighur village in the beautiful Tuyaq Valley. Return to Turpan later this afternoon via the ruins of the once great city of Gaochang and the nearby Tombs of Astana, home to two remarkable well preserved mummies.
Spend this morning at the ruined city of Jiaohe, once one of the most important cities in this part of the world. Return to Turpan this evening via the karez irrigation system museum.
From Turpan, drive through the desert to the provincial capital of Xinjiang province - Urumqi - for your flight over the snow-capped Tian Shan mountains to the legendary city of Kashgar; China's westernmost city.
Today, drive along the breathtaking Karakoram Highway surrounded by 7000m peaks on all sides, to beautiful lake Karakul which sits in the shadow of Mt Muztagh (7546m). This is likely to be one of the highlights of the entire trip.
This is the day of the world famous Kashgar Sunday market. Spend this morning at the bustling livestock market with your guide - one of the most photogenic places on the trip. This afternoon, explore the main bazaar in the city centre.
From Kashgar, you will be driven to the Torugart Pass (3752m) high in the Tian Shan mountains this morning where your Kygyz guide and driver will be waiting for you. Spend tonight in traditional yurt accommodation in the remote and beautiful Tash Rabat valley.
Continue your journey deeper into Kyrgyzstan with a full day drive to the small town of Karakol in the east of the country. On route, skirt the southern edge of picturesque Lake Issyk-kul.
Spend today walking in the gorgeous alpine valley of Jeti Oghuz - a short distance from Karakol. This is just one of many valleys that extends deep into the Tian Shan mountains.
From Karakol, drive around northern edge of Lake Issyk-kul to the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek today, arriving late this afternoon.
You will be taken to the airport for your flight over the Ferghana range to Tashkent in neighbouring Uzbekistan today where your Uzbek guide and driver will be waiting to take you to your hotel.
Return to the airport this morning for your flight across the Kyzyl Kum desert to Urgench, from where you will be taken to the walled city of Khiva today. Spend the rest of the day exploring the city within Khiva's infamous city walls with your guide.
Leave Khiva for Bukhara this morning, travelling through the vast Kyzyl Kum desert and crossing the mighty Amu Darya en route. Expect to arrive into 'the Holy City of Bukhara' late this afternoon.
Explore some of the many highlights of Bukhara with your guide today, including the ominous Ark where Connolly and Stoddart famously met their fate in June 1842.
Today is entirely at leisure to people-watch or continue your exploration of Bukhara as you wish.
From Bukhara, you will be driven to the legendary city of Samarkand today, stopping at Tamerlane's former hometown of Shakhrisabz en route.
Visit the mighty Registan, Avenue of Tombs and Bibi Khanym mosque with your guide today - likely to be another highlight of your trip.
You will be driven back to Tashkent today in time for your flight back to the UK this afternoon.