Despite its age, the Silk Road keeps adding new routes, now experience the Silk Road via train for those who can still find the time to appreciate traveling the Silk Road by train is a delight.
Dating back to the time of Alexander the Great, the road progressively took outline during following centuries as traders and explorers like Marco Polo came to promote it.
Now things are changing, now the train has not been a fast way to travel as well. A lot of money is now invested in central Asia to its new infrastructure, high-speed trains and glitzy train stations to ensure the tourist to have a better travel experience.
Traveling the skill road by train is still more comfortable and only slightly cheaper than the flights, more fun than an airplane and more ecological.
Price Ticket Alternatives
The rail community of central Asia and the Caucasus has been largely constructed up by using the Soviets (considering the fact that independence by using the Chinese) and nonetheless operates on the same time-examined mechanisms. For long-distance routes, there are 4 options, even though no longer all may be to be had in your preferred direction.
Lyux/SV: A separate, lockable compartment with the simplest 2 berths.
Kupe: A separate, lockable compartment with four berths: 2 bottom bunks and 2 pinnacle bunks.
Platzkart: An open wagon divided in cubicles of 6 beds: three bottoms and 3 top bunks.
Obshye: No dozing space, handiest a seat.
obviously, lyux will be the maximum costly, with obshye being the cheapest.
Orient Silk Road Express time table
2018: 11 Apr, 17 Oct
2019: 28 Mar, 3 Oct
2019: 10 Apr, 16 Oct
Train Route:
Ashgabat
visit the Countrywide Museum of Turkmenistan, the Independence park with the Arch of Neutrality and Ruhy mosque, the biggest mosque in complete significant Asia and Ertugrul Gazi Mosque.
Ashgabat
Go to the Oriental bazaar AltynAsyr regarded for its range of Turkmen carpets and handicrafts, drive westward to Nisa, a UNESCO cultural historical site. After lunch, go to the national Carpet museum, in which you may see the most important hand-made carpet in the world (size 14×20 meters). continue to peer the Turkmen Ahalteke horses, a very antique breed of horses which is about 5,000 years.
Ashgabat (embarkation)
Pressure south to Akhal vicinity nowadays for the Anau village, with the remains of ancient and medieval settlements close to the village. maintain to the remains of Seyitdzhemaliddin Mosque.
Merv
Within the early morning your private teach will arrive at the UNESCO international background website online of Merv with its large partitions and ramparts within the wasteland and the astonishing ruins of antique buildings together with the Mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar, the Virgin castle (Kis Kale), the bloodless room. enjoy lunch with a nearby own family and return for your train and head for Bukhara.
Bukhara
In the vintage metropolis (UNESCO-world lifestyle history), see the Kaljan Minaret and the Labi-Hauz Ensemble. In the front of the Nasreddin-on-the-donkey monument, you’ll pay attention to a few anecdotes about him. You’ll have dinner with musical accompaniment, local dances and a presentation of colourful countrywide costumes.
Khiva
After breakfast, you may visit the Southern border of the seven river lands, inside the oasis of Khiva. On a tour, you see palaces, mosques, minarets, mausoleums, and Koran faculties show you what medieval oriental city development need to have been like. you will experience lunch within the atmosphere of the previous summer season Palace of the Emir.
Samarkand
Spend the day traveling the maximum stunning metropolis within the world in Tamerlane’s time: the grave town Shah-e-Zende (“the living Shah”), the excavation websites of Afrosiab and the Registan rectangular gift an excellent series of important Asian architecture.
Tashkent
On your sightseeing excursion, you’ll experience the inexperienced oasis of the Steppe: The Madrasah Kukeldash, the Kavoj, and Amir Timur monuments and the opera. In the evening you may attend Tashkent’s famous Navoi Opera or a concert inside the Tashkent Philharmonic hall (application allowing). Afterward, your train departs for Kazakhstan.
Almaty
Arrive in Almaty after lunch. enjoy a metropolis sightseeing excursion of Almaty, located at the foothills of the northern Tien Shan Mountains. There are attractive, huge, tree-covered avenues, many parks, and street cafes. visit the Zenkov Russian Cathedral, one of the globe’s tallest all-wood homes, the wedding palace, the circus, and the valuable mosque. In the evening, you may revel in a unique farewell dinner in a-particular yurts. stay a night in Almaty to your departure on nest day.