Days 1-2 IstanbulTravel to Turkey and start your adventure in Istanbul. Have your fortune told in the Taksim, bargain up a storm in the Grand Bazaar or admire the imposing Blue Mosque. Day 3 Tuz Golu/Bush CampCamp beside the salty Tuz Golu lake. Days 4-5 GoremeDiscover Cappadocia's Goreme Valley and underground troglodyte cities and caves. Days 6-7 Bush CampHead east before making camp in rural Turkey. Day 8 DogubeyazitSituated at the foot of Mt Ararat, Dogubeyazit's Ishak Pasha Palace is well worth a visit. Day 9 KandovanCross the border into Iran and explore this bizarre volcanic village. Day 10 ZanjanShop in Zanjan's thriving bazaars. Days 11-12 TehranTravel to Tehran and trawl the souqs of this sprawling city. Days 13-15 EsfahanVisit the blue tiled Mosques of Esfahan. Days 16-17 Persepolis/ShirazAdmire the incredible ruins of Persepolis, once known as the 'City of the Persians'. Day 18 Zein-o-din CaravanseraiStay in traditional silk road accommodation. Days 19-20 YazdWind through the old city of Yazd and sign up for a scrub in a local hamam. Day 21 Dasht-e Kavir Desert/KhoorTravel through stunning desert landscapes to the village of Khoor. Day 22 DamghanSee the ancient Jamrh Mosque. Day 23 ShirvanExplore Shirvan's tranquil gardens and natural springs. Days 24-25 AshgabatLeave Iran and travel to Turkmenistan's futuristic-looking city of Ashgabat. Day 26 DarvazaCamp in the Karakum Desert on the way to Darvaza. Perhaps see the breathtaking Darvaza gas crater. Day 27 Bush CampContinue the Overland journey through the Karakum Desert, and take in the parched landscape of Asia's hottest desert. Days 28-29 KhivaGaze up at the ancient walls surrounding Khiva on the Silk Road. Days 30-32 BukharaGet to know the bustling atmosphere of Bukhara, Central Asia's holiest city. Day 33 NurataSpend a night in a desert yurt camp among the rolling dunes of the Kyzylkhum Desert. Days 34-36 SamarkandLarger-than-life monuments and a technicolour bazaar make Samarkand one of Central Asia's most magical destinations. Days 37-39 TashkentCheck out a risque cabaret show over dinner in one Tashkent's old Russian bars or shop at the Chorsu Bazaar for some USSR souvenirs.
|