Tour Istanbul To Beijing Group Overland Tour

Guide

Services of your expedition leader/driver are included.

Transport

We will be travelling in a purpose-built Madventure overland vehicle 100% of the time on this expedition. A standard bus simply wouldn’t be able to tackle many of the roads we travel on. The overland vehicle we use is a custom-built expedition truck which can accommodate up to 36 people although most of our expeditions travel with approximately 25 people. Comfort and safety is of course a big factor during expeditions of this length and nature so all our vehicles have high-backed coach seats with safety belts. The seating is on the upper level of the vehicle giving you an almost 360° view of the surrounding scenery. Our vehicles are designed to allow sufficient luggage storage and are also equipped with lockers to keep all your all your gear safe. Our long range diesel and water tanks ensure our self sufficiency in remote areas and the equipment we take with us is also of vital importance. In case of a breakdown we are equipped with a good selection of spare parts as well as a comprehensive tool kit to undertake any necessary repairs on our own as and when we need to. There may also be times when we get stuck in the sand or mud when travelling off road so all necessary recovery equipment such as sand mats, cables, ropes, shovels and pickaxes are also on board. We spend a lot of nights around the campfire so we take along good axes and saws for the times when we have to replenish our wood supply. We usually carry 500 litres of treated drinking water and we are equipped with a good kitchen which includes all cutlery, plates, cups, pots and pans, utensils, gas cooker, BBQ grate, etc. All our vehicles are equipped with a small fridge which is used for the cook groups food only. For personal food & drinks we have cooler boxes for everyone to use. Fold up chairs are provided for outdoor seating and we also have a large tarpaulin to keep us dry on those rainy days. Our vehicles are equipped with USB charging points only so try and bring all of your important electronic devices such as telephone, tablet & head-torch to charge from a USB socket. We do not have a 120V or 240V power supply on the vehicle but you will have the opportunity to charge your 120/240V electronic equipment when we stay at campsites & hotels. We carry solar showers and a toilet tent with us for those times when we are bush camping without amenities. We carry a comprehensive first aid kit for emergencies but we do recommend you bring your own for general use.

Meals

Eating well is a very important factor on our expeditions and good food is vital for everyone’s health and well-being so we always strive to prepare healthy, wholesome and plentiful meals. We will be cooking a lot of meals from our own kitchen on the truck. When we are camping we usually eat breakfast and the evening meal from the truck. For lunch we usually stop at a cheap local restaurant giving you a chance to taste the local fare too. Lunches are at your own expense. When we are staying in hotels/guest houses/hostels (usually in cities) it is often impractical to cook on the truck so we do not provide any meals at these times. When it comes to shopping and cooking we will divide ourselves up into groups of 3 or 4 people (depending on group size) who will shop for and prepare the day’s meals and clean up at the end. This will work out that you roughly get to cook once a week (depending on numbers). Fresh food is generally available daily so we try and eat meat and vegetables for every main evening meal. We do also cater for vegetarians but we cannot cater for fussiness. In these group situations everybody must appreciate we cannot cater for individual likes and dislikes. Don’t worry if you are not a gourmet cook as your crew are also always there to give advice. All our vehicles are equipped with a small fridge which is used for the cook groups food only. For personal food & drinks we have cooler boxes for everyone to use. Cleanliness plays an important role throughout this expedition and your crew will make sure an acceptable level of general hygiene is maintained throughout your journey to ensure the well-being of the group.

Accommodation

You will spend 50% of your time on this expedition in your tent camping and 50% of your time staying in local hotels, guest houses and hostels. Quite often we will camp by ourselves out in the bush or in the desert and other times we will use designated campsites with amenities. The majority of our bush camp locations are usually very scenic and we always strive to find the perfect spot on the banks of a river, overlooking a canyon, behind a dune in the desert, etc. but sometimes we just have to camp wherever we can find a spot. From past experience on expeditions of this length and nature we have found that people prefer to supply their own tents as they are then not forced to share and they can pick a tent that suits their needs. As a general rule, try and choose a good quality lightweight and waterproof free-standing tent that is easy to erect, take down and carry. When we are not camping (usually in cities) we always try to use decent, clean budget hotels, guest houses and hostels, however, taking into consideration the sometimes unpredictable nature of this expedition and the remoteness of some of the areas we visit, please be aware that in some circumstances we just have to take what we can get – good or bad. When staying in hotels/guest houses/hostels you can expect to share your room with other expedition members of both sexes.

Others

Services of your expedition leader/driver Use of our own custom-built expedition vehicle and equipment Diesel, mechanics, shipping and any other costs relating to the vehicle Ferry tickets (when travelling as a group) An average of 2 meals a day while camping (usually breakfast and the evening meal) All accommodation costs (approx. 50% camping & yurts, 50% hotels, guest-houses & hostels) National Park entry fees when we enter as a group with our vehicle Local transportation costs (if required)

Not included:

Optional

Turkey Blue Mosque, Istanbul Free 3 day Istanbul Museums pass £20 Underground Cistern, Istanbul £5 Bosphorus boat cruise, Istanbul £12 Gallipoli museum £4 Gallipoli sites tour Free Troy Ruins £5 Ephesus Ruins, Selcuk £8 Pamukkale calcium pools £6 Ilhara Valley Walk, Cappadocia £5 Ballooning, Cappadocia £100 Zelve open air museum, Goreme £5 Underground city, Cappadocia £5 Belly-dancing evening, Cappadocia £20 Sumela monastery, Black Sea Coast £5 Georgia Gonio Fortress, Batumi £1 Sataplia National park £2 Bagrati Cathedral, Kutaisi Free Vardzia cave Monastery complex £1 Narikala Fortress, Tbilisi Free Ananuri Fortress Free Kazbegi day hike Free Armenia Genocide Museum, Yerevan Free Erebuni Fortress & Museum, Yerevan £2 Cascade Museum, Yerevan Free Khor Virap Monastery, Mt. Ararat Free Haghpat Monastery, Debed Canyon £2 Azerbaijan Sheki Caravanserai Free Khan’s Palace, Sheki £2 Palace of the Shiranshas, Baku £2 Carpet museum, Baku £3 Gobustan petroglyphs, Caspian Sea £3 Mud volcanoes, Caspian Sea Free Turkmenistan Saparmurat Hajji Mosque, Ashgabat Free Hike to Darvaza Gas Crater Free Jeep to Darvaza Gas Crater £10 Konye Urgench ruins £5 Uzbekistan Khiva highlights pass £12 Bukhara walking tour Free Registan, Samarkand £7 Tajikistan Hike round lake Iskander Kul Free Pamir Highway Free Kyrgyzstan Yurt stay, Lake Song Kol Free Horse riding (per hour), Lake Song Kol £3 Jeti Oghuz hike Free Kazakhstan Tamgaly petroglyphs £10 Cable Car, Almaty £3 China Uighur Old Village, Turpan £4 Jiaohe ruins, Turpan £4 Mogao caves, Dunhuang £25 Rainbow mountain day trip £20 West end of Great Wall, Jiayuguan £6 Bingling Si caves £5 Terracotta Warriors, Xian £15 Pingyao city pass £15 Forbidden City, Beijing £6 Great Wall, Beijing £5

Flights

No flights are expected on this expedition but if for any reason we do have to fly we do not provide any flights.

Insurance

It is compulsory that every person who travels with Madventure obtain travel insurance for the complete duration of the tour. Proof of travel insurance must be shown before joining a tour. You may be covered under your credit card’s travel insurance so it might be worth checking with your credit card provider first. There are various travel insurance companies to choose from and a Google search will bring up a vast selection but for a comprehensive reliable policy that includes Covid Cover and Medical Repatriation we recommend a London based company named Campbell Irvine, Telephone: +44 20 7938 1734, https://microsite.campbellirvinedirect.com/madventure/. They are familiar with what we do so if you mention Madventure and the tour you are travelling on they should be able to provide excellent cover for you. For people based in North America a company called Allianz offers good cover – Telephone: +1 866 884 3556, www.allianztravelinsurance.com If you choose to obtain your travel insurance through another company please ensure you read the small-print and make sure your policy includes Covid Cover and Medical Repatriation.

Others

Personal travel insurance Personal spending money (£100 – £120 per week recommended) Visas & Letters of Invitation (approximately £600 depending on nationality) Lunches Meals while staying in hotels/guest houses/hostels Accommodation upgrades Entrance fees to optional sites and parks Any optional activities Any flights (no flights expected) Tent, roll mat, sleeping bag & pillow

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1-11: Turkey
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1-11: Turkey

Our journey begins in Istanbul, the city that separates Europe from Asia has it all, and you will revel in the history and culture it offers. Take a boat trip up the Bosphorus, marvel at the Aya Sofya and explore the opulent Topkapi Palace. At the end of the day soak your aches away in the Turkish baths and tantalise your taste buds with Turkish delights!

The battlefields of Gallipoli are our next destination where we pay tribute to the thousands of Aussies, Kiwis, Brits and Turks who lost their lives here in 1915. A truly moving experience.

Historic Troy is an interesting stop on our way down the Turquoise coast to the great Roman ruins of Ephesus. Here we camp on the beach and have a day to explore the ruins and enjoy the sunshine.

Pamukkale presents us with a dazzling white mountainside of natural terrace pools where we get to spend the afternoon soaking ourselves or exploring the ancient Byzantine city of Hierapolis.

Inland on the plateau we reach the fairy-tale wonderland of Cappadocia with spectacular canyons, ancient caves and underground cities carved into the geologically diverse land. Start your day with an amazing hot-air balloon ride and finish it off at a raucous night of belly dancing!

Close to the Black Sea we visit the awe-inspiring Sumela Monastery and marvel at the Byzantine frescoes in an amazing cliff-face setting before continuing along the coast towards Georgia.
Day 2 Day 12-25: Georgia & Armenia
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 12-25: Georgia & Armenia

Our first stop in Georgia is at the almost completely intact Roman fortress of Gonio with its 18 magnificent towers and ancient bath-house.

Kutaisi is Georgia’s second city and one of the world’s most ancient. Here you can explore the Bagrati Cathedral, the History Museum and the Old Jewish district.

Close by and well worth a few hours is Sataplia Nature Reserve, home to magnificent caves and the world’s largest collection of dinosaur tracks.

Vardzia is a beautiful cliff-side cave monastery site that we visit for a step back in time and a delicious trout lunch next to the river.

We now head for Armenia and their capital city Yerevan where you have a couple of days to explore the museums, churches, markets and restaurants that make Armenia such a delight.

On our journey towards the mountains dotted with ancient caravanserais we visit the monastery of Khor Virap with it’s wonderful location beneath Mt. Ararat before heading to the turquoise waters of Lake Sevan where we wild-camp on the lakeshore.

Winding our way north through the breathtaking Debed Gorge our last stop in Armenia is at the fabulously located Haghpat Monastery.

Back in Georgia we arrive at Tbilisi, the beating heart of the country where we have a day or two to wander the cobbled streets of the old town, visit the numerous historical churches, museums and fortresses and of course indulge in fine Georgian cuisine.

A trip to Georgia would not be complete without a trip up the Military Highway to the beautifully located town of Kazbegi situated within a stunning mountain range close to the Russian border. Hiking is the most popular activity here and the hour long trek up to the spectacular monastery is well worth the effort as too is the overnight trek to the glacier.
Day 3 Day 26-30: Azerbaijan
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 26-30: Azerbaijan

Our first stop is at Sheki, a lovely town nestled into a beautifully forested valley. The town was an important stop on the ancient Silk Route and is also home to the beautiful Khan Palace and a wonderful old caravanserai.

On the shores of the Caspian Sea, one of the world’s largest bodies of fresh-water, we visit bizarre mud volcanoes and the ancient Gobustan petroglyphs.

The cosmopolitan capital of Baku is an oil rich city and exploring the city’s old town filled with mosques, museums, galleries and palaces is a great day out.

From Baku we now take a ferry across the Caspian Sea to Turkmenistan. Please note that this ferry has no schedule so we can not fix dates for this journey, the ferry arrives when it arrives, usually every 3 or 4 days, so we may end up departing Baku earlier or later than originally planned.
Day 4 Day 31-36: Turkmenistan
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 31-36: Turkmenistan

From the port of Turkmenbashi we head east and spend our first night at Kow Ata where you can bathe in the warm waters of an underground lake.

Close by and worth a visit is Geok-Depe, site of the Turkmen’s last stand against the Russians, and today home to the futuristic Saparmurat Hajji Mosque which also contains the mausoleum of the eccentric ex-president Niyazov.

We continue to the capital city Ashgabat where it seems the current president is using the country’s wealth to build an entire city out of white marble – you have to see it to believe it! Bring your sunglasses as exploring the city’s monuments and palaces is a brilliant experience.

Heading north into the blistering heat of the Karakum (black sand) desert we camp in the dunes and have the opportunity to take a 2 hour walk to the unusual Darvaza Gas Craters. More commonly referred to as the ‘Gates of Hell’ this burning crater makes for a surreal desert experience and is best viewed at night.

Leaving the harsh desert behind our last stop is at Konye-Urgench, beautiful ancient ruins that were once the centre of the Islamic world.
Day 5 Day 37-45: Uzbekistan
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 37-45: Uzbekistan

The perfectly preserved world heritage town of Khiva is our first stop here where we have time to explore the blue-tiled Mosques, ancient mausoleums, glorious palaces, sky-high minarets and thriving bazaars that make this town a firm favourite.

We continue to Bukhara, Central Asia’s holiest city where it is possible to get a glimpse into the past by viewing the architectural preserve of the royal fortress and vast market complex.

Our journey now takes us through the Kyzylkum (red sand) desert where we have a chance of spotting the Uzbek nomads before arriving at the Silk Route city of Samarkand. This city of domes and minarets has some fantastic attractions including the beautiful Registan, Guri Amir Mausoleum and Bibi-Khanym Mosque.
Day 6 Day 46-55: Tajikistan
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 46-55: Tajikistan

Our first couple of days in this mountainous country are spent at the beautiful lake Iskandar Kul where you have the chance to enjoy some of Central Asia’s most beautiful scenery.

With a cool backdrop of mountains, lazy tree-lined avenues and pastel-hued neoclassical buildings, we move on to Dushanbe, Central Asia’s best-looking capital.

Our journey east now takes us to an area that has been off-limits to travellers until recently – the Pamir Highway. Regarded as one of the world’s most scenic drives we now wind our way along this extremely remote high-altitude road and take in the mountain scenery of a region populated by yurts and yaks and studded with deep-blue lakes.
Day 7 Day 56-65: Kyrgyzstan
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 56-65: Kyrgyzstan

This is a land of magnificent mountains and ice-blue lakes and we spend our first couple of days making our way through the picturesque valleys.

A winding dirt track takes us up to the alpine lake Song-Kol where we get our first experience of staying in a yurt with a nomadic tribe who set up camp here every summer on the green pastures surrounding the lake. Horse riding, hiking and fishing are popular activities in this remote area.

We now head for the beautiful lake Issyk-Kol, the world’s second largest alpine lake. Working our way around the lake we spend a couple of days at Jeti Oguz where you have the option of trekking into the lush surrounding mountains to explore the area’s natural beauty.

Bizarre Bishkek is the capital where you can sing Karaoke at a street stall, beat yourself with a birch branch at the local baths and do vodka shots at the expats bar.
Day 8 Day 66-69: Kazakhstan
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 66-69: Kazakhstan

Our first day here is spent visiting bronze-age petroglyphs in a lushly vegetated canyon at Tamgaly.

Our next stop is the economic hub of the country – Almaty, a modern city with great museums and wonderful restaurants, but should you wish to escape the rat-race then take the popular cable-car up to the top of a nearby hill for a fantastic view over the region.

The desert terrain of eastern Kazakhstan opens up into the beautiful fairy-tale rock formations of the Charyn Canyon National Park and it is here we spend our last day enjoying nature and taking advantage of the canyon hiking and rafting options on offer.
Day 9 Day 70-91: China
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 70-91: China

We enter China via a remote western border and spend our first few days camping on the fringes of the Taklamakan and Gobi Deserts studded with the odd emerald lake.

Officially the hottest place in China, the oasis town of Turpan is a welcome break where you have the chance to visit a traditional Uyghur Village as well as the crumbling remains of the ancient city Jiaohe.

In Dunhuang we find the amazing Buddhist caves of Mogao where a few hours can be enjoyed marveling at hundreds of giant statues of Buddha, vibrant murals and multi-tiered temples.

We continue into the Gobi Desert where you will have the option to visit the western end of the Great Wall in Jiayuguan as well as a few other natural sites such as the fabulous Rainbow Mountains.

At Bingling Si we discover a series of Buddhist sculptures carved into caves within a canyon along the Yellow River where a precarious wooden walkway allows you to get close to some of the hidden cliff-face caves and the giant Maitreya Buddha.

In Tianshui we visit the Maiji caves where thousands of statues and frescoes remain within the grotto.

Xian gives you have the opportunity to visit the famous Terracotta Warriors and see the archaeologists at work uncovering new finds.

We continue to the well-preserved ancient walled city of Pingyao where we spend a day exploring the atmospheric cobbled streets of this typically Chinese town.

On our way to Beijing we visit the iconic Great Wall of China before spending our last day in the capital exploring Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the amazing museums. A fitting end to an incredible Silk Road Tour!

91 days tour

Istanbul To Beijing Group Overland Tour

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Istanbul To Beijing Group Overland Tour

Day 1-11: Turkey

Day 12-25: Georgia & Armenia

Day 26-30: Azerbaijan

Day 31-36: Turkmenistan

Day 37-45: Uzbekistan

Day 46-55: Tajikistan

Day 56-65: Kyrgyzstan

Day 66-69: Kazakhstan

Day 70-91: China

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