Silk Road Wonders: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan & Tajikistan

Twelve days across three Central Asian countries, tracing the old Silk Road from Turkmenistan's marble capital through Uzbekistan's great trading cities to Tajikistan's mountains. It's a lot of ground, but the route is built to earn every stop rather than rush past it.

You start in Ashgabat, an oddly grand city of white marble, then head into the Karakum Desert to see the Darvaza gas crater burning at night. From there it's on to Uzbekistan for Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand, the three cities that made this route famous, before finishing among Tajikistan's mountain lakes.

This is a small group trip, fully guided, with a mix of private and shared rooms depending on what you book. Easy-paced by day, but it does cover three countries in under two weeks.

What you'll do

• Wander Ashgabat's marble-clad city centre
• Watch the Darvaza gas crater burn after dark in the Karakum Desert
• Explore the old city walls and minarets of Khiva
• Walk through Bukhara's historic centre
• See the Registan and the rest of Samarkand's Silk Road architecture
• Finish among Tajikistan's mountain lakes