This one-of-a-kind expedition explores the incredible story of the conquest of the Silk Road in Central Asia. From Cyrus the Great and the Persian God Kings, through to the invasion of Alexander the Great and the Seleucids, the early days of conquest saw the bloody transfer of power among the great empires of the day. Following the Arab invasions and the Islamic Golden Age, the Silk Road was almost totally destroyed by Genghis Khan and the waves of Mogul attacks, whilst the rise of Timur saw the rebuilding of this fabled trade route to its former glory.
Taking in the iconic sites of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, our expedition explores the life and times of these great conquerors and the worlds they destroyed and created. The expedition includes a 4×4 desert crossing of the remote Garagum (Karakum) Desert as well as an exploration of the rarely visited Aral Sea and a camp on its diminishing shore.
We stay in the finest hotels Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan has to offer and set up an exclusive tented camp in the fields outside the remarkable 4500-year-old city of Gonur Depe. Throughout our journey, we are joined by leading Central Asian archaeologists and academics who give us exclusive access to their dig sites and rare insight into their country’s incredible history and its connection to today.