Your guide to the Silk Road by rail

When it comes to holidays, the Stans of Central Asia are often overlooked. Yet the curious traveller will find these crossroad countries every bit as rich in history, culture and nature as anywhere to their east or west. Here, you can explore Silk Road cities with ornate architecture; yurt-speckled steppes grazed by horses; high peaks and deep gorges; and cherished traditions shaped by people from all corners of the continent.

The most comprehensive and sustainable way to take in these attractions is by rail. Journeys can weave in multiple countries, as on Cox & Kings’ Legendary Silk Road by Rail holiday, which focuses on four of the Stans: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. You travel aboard the Orient Silk Road Express, a sightseeing sleeper service complete with a dining carriage and different cabin classes to match your preferences.

What to see on your Silk Road train tour

Kazakhstan

The largest and most northerly of the Stans is a place of ostentatious buildings, wind-swept steppes, sandstone canyons and singing dunes.

Almaty is the natural first port of call. Framed by the Tian Shan mountains, Kazakhstan’s largest city is home to more than two million people and typified by grand Russian-Revival architecture. You can ascend by cable car for a spin on the world’s highest ice-skating rink, tour the multicoloured Zenkov Cathedral – one of the world’s tallest wooden buildings – and break bread in a traditional Kazakh yurt.

Kyrgyzstan

Head south to Kyrgyzstan, where nature displays its broad palette: turquoise lakes, red gorges, white peaks and green pastures.

From the shore, you could mistake Issyk-Kul Lake for the ocean, but it’s a huge hollow of blue between the Tian Shan mountains, and far saltier than the sea. It’s also a renowned beauty spot. Before you hike around it and boat over it, be sure to stop by the Centre of Nomadic Civilisation to learn about the nomadic traditions of the Kyrgyz.

Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, was shaped by the Soviet era, and here you can amble the wide, neat plazas fringed by triumphant monuments, and the leafy, manicured parks for shade and quiet. 35 kilometres south of the city is the Ala-Archa National Park, dominated by the alpine scenery of Ala-Archa Gorge, and worth the detour.

Tajikistan

Mountainous Tajikistan is the smallest of the Central Asian countries. The name of its capital, Dushanbe, means ‘Monday’ in Persian, the day of the week when the city would host its largest bazaar. Dushanbe underwent a dramatic metamorphosis during Soviet rule, from humble market town to industrial capital of a republic. It retains a sense of meticulous urban planning, with broad boulevards, wide public squares, landmark statues, landscaped parks, and stately buildings. 

Uzbekistan

Continue west to Uzbekistan, a trove of ornate architecture from the golden age of the Silk Road. The best Silk Road train tours incorporate the historic cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, typically beginning or ending in the capital of Tashkent.

One of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, Samarkand dazzles with Islamic-renaissance architecture built during the Timurid Empire of the 14th-16th centuries. Visit the Registan Square for three of the most impressive examples: Ulugh Beg Madrasa, Sher-Dor Madrasa, and the Tilya-Kori Madrasa. Picture vast foiled archways, turquoise domes, and the most intricate mosaics. Samarkand is also a city of craftsmanship; you can see artisans reviving old traditions in the silk carpet factories and paper mills.

Bukhara also has a long history. Its old centre is one of Central Asia’s most intact medieval cities, and where you can admire the ornate splendour of the Kalyan Minaret, Mir-i-Arab Madrasa, and the Lyabi-Hauz Ensemble. Older than these is Bukhara’s Ark, a restored 10th-century fortress of hulking, sloping earthen walls and crenelations.

The city of Khiva, meanwhile, is a picture straight out of the Arabian Nights, with its clay-brick bastions and onion domes. The sand-hued streets of Itchan Kala, Khiva’s inner fortress, lead you from centuries-old madrasas to local markets and tucked-away teahouses.

Inspired to take a rail holiday in Central Asia? Enquire about our Legendary Silk Road by Rail holiday, or speak to our experts who can design a rail itinerary from the ground up.

Silk Road Express photography credit: Volker Renner