The Silk Route, Beijing to Tashkent
Highlights
Beijing | the Great Wall of China | Forbidden City | Summer Palace | Xi’an | Terracotta Warriors | Lanzhou | Bingling Temple | Xiahe | Tibetan Monastery of Labrang | drive through the Hexi Corridor | Dunhuang | Taklamakan Desert | Turpan Basin | Tianchi | Kashgar | Tian Shan mountains | Lake Issyk-Kul | Bishkek | Tashkent | Bukhara | Samarkand
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this vacation or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
Toll free 1-866-821-6866 Calling from outside the US? rosy@responsibletravel.com
Check dates, prices & availability
The leaders are not guides – they’re not there to shepherd you around. Instead, they’ll let you know which local restaurant serves great value food – without running the risk of travelers’ tummy. They’ll allow you to avoid hour-long queues at train stations and attractions.
We like to think of small group travel as the Goldilocks option. It is independent travel without the fuss, worry and bunk beds – and organised travel without the coaches. And it’s cheaper than a tailor made tour. It’s sits somewhere in the middle – and we think it’s just about right.
Have big, life-enriching experiences that would be impossible to organise without lots of time and insider knowledge.
Simplicity
Make the most of your vacation time by letting someone else do the hard work and boring logistics!
Peace of mind
Small group tours take care of the security aspects – and provide a safety net should anything unexpected happen.
If you don’t have three months to spend exploring, small groups trips let you cover more ground in less time. Your days are not spent queuing for tickets or finding hotels – so you can squeeze more into your vacation.
Solo travelers who’d like company
Likeminded travel companions plus peace of mind for those traveling alone. Single supplements are usually available – providing privacy if you want it.
Less confident travelers
Stray from the tourist trail without worrying about getting lost, and meet local people without dealing with the language barrier.
Couples and friends have private rooms, and you can choose to eat alone or not. Single supplements give solo travelers their own room.
“There won’t be any free time”
Free mornings or afternoons let you explore on your own, or just relax.
“The accommodation will be basic”
Trips are as high or low end as you like. Though off the beaten track destinations won’t have luxury hotels, this is all part of the adventure.
“I won’t like the other travelers!”
Tour operators try to create groups with a similar demographic – age, families, activity levels... Chances are, you’ll even make new friends.
“Will we be following an umbrella?”
No.
Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your vacation will help support conservation and local people.
The natural landscapes we explore are some of the richest, often most challenging, yet at the same time some of the most fragile environments on earth. With education, experienced leadership and appropriate equipment and techniques, it is possible to travel responsibly through these regions. For us, it is critically important that such wilderness travel experiences do not diminish the natural values of the environment. Our environmental sustainable principles: True sustainability is a guiding aspect in all aspects of our business planning and operations. Specifically our tour operations should be managed in a way where the natural and cultural values of the host region are undiminished in the long-term.
Where possible, we engage in partnerships with local environmental groups and/or land managers to actively campaign for conservation or promote environmental protection and/or rehabilitation.
Our Responsible Travel Guidebook: Our philosophy since 1975 has been to leave only footprints and take only photographs. To reiterate this, every customer who travels with us receives a copy of our award-winning Responsible Travel guidebook. This detailed book outlines our environmentally sustainable principles, and outlines how each customer can minimize their impact while traveling.
Global Warming and Carbon Balancing: The root cause of Global Warming is society's dependence on emission creating fossil fuel. Planting trees is not going to reverse this trend or cancel our carbon emissions very quickly or effectively. We believe the way to reduce these dependencies is to create clean energy production. Therefore, we support renewable energy projects like wind and solar power, and we are aligned with Climate Friendly, the gold standard setter in effective, meaningful action addressing climate change. So, while we believe that tree planting can play a small role in greenhouse gas abatement, we have gone the extra mile in promoting a longer term solution. Is this cheap? No. Is it responsible? Absolutely!
The Impacts of this Trip
On this trip we invite you to experience the essence of this amazing journey along the fabled Silk Route and immerse yourself in the vibrant and rich cultural history as you go. You will discover a plethora of different cultures and traditions from the Buddhist temples to Islamic Mosques and Christian Orthodox churches. Many of the communities that we visit maintain their traditions and hold strict religious and sacred beliefs.
Whilst most people are unlikely to rebuke you for unknowingly offending them, you will be carefully guided by our local escorts to the most appropriate behaviour and attire at these various sites. This understanding of cultural differences means that our clients are treated as welcomed guests rather than intruders and this also mean that future visitors will share and equally enjoy this warm welcome.
In the expert care of our local guides and by using local accommodation we are privileged to enjoy a special relationship and mutual understanding with our hosts and their environs.
Our responsible travel principles: Our company aims to maximise the positive benefits of tourism for host communities. This includes training and employment of local staff, using local suppliers and assisting in the development of sustainable local businesses.
We actively minimise the negative effects that tourism can have by ensuring that tourism does not divert resources away from local communities or drive up prices on local resources.
We provide opportunities for real cultural exchange, where locals and visitors alike can share and learn from each other in an environment of mutual respect.
We contribute to the welfare of the host community. This is epitomised in our Community Project Travel program where we organise for our travelers to spend time in disadvantaged villages upgrading basic facilities such as health, education and water access.
We strive to educate our travelers about the destination and its local cultures as well as providing guidelines on appropriate behaviour to minimise impact.
No local payments policy: Local cash payments are becoming increasingly popular with many operators in the adventure travel industry. This policy seems to benefit the tour operators more than the local economies or the travelers, as it avoids local taxes and transfers the costs and risks of cash handling onto the travelers. In accordance with our Responsible Travel practices, we have chosen a policy of not asking for such payments.
The natural landscapes we explore are some of the richest, often most challenging, yet at the same time some of the most fragile environments on earth. With education, experienced leadership and appropriate equipment and techniques, it is possible to travel responsibly through these regions. For us, it is critically important that such wilderness travel experiences do not diminish the natural values of the environment. Our environmental sustainable principles: True sustainability is a guiding aspect in all aspects of our business planning and operations. Specifically our tour operations should be managed in a way where the natural and cultural values of the host region are undiminished in the long-term.
Where possible, we engage in partnerships with local environmental groups and/or land managers to actively campaign for conservation or promote environmental protection and/or rehabilitation.
Our Responsible Travel Guidebook: Our philosophy since 1975 has been to leave only footprints and take only photographs. To reiterate this, every customer who travels with us receives a copy of our award-winning Responsible Travel guidebook. This detailed book outlines our environmentally sustainable principles, and outlines how each customer can minimize their impact while traveling.
Global Warming and Carbon Balancing: The root cause of Global Warming is society's dependence on emission creating fossil fuel. Planting trees is not going to reverse this trend or cancel our carbon emissions very quickly or effectively. We believe the way to reduce these dependencies is to create clean energy production. Therefore, we support renewable energy projects like wind and solar power, and we are aligned with Climate Friendly, the gold standard setter in effective, meaningful action addressing climate change. So, while we believe that tree planting can play a small role in greenhouse gas abatement, we have gone the extra mile in promoting a longer term solution. Is this cheap? No. Is it responsible? Absolutely!
The Impacts of this Trip
On this trip we invite you to experience the essence of this amazing journey along the fabled Silk Route and immerse yourself in the vibrant and rich cultural history as you go. You will discover a plethora of different cultures and traditions from the Buddhist temples to Islamic Mosques and Christian Orthodox churches. Many of the communities that we visit maintain their traditions and hold strict religious and sacred beliefs.
Whilst most people are unlikely to rebuke you for unknowingly offending them, you will be carefully guided by our local escorts to the most appropriate behaviour and attire at these various sites. This understanding of cultural differences means that our clients are treated as welcomed guests rather than intruders and this also mean that future visitors will share and equally enjoy this warm welcome.
In the expert care of our local guides and by using local accommodation we are privileged to enjoy a special relationship and mutual understanding with our hosts and their environs.
Our responsible travel principles: Our company aims to maximise the positive benefits of tourism for host communities. This includes training and employment of local staff, using local suppliers and assisting in the development of sustainable local businesses.
We actively minimise the negative effects that tourism can have by ensuring that tourism does not divert resources away from local communities or drive up prices on local resources.
We provide opportunities for real cultural exchange, where locals and visitors alike can share and learn from each other in an environment of mutual respect.
We contribute to the welfare of the host community. This is epitomised in our Community Project Travel program where we organise for our travelers to spend time in disadvantaged villages upgrading basic facilities such as health, education and water access.
We strive to educate our travelers about the destination and its local cultures as well as providing guidelines on appropriate behaviour to minimise impact.
No local payments policy: Local cash payments are becoming increasingly popular with many operators in the adventure travel industry. This policy seems to benefit the tour operators more than the local economies or the travelers, as it avoids local taxes and transfers the costs and risks of cash handling onto the travelers. In accordance with our Responsible Travel practices, we have chosen a policy of not asking for such payments.
4 Reviews of The Silk Route, Beijing to Tashkent
Reviewed on 01 Oct 2019 by Dianne Garwood
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
All of it!
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Get info on internet in China, purchase VPN
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Ex
Reviewed on 18 May 2018 by Becky MacLeod
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
We enjoyed the whole trip, but Kyrgyzstan was a highlight. Also the Labrang Monastery was lovely.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
The variety in this trip is incredible. I would suggest people do a bit of reading before they come. Pack light and be prepared for a few long days.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Local people were very welcoming so I expect that they felt there was economic benefit. In particular I enjoyed the meals in local homes.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Very good. It adjusted the way I think about the world.
Reviewed on 12 Jun 2016 by Ljiljana Padjen-Pajovic
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Everything was great. I got more than I expected and enjoyed every part of the China part of the Silk road.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Do not hesitate!! It is very interesting trip and very well organised.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Probably it benefited local people by our spending and buying local products. Also, by visiting all those ancient sights and paying tickets somehow we helped conservation.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
From 0-10, I would rate it with the highest grade: 10!
Reviewed on 12 Jun 2014 by Gunilla Westerlund
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The sights and experience was truly magnificient, hard to pinpoint as there were so many.
Had the most wonderful traveling companions, and though we got stuck in no man's land
between China and Kyrghistan, nobody complained.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
To travel as light as possible, to keep an open mind in case something unforeseen happens
and to enjoy all the wonderful people you come across everywhere. A smile goes such a
long way and gives so much in return !
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We visited local grape farmers in China and sampled the many varieties of dried
raisins.
Also learned about felt making in Kyrghistan, and admired wood carving in Uzbekhistan.
Cannot really see how our trip reduced environmental impact, water conservation is a
major issue as apart from Kyrghistan, the lands were extremely dry.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Absolutely wonderful, a once in a life time experience and all the guides were extremely
knowledgable, funny and helpful.
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