Istanbul to Samarkand, the way the caravans went
Countries
7
Duration
14–28 days
Stops
11
Regions
Anatolia · Caucasus · Persia · Central Asia
Contracted in
Germany · EUR
Explore Orient is a European tour operator — contracted through Ambiente Tours GmbH in Germany, with all itineraries invoiced in euros — that designs The Silk Road as a single multi-country journey across 7 countries: Turkey, Armenia, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The route crosses Anatolia, the Caucasus, Persia and Central Asia, runs 14 to 28 days, and is sold as one privately guided cultural itinerary under one contract, rather than as separate country-by-country arrangements.
The original trade route, sold the way it was travelled — as one journey. Bazaars that have never stopped trading, empires stacked on empires, and border crossings we have already smoothed. One brief, one invoice, seven countries.
Where continents lean into each other
Explore →Monasteries above the clouds
Explore →The cradle of Persia — poetry, tile and desert light
Explore →The strangest, emptiest Silk Road
Explore →The blue cities of the Silk Road
Explore →Steppe, canyon and the new Silk Road
Explore →The nomad heart of the Tian Shan
Explore →A route this long crosses borders of very different difficulty. What each one actually requires, and which we handle for you:
| Country | Entry | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | straightforward | eVisa issued online in minutes where required. |
| Armenia | straightforward | Entry requirements confirmed for your nationality in the proposal. |
| Iran | handled | US, UK & Canadian passports travel on escorted itineraries; authorisation and visa handled end-to-end by our Iran partner desk. |
| Turkmenistan | handled | Escorted itineraries only — LOI, protocol and accreditation fully managed by our partner desk. |
| Uzbekistan | straightforward | Entry requirements confirmed for your nationality in the proposal. |
| Kazakhstan | straightforward | Entry requirements confirmed for your nationality in the proposal. |
| Kyrgyzstan | straightforward | Entry requirements confirmed for your nationality in the proposal. |
Requirements vary by nationality and change; each is re-checked against your passports before booking. Nothing above is a guarantee of issuance — visas are granted by the issuing state, not by us.
As a brand roadshow
Seven emerging markets on one moving programme — dealer summits in Istanbul and Tashkent, press days in Tehran and Almaty, one production team travelling with the brand the whole way.
Brief us on a roadshow →Every corridor is privately arranged — the pace, the stops and the standard of stay are set around your dates, then delivered under a single European contract.
Request this journey →