Kirghiz nomads near the Khunjerab Pass, China

Kirghiz nomads still live in traditional yurts in the high Pamirs, the lofty peaks that separate western China and Tajikistan. We meet many nomads as we cross the trans-Pamir roads in the footsteps of the Great Game.

Photo by Pam Shandrick

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Trip Details at-a-Glance

Cost From: $10,995   see pricing
Length: 26 days
Arrive: Urumqi, China
Depart: Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Lodging: 25 nights in best-available hotels, guest houses, and yurt camps
Meals: All meals included
Activity: Walking, Cultural Adventures
Trip Level: Cultural exploration and walking tours, rugged road travel
3 explain

Highlights

  • Kashgar’s famed Sunday bazaar, the largest in Asia
  • The mountain people of Hunza, the nomadic Kyrgyz with their herds
  • Breathtaking scenery of the mighty Karakorum, High Pamirs, and Wakhan Corridor
  • Mazar-i-Sharif and the ancient ruins of Balkh


This was a real expedition! For me, a dream come true.Judith M.—Albuquerque, NM

Choosing the Right Trip

We work hard to help you choose the right trip for you, paying attention to your individual interests, abilities, and needs. If you have questions about the level of comfort or any of the activities described in this itinerary, please contact us.
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References

We are proud to have an exceptionally high rate of repeat travelers. For more information, we would be happy to put you in touch with a client who has traveled with us.

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Departure Notes

Once you have signed up on the trip, we send a complete packing list, relevant health information, and required travel documents.

Resources

Our grand Central Asian odyssey links some of the most far-flung and spectacular destinations of “The Great Game,” as the 19th century diplomatic rivalry between the British Empire and Tsarist Russia was known. With long-time Central Asia explorer Roger Williams, we visit the Silk Road outpost of Kashgar, with its world-famous Sunday market, the awe-inspiring Hunza Valley in the mighty Karakorum Mountains, then head to Kyrgystan and cross the spectacular 12,840-foot Kyzyl-Art Pass into mountainous Tajikistan. We journey a remote road across Tajikistan’s spell-binding High Pamirs, with its lakes, canyons and massive glaciers, visit the legendary Wakhan Corridor and ancient Mazar-I-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, and complete our amazing journey in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Along the way, we soak up phenomenal mountain scenery and meet the friendly Uighurs, Tajiks, Hunzakuts, and other peoples whose cultures are deeply tied to this desert and mountain realm.

Itinerary at a Glance

For a more complete description, Download Full Trip Brochure

Days 1-10
Urumqi, China / Kashgar / Hunza Valley, Pakistan

From Urumqi in western China we fly to Kashgar, an isolated Silk Road oasis with an end-of-the-world feel. After roaming the bazaar, we make a spectacular drive across the Karakorum Mountains to legendary Hunza Valley, a mountain-ringed enclave that was for centuries an independent princely state.

Days 11-20
Tashkurgan, China / Irkeshtam, Kyrgyzstan / Murgab, Tajikistan

Traveling the great Karakorum Highway through the high country of the Tien Shan Mountains, we enter Kyrgyzstan and begin to see the yurts of Kyrgyz nomads with their herds. We switch to 4WD vehicles to cross the Kyzyl-Art Pass into Tajikistan. Continuing across the beautiful lake country of the Pamir Plateau, we follow a road along the Panj (Oxus) River, the natural border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan, and visit the scenic Wakhan Corridor, where the Oxus River marks the boundary between Afghanistan and Tajikistan, then continue to Dushanbe, the Tajik capital.

Days 21-26
Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan / Tashkent, Uzbekistan

We cross into northern Afghanistan at Kunduz and continue along scenic roads to ancient Mazar-i-Sharif, near the Uzbek border. Nearby, we visit the ruins of Balkh (Bactria), a Silk Road town that was once a base for Alexander the Great. We fly to Tashkent on Day 24 and depart on Day 26.

For a more complete description, Download Full Trip Brochure

What the Trip is Like

The trip is rated Level 3, moderate. While this trip is not expected to be physically strenuous, the rustic accommodations, long travel days, and transportation conditions may be quite demanding. Accommodations are in good city hotels, and in comfortable rustic lodges as well as in private homes. Overland travel is in minivans and small buses, depending upon the size of the group. Road and train conditions can be very basic, and trip members should be prepared for long drives. Our expedition travels to areas that have experienced very little tourism. We believe that the most important requirements are a spirit of adventure and the understanding that you are visiting a remote and fascinating region. This is not designed as a hiking trip, but we do hope to have a few exploration walks of several hours during the journey.

Explanation of Trip Levels

 

Departures & Leaders

May 20-Jun 14, 2011  Roger Williams
Jun 17-Jul 12, 2011  Roger Williams

Tour Costs

Prices are for 2011
$10995 (10 members)
$11495 (8-9 members)
$11995 (6-7 members)
Single supplement: $1200
Internal airfare: $375 (subject to change)

more on pricing

Tour Cost Includes:

  • Expert leadership of a Wilderness Travel Trip Leader and local guides
  • Arrival and departure transfers for those arriving on the recommended group flight or on the scheduled arrival and departure dates
  • Accommodations
  • Meals as indicated in the Full Trip Brochure
  • Walking and driving tours per itinerary
  • Professional English-speaking local guides in all cities
  • Entrance fees to all sites listed in itinerary

Tour Cost Does Not Include:

Internal airfare, international airfare, airport departure taxes, individual arrival or departure transfers, any meals not specified after each itinerary day in the Full Trip Brochure, optional tipping or gratuities to the leader, hotels en route to and home from the trip, any additional hotel nights that may be necessary due to international airline schedule changes or other factors, pre-trip expenses of medical immunizations, visa fees, travel insurance, and other expenses of a personal nature (alcoholic beverages, laundry, etc.).

Trip Payment Schedule*

At time of reservation: $500
150 days prior to departure: 50% of tour cost
90 days prior to departure: Balance

*Please note that this differs from our regular catalog departures.

Cancellation Fee Schedule*

Minimum fee: $250
46-90 days prior to departure: 25% of tour cost
45 days or less: 100% of tour cost

*Please note that this differs from our regular catalog departures.

Roger Williams

Roger Williams has led Wilderness Travel trips for over 20 years. He is a Tibetologist who lived in Nepal for eight years, studying Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhist iconographics, Himalayan languages, and woodblock art. He lived in Kyoto for two years studying Japanese woodblock art, Japanese language, and Shingon Shu, an esoteric sect of Japanese Buddhism. Roger has led many trips for us through India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, along the Silk Road, in Southeast Asia, to Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Central Asia, Iran, Mongolia, and into remote corners of the Russian Far East. Since 2002, Roger has been working as a technical advisor with USAID consulting in tourism development projects in Mongolia, Armenia and Croatia. In July, 2010, he returned from his third The Great Game journey, a special WT Expedition that included visits to the Wakhan Valley as well as Mazar i-Sharif and Balk (formally Bactria) in northern Afghanistan. When not leading trips, Roger is the director of Snow Lion Graphics/SLG Books in Berkeley, California, a publishing house specializing in books and calendars relating to Asian cultures.

Upcoming Trips:

Central Asia Explorer, September 2-20, 2010
The Andaman Islands and South India, October 9-27, 2010
Treasures of Southeast Asia, January 18-February 7, 2011
The Great Game, May 20-June 14, 2011
The Great Game, June 17-July 12, 2011
The Four Corners of Mongolia, August 5-31, 2011
Armenia and Beyond, September 23-October 16, 2011
Passage to India, November 20-December 13, 2011
The Burma Road, January 2012
India's Wild Northeast Frontier, February 24-March 17, 2012

Client Testimonials:


Tibet is a place like no other on the planet! Roger’s language skills and knowledge of Tibetan Buddhism opened many doors. Connie Diernisse, Alamo CA
Heart of Tibet Exceedingly knowledgeable, very caring. Priscilla and Franklin Osgood, Malvern PA
Mystical Bhutan Roger knows how to run a trip. He’s very organized and clearly communicates the daily plan. Also, he's a lot of fun and I was impressed with his expertise on Buddhist iconography. Fran Mueller, Mill Valley, CA
Hidden Himalayas
Roger is remarkable. This trip showed him at his best. We could never have traveled across the roof of the world without his preparation and energy. Thanks for a grand experience! Ruth and Frank Harold, Edmonds WA
In the Footsteps of the Great Game Roger takes good care of his travelers and we learned a lot about the people, their culture, and history. His love for this part of the world is infectious. Ruth Gibbons, Del Mar CA
In the Footsteps of the Great Game Roger is great! Hard working, knowledgeable, personable. He really makes a difference. Bill Rowland, Walnut Creek, CA
Passage to India