The Great Game

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 in 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, Wakhis, and other peoples whose cultures are deeply tied to this desert and mountain realm.

Itinerary at a Glance

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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 11-13
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.

Days 14-19
Wakhan Corridor, Afghanistan

Continuing across the beautiful lake country of the Pamir Plateau, we cross the border into Afghanistan to visit the magnificent Wakhan Corridor, an 85-mile-long mountain valley where the Panj River marks the boundary between Afghanistan and Tajikistan. This narrow finger of land was set apart at the end of the 19th century by the British Empire to act as a buffer against potential Russian ambitions in India during the Great Game.

Days 20-24
Khorog, Tajikistan / Dushanbe

The Pamir Highway brings us to Khorog, in Tajikistan, and onward to Dushanbe, the capital.

Days 25-28
Khujand / Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Crossing our last border, we enter Uzbekistan and end our journey in Tashkent, the capital. Depart on Day 28.

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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 rustic guesthouses as well as in private local homes. Overland travel is in minivans and small buses, depending upon the size of the group. Road 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