Overview
Nine days, three of the Central Asian republics and one of the great railway journeys of the world. Jewels of the Silk Road begins on the shore of the Caspian in Baku and ends beneath the Tien Shan mountains in Almaty, linking the desert cities of Uzbekistan with the high alpine lake country of Kyrgyzstan aboard the private Golden Eagle.
This is the shortest way to see the Silk Road's headline cities without hurrying them. A private charter flight lifts you from Baku straight to Khiva, so the journey opens inside a walled desert city rather than in transit. From there the train works east through Bukhara and Samarkand - names that have meant the Silk Road for six centuries - before climbing into Kyrgyzstan for a day beside Lake Issyk-Kul, the second largest alpine lake on earth.
Journey highlights
- A private charter flight from Baku to Khiva, the walled desert city on the old caravan road
- The Ark fortress and the Kalyan Mosque at Bukhara, with a platform barbecue before the train pulls out
- Registan Square at Samarkand by day, then again after dark for the illuminated light show
- The world's oldest Koran, held in a small library in the old quarter of Tashkent
- A private nomadic games festival on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul - horseback wrestling, eagle hunting and ordo
- Six nights aboard the Golden Eagle with en-suite cabins, a bar lounge car and an onboard doctor
The journey runs in both directions. This is the eastbound departure, Baku to Almaty, leaving 7 October 2027. The westbound journey, Almaty to Baku, leaves on 14 October 2027.
Your Itinerary
Baku, Azerbaijan
Arrive at Baku and transfer to your hotel on the Caspian shore. Azerbaijan's capital pairs a walled medieval core with a skyline of glass towers built on oil money, and the contrast is worth an evening's walk. Tonight you are the guest of honour at the welcome dinner, where the wines - as at every meal on this journey - are included.
Khiva, Uzbekistan
After breakfast a private charter flight carries the group from Baku to Khiva, so the Silk Road proper begins the moment you land. Founded some 2,500 years ago at the crossing of the routes between Persia, Russia, China and Mongolia, Khiva survives as a complete walled city and a World Heritage Site. Inside the walls the mosques, madrassas, minarets and bazaars stand close enough together that the whole town reads as a single piece of architecture.
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Bukhara marked its 2,500th anniversary in 1999 with a UNESCO-backed restoration, and it shows. The day centres on The Ark, the fortified residence from which the Emirs of Bukhara ruled until Soviet times, and on Poi-Kalyan Square with its Kalyan Mosque - still in use, and a working example of traditional Islamic design rather than a museum piece. Afterwards there is time among the Trading Domes and at Lyabi-Hauz Square, where mulberry trees shade the pool and the tea houses. Weather permitting, the day closes with a barbecue on the station platform before the train departs.
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
No name conjures the Silk Road quite like Samarkand. Founded in the 6th century BC, it reached its height as the capital of Timur's empire, and the architecture of the 14th to 17th centuries is what you come to see: Registan Square, the great proportions of the Bibi Khanum Mosque, and the Ulugh Beg observatory of 1428, among the earliest in the Islamic world. After dark you return to Registan for the illuminated light show, watched from front-row seats.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan's capital was largely rebuilt after the earthquake of 1966, so the city reads as Soviet modernism with an older quarter threaded through it. In the Old Town, narrow streets of traditional houses and religious buildings lead to a small library holding one of Islam's most sacred relics - the world's oldest Koran. The day also takes in the Railway Museum and the Museum of Applied Arts.
On board the Golden Eagle
A slower day, and a welcome one. The train runs east through the Uzbek landscape and crosses into Kyrgyzstan while you read, watch the country go by from the bar lounge car, or simply let the day pass at the pace of the railway.
Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan
Issyk-Kul is 170 kilometres long, up to 70 wide, and the second largest alpine lake in the world. Its name means "warm lake": depth, mineral content and geothermal activity together keep it from freezing, even ringed by snow-capped peaks.This morning a festival is arranged privately for the group on the lake shore - a display of the steppe sports and games handed down through generations.
Archery you will recognise; horseback wrestling, hunting with golden eagles and ordo, played with cow kneecaps, you very likely will not. Music, dance, costume and craft demonstrations round it out.
Almaty, Kazakhstan
The train arrives in Almaty this morning and you say goodbye to the Golden Eagle. A tour of the city includes Panfilov Park at its centre and the Zenkov Cathedral, a 19th-century Russian Orthodox church built entirely of wood and standing without nails. Tonight you stay at the Ritz-Carlton, Almaty, or similar.
Almaty, Kazakhstan
After breakfast you are transferred to Almaty airport for your onward flight. Almaty rewards a longer stay if you have the time - the mountains begin at the edge of the city - and we are glad to arrange extra nights.
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Terms & Conditions
Booking & Payment
- Deposit: 30% of the total tour cost is due at the time of booking. The deposit is non-refundable.
- Final payment: the balance is due no later than 125 days before departure.
- Bookings made within 125 days of departure are payable in full at the time of booking.
- Fares are per person. Your written confirmation shows the exact amounts and due dates.
Cancellation
- 125 days or more before departure: 30% of the total tour cost (the deposit)
- Less than 125 days before departure: 100% of the total tour cost
Changes
- Date change: free of charge, subject to availability, when requested 125 days or more before departure; after that, a fee of 15% of the total tour cost applies.
- Cabin upgrade: only the fare difference between cabin categories applies.
- Cabin downgrade or passenger name correction: free of charge up to 35 days before departure; within 35 days, EUR 500 per change.
Changes or cancellation by the train operator
If the train operator cancels or materially changes a departure, you will be offered a new date or an amended booking, a credit toward a future journey, or a refund of the amounts paid.
All cancellation, change, or update requests must be submitted in writing by email to travel@palacetours.com. A request takes effect only once we have received and processed it, and we will confirm the outcome to you in writing. Timeframes are calculated by reference to local time and business days at the destination; a request received outside business hours is treated as received on the next business day.
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance, including cancellation cover, from the moment you pay your deposit. For information on available plans, please visit www.palacetours.com/insurance.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Tour Inclusions
Accommodation
- 1-night stay at the five-star Four Seasons, Baku (or similar)
- 6 nights aboard the Golden Eagle in private en-suite accommodation
- 1-night stay at the five-star Ritz-Carlton, Almaty (or similar)
Dining
- All meals throughout the journey, prepared on board from regional ingredients
- Dinners in selected local restaurants off the train
- Wines, spirits and soft drinks included with meals and from the bar lounge car
Service
- Arrival and departure transfers
- Cabin attendant service, including evening turndown
- Luggage porterage for the whole journey
- An experienced tour management team throughout
- A UK-registered doctor and medical facilities on board
- All gratuities, on and off the train
Touring
- Guided off-train excursions in every city on the itinerary
- Freedom of Choice touring options where offered
- Private charter flight, Baku to Khiva
- The evening light show at Registan Square, Samarkand
- A privately arranged nomadic games festival at Lake Issyk-Kul
Not included
- International flights to Baku and from Almaty
- Visas and travel insurance
- Items of a personal nature
Accommodations
The Golden Eagle is your hotel for six of the eight nights. Every cabin is en-suite, with air conditioning you control yourself, and the train carries a bar lounge car, two restaurant cars and a doctor. Three cabin grades are available.
Imperial Suite
- 120 square feet, sleeping two in a king-size bed
- Separate sitting area and dressing table
- Two large windows
- En-suite bathroom with a full power shower and underfloor heating
- Complimentary minibar and a bottle of champagne on arrival
- Laundry service included
- Drinks included from both the standard and premium bar lists
- Private car and guide options in selected cities
Gold Class
- 77 square feet, sleeping two as a lower double or as bunks
- Wardrobe, personal safe and recessed lighting
- En-suite bathroom with a full power shower and underfloor heating
- Robes, slippers and toiletries provided
- Drinks included from the standard bar list
Silver Class
- 60 square feet, sleeping two in lower and upper berths
- Wardrobe and personal safe
- En-suite bathroom with shower
- Drinks included from the standard bar list
Tea, coffee and mineral water are available in every cabin at any hour, and linens are changed every second day or daily on request.
Frequently Asked Questions & Tips
Jewels of the Silk Road lasts 9 days and 8 nights. You spend 1 night in a five-star hotel in Baku, 6 nights aboard the Golden Eagle and 1 night in a five-star hotel in Almaty. It is the shortest way to see the Silk Road's headline cities without hurrying them.
The eastbound Baku to Almaty departure leaves on 7 October 2027. The journey also runs in the opposite direction on other dates. The exact fare and availability for each cabin grade are shown in the departure list on this page.
Fares start from around USD 16,800 per person sharing, with sole occupancy from around USD 25,200. The price depends on the cabin grade, and the exact fare for the departure is shown on this page.
The journey begins in Baku, Azerbaijan, then covers three Central Asian republics: Uzbekistan (Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent), Kyrgyzstan (Lake Issyk-Kul) and Kazakhstan, ending in Almaty beneath the Tien Shan mountains.
On day 2 a private charter flight carries the group from Baku straight to Khiva, and it is included in the fare. This means the Silk Road portion opens inside a walled desert city rather than in transit, and you join the train from there.
Three grades are offered: Imperial Suite, Gold Class and Silver Class. The Imperial Suite is about 120 square feet with a king-size bed, sitting area and two large windows. Gold Class is about 77 square feet and sleeps two as a lower double or as bunks. All cabins are en-suite with individually controlled air conditioning.
On day 4 you visit Registan Square, the Bibi Khanum Mosque and the Ulugh Beg observatory of 1428, one of the earliest in the Islamic world. After dark you return to Registan for the illuminated light show, watched from front-row seats, which is included in the fare.
Bukhara was restored with UNESCO support for its 2,500th anniversary in 1999. You visit The Ark, the fortress of the Emirs, Poi-Kalyan Square with the Kalyan Mosque, the Trading Domes and Lyabi-Hauz Square. Weather permitting, the day ends with a barbecue on the station platform before the train departs.
In Tashkent's Old Town a small library holds the world's oldest Koran, one of Islam's most sacred relics. The day also includes the Railway Museum and the Museum of Applied Arts, in a city largely rebuilt after the 1966 earthquake.
On day 7 a festival is arranged privately for the group on the shore of Issyk-Kul, the second largest alpine lake in the world. You watch horseback wrestling, hunting with golden eagles, ordo and archery, plus music, dance and craft demonstrations, with an optional visit to the open-air Museum of Petroglyphs.
Yes. Day 6 is a slower day as the train runs east through Uzbekistan and crosses into Kyrgyzstan. You can read, watch the landscape from the lounge car, or simply enjoy the pace of the railway.
The fare covers all accommodation, all meals, beverages with meals and from the lounge car, arrival and departure transfers, the private charter flight from Baku to Khiva, luggage porterage, guided excursions in every city, the Registan light show, the Issyk-Kul festival, a tour management team, an onboard doctor and all gratuities.
International flights to Baku and home from Almaty are not included, and neither are visas, travel insurance or items of a personal nature. Our specialists can help you plan flights that fit the tour dates.
Yes. A UK-registered doctor travels on board with medical facilities, and an experienced tour management team accompanies the group throughout. Cabin attendant service with evening turndown is also included.
The train arrives in Almaty on day 8, followed by a city tour of Panfilov Park and the Zenkov Cathedral, a 19th-century Russian Orthodox church built entirely of wood without nails. You stay one night in a five-star hotel and transfer to the airport after breakfast on day 9.
A deposit of 30 percent of the tour price confirms your cabin and is non-refundable. The balance is due 125 days before departure, and bookings made within 125 days of departure are payable in full at the time of booking. Your written confirmation shows the exact amounts and the dates they fall due.
Children can be booked, with child rates in two bands based on age at departure: under 5, and 5 to 11. Please contact us so we can confirm cabin arrangements and the applicable fare.
Yes. Sole occupancy fares start from around USD 25,200, depending on the cabin grade. The exact single fare is shown on this page, and our team can confirm availability.
Visas are not included in the fare, and requirements depend on your nationality. Because the journey crosses four countries, check the entry rules for each one for your passport well before travel. We can also add extra nights in Almaty after the journey if you would like more time.
Email travel@palacetours.com, call 786-408-0610, or message us on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/17864080610, where a travel specialist or our AI assistant will reply. The departure list on this page is bookable directly, with the current fare and availability for each cabin grade.
Media Gallery
Golden Eagle: the Imperial Suite
Golden Eagle: the Imperial Suite bathroom
Golden Eagle: a Gold Class cabin
Golden Eagle: a Gold Class cabin
Golden Eagle: the bar lounge car
Golden Eagle: the bar lounge car
Golden Eagle: the restaurant car
Golden Eagle: the restaurant car
Golden Eagle: dishes served on board
Golden Eagle: dishes served on board
Golden Eagle: train staff on board
Golden Eagle: staff welcoming guests to the train
Check Availability & Request a Quote
From $16,800 per person (double occupancy, USD) — live dates and rates are in the Book This Tour section above.
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