Golden Eagle Luxury Train: Republics of the Silk Road (Almaty to Samarkand)

The journey lasts 14 days and 13 nights. You spend 1 night in a five-star hotel in Almaty, 9 nights aboard the Golden Eagle private train and the final 3 nights in a five-star hotel in Samarkand, so the trip ends with unhurried time in the most famous city on the Silk Road.

The route runs westbound through four republics: Almaty (Kazakhstan), Lake Issyk-Kul and Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), then Tashkent, the Fergana Valley towns of Kokand, Rishtan and Margilan, Bukhara, Nukus and Khiva (Uzbekistan), a detour to Dushanbe (Tajikistan), and finally Shahrisabz and Samarkand back in Uzbekistan.

There is one departure in 2027, running from 12 to 25 September. It starts with arrival in Almaty on 12 September and ends with an airport transfer in Samarkand on 25 September. Availability and the exact fare for each cabin grade are shown in the departure list on this page.

Fares start from around USD 28,300 per person sharing a cabin, with sole occupancy from around USD 42,400. The price depends on the cabin grade you choose, and the exact fare for each departure and cabin is shown on this page, since rates can change.

Three grades are offered: Imperial Suite, Gold Class and Silver Class. The Imperial Suite is about 120 square feet with a king-size bed, a sitting area and two large windows, while Gold Class is about 77 square feet and sleeps two as a lower double or as bunks. Every cabin is en-suite with individually controlled air conditioning.

Imperial Suite guests receive a complimentary minibar, laundry service and beverages from both the standard and premium lists. There are also private car and guide options in selected cities, and the en-suite bathroom has a full power shower and underfloor heating.

The fare covers all accommodation, 13 breakfasts, 12 lunches and 13 dinners, a generous beverage allowance with meals, arrival and departure transfers, luggage porterage, guided excursions in every city, the private nomadic games festival, the Registan light show, a tour management team, an onboard doctor and all gratuities on and off the train.

International flights to Almaty and home from Samarkand are not included, and neither are visas, travel insurance or items of a personal nature. Our travel specialists can help you plan flights that fit the arrival and departure days of the tour.

On day 3 a cultural festival is arranged just for the group on the shore of Issyk-Kul, the second largest alpine lake in the world. You watch traditional steppe sports such as archery, horseback wrestling, hunting with golden eagles and ordo, a game played with animal bones, along with music, dance, costume and craft demonstrations.

Day 6 is spent in the Fergana Valley. At Kokand you visit the Palace of Khudayar Khan and the Jami Mosque, at Rishtan a master potter demonstrates Uzbek ceramics, and at Margilan a silk-weaving family shows the whole process from mulberry leaves and silkworms to ikat woven on traditional looms.

The Savitsky State Museum of Arts in Nukus is known as the Louvre in the Sands. It holds more than 100,000 works, including the largest collection of Soviet avant-garde art outside Russia, which survived because the remote desert region of Karakalpakstan escaped official attention.

Khiva is a complete walled city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, with mosques, madrassas and minarets packed inside its walls. In Bukhara you visit The Ark fortress, Poi-Kalyan Square with the Kalyan Mosque, the Trading Domes and Lyabi-Hauz Square, and weather permitting there is a barbecue on the station platform before departure.

You spend three nights in a five-star hotel in Samarkand. The touring covers the Gur-e Amir Mausoleum, Registan Square by day and again for the illuminated light show from front-row seats, the Bibi Khanum Mosque, Siab Bazaar, the Meros paper mill, a plov lunch by a local chef, the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, the Ulugh Beg Observatory and the Afrasiab museum.

Yes. A UK-registered doctor travels with the train and there are medical facilities on board. An experienced tour management team also accompanies the group throughout, and 24-hour cabin attendant service is provided.

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 before booking so we can confirm cabin arrangements and the applicable fare for your family.

Yes. Solo travellers can book a cabin for sole occupancy, with fares starting from around USD 42,400. The exact single fare for each cabin grade is shown on this page, and our specialists can confirm availability.

Visas are not included in the fare, and requirements depend on your nationality. Because the route crosses four countries, please check the entry rules for each one for your passport well before travel. Our team can point you to the right guidance once you book.

Yes. Samarkand deserves longer if you have it, and we are happy to add nights there or extend your trip into the rest of Uzbekistan. We can also add nights in Almaty before the journey begins.

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, showing the current fare and availability for each cabin grade.