Cycling the Silk Route: The Full Tour – Beijing to Istanbul

Last Friday in our monthly newsletter we announced the release of the complete video – Cycling the Silk Route: The Full Tour – Beijing to Istanbul.

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Full Tour: Beijing to Istanbul

Our 13,000 kilometre self-powered caravan begins in Beijing, China, the political and cultural centre of China and follows the northern Silk Route across mysterious lands, fiery deserts, and forbidding mountains. Almost 20 weeks later we arrive in faraway Istanbul, the majestic capital of Byzantium, the Roman Empire, the Ottomans and now the Republic of Turkey. Starting in Beijing’s historic centre, we’ll follow the Silk Route northwest before dropping back south in Central Asia.

Included are visits to four destinations definitely off the beaten track – enigmatic Iran where we will marvel at that country’s Persian past, the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan where we will climb to over 4600 meters and cycle across the ‘Roof of the World’, mysterious Kazakhstan where we will pedal through the immense steppes, the site of Soviet nuclear tests and successful space landings, and distant Mongolia, where riders will cycle along ancient trading routes through the vast steppes and meet the country’s friendly nomadic people, experiencing their age old traditions. As a Silk Route participant, you will ride to the mystical Central Asian cities of Samarqand, Bukhara, and Merv, and camp amongst the stunning meadows, rivers and peaks of Kyrgyzstan. Whether you are lured by the chance to stay in timeless caravanserais and shop in bazaars that have thrived for thousands of years, or have dreamt of traveling ‘the Golden Road,’ we look forward to having you join us on this unforgettable journey.