The Chinese Silk Road
A Journey through Kyrghystan & China with Peter Mackinnon.

2008 TOUR CANCELLED. Central Asia & Western China with Peter Mackinnon will run September 2009, please call 01285 651010 to register interest


7 - 27 September 2008

This tour is designed to take in the rural and majestic mountainous countryside of Kyrghyzstan before following the northern Chinese Silk Route from West to East travelling via Kashgar renowned for its magnificent Sunday Market, Turpan to visit ancient cities, Dunhuang to see the Buddhist frescoes in the Mogao caves, Jiayuguan which is at the western end of the Great Wall, The Buddhist grottoes at Binglingsi outside Lanzhou, Tianshui and the hanging temple at Maijishan and Xian, the end of the Silk Road where you can view the Terracotta Army.

Option to extend your tour in Hong Kong.

Peter Mackinnon

Peter led our Great Game tour through Central Asia, along the Karakoram Highway to Peshawar
in 2001 and this tour in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Born in Melbourne, Australia in 1938, Peter has divided his life between Australia, Thailand and Europe, having worked for an Australian Stockbroker in Melbourne, Sydney and London and latterly, for a Dutch bank. He is now retired with houses in Oxfordshire and Northern Thailand.

Peter has travelled extensively in Australia, Europe and South-East Asia and has trekked in the Himalayas (Kashmir), Andes (Patagonia) and Atlas Mountains (Morocco). Apart from mountains and photography, Peter's great passion has been cricket; he has managed cricket teams on tour in England and in South-East Asia.

He has also been Vice Consul for Brazil in Melbourne, been on the Membership Committee of the MCC at Lord's and been on the Council of Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust. He belongs to the Royal Society for Asian Affairs.

Day 1 Fly London Heathrow / Bishkek (overnight)
Day 2 Arrive Bishkek
Day 3 Drive Bishkek / Cholpan Ata
Day 4 Drive Cholpan Ata / Karakol
Day 5 Drive Karakol / Naryn
Day 6 Drive Naryn / Kashgar
Day 7 Kashgar
Day 8 Fly Kashgar / Urumqi
Day 9 Drive Urumqi / Turpan
Day 10 Train (overnight) Turpan / Dunhuang
Day 11 Arrive Dunhuang
Day 12 Dunhuang
Day 13 Drive Dunhuang / Jiayuguan
Day 14 Train (overnight) Jiayuguan / Lanzhou
Day 15 Arrive Lanzhou
Day 16 Drive Lanzhou / Tianshui
Day 17 Tianshui
Day 18 Train Tianshui / Xian
Day 19 Xian
Day 20 Fly Xian / Hong Kong / London Heathrow
Day 21 Arrive London Heathrow

Price: £2,985
Single Supplement: £385

Please contact Paul Craven paul@steppestravel.co.uk to register your interest and for a full detailed itinerary.