Republics of the Silk Road: Almaty to Samarkand

You are met at Almaty airport and taken to a stylish, central hotel in this leafy city beneath the Tian Shan mountains. In the evening a champagne reception introduces you to fellow travellers and the tour team, followed by a welcome dinner with international wines.

A guided morning tour explores Almaty's history, with a stroll through Panfilov Park and its war memorial and a visit to the Zenkov Cathedral, built entirely of wood without nails. In the afternoon you board the Golden Eagle, settle into your cabin and gather for a welcome dinner on board.

Spend an extended day at Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan, a vast alpine lake that never freezes. A privately arranged festival on the shore brings horseback wrestling, hunting with golden eagles, the bone game ordo, music, costume and crafts. There is an optional visit to the open-air petroglyph museum before dinner on the train.

An afternoon tour of Kyrgyzstan's capital visits Ala-Too Square and leafy parks with Soviet-era monuments, including statues of Marx and Engels and the Memorial to the Red Guards. The Golden Eagle then continues across the border into Uzbekistan.

Arrive in Uzbekistan's capital, a city of broad avenues and monumental Soviet-era buildings. The tour begins at the Khast-Imam Complex, a centre of Islamic scholarship, and continues to the Museum of Applied Arts, Independence Square and the Railway Museum.

In Kokand visit the Palace of Khudayar Khan and the Jami Mosque, then continue through the Fergana Valley to Rishtan for a live pottery demonstration. In Margilan a family workshop shows the art of silk weaving, from feeding silkworms on mulberry leaves to weaving ikat on traditional looms.

Visit the Ark fortress of Bukhara's emirs and Poi-Kalyan Square with the Kalyan Mosque, then explore the Trading Domes and the shady pool of Lyabi-Hauz. Outside the city you see the emir's Palace of the Moon and Stars. Weather permitting, a barbecue on the station platform ends the day before the train departs.

Nukus sits in Uzbekistan's remote north-west, ringed by three deserts. Its Savitsky State Museum, the 'Louvre in the Sands', holds Central Asia's largest collection of avant-garde art alongside Karakalpak crafts.

Journey to Khiva, a UNESCO-listed Silk Road city founded more than 2,500 years ago. Explore its imposing walls, mosques, madrassas, bazaars and soaring minarets.

In the afternoon arrive in Tajikistan's capital on the Varzob River and visit the Museum of National Antiquities and the opulent Kohi Navruz Palace with a local expert. The tour continues to the Ismoil Somoni Monument, Independence Square and Mekhrgon Bazaar. In the evening the resident pianist plays as the train crosses back into Uzbekistan.

Visit Shahrisabz, believed to be Amir Timur's birthplace, to see his statue and the UNESCO-listed Ak-Saray Palace. In the late afternoon you arrive in Samarkand and say goodbye to the Golden Eagle, visiting the azure-domed Gur-e Amir, Timur's mausoleum, before checking in to a five-star hotel. Dinner is a dine-around at the hotel.

Explore Registan Square, the Bibi Khanum Mosque and the colourful Siab Bazaar. At the Meros Paper Mill you watch and try the centuries-old craft of paper-making, and a local chef prepares plov, Uzbekistan's signature dish. In the evening you return to the illuminated Registan for a light show from front-row seats.

Spend the morning at the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, with its brilliant tilework, and the Ulugh Beg Observatory. At Afrasiab a museum displays finds from the ancient city, including frescoes from the Palace of Varkhuman. The evening brings a gala farewell dinner.

After breakfast you are transferred to the airport for your onward flight.