NEW PREMIUM TOUR
Join Archaeological Institute of America lecturer and host Betty Hensellek and trace the path of traders, explorers, and emperors along the fabled Silk Road, with most of the travel aboard a comfortable and convenient private plane. Begin appropriately in Venice, Marco Polo’s home, where many expeditions originated; visit a variety of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and important archaeological finds along historic routes in Georgia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan; and conclude in Istanbul, terminus for many caravans.
Following the fabled silk trade route by land involves long drives and restrictive, time-consuming commercial air travel. Traveling by train limits the time available to explore the most intriguing cities along the way. Having our own private aircraft allows us to maximize the time spent at key points of interest and historic outposts. Most stopovers are two to three nights to provide ample time to delve deep in each location. This is the perfect itinerary for a privately chartered aircraft!
We’ll travel aboard a Canadian-built De Havilland Dash 8-400, the world’s most advanced turboprop, significantly more efficient than aircraft with jet engines. Ours is configured with 72 Economy Class seats, but we are assigning two seats per person, so each of our maximum of 32 trip participants will have both a window seat and a free seat next to them, with ample overhead storage and an armrest that can be raised to provide extra space and comfort. The eight on-tour flights average about one hour and 45 minutes in duration.
This unique and exciting program is co-sponsored by other organizations and features multiple expert lecturers. It will likely fill quickly, so please reserve your space by contacting AIA Tours at (800) 748-6262 or aia@studytours.org. We hope you will join this peerless exploration of a historically complex region amid truly stunning surroundings and world-class accommodations.
Tour Prices (16 nights)
$49,950 Per person, sharing
$54,890 Per person, single
Tour Prices Include: All accommodations, meals, and excursions as specified in the full itinerary, including 16 nights deluxe hotel accommodations, and eight private on-tour flights • Comprehensive program of lectures and presentations • Transfers for all participants on group arrival and departure dates • Hotel porterage and premier luggage transfer services in conjunction with each charter flight • Gratuities to porters, wait staff, guides, drivers, and aircraft personnel for all group activities • Entrance fees and any airport charges • Welcome and farewell wine receptions • House wine, beer, and soft drinks with all group lunches and dinners • Complete packet of pre-departure information • Professional tour manager throughout.
Carbon Neutral: Criterion Travel will be purchasing carbon offsets to neutralize the impact of greenhouse gasses that are emitted as a result of operating this Journey to the Silk Road by Private Air program, with the proceeds helping to fund thoughtfully vetted environmental projects around the world.
To reserve your space using the online form, click here.
For reservations or questions, please email us at aia@studytours.org (and include your full name) or call us toll-free at (800) 748-6262 (toll: 603-756-2884). To reserve your space using the online form, click here.