Crossing into Asia near Istanbul, the trip will track south along the Turkish coast. First to Gallipoli followed by a visit to Troy. Further south we will visit Ismir - formerly Smyrna - and finally Ephesus before heading east along the Royal Road towards Anatolia. Syria - including Aleppo, Palmyra and the Krak des Chevaliers will be a detour before travelling back into Turkey for a trip into the mountains to visit Mount Nemrut and then on into Kurdistan for the border with Iran. A possible run south to Esfahan will make a second detour before crossing into Turkmenistan near Ashgabat. We visit Merv the famous oasis city devasted by Genghis Khan and then the great Silk Road cities of Bukhara and Samarkand. From Tashkent, we make a final run through Kazakhstan and Kyrgistan before crossing into China at the Torugart Pass.
