Central Asia & Europe

Central Asia is something of a travel backwater but hugely rewarding for the curious traveller who is prepared to venture off the beaten track. Samarkand, Bokhara, Khiva & The Tien Shan may not be familiar names on the travel map but are among the worlds most memorable sights. The “Stans” and the Steppes offer a wide range of travel opportunities. For culture and history Uzbekistan offers a superb mix of sights with Armenia, Georgia and Azerbyjan offering new opportunities. The Tien Shan, Pamirs and Caucus mountain ranges offer the keen walker some amazing and remote mountainscapes. The Mongolian steppes are perhaps best described as how you might imagine the plains of North America before the arrival of the white man with its nomadic peoples moving their herds acrosss vast landscapes .

As an adventure and exploratory specialist Worlds Apart do not tend to deal with mainstream European resort travel but can offer many offbeat options such as Albania, Spitzbergen, Husky Sledging in Iceland, Wolf tracking in Poland or the Golden Ring of Russia.

• View photographs of Central Asia and Europe

The Trans-Siberian Railway

• Moscow, Siberia and Lake Baikal
• Mongolia and a traditional Ger Camp
• Beijing and the Great Wall of China
• One of world's great rail journeys

"The ultimate railway journey with stops in Moscow, Siberia, Mongolia and Beijing"

• View photographs
• View tour details

Tien Shan Trek

• Bishkek and Lake Issy-Kul
• Burana Tower and Karakol
• Dzanalach Valley and Tyuz Pass (4001m)
• Inilchek Glacier and Popeda Peak (7439m)

"An incomparible trek to the Inilchek Glacier at the heart of Tien Shan. Let yourself be entertained by the impressive, scenic performance in nature's amphitheatre."

• View photographs
• View tour details