HERO - Great Silk Road

This is HERO's planned itinerary at the time of going to press; it is subject to amendment. Although the general line of route in places follows that of other rallies that have crossed Europe and Asia, we are as far as possible taking fresh roads, while still visiting the major highlights.

Day 1: Saturday 4 September 2004. Grand send-off from major London landmark.

Days 1 to 6: 4-9 September: European Overture. Across Europe to Istanbul, using motorways to avoid congestion between some great rally motoring: visits to race circuits at Spa and Nürburgring, excellent regularity and medal sections in the Ardennes, the Alps and the Balkans, including superb Slovenia. (3,700km/2,300mi)

Days 7 to 17: 10-20 September: Wonders of the Ottomans and Persians. A free day to explore Istanbul, the terminus of the Silk Road, then across the ancient empires of Asia Minor and Persia in easy stages, with rally loops on scenic mountain roads and some wonderful sights to see: the beehive rock dwellings and underground cities of Cappadocia; magnificent Mt Ararat; the great blue mosques of Esfahan; the ruins of fabled Persepolis. (3,900km/ 2,500mi)

Days 18 to 27: 21-30 September: Through the ’Stans into China. The events of the last few months have meant that the option of crossing Pakistan and entering China over the Karakoram Highway is now unrealistic. Instead we will stick closely to the original route of the Silk Road and pass the ancient cities of Merv, Bokhara, Samarkand and Tashkent. This gives us the opportunity of opening up wonderful new rally roads in the ex-Soviet states of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. We then have our final taste of a western city before plunging into the unique atmosphere and experience of China. (3,100km/2,000mi)

Days 28 to 38: 1-11 October: Marching across China to Xi'an. Our initial route survey carried out at the end of last year has unfortunately concluded that the roads through Tibet are too rough and wild for our use. Instead we will cut a trail across north-west China heading for Xi’an - the traditional end of the Silk Road and the home of the awe inspiring Terracotta armies. On the way we will pass through China’s premier wine growing region, the furthest city from an ocean in the world and the western end of the Great Wall. (3,750km/2,300mi)

Days 39 to 46: 12-19 October: Beyond the Clouds. We will be the first rally to travel through the remote and beautiful mountain regions of south-west China, where the traditional ways of life changed little during the political and social upheavals of the 20th century. We spend some time in Lijiang, setting for the magical TV series Beyond the Clouds, before moving on to the old city of Kunming. (3,000km/1,850mi)

Days 47 to 53: 20-26 October: The Terraces and Temples of South-East Asia. South through the green forests and terraced hills of Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. We overnight in the World Heritage Site city of Louangphrabang and in French colonial city of Vientiane, Laos’s capital before arriving in Bangkok. We will have two rest days here to allow you to make a flying visit to explore the amazing temples of Angkor Wat. Alternatively you can elect to relax and enjoy the sybaritic luxuries of beautiful, burgeoning Bangkok - the end of the road for some participants, the start of the adventure for others. (2,200km/1,350mi; total London-Bangkok 20,000km/12,500mi)

Days 54 to 61: 27 October - 3 November: Meandering Down the Malay Peninsula. The steamy tropical warmth is now a contrast to Himalayan cold, and our luxury hotels at places like Phuket and Kuala Lumpur are a world away from a windy bivouac on the steppes. We take quiet back roads through some stunning landscapes, arriving in time for tiffin in the colonial time capsule of the Cameron Highlands, and have a day off close to the amazing Petronas Towers of Kuala Lumpur - the world’s highest buildings. Then it’s on to the end of the overland road at Singapore, where naturally we fetch up at Raffles Hotel. (2,500km/1,500mi; London-Singapore 22,500km/14,000mi)

Days 62 to 73: 4-15 November: Island Hopping across Indonesia. Free day at Singapore, then back on the road to the old trading port of Malacca, and a ferry next day across the straits to ten days of great rallying and wonderful sightseeing through the lovely and varied landscapes of Sumatra and Java, to sumptuously scenic Bali, with its beaches and volcanoes. (4,500km/2,800; London-Bali 27,000km/17,000mi; Bangkok-Bali 7,100km/4,400mi)

Days 74 to 81: 16-23 November: Bali Interlude and Australian Arrival. Some participants leave us at Bali, while the rest will have to endure the hardships of a few days here while the cars are shipped to Australia. Our current plans are to make landfall at Darwin, the nearest practical point to Bali - 1,761km/1,095mi by air. Here we’ll stay in a luxury beach hotel while the formalities are dealt with.

Days 82 to 92: 24 November-4 December: Across the Outback to the Barrier Reef. Hot and dusty days on walkabout, as we skirt the inhospitable Arnhem Land into deserted Northern Australia, heading south to Alice Springs and the wondrous sight of Uluru (Ayers Rock). South again to the bizarre underground opal mining town of Coober Pedy, then back up the famous Birdsville Track for a Four X at one of the outback’s most famous hotels, before heading across to Cairns. Here there’s a rest day with a boat trip out to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef. (5,500km/3,450mi)

Days 93 to 98: 4-9 December: Pacific Coast and Highlands to Sydney. The final leg of our journey to the far side of the earth is a run through super landscapes, with some excellent rally sections, culminating in the grand finale of driving across Sydney Harbour Bridge to the final control in front of the Opera House - and a great party! (3,000km/1,850mi. Total distances: London-Sydney 35,200km/21,900mi; Bangkok-Sydney 15,600km/9,700mi; Darwin-Sydney 8,500km/ 5,200mi)

London to Sydney - by the most overland route ever!