Adventure Of The Silk Road – Uzbekistan Tour
Day 1 - Tashkent International Airport, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Arrive in Tashkent late in the evening or midnight / early morning the next day. You are met by your guide at the airport. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight stays in Tashkent.
Accommodation: Mirzo Boutique Hotel or similar
Day2 - Tashkent to Khiva
The fascination of the capital of Uzbekistan Tashkent became known as an important centre on the Silk Road after the October Revolution, which became the capital of the Soviet Republic of Turkestan. The city almost had to be rebuilt after the 1966 earthquake. In the old town, we visit the Khasti Imam complex, in which the most ancient version of the Koran is kept. On the large square, we visit Tilla Sheikh Mosque, Barak Khan Madrasah and Mausoleum Kaffal Shashi and experience the hustle and bustle at the Chorsu Bazaar, which was already known in the middle ages and was located at the intersection of the caravan processions of the Great Silk Road. In the afternoon we visit the Museum of Applied Arts. Then we take the subway to the city centre, where we walk through the modern city of Tashkent and visit Independence Square on the way with the building complex of the "grieving mother" and walk to the Amir Timur green area. With the evening flight, you fly to Urgench. From there we will continue to the beautiful oasis city of Khiva. You have dinner in a local restaurant. During the meal, our guide introduces us to Uzbek hospitality and tea traditions in Uzbekistan today. Tea is a symbol greeting to guest which is first presented in Uzbekistan and plays a very crucial role in Uzbek cuisine. The preparation and serving of tea also have certain traditions. Overnight stays in Khiva.
Accommodation: Zuhro Boutique Hotel or similar
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Flight: 1093 km, 1 hour 30 minutes; Driving distance: approx. 35 km., duration: approx. 20-30 minutes. Sightseeing time: approx. 5 hours
Day 3 - Khiva
Khiva: magnificent Islamic buildings Khiva, the medieval city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a tale of a thousand and one nights obtained from adobe or otherwise said to be stone. It is not for nothing that the old town "Ichan Kala" is called a massive "open-air museum". Today we intensively explore the winding streets with their simple houses made of unfired bricks and the many richly decorated mosques, madrasahs, mausoleums and palaces. We visit the Madrasah of Muhammad Amin Khan, Kalta Minor - according to legend, the builder promised the Emir of Bukhara a higher minaret and therefore did not want to complete it in Khiva; Juma Mosque, whose wooden beam ceiling is supported by 212 wooden columns decorated with elaborate carvings; Kuhna Ark and Tosh Hovli Palace - the Khan's residences; Islam Khoja Minarets - the tallest minaret in Uzbekistan and The Pakhlavan Makhmud Mausoleum - a place of pilgrimage especially for the locals. In this beautiful, oriental ambiance, you can find new motifs for taking pictures and places to linger. Overnight stays in Khiva.
Accommodation: Zuhro Boutique Hotel or similar
Meal: breakfast and dinner
Sightseeing time: approx. 5-6 hours
Day 4 - Khiva
Day trip to the old fortress ruins Today we take a trip to the remains of the old fortresses in Karakalpakstan (autonomous republic located in the territory of Uzbekistan). We drive through the Kyzyl-Kum desert and visit Kisil Kala - a unique monument to the last stage of the architectural history of ancient Khorezm and can be considered as the prototype of the undulating massive pillars from the Afrigid period. Another visit is Toprak Kala, one of the most important monuments of choral architecture. It is the only fully excavated monument in Khorezm. Legend has it that old subterranean paths connect Toprak-Kala and Kisil Kala. After visiting Ayaz Kala we drive back to Khiva. Ayaz-Kala was a fortress complex in which groups from the Kushan Dynasty settled. In the late afternoon, you have free time for discoveries on your own. Overnight stays in Khiva.
Accommodation: Zuhro Boutique Hotel or similar
Meal: breakfast and dinner
Travel distance: approx. 230 km., duration: approx. 3.5 hours Sightseeing time: approx. 2-3 hours
Day 5 - Khiva to Bukhara
With the modern caravan to Bukhara After the earlier breakfast in the hotel we take the train to Bukhara at 08: 23-13: 35 (Tue., Fri., and Sun.). As is well known, Bukhara is one of the seven holy cities of the Islamic world. Sufism has a large number of directions, and representatives of all orders were trading in the area of what is now Uzbekistan at different times. We visit the tomb of the founder of the Sufi order Naqshbandiya. Outside the city, the wonderful summer residence of the last ruling emir - Sitorai Mohi Khosa - awaits us. A visit to the wonderful little Chor Minor building concludes your tour. The historic mosque is one of the symbols of the city. In Persian, the name means "four minarets", like the four towers that tower up into the sky at the corners. Overnight stays in Bukhara.
Accommodation: Komil Boutique Hotel or similar
Meals: breakfast and dinner
Train journey: 570km, 3h 49 min; Travel distance: approx. 10 km., duration: approx. 15 min. Sightseeing time: approx. 3 hours
Day 6 - Bukhara
Bukhara: old town charm The historical old town of Bukhara with its almost completely preserved oriental city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On our city tour, we walk to the Ark Citadel and stroll through the artisan bazaar. Weavers, cutlers and woodcarvers advertise their goods on the stands and shops under the domed roofs. We visit the huge complex "Poikalon", which consists of the minaret Kalon, the mosque of the same name and the Madrasah Miri Arab before we are drawn back to the shady, cool Lyabi Hauz. In the late afternoon, we can visit Bukhara’s Jewish neighbourhood and there we go to a synagogue that is over four hundred years old. Our day ends with a tasty dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight stays in Bukhara.
Accommodation: Komil Boutique Hotel or similar
Meals: breakfast and dinner
Sightseeing time: 5-6 hours
Day 7 - Bukhara to Nurota
Sacred spring in Nurata and semi-nomadic life in the Kyzyl-Kum desert In the morning you have some free time for your discoveries in Bukhara. Afterwards, we drive to Nurata and there we visit the ruins of the fortress of Alexander the Great and the holy spring "Chashma". About an hour through the semi-desert Kyzyl-Kum, we drive to a yurt camp in Yangikazgan. Today we stay in the yurts and camel riding. After dinner, we spend time by the fire under a starlit sky and enjoy the folklore music of a Kazakh folk singer. Overnight stays in Yangikazgan.
Accommodation: Yurt camp
Meal: breakfast and dinner
Travel distance: approx. 220 km., duration: approx. 3.1 hours. Sightseeing time: approx. 1.5 hours
Day 8 - Aidar Yurt Camp, Нурота to Samarkand
Free time at Aydarkul Lake, drive to Samarkand After breakfast, we go for a short ride on the camels or take the transport to the nearby village of Yangikazgan (3.5 km.). If you wish, we can prepare traditional Uzbek bread together with the locals and watch how it is baked in a clay oven. Afterwards, we take a walk through the village to get to know the daily life of the villagers. Around noon we drive to Lake Aydarkul. The lake is 250 km long and 25 km wide. In summer temperatures it invites you to swim. Enjoy your time and picnic lunch by the lake. In the afternoon we continue to Samarkand. Samarkand - the pearl of the Orient, which is over 2750 years old, was considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world in the Middle Ages and has lost none of its charms to this day. Overnight stays in Samarkand.
Accommodation: Hotel Minor or similar
Meal: breakfast and lunch, dinner
Travel distance: approx. 275 km., duration: approx. 4.5 hours Sightseeing time: approx. 2-3 hours
Day 9 - Samarkand
Samarkand: magnificent ornamentation The fairy tale of a thousand and one night begins again for us in Samarkand ... It is one of the oldest cities in the world and at the same time the centre of the famous Silk Road. In the Afrosiyob Museum, we get a closer look at old Samarkand. Then visit one of the largest pilgrimage sites in the Islamic world - the tomb complex of St. Daniel and Ulugbek observatory, once the largest research centre in Central Asia. In the Meros paper factory, we experience the process of paper production and the result of the almost complete manual work: from peeling off the mulberry bark to scooping the paper, the range of the traditional production process extends and is maintained and preserved here. We then visit the Shakhi-Zinda complex, a magnificent ensemble of various mausoleums clad in the Timurid style with majolica and mosaic tiles. Samarkand is known not only for its historical monuments but also for the production of wine: wine and cognac run through your throat like a balm! After visiting the wine museum in Samarkand in the “Khovrenko” winery, we try 10 of the best varieties of Uzbek wines and cognacs here. After the tasting, in the evening we enjoy typical dishes in a typical Uzbek atmosphere.
Accommodation: Hotel Minor or similar
Meals: breakfast and dinner
Sightseeing time: 5-6 hours
Day 10 - Samarkand
Samarkand: the capital of the vast empire of Timur The whole day is available for the many sights of the city, which is over 2,700 years old. During the visit, we are impressed by the palace-like mausoleum of the ruler Amir Timur, the Gur Emir mausoleum. Today we enjoy the highlight of our trip - Registan Square with three impressively huge and artistically decorated madrasahs. Then we visit the once largest mosque in Central Asia - Bibi Khanum Mosque. To demonstrate his unlimited technical and financial possibilities, Timur wanted to build the most beautiful mosque in the eastern world. Afterwards, we visit the Siab Bazaar, which puts you in a world of 1001 nights through the hustle and bustle and the oriental scents. We also buy the ingredients for today's dinner here in the bazaar together with our guide. Today we prepare the Uzbek national dish - Plov together with a local family. Overnight stays in Samarkand.
Accommodation: Hotel Minor or similar
Meals: breakfast and dinner
Sightseeing time: 5-6 hours
Day 11 - Shahrisabz to Tashkent
Excursion to Shakhrisabz, with the caravan, express to Tashkent After breakfast in the hotel, we first drive to Shakhrisabz - the birthplace of the great Timur. By car we pass the mountain pass. On the way, we stop for photo stops. We visit the remains of Timur's summer palace Ak Saray, which took about 20 years to build; the Jahongir Mausoleum for Timur's eldest son, who died in a riding accident. We also visit the Kuk Gumbaz Mosque, which with its blue dome is visible from afar and has incredible acoustics. After the tour, we go directly to the train station to continue on the Afrosiyob express train to Tashkent at 3:43 p.m. Arrival at 8:10 p.m. and dinner at a local restaurant. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight stays in Tashkent.
Accommodation: Mirzo Boutique Hotel or similar
Meals: breakfast and dinner
Total distance: approx. 95 km., duration: approx. 3 hours; Train journey: 575km, approx. 4.5 hours Sightseeing time: 3-4 hours
Day 12 - Tashkent International Airport
Tashkent – Return flight to home Check out of the hotel. Transfer to the airport. End of the trip. Meals: breakfast
INCLUSIONS:
Round trip/excursions and transfers in air-conditioned modern vehicles
Khiva-Bukhara and Shakhrisabz-Tashkent train journeys in economy class
10x hotel accommodation in a double room and 1x yurt accommodation
Sightseeing program including entrance fees according to the itinerary
Meals: 11x breakfast, 1x lunch and 10x dinner
Dinner around the campfire with typical songs of the local Akyn (folk singer)
Bake bread with the typical family in the desert
Visit the paper factory - in a family business in Samarkand
Wine tasting in the “Khovrenko” winery in Samarkand
Joint preparation of the Uzbek national dish
Plov and dinner with a local family
Local tour guide from/to Tashkent Airport
EXCLUSIONS
International scheduled flights
Hotel fees for additional services
Travel insurance
Meals: 9x lunch
Photo/video fees
Tips for guides and drivers
