Tour of Central Asia – Ancient Cities of the Silk Road

Days 12

From:

$2,282

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Trip Facts

Language

English, Russian, Chinese, German, Korean, French, Japanese
Group Size

Minimum 2 persons, Maximum 12 person
Best season

Year around
Fitness level

Medium, normal physical shape and good appetite
Tour type

Group Travel, Private Travel

Trip code: #346 / #1355 (RENEW)

Overview

Uzbekistan Travel Package – Cultural and Historical trip covering ancient cities Samarkand , Bukhara and Khiva.
From the 6th century to the 21st century along the Great Silk Road we will follow in the footsteps of the legendary Tamerlane.

The history of ancient cities, whose age is counted for millennia, magnificent architectural monuments, beautiful nature – the greatness of the mountains, endless deserts, mountain rivers, lakes and waterfalls, and even the dried up sea. Authentic cultures and crafts, delicious dishes of Uzbek cuisine, fruits, sweets and of course warm-hearted people – all this in one journey. Add a great accompany by a professional guide and you have a trip of your dreams that will remain in your memory for a lifetime!

We will visit a sunny country, where you will be welcome in every home and will cover a rich dastarkhan, plunge into the ancient history of Khorezm and Sogdiana, check if Tamerlane has chalk in his right hand. We will visit Uzbek Family and cook and taste authentic uzbek “Manti”, if we are lucky we take a ride on donkey, we will take a selfie at poppy field, climb the Demon plateau, shout our desire in the Tien Shan mountains and bring home a recipe for real Uzbek Pilaf (Uzbek Plov is famous national delicious food).

Uzbekistan travel highlights

Trips to legendary cities: Samarkand, Tashkent, Bukhara, Khiva
Famous Madrassas and Mosques
The Culture and Hospitality of the East
Unique architecture
History and sights from the times of Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great to the present day
National cuisine, pilaf, samsa, lagman
Seasonal Uzbek fruits, vegetables, berries

Itinerary: Tashkent - Khiva - Bukhara - Gizduvan - Nurato - Samarqand - Urgut - Demon Plateau - Chimgan & Charvak - Tashkent

12:55 Departure from New York (JFK airport)

09:55 am Arrival time to Tashkent

Meeting with our driver outside of airport gates

Transfer to hotel, leave your baggage and transfer to “Welcome Dinner”

19:00 Welcome dinner at the national restaurant

Night in Tashkent

Duration: 4 hour

Tashkent

10:00 Sightseeing program around the center of Tashkent.

Independence Square
Amir Timur Square
Opera and Ballet Theater named after Alisher Navoi
the Museum of Applied Arts

13:00 Break for lunch

Hasti Imam complex - historical sight where we will see the oldest Othman Koran in the world
Old city
Chor-Su market (the one of the biggest bazaars in Tashkent). We will go there by Tashkent metro (subway)

Duration of tour: 5-6 hours

17:40 Transfer to Tashkent railway station

18:45 Train departure from Tashkent

20:53 Arrival in Samarkand

At the exit you will be met by our driver with the sign "Minzifa Travel

Transfer to dinner

21:30 Dinner at the chaikhana

Overnight at hotel in Samarkand

Breakfast | Lunch

Samarkand

10:00 Guided sightseeing tour around Samarkand.

Gur-Emir Mausoleum (“the grave of Emir”).
Registan square, which was the center of Samarkand during centuries. Registan Square is a complex of three monuments: Ulugbek Madrassah (15 th century), Sher-Dor Madrassah (17 century) and Tilla-Kari Madrassah (17 century).

13:00 Break for lunch

Bibi Khanym mosque (the 15th century) it was the biggest mosque in CA
Syob bazaar

Duration of tour:6 - 7 hours

19:00 Dinner at the chaikhana

Night in Samarkand hotel

Lunch

Samarkand

10:00 Guided sightseeing tour around Samarkand.

Shakhi-Zinda Necropolis, where you will find a complex consisting of more than twenty buildings, unique in Central Asia.
Visit Ulugbek Observatory - incredible construction of the 15th century for studying astronomy and the Afrosiab Museum.The museum is located on the site of an ancient settlement called Afrosiab. In 1220 the city was almost completely destroyed by the Mongol ruler Genghis Khan.

13:00 Break for lunch

Saint Daniel Mausoleum
Eternal City - Silk Road Samarkand

Duration of tour:6 - 7 hours

18:00 Dinner at the chaikhana

Night in Samarkand hotel

Lunch

Duration: 8 hour

Samarkand

10:00 Departure from Samarkand to "Chor Chinor" - a 1,000 year old chinara tree, a sacred tree where locals come to pray for health.

Transfer to Shakhrisabz, in Shakhrisabz, city tour:

Ak Saroy - ruins of Amir Timur's 14th century palace. A colossal building, the impressive size and amazing beauty of the architecture of the portal entrance to the palace.
Dorut Saodat is the family necropolis of the Timurids, the burial place of two of Timur's sons. Timur and the sarcophagus of Tamerlane (14th century).
The Khoja Imam Mosque and a plane tree (750years old).
Dorut Tilyavar - the complex consists of two mausoleums, the Mausoleum of Emir Taragai (Timur's father) and his spiritual master Mir Kulol. Also in the complex there is
Kuq Gumbaz Mosque from the 15th century and a madrasa with a small minaret.

Lunch at the chaikhana in Shakhrisabz

Back to Samarkand to visit Silk Road Complex and Kunya Meros Paper Factory (recreated handmade production of ancient paper from mulberry tree, here you will see the whole process of paper production

Master class of cooking delicious Samarkand Plov at Kunya Meros (Dinner)

20:00 Transfer to Samarkand train station

21:03 Departure from Samarkand to Bukhara by train

22:34 Arrival to Bukhara

At the exit you will be met by our driver with the sign "Minzifa Travel

Transfer to the hotel

Night in Bukhara

Breakfast

Duration: 7 hour

Bukhara

Breakfast at the hotel

10:00 Sightseeing program

Beginning of sightseeing tour in Bukhara:

Visit to the Mausoleum of Ismail Samani
Chashma Ayub Mausoleum (Job's Well), located near Samanid Mausoleum.
A visit to the Bolo House Mosque of the 18th-20th centuries.
Ark fortress, citadel of Emir of Bukhara.

13:00 Lunch at a local chaikhana

Continuation of sightseeing tour:

Poi Kalyan complex includes - Kalyan Mosque and Kalyan Minaret, Mir-Arab Madrassah,
Ulugbek and Abdulazizkhan Madrassahs,
Ancient Trading Domes

Tea Tasting at the national house of Uzbek family

The 12th century Magoki-Attori Mosque.
Lyabi House complex, consisting of three architectural monuments: Kukeldash Madrasah, Nodir Divan Begi Madrasah and Hanaka Madrasah of the 17th century.

Duration of tour:6 - 7 hours

18:00 Dinner at the chaikhana

Overnight in Bukhara hotel

Breakfast

Duration: 4 hour

Bukhara

Breakfast at hotel

10:00 Guided sightseeing program in the suburb of Bukhara city.

Pilgrimage sight - Bahauddin Nakshbandi theologist of sufizm 14 century.
Sitorai Mohi Khosa - Summer palace of the Emir of Bukhara.
Madrassa Chor-Minor.

13:00 Lunch in local chaikhana

Bukhara Khiva

14:00 Departure from Bukhara to Khiva

On the way to Khiva we will make other 3 stop

Stop 1: to take photos of Amu Darya River

Stop 2: to enjoy scenery of desert and make photos

Stop 3: Dinner at the chaikhana

20:00 Arrival to Khiva

Transfer to hotel, accommodation, rest

Overnight in Khiva hotel

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Duration: 8 hour

Khiva

Breakfast at hotel

10:00 Khiva city tour

Khiva’s old city, known as Ichan Kala, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit the carpet workshop.

You will see palaces with the rich mosaic, unique beautiful minarets, madrassas and mosques such as:
Kunya-Ark Fortress,
Pahlavan Mahmud complex ,
Tash-Khawli Palace (Harem),
Kalta-Minor Minaret,
Islam Khoja Complex.
Lunch in chaikhana “National House” (by yourself).
Visit woodcarving and carpet workshops.

12:00 Lunch at the chaikhana

Continuation of sightseeing program:
Juma Mosque and Minaret,
Karavan-Saray,
Minaret and Mosque of Khodja-Islam,
Tim of Ala-Kuli Khan,
Madrassah of Abdulla-Khan,
Seyyid Allauddin Mausoleum,
Madrassah of Muhamad Amin-Khan
Madrasa of Muhamad Rakhim-Khan
Walls and gates.

Duration of tour: 5 hours

17:00 Dinner at the chaikhana

Overnight in Khiva hotel

Breakfast

Duration: 4 hour

Khiva - Nukus (by land vehicle)

08:00 Departure from Khiva to the Kyzylkum desert by Car. (110 km) with stops:

Kyzyl-Kala fortress (Red city), Toprak Kala fortress ,

11:00 Arrival at Ayaz Kala

The Ayaz Kala fortress existed from the 4th century BC to the 7th century AD. 1-12 centuries, unique monuments of antiquity, were fortifications for settlements engaged in agriculture.

12:30 - 13:00 Lunch at Ayaz Kala yurt camp.

Here you can ride camels, walk through the ruins.

Continue our trip to Nukus ( 160 km / 3 hours )

16:00 Arrival to Nukus

Transfer to hotel, to leave luggage

16:30 Guided sightseeing program in Nukus and its surroundings.

One of the most interesting sights which attracts visitors from all over the world, is the Art Museum of I. V. Savitskiy, world-known for its unique collection of paintings and sculptures of Russian Soviet avant-guard of 1920s to 1960s. Visit Karakalpak State Museum of Art which contains more than 50 000 paintings and other works of art.

Overnight in Nukus

Breakfast

Duration: 7 hour

Breakfast at hotel

Departure from Nukus to the lake Sudochie. In the past, Lake Sudochye was a large, albeit shallow, basin in the Amu Darya delta, and the largest lake in the delta
On the way - stop and inspect the ruins of the lighthouse near the abandoned village of Urga.
The stop in Muynak (the former port city) is an inspection of the "ship graveyard".

Drive back to Nukus with the visit to the ancient fortress of Kurgancha Kala 13th c.

On the way to Nukus - a stop in the memorial complex of Mizdakhan and the fortress of Gyaur Kal

Note; this trip will take 8 - 9 hours / road trip

21:00 Transfer to Nukus International Airport.

22:30 Departure from Nukus

23:50 Arrival in Tashkent

Overnight in Tashkent hotel

Breakfast

Duration: 6 hour

Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 Drive to Chimgan mountains. The road winds through beautiful mountain scenery,

Survey of the surroundings.

10:30 Approximate Time of Arrival in Amirsoy

Drive to the Amirsoy area, where you can take a ride on the chair lift. ATV rides on request (optional).
Reindeer farm
Visit to Hodjikent grotto with petroglyphs.
Then the road leads to Charvak reservoir surrounded by mountainsides. Arrival at the reservoir. Charvak reservoir is a wonderful place for rest and active sports including paragliding (optional). A few minutes of flight can turn out to be one of the most vivid memories in your life. The flight lasts 5-10 minutes.
Drive around Charvak reservoir, visit Sheikh Umar Wali Bogustoni Mausoleum.
Visit to the mountain village of Burchmullo

Lunch at the chaikhana “Chinaras”

17:00 Return to Tashkent

19:00 Dinner at the chaikhana

Overnight in Tashkent hotel

Breakfast

Duration: 6 hour

Lunch boxes for breakfast

05:00 Transfer to the International Airport of Tashkent for the further departure back to homeland

06:45 AM Departure from Tashkent

10:55 AM Arrival in New York

The End of Tour.

Breakfast

Inclusions

Meals

9 breakfast, 4 lunch, 1 dinner

The price includes:

Accommodation Hotels 3* shared double or twin occupancy (single accommodation for an additional fee),
Transportation during the whole tour
Certified guides during the whole tour.
One cooking muster class of "Manti" at an authentic Uzbek Family;
Entrance tickets to all attractions
Cooking master classes of "Pilaf"
Services of travel arrangements.
Train Tickets "Afrosiyob" Bukhara - Samarkand, Samarkand - Tashkent (business class tickets)
Domestic Air ticket Tashkent - Urgench, economy class

Note

“Please note that we use a local supplier for your arrival airport transfer. As tourism is a growing industry in Central Asia, your driver may not speak English.”

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Requirements for a guest

Regular physical shape, good appetite and excellent mood

Feautures

If you have dietary, religious or belief food restrictions, please let us know in advance so that we can prepare for them.

Dates & availability

Prices may go up, so secure your trip today!
* The tour is guaranteed even if there is 1 person in the group