Tour of Central Asia – Ancient Cities of the Silk Road
Trip Facts
- LanguageEnglish, Russian, Chinese, German, Korean, French, Japanese
- Group SizeMinimum 2 persons, Maximum 12 person
- Best seasonYear around
- Fitness levelMedium, normal physical shape and good appetite
- Tour typeGroup 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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 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
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.
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Inclusions
Meals
The price includes:
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.”
Regular physical shape, good appetite and excellent mood
If you have dietary, religious or belief food restrictions, please let us know in advance so that we can prepare for them.
Accomodations
Timur Alimov
Dear friends!
My name is Timur Alimov, and I represent our group of travel experts in Uzbekistan and Central Asia. Our travel experts will guide you through Uzbekistan and Central Asia. For the past ten years we have been gathering and guiding groups of more then 10000 happy travelers. We can show the country through the eyes of the locals, as if you come not as a tourist, but as a guest visiting friends. We give to our travelers only the routes that we checked personally or it was checked by our guides. Some members of My team has traveled this route more than 10 times, and during these trips we have made a lot of friends in each cities who become our friends and help us.
Our travel company office is based in Bukhara, but our travel experts are set in each country we represent. Company is officially registered and has certificates and tourist licenses # T-0087 Unique Travel issued by state gov of Uzbektourism.
I look forward to seeing you as our clients!
You can book your seat through the booking form , click on "Book now" and follow the process. You can also contact me or our team to get the consultation.