Along the Silk Road and the Great Game Paths (2 weeks)

Be in shoes of medieval caravan traders and the Great Game explorers making full circle along the most important sites of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Experience diverse history and traditions, as well as 20th century legacy of Central Asia.

Sample Itinerary (please, contact us to tailor it according to your wishes and flights):

Tashkent – Samarkand – Bukhara – Mary – Ashgabat – Dashauz – Khiva – Nukus – Tashkent

Day 1
Tashkent

Morning hours – arrival to Tashkent and meet your local escort guide at the exit of the international arrival of the airport, transfer to hotel  (25mins). Early hotel check in and late breakfast.
AM – rest at the hotel.

Lunch.

PM orientation tour of the city with local guide to include Independence Square, Navoi Theatre (outside), Chorsu Market, Khasti Imam Complex with unique relic – Koran of Khaliph Uthman, Abu Khasim Madrassah & the Earthquake Monument (bus/car & foot, 3hrs total).

Optional experiences – Opera or ballet performance at the Navoi Theatre; visit and tea at the Rakhimovs’ dynasty ceramic workshop; Museum of Applied Arts; Tashkent TV Tower (375m) with panoramic cafe.
Dinner at the Uzbek restaurant.

Overnight in Tashkent.

Day 2
Tashkent – Samarkand

Early breakfast and AM drive (4 hours) or high-speed train (2 hours 10 min) to Samarkand. If drive, optional stop at the road teahouse in Jizzakh province.

Noon – arrival to Samarkand and hotel check in. Lunch.

PM – half day sightseeing in Samarkand to include legendary and huge Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Siab Bazaar and magnificent Registan Square (3 hours).

Optional – the special dinner at the local family house (plov-cooking master class).

Overnight in Samarkand.

Day 3
Samarkand

Breakfast and continue tour of Samarkand – Gur Emir Mausoleum, Ulugbeg Observatory and museum, Shahi-Zinda necropolis (3hrs total).

Lunch with crafts demonstration at the unique “Meros” mulberry paper workshop in Koni-Ghil village.

PM visit to Khodja Doniyor (Tomb and well of St Daniel), Afrosiab archeology museum with Sogdian frescos and “Khudjum” handmade silk carpet factory.

Dinner (with optional traditional fashion show).

Overnight in Samarkand.

Day 4
Samarkand – options

Breakfast and day at leisure or one of the following experiences:

– day trip to Shakhrisyabz (Green Town – 1 hour 40 min drive over picturesque mountains) – the birthplace of Emperor Tamerlane and unofficial capital of many traditional arts, including Maqom singing and Dorboz acrobats. Tour of Oq-Saroy (White Palace of Tamerlane), Dorut Tilovat Complex and Trading Domes. Lunch at the local restaurant or (on the way back) at the tea-house on top of Amankutan gorge.

– visit the Complex of Imam Al-Bukhari (tomb of the author-collector of Khadis – second after Holy Koran most important book in Islam), 20 km;  

• trip to Urgut and Chor-Chinor Complex (15 km); 

• trip to Hazrat Daud (Cave of St David), 40 km, over 200 steps up to the mountain cave.

Overnight in Samarkand.

Day 5
Samarkand – Bukhara

Breakfast and AM drive (3 hours) or high-speed train (1.5 hours) to Bukhara.
Arrival before noon and check in at the hotel. 

Optional – Lunch at the traditional style restaurant or lunch at the family house with a cooking demonstration.

PM walking tour along the tranquil Lyabi-Haus and surrounding religious buildings and old Jewish quarter, followed by famous trading domes and gorgeous Kalan Complex with 47m tall minaret and madrasahs.

Dinner (optional folk and fashion show).

Overnight in Bukhara

Day 6
Bukhara

Breakfast and AM sightseeing of Bukhara, including Ark Citadel of the last Emir, Chashmai Ayub (Well of Prophet Job), beautiful Ismail Somoni Mausoleum.

Trip to the nearby town of Gijduvan for family home of famous porters Alisher Narzullaev & sons with craft demonstration and traditional lunch.

PM – on the way back from Gijduvan visit to Sitorai Mohi-Khosa (Summer Residence of Emir) with an amazing mix of Oriental and 19th-century European styles. Return to Bukhara to see enigmatic four minarets of Chor-Minor.

Optional gold or suzanee embroidery master class.

Dinner in one of the local restaurants.

Overnight in Bukhara.

Day 7
Bukhara – Farab – Mary

Early breakfast and AM drive from Bukhara to Farab border crossing with Turkmenistan (110 km, 2 hours).
Change of car/coach and further drive to Mary (240 km, about 4 hours).

Lunch and check in at the hotel.

Overnight in Mary.

Day 8
Mary – Ashgabat

Breakfast and AM trip to of Merv (25km) – remnants of ancient megalopolis and once the biggest city along the Silk Road, with Sultan Sanjar mausoleum and archaeological site of Kyz Kala.

Lunch in Mary.

The Mary Museum.

PM flight to Ashgabat (40 minutes) or drive there along the Kara-Kara-Kim desert.

Overnight in Ashgabat.

Day 9
Ashgabat

Breakfast. AM sightseeing including Parthian fortress of Nisa at the foot of the Kopet-Dag Mountains, Arkadash stud farm to see legendary and beautiful Akhal-Tekke horses.

Lunch.

PM visit to the Russian market and National Carpet Museum.

Overnight in Ashgabat.

Day 10
Ashgabat – Dashoguz

Breakfast and morning flight to Dashoguz near the northern border with Uzbekistan.

Upon arrival in Dashoguz drive to Konya Urgench (the ancient capital of Khorezm Shakhs) including highest 60m minaret in Central Asia, mosque, caravanserai, fortresses.

PM border crossing and drive to Khiva.
Hotel check-in and dinner.

Overnight in Khiva.

Day 11
Khiva

Breakfast and full day Khiva’s fabulous Ichan-Kala castle sightseeing. With more than 50 historic monuments and 250 old houses, Ichan-Kala is only “living” castle in Central Asia. Tour will include such highlights as Kunya Ark citadel, the Emir’s Palace, Juma Mosque with famous 200 carved wooden pillars, amazing Kalta Minor half-tower, the Caravanserai and bazaar.

Lunch and dinner in the local tea-house or restaurant with optional folk show and/or cooking master-class in family house.

Overnight in Khiva.

Day 12
Khiva – Nukus

Early breakfast and AM drive to Nukus (capital of autonomous Karakalpakstan) with stop after 2 hours at the ancient fortress of Toprak-Kala (walking to the top for desert landscape view).

Picnic lunch in the Karakalpak yurt camp.

Continue drive to Nukus (another 2,5 hours). Hotel check-in.

PM visit to extraordinary Savitzky Museum – the 2nd largest collection of the Russian Avant-garde in the world.

Overnight in Nukus.

Day 13
Nukus – Tashkent

Early breakfast and transfer to the airport for flight to Tashkent (1 hour 20 min).

Lunch

PM:  ride (2-3 stations) on Tashkent Metro – one of the most beautiful underground lines in the world. Visit to the Museum of Fine Arts with paintings by Kandinsky, Malevich, Bryullov, Repin and other famous masters.

Farewell dinner.

Overnight in Tashkent.

Day 14
Tashkent

Breakfast and AM at leisure.

Transfer to the airport and PM departure flight.