Best of Uzbekistan

We will start the day early to catch our domestic flight to Nukus, the capital of the autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan. Due to its remote location near the Aral Sea, Nukus was a ‘closed city’ throughout the Soviet era, as the Red Army researched and developed chemical warfare weapons here. We will visit the famous Savitsky Museum, officially known as the State Art Museum of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. The museum showcase the life’s work of Russian painter and collector Igor Savitsky, whose legacy includes thousands of archeological and ethnographic treasures, along with the world’s second-largest collection of Russian avant-garde art. Many avant-garde artists were purged by Stalin, but Savitsky acquired their artworks and kept them hidden from the vigilant eyes of the KGB in this isolated desert location. After lunch, we depart Nukus and drive around 2.5 hours to Ayaz Kala. According to archeological excavations, the Ayaz Kala fortress dates from the 2nd century BC. It was part of a system of border fortresses that stretched as a chain from east to west and which defended the Khiva oasis from the desert side. We will have a look at the ruins in the desert before continuing our ride to Khiva, where we arrive in the evening. Check-in and dinner in the old town.

Hotel Asia 3* or similar

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A jewel of desert architecture, Khiva is one of the most important centers of ancient Khorezm. Locals believe that Shem, son of Noah, founded the city when he discovered a freshwater spring in the middle of this vast desert. Archeologists believe the city was founded some 2,500 years ago. Today, Khiva is the most architecturally intact and tightly packed of Central Asia’s Silk Road cities. Its intense blue-and-green tile work ranks as some of the most ornate in Uzbekistan, and the entirety of the Ichan-Kala - the inner city - is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It also has the feel of a movie set or an open-air museum. Khiva is full of incredible architecture, and today we will get the chance to see it all. The focus of our tour is the walled Ichan-Kala, within which are preserved more than 60 historic monuments and hundreds of centuries-old houses. You will also have time on your own to wander around this fabled town. During dinner, we will have a folklore performance of traditional Khorezmian dances and songs on kush-nay, a musical instrument very specific to the Khorezm region.

Hotel Asia 3* or similar

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Early morning flight to Bukhara. From Bukhara Airport it’s just a 10 minutes’ ride to the old town. Bukhara is the second of our UNESCO World Heritage Site stops. The city’s very name -Bukhara - conjures up images of the exotic Orient. For centuries, it was an important trading post and center of scholarship. The Old City has been well preserved and is crammed full of minarets, mosques, and madrassas. Its once notorious canals and pools, the source of many an epidemic, have now been drained, but the most famous, Lyabi-Hauz, is still there. Today it’s an oasis shaded by mulberry trees in the heart of the city. Your guide will show you Bukhara's unmissable sights, and you can soak up the atmosphere wandering through the labyrinthine alleyways. Highlights of today’s walking tour in Bukhara include the Poi Kalon complex, the Ark Fortress, Bolo Hauz Mosque, the Ayub Mausoleum and spring, the bazaars inside Bukhara’s unique trading domes, and the Samanid Mausoleum.

Hotel Paradise Plaza 4* or similar

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today in the morning we will visit a couple more sights near Bukhara. First, we visit the Mausoleum of Naqshbandi, 15 km outside the city center. There are many orders in Sufism, all of which have been represented at different times in what is now Uzbekistan. The Naqshbandiyya order has a great and long-lasting influence, and the memorial place is still a popular place of pilgrimage for Sufis. From here, we will visit the summer residence of the last Emir of Bukhara. In Persian, it is called Sitorai Mokhi Hossa, “the place where the moon meets the stars". Return to Bukhara for lunch. Free time or additional sightseeing activities in the afternoon.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we will drive to a village near Bukhara to explore the rural life of Uzbekistan. We will meet the family of Mr. Rustam, who will introduce us to his home, and village. We will have a walk in the village, meet locals and see cotton fields. We will prepare and have lunch together. In the afternoon we take the high-speed train Afrosiob from Bukhara to Samarkand (3:50pm – 5:25pm). Upon arrival in Samarkand, transfer to the hotel for check-in and dinner in the city. After dinner, on the way to the hotel, drive by Registan Square for an evening view of the magnificent madrasahs.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sublime Samarkand evokes an almost mythical past full of romance and intrigue. This was the domain of Emperor Timur, one of history’s greatest (and most ruthless) conquerors. His vast empire rivaled any, stretching across the Eurasian steppe. He ruled his kingdom with an iron fist, whilst at the same time patronizing the arts and literature. Much of Samarkand’s Timurid-era architectural heritage has been preserved, allowing us to see how the city might have been at the peak of Timur’s power. We will start the day with a visit to the Gur-e-Amir, the mausoleum where Timur is buried. Our guide will tell stories from Timur’s life and how and why he began to build in Samarkand. We will then go to the Registan, Samarkand’s central square, which is undeniably Uzbekistan’s most famous landmark. This focal point of medieval Samarkand is framed by three beautiful madrassas (religious schools): Ulugbek, Sherdor, and Tillya Kori. Next, we will stroll through the spacious courtyard of the Bibi-Khanum Mosque, an impressively tiled structure that is said to have been gifted to Timur by one of his wives. After lunch, we will have time to explore Siyob Bazaar, where fruit and vegetables grown in the rich soils of the Zarafshan Valley are sold in a colorful market. You may explore the city on your own during your free time this evening.

Hotel Rabat 3* or similar

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, we will check out from the hotel and continue to explore the fairytale city of Samarkand. We go first to the Shah-i Zinda, a magnificent tiled necropolis; and then visit Ulgubek’s Observatory, which was once the biggest research center in Central Asia. Ulugbek was decades ahead of the West with his observations of the solar system and the Earth, and we will learn more about his story in this prestigious setting. Our next stop will be the Konigil Paper Mill. Here you will see the process of making paper from mulberry tree bark, just as it was done in 8th century Samarkand. We will enjoy lunch together, after which those who wish to do so can visit Afrasiyab Museum to learn about the ancient city of Samarkand – then known as Afrasiyab – which was destroyed by the Mongols in the early 13th century. Farewell dinner.

Please note: If you prefer to fly out of Tashkent instead of Samarkand, we can arrange transport back to Tashkent in the evening (2h train ride) and transfer to the airport.

Hotel Rabat 3* or similar

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Check-out at the hotel is any time before noon. You will have free time until your transfer to Tashkent International Airport for your flight home.

Included meals: Breakfast