Welcome to Uzbekistan. Upon arrival at Tashkent International Airport, you will be met by our local team and taken to your hotel where you will have some free time to rest from your flight. After breakfast you will start your exploration of the Uzbek culture. The first visit will be to the Chorsu market (covered market), founded in the 11th century, where you will find stalls of dried and fresh fruits, as well as meat stalls much appreciated by the Uzbeks.

The next visit takes you to the Tashkent metro, the only metro in Central Asia, famous for the beauty of its stations. After visiting some of the most beautiful stations, you will be taken to a traditional restaurant located in the modern city before resuming the exploration of the modern city by visiting the Independence Square, Amir Timur (Tamerlane) Square etc…

Dinner in the city. Hotel accommodation.

After breakfast you will be transferred to the train station to take a fast train to Samarkand, a city with a rich mythical past, full of romance and intrigue.

After 2h10 of travel, you will start exploring the capital of the Timurid Empire by visiting the great Registan Square with its mosque and three magnificent madrasas. You will then reach the Bibikhanum mosque built in honor of Timur’s favorite wife. You will finish the day by wandering through the Siyob market, very popular in the city.

Hotel check-in at the end of the day. Dinner at a restaurant and hotel accommodation.

This day will be entirely dedicated to exploring the Timurid capital, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. Among the sights of the city, the Gur i-Emir, mausoleum of Amir Timur, is truly remarkable. It was built in the 15th century in honor of one of the grandsons of the ruler. The Shahi-zinda necropolis with over 20 mausoleums, is also a must see of the city.

You will end your day by visiting the remains of the Ulug Beg observatory and a paper-making workshop, both located around Samarkand.

Dinner in a traditional house with English speaking students followed by a night walk in the city where you can admire the beautiful lit monuments.

Accommodation at the hotel.

Departure to Shahrisabz in the morning after crossing the Zeravshan Mountains with its winding roads. This is an exciting tour and includes some stops for taking pictures. Then you will arrive to Shahrisabz which is considered to be the birthplace of Amir Timur (Tamerlane) and has a set of outstanding monuments and ancient quarters inside the medieval city wall, part of which is still standing. The foundations of the huge gate of the Aksaray palace have been preserved: this architectural masterpiece is exceptional for its size and bold design.

We will have lunch here before heading back to Bukhara through steppe landscapes. Upon arrival in Bukhara, you will check into your hotel located in the old quarter of the city.

Dinner in town and hotel accommodation.

You will have the whole day to explore this second major city of the Silk Road, home to 140 historical monuments, a city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Get ready for a day full of visits to different caravanserais, mosques and minarets, madrasas (Koranic schools) all located in the old city. Your guide will introduce you to the history of the city’s irrigation system, which once consisted of 108 reservoirs. You will visit the old Jewish quarter before finishing your day around the LyabiKhauz basin for refreshments. Your dinner will be organized at a craftsman’s house to discover his work inherited from the Silk Road. Accommodation at the hotel.

Breakfast will be followed by visiting some monuments outside the city of Bukhara such as the summer palace of Bukhara emirs, a mixture of oriental and western architecture. Then visit a major pilgrimage site for mystic worshipers in Central Asia, the mausoleum of Bakhaouddin Nakchbandi (1318 – 1389), founder of a Sufi order. Chor Minor Madrasa will be your last guided tour in Bukhara.  In the afternoon you will have some free time to stroll through the caravan city. For those interested, it is possible to arrange a session in a traditional hammam. Dinner in town and hotel accommodation.

After breakfast you will leave for Khiva, located 450 km (280 miles) west of Bukhara, in the Kharezm region, in the middle of sand dunes. Most of your journey will be through the Kyzylkoum desert (red sand desert) where you can imagine the brave caravaneers who used to cross it with their camels over several days. Some stops are planned for lunch and for taking pictures during the day. Upon arrival in Khiva, you will stay in a charming hotel located in the old walled city. Dinner in town and accommodation in the hotel.

This day is dedicated to exploring “Ichan-Kala“, the inner fortress, consisting of over 50 historical monuments and 250 old houses from the 17th to the 19th centuries, built behind brick walls about 10 meters high. The old city, which was the last stop of the caravaneers before crossing the desert to modern-day Iran, has been inscribed on the UNESCO heritage list since 1990. You will visit the main monuments of the city and discover the history behind them. You can also go on top of the city walls to take photos at sunset. Dinner at a local restaurant with a stunning view of the highest minaret in the city.

Dinner in the city and hotel accommodation.

After breakfast you will have some free time to stroll around the city before meeting your guide and driver. Then you will explore the architectural monuments of the ancient Karaezm: the ancient fortresses of ToprakKala and AyazKala. The word Kala means fortress in the local language. Your lunch will be served in a yurt camp located not far from the AyazKala fortress. Walk around the camp and return to Urgench at the end of the day from where you will take an evening flight to Tashkent. Upon arrival you will be transferred to the hotel.

Hotel accommodation.

Transfer to Tashkent International Airport depending on your flight schedule. We wish you a safe journey home.