Cultural treasures of the Silk Road

After breakfast, you will make a tour around the capital, Tashkent. You will visit Khast Imam Square with the Barak Khan Medrasa and the Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum. This historic complex is in the old town that consists of old clay houses which survived the earthquake of 1966. The complex was built around the grave of one of the first Koran preachers of Central Asia, who was also a famous scientist. In the large square, there is also a library with a collection of original manuscripts, among which is the world-famous Osman Koran from the 7th century. Then we will go the «Chorsu» Bazaar, which was already known in the Middle Ages and stood at the crossroads of the caravansaries of the Great Silk Road. This is one of the largest markets of Tashkent, not far from the centre of town. In the afternoon, we will wander through the modern town and on the way visit Independence Square with the building complex of the „Grieving Mother “and Alisher Navoi Opera House. We will continue walking till Amir Timur Park. Dinner in a local restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Accommodation: Navruz Hotel in Tashkent

Today in the morning at 08:07 you will take a train from Tashkent to Kokand, upon arrival at 12:15 start discovering the city with its splendid Islamic buildings – the Palace of Khudoyar Khan and imposing Djuma Mosque. Then drive to Rishtan and visit a Ceramics Studio in which the potter will tell us about making pottery and give us a demonstration. Dinner in the hotel or in a local restaurant. One overnight stay in Fergana.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Grand Fergana in Fergana

Fergana’s way of living is a fascinating combination of Western ways and traditional Uzbek: from modern restaurants and bars to Oriental bazaars. In order to get to know the town better, you will make a town tour through the avenue-like streets of Fergana and visit Margilan. Here you will visit the most famous Silk Factory “Yodgorlik”, where you can see the individual steps of making silk. In the afternoon drive back to Tashkent with a private car through the impressive Mountain Pass Kamchik (2.268 m). On the way you can stop in order to take some photos of beautiful nature of the region. Arrival into Tashkent and dinner in a local restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Accommodation: Navruz Hotel in Tashkent

In the morning take a fast train from Tashkent to Samarkand which gets only in 2 hours.

Samarkand is one of the oldest towns in the world and at the same time the centre of the famous Silk Road. In the „Afrosiyob “Museum you can get a really good idea of what Samarkand was like.Then you will visit the Shakhi Zinda Complex, a wonderful group of different mausoleums in Timur style coated with majolica and mosaic tiles. You will note that centuries-old traditions still continue in Samarkand when you visit the Paper manufacturing factory. Here you can learn about the traditional process of paper which is produced quite naturally from the fibres of the mulberry tree. After that visit Observatory of Ulugbek, the world-famous astronomer, Amir Timur’s grandson, who built his observatory in 1428 but was only discovered in 1908.

In the late afternoon, you will see a colourful folklore programme in the Theatre „El-Merosi “(the inheritance of the people), telling through dance the history of the region. During the show, the actors will show costumes from different historic periods of Uzbekistan, from the Bronze Age to the present. Dinner in a local restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Ideal in Samarkand

Samarkand was considered, in the Middle Ages, to be one of the most beautiful and most important towns in the world. You will be impressed by the palace-like mausoleum of the ruler Timur, the Gur Emir Mausoleum. Today you can enjoy the highlight of your trip – Registan Square with its three magnificent, artistically decorated madrasas. Tashkent Street, where in particular the souvenir shops are to be found, brings you to what was once the greatest mosque in Central Asia – the Bibi Khanym Mosque. Timur wanted to demonstrate his unlimited technical and financial possibilities by building the most beautiful mosque of the Eastern world. You are encouraged to try the raisins, apricots and nuts on a culinary walk through the bazaar. Today you will cook with the Uzbek family and enjoy a typical local dinner.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Ideal in Samarkand

Along the historical Great Silk Road, you drive through the beautiful mountain landscape to Amir Timur’s birth town, Shakhrisabz. He very quickly gained a larger empire than that of Alexander the Great. Admire King Timur’s building exploits and wander through the town and the market. In the late afternoon, we travel on to Bukhara – an oasis town in the Kyzylkum Desert. Dinner in a local restaurant. Three overnight stays in Bukhara.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Komil Boutique in Bukhara

We start our tour with the Mausoleum of Ismail Samani and then go to the Chashmai Ayub Mausoleum. After we will wander around the old town where you will feel transported to the world of the stories from ‘One Thousand and One Nights’. It is hard to believe that, just like 100 years ago, teaching and learning still takes place in the mosques and madrasas, such as the Miri Arab madrasa. You will admire the «classic» architectural complex Lyabi Khauz with its trading domes and several mosques, madrasas as well as the dervish monastery Khanaka in the old town, and will understand the honorary title «noble town».

Today dinner is in an old Jewish house with a Bukharian family. The Susani embroiderer Abdurahman will tell us about Bukhara embroidery and we will try the Emir’s Plov.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Komil Boutique in Bukhara

Today we will visit the Chor Minor madrasa, whose four minarets (chor – four) and the whole style shows similarities with the Indian style of building. After that we will take a road to the summer residence of the last Bukhara Emir – Sitorai Mokhi Khosa which in Persian means «The place where the moon and the stars meet». As it is known, Bukhara is one of the seven holy towns of the Islamic world. There are a large number of orientations in Sufism, and the representatives of all orders were present in various eras on the site of where Uzbekistan is today. Sufi orden Naqshbandiya had the longest lasting effect and left behind the greatest legacy. Bahauddin Naqshbandi was one of the spiritual mentors of Tamerlan. His philosophy was based on the principle of «God in the heart, work in the hands». The memorial complex of Bahauddin Naqshbandi was considered to be the Central Asian Mecca.

In the afternoon, we have time to discover the Jewish quarter of Bukhara and visit a Synagogue which is over 400 years old. Then we will visit a Puppet Work Shop.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Komil Boutique in Bukhara

Trip through the desert Kyzylkum («Red Sand») and steppe to Khiva. Picnic on the way in an Uzbek «Roadhouse». Arrival in Khiva, check-in to the hotel. In the evening you can explore by yourselves. Princely dinner in the „TozaBog “summer palace (at least 8 people). Two overnight stays in Khiva.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Musa Tura in Khiva
Dinner with the family (in the guesthouse). Two overnight stays in Sentob village.

Meals: Breakfast, picnic, and dinner

Accommodation: Guesthouse

Today you visit the old town of Khiva “Ichan Kala”, which has maintained its historical, oriental character. You will stand in front of the massive wall with its four entrances to Ichan Kala and feel transported to another world: all around the Kalta Minor (short minaret), which was once so tall that you could see far-away Bukhara from the top, the hustle and bustle of life, is just as it was in ancient times. On this tour, you can let all the sights sink in: Kunya Ark –the old residence of the Khiva Khans, the Medrasa of Muhammad Rakhim Khan, Mausoleum of Pakhlavon Makhmud, Medrasa and Minaret of Islam Khodja, the Residence Tosh Khovli and Juma Mosque – Friday mosque, whose wooden beam ceiling is held up by 212 wooden columns decorated with artistic carvings. Dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight stay in Khiva.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Accommodation: HotelMusa Tura in Khiva

In the morning you have free time to wander around on your own. After lunch take a road to Ayaz Kala – an impressive ancient mud fortress. In the Kyzylkum Desert, on the slope of one of the eastern foothills of the Sultanuvaystag, enormous ruins of one of the great fortresses of the old Khorezm dominate – Ayaz Kala. According to archaeological excavations, the Ayaz Kala fortress stems from the 2nd century BC. It was part of a system of border fortresses which formed a chain from East to West and which protected the oasis Khiva from the desert side. Then we will visit the other mud fortress Toprak Kala (ancient capital of Khorezm, 2nd century AD).

Dinner in a local restaurant in Urgench. After that take a flight back to Tashkent at 21:15. Overnight in Tashkent.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Accommodation: Navruz Hotel in Tashkent

After an early breakfast, drive to the airport and fly back home at 07:40.

Meals: Breakfast
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Accommodation: Guesthouse