Journey Back in Time along the Silk Road Tashkent
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Description
Highlights :
Tashkent Metro: Discover the metro, each station of which is decorated as a symbolic work of art of the country.
Itchan Kala Fortress: Immerse yourself in the enigmatic atmosphere of the ‘Thousand and One Nights’ tale.
Poi Kalon Ensemble: Feel the energy of the square through the centuries-old stories of the Kalon minaret.
Registan Square: Discover the legendary city of Samarkand with its calling card of three illuminated madrasas and all the colours of the world.
Day 1: Home Country – Tashkent During the day, take the night flight. Night on board.
Day 2: Tashkent. In the morning, you will be met by the driver as you leave the airport. Transfer to the hotel to rest and drop off your luggage. Breakfast at the hotel. Tashkent – the city that retains the atmosphere of the East and modernity. Beginning of the visits with the discovery of the capital by its charm of the East with the place Khasti-Imam with complex of Barak Khan, the mausoleum of Kaffal Shoshi, the mosque Friday and the madrasa Moïe Moubarak which keeps the old Koran of Ousman. The tour continues with a visit to the Tchorsou covered bazaar, which is unique in its grandeur and blue dome.
Lunch in a local restaurant in the capital. Afternoon, continuation of the visits with Independence Square and its Monument of Memory, a gigantic space reserved for official events and major annual celebrations, the Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre designed by the architect Tchussiev of Lenin’s tomb in Moscow. Visit the Tashkent metro, each station of which is decorated as a symbolic work of art of the country. In the evening, visit the Tashkent Radio and Television Tower, the 11th tallest in the world at 375 m.
Dinner in a traditional restaurant in the city. Accommodation at the hotel.
Day 3: Tashkent – Ourguentch – Khiva (40km~30m transfer & visits)
Breakfast at the hotel.
In the morning, you will be met by the driver and transferred to Tashkent airport. Flight to Urgentch. Arrive at Urgentch airport and transfer to the hotel to drop off your luggage. (Rooms are available from 2pm). Khiva – ‘city-fortress – Itchan Kala’ – offers the atmosphere of the ‘Thousand and One Nights’ tale. As the youngest of the country’s ancient cities, the city remains in good condition and shows you all its beauty. The tour begins with a visit to the Mukhammad Aminkhan madrasa and the Kalta minaret near the Ota Darvoza entrance gate. The tour continues with a visit to the Koukhna Ark fortress, which includes the Friday Mosque, the Throne Hall and the Chancellery, and the Mohammed Rakhim medersa – the poet khan, known by the pseudonym Ferouz. Lunch in a small restaurant on the terrace.
Afternoon, continuation of the visits with the discovery of the Tach Khaouli palace, or the ‘Pièrre Palace’ and its Harem, the Allakoulikhan medersa and caravanserai, and the Friday mosque with its 218 carved wooden columns. Continuation of the city tour with the Islam Khodja medersa and its highest minaret in the city, the Pakhlavon Makhmoud mausoleum and the Sayid Alaouddin mausoleum. In the evening, free time for personal discovery.
Dinner in a restaurant with a beautiful illuminated view of Ichan Kala. Accommodation at the hotel.
Day 4: Khiva – Bukhara (450km~7h drive)
Breakfast at the hotel.
At 09:00 the driver will meet you and drive to Bukhara, passing the red sands of the Kizil-Koum desert, rice fields to discover the agriculture of the Khorezmians (depending on the season) and the Amou-Daria river, a veritable blue snake in the desert.
Lunch break in a café on the way.
Afternoon drive to Bukhara, arriving late afternoon. Accommodation at the hotel.
Dinner and tasting of a traditional Bukharan dish.
In the evening, night tour of the old town of Bukhara. Accommodation at the hotel.
Day 5: Bukhara (walking tours)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Bukhara – the centre of Islam and a mysterious caravan city known for its narrow districts. Beginning of the discovery of the city by the mausoleum of Ismail Samani, one of the oldest monuments of the city and nearby; the mausoleum Tchachmaï Ayyub; the mosque Bolo-Khaouz with its twenty pillars of its terrace; the citadel of Ark, fortress of the sovereigns of Bukhara. Lunch in a restaurant in the heart of the old town.
Continuation of the visit to Poi-Kalyan square, home to the Miri-Arab madrasa, the Kalon mosque and the Kalon minaret; the Oulugbeg and Abdoulaziz Khan madrasas, the Tok-i-Zargaron or jewellers’ domes, the Tim (covered market) Abdhoulla Khan, where you can find beautiful hand-woven silks; the Magok-i-Attari mosque, one of the oldest in the city on the site of an ancient Zoroastrian temple.
Tea break in the traditional tea room for a tasting of Bukhara spiced tea.
Visit to the Lyabi-Khaouz complex, the centre of the city which welcomes all visitors in its circle a large khaouz (pool), the Koukeldoch madrasa, the khanagha and the Nodir Devanbeghi madrasa. The tour ends with a visit to the Chor Minor madrasa, hidden away in the old quarters of the city.
Dinner in the open-air restaurant of the Lyabi-Khouz complex. Accommodation at the hotel.
Day 6: Bukhara
Breakfast at the hotel.
Continuation of visits to Bukhara via the city’s external monuments.
First, a visit to the Bahaouddin Nakchbandi necropolis, the most sacred mausoleum and complex of the most famous person among Muslims.
Next, a visit to the summer residence of the last emirs of Bukhara, Sitora-i-Mokhi Khossa. Return to the old city for lunch. Afternoon, free time for personal discovery.
Dinner in the madrasa Nodir Devon Begui, evening with the show of traditional Uzbek dances and parade of costumes in the madrasa courtyard. Accommodation at the hotel.
Day 7: Bukhara – Guijdouvan – Sarmishsoy – Nourata – Yurt camp (300 km ~ 5h drive)
Breakfast at the hotel.
In the morning, departure for the yurt camp. Not far from Bukhara, visit to the small town of Guijdouvan, famous for its ceramic dynasties and crafts. Visit the family of master ceramist Abdullo Narzullayev and his pottery workshop. You can discover how a ceramic object is prepared and immerse yourself in the process. You can also discover the traditional embroidery activity of the women in the family. You can also try your hand at preparing Uzbek bread in a clay oven, with Mr Narzullayev.
Continuation on the road and on the way visit the Sarmish-Soy region located on the southern slopes of Karatau, 30-40 km north-east of the town of Navoi. The region is famous for its petroglyphs. Cones of volcanic rock rise up around an oasis, and their surface is home to a gallery of over 4,000 petroglyphs offering a panoramic view of life from the 9th millennium BC to the 18th century AD. Lunch on the road, in the Nourata region.
Afternoon visit to the town of Nourata, with the ruins of Alexander the Great’s citadel and the sacred Chashma spring.
Continue on to the yurt camp. On arrival, move into the yurts. Enjoy a camel ride at sunset. In the evening, dinner accompanied by an aperitif and the traditional songs of Akyn (Kazakh troubadour) and dances of the camp groups. Overnight in the yurts.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a tourist yurt camp made up of 15-20 yurts. Accommodation is for 4-6 people per yurt. The camp has 6 showers, 4 European toilets and 4 local toilets.
Day 8: Yurt camp – Samarkand (270km ~4h drive)
After breakfast, drive to Samarkand.
Morning drive to Samarkand. Arrive in Samarkand around noon. Drop off luggage at the hotel.
Lunch in a local café and tasting of the city’s traditional dish.
Samarkand – the legendary city known for its rich history and important trading role on the Silk Road.
We begin our first visit in Registan Square, the country’s calling card, which was the central square with its bazaar and complex of three madrasas: the Ulugbek madrasa, the Sherdor madrasa and the Tilla-Kori madrasa.
Visit to the ‘Gur-i Emir’ mausoleum – Tamerlane’s mausoleum built as a madrasa by his grandson, but transformed into a mausoleum after his death.
Preparation and dinner with a local Samarkand family. The people of Samarkand are unique, with their own traditions and dialect that blends Uzbek-Tajik culture and language.
Accommodation at the hotel.
Day 9: Samarkand
Breakfast at the hotel.
Continuation of city sightseeing.
Visit to the Afrosiab museum to discover the frescoes from the region’s pre-Islamic period. Continuation of the visit to the mausoleum of the prophet Daniel in the old town of Afrosiab.
Continue with a visit to the first observatory built by Ulugbek, Tamerlane’s grandson.
Lunch in a local restaurant in Samarkand.
Visit to a silk paper-making workshop to discover how it is produced. We recommend that you send the letter to your silk paper friends to tell their story after your return.
A visit to the silk carpet factory to observe all the stages in the carpet-making process: from the stripping and dyeing of the silk threads.
At 6.00 pm, visit to the El Merosi theatre with a presentation of the historical costumes of the peoples of Central Asia.
Dinner in a local restaurant.
Discovery of Samarkand and its monuments illuminated in the evening in the warm atmosphere where locals go as couples, with children or friends to enjoy themselves in a beautiful atmosphere. Accommodation at the hotel.
Day 10: Samarkand
Breakfast at the hotel.
Continuation of city tour. In the morning visit to the Shakhi Zinda necropolis, a group of monuments grouped together like the pearls of a complete jewel, demonstrating all the artistic nuances of Islamic architectural decoration.
Visit to Bibi Khanoum’s mosque, the largest in Central Asia at the time. Next to the mosque, visit the historic Siyab bazaar to discover the atmosphere and flavours of the Orient.
Lunch in a local Samarkand restaurant.
Afternoon free for personal discovery.
Farewell dinner in the ‘Samarkand’ restaurant. Accommodation at the hotel.
Day 11: Samarkand – Homeland (return flight)
Breakfast at the hotel.
In the morning, welcome by the driver and transfer to the airport. Take your return flight.
PROGRAMME OPTION :
If from your country or region, it is not possible to take the return flight from Samarkand, we advise you to book the international flights from the capital Tashkent.
The supplement for the return flight from Tashkent is €60 per pax.
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Train timetable if departing from Tashkent:
Samarkand – Tashkent 17:37 – 19:53 by Afrosiab, duration 2h16m
Price
€ 2888 / person
Single supp € 285 / person
Minimum total pax from 2 pax, with the maximum of 12 pax
Accommodation
- Tashkent :1.5 nights
Inspira S 4*
Rakat Plaza 4* - Khiva : 1 night
Silk Road Caravan Serail 3* (charming hotel)
New Star 3* (charming hotel) - Bukhara : 3 nights
Old Bukhara 3* (charming hotel)
Al Imran 3* (charming hotel) - Nourata : 1 night
Yurt camp - Samarkand : 3 nights
Gur Emir 3*
Zilol Bakht 3*
Location
Terms and conditions
PAYMENT & BOOKING :
- The booking procedure begins after payment of a 30% prepayment;
- International flight tickets must be paid 100% in advance;
- The balance of the booking must be paid 45 days in advance to complete all preparations for departure up to 35 days before departure.
CANCELLATION CONDITIONS: ATTENTION: Once international tickets have been booked, their cost will not be refunded.
- Cancellation 60 – 50 days prior to departure: ground portion without penalty & 100% cancellation fee of international/domestic flight tickets will be charged;
- Cancellation 50 – 35 days prior to departure: fee of 30% p/p prepayment will be charged;
- Cancellation 35 – 25 days prior to departure: fee of 50% p/p will be charged;
- Cancellation 25 – 10 days prior to departure: fee of 75% will be charged;
- Cancellation 9 days prior to departure: fee of 100% will be charged.
Included/not included
The price includes :
- International flight tickets based on Turkish Airlines and Uzbekistan Airways flights;
- Accommodation in double rooms in the proposed hotels, including breakfast;
- Early check-in at the hotel on Day 2 in Tashkent;
- Full board (meals included – salads, first course, main course, desert, bread, tea/mineral water);
- Transport and all transfers according to the programme in an air-conditioned vehicle, including all road taxes;
- Entrance tickets for sites and museums;
- The service of an English-speaking guide throughout the tour;
- A souvenir gift for each participant;
- Mineral water during transport;
- Our assistance before departure and on site 7/24h.
The price does not include :
- Travel insurance ;
- Drinks package;
- Photography/video permits at the sites;
- Tips to guides and drivers;
- Personal expenses.
Further information
- Hotel address : Tashkent, Ouzbékistan
- Duration : 11 days
- Contact details : botler@boticonline.com
Agency
Best of Tours’ Authorized Partner in Uzbekistan