- Dine in the courtyard of a beautiful madrasa with music and dance show;

- Beautiful views of monuments of Samarkand BY NIGHT

- Go to the selected top places of Samarkand, Bukhara & Khiva, visit a 3000-year-old Desert Fortress and enjoy the landscapes of Takhtakaracha Mountains Pass;

- Visit Uzbek homes to enjoy their hospitality and a taste of their cuisine, including a bowl of their national dish – palov!

Private guided tour of Uzbekistan, specially designed by a local expert guide. Perfect, non-classical itinerary for a complete guided Tour to the best places of Uzbekistan.

Day 1. ARRIVE IN TASHKENT, SIGHTSEEING

On arrival in Tashkent, you will be transferred to your hotel. Our guide/driver will be waiting for you at the waiting area of the airport with a board written your name/s.

After having some rest and breakfast at your hotel, you will start the visits in Tashkent. Your first impressions in Uzbekistan will be discovering mostly white cars all around and the amazing contrast of people dressed both in pure traditional and modern western styles. In the morning we invite you to visit the most traditional and ancient part of Tashkent where you will visit the old madrasas, mosques, minarets, and mausoleums of Central Asian Silk Road architecture. During the visit, you can visit the biggest bazaar of Tashkent – Chorsu Bazaar.

In the afternoon you will continue the visits in the modern part of Tashkent:

• A couple of beautiful stations of the metro of Tashkent; Pakhtakor and Alisher Navoi are 2 stations of metro decorated in cultural/traditional style;
• Memorial of the Victims of the Great Repression;
• The place Mustakillik Maidoni and The park Amir Temur.

We can assure you that your first day in Uzbekistan will be rich in emotions and discoveries. Every monument you visit, and every corner of the bazaar you see will amaze you with their unique but simple Uzbek atmosphere. And they will prepare you for more surprising cultural discoveries.

Overnight in Tashkent.

Day2. TASHKENT – MARGILAN – KOKAND

After breakfast you will be transferred to the train station to take the train to Margilan (departure 07:55, arrival 12:56). Arrival in Margilan and lunch in a traditional restaurant.

Visits of the day:

• The Yodgorlik Silk Factory in Margilan;
• The center of Fergana’s crafts in a madrasa;
• The ceramics workshop of the master ceramist Rustam Usmanov;

By the end of the day, you will arrive in Kokand.

Dinner and overnight in Kokand.

Day3. KOKAND – TASHKENT

Breakfast at the hotel. today we will visit the Palace of Khudoyor Khan and the beautiful Jome mosque with its 99 pillars.

After the visits, you will be transferred to Tashkent through the Kamtchik mountain pass (4 hours).

Overnight in Tashkent.

Day 4. TASHKENT – NUKUS – KHIVA

Early breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the domestic airport of Tashkent to take the morning flight to NUKUS (07:40). Arrival in Nukus (09:30). On arrival we will visit the most famous museum in Central Asia – the Savitsky Museum which is famous for having the second largest collection of the Soviet era masterpieces.

Lunch in Nukus.

Transfer to Khiva through Toprak Kala and Kizil Kala antique citadels.

Arrival in Khiva by the end of the day.

Overnight in Khiva.

Day 5. KHIVA

Today you will spend your day in the UNESCO World Heritage site Ichan Kala citadel.

Visit some of the 250 monuments of the old citadel:

• The west gate – Ata Darwaza;
• The blue minaret – Kalta Minor and its madrasa;
• The Ark citadel with its summer mosque, reception hall, and Observation tower (optional);
• The Tosh Khovli Palace with the Harem;
• The mausoleum of Pahlawan Mahmud with the biggest dome in the citadel;
• The madrasa Muhammad Rahimkhan;
• The old slave market in the East Gate;
• The Juma mosque – a 1000 year old mosque with unique architecture and 213 wooden columns.

After the visits, you will have some free time to walk on the walls of the citadel or to climb to the observation tower and a minaret which give a perfect panoramic view over the whole citadel

*Walking in the streets of the old city after dinner can be one of the best experiences of your Uzbekistan & Aral Sea Trip. That’s when you feel that you are in the stories of 1001 nights!

Overnight in Khiva.

Day6. KHIVA - BUKHARA
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Bukhara through the desert Kyzyl Kum (Red Desert). *This transfer can be made by train.

Overnight in Bukhara.

Day7. THE SAINT BUKHARA (visits on foot)

Bukhara used to be the biggest Central Asian marketplace for the Silk Road traders and you will really feel it when you see an uncountable number of small bazaars and caravanserais all around the old city. Today you will be walking around Bukhara to visit its most wonderful monuments. The activities of the day:

• Mausoleum of Samanids (9^th century);
• Bolo Khauz – the mosque with 40 pillars and the citadel Ark;
• The complex Kalon with the biggest mosque, the biggest madrasa, and the highest minaret in the city;
• Lyabi Khauz complex;
• Ark Fortress;
• Chor Minor;
• The monuments of the Lyabi Khauz complex.

Tip: you should consider taking some coffee (maybe a beer!) at a terrace restaurant in front of the Kalon complex. That’s where you will see one of the highlights of your tour in Bukhara – the best panoramic view of the complex.

Overnight in Bukhara.

Day8. BUKHARA AND THE PALACES

Breakfast. Half-day tour to visit the monuments outside the city of Bukhara: the summer residence of the emirs of Bukhara – Sitorai Mokhi Khossa, Naqshbandi mausoleum – the center of Sufism of Central Asia.

In the afternoon you will have free time. During your free time, you can visit the Persian Miniatures workshop of master miniature painter Davlat Toshev; the workshop Oriental Puppets; and the photo gallery of a talented photographer Shavkat Boltaev where you will see amazing images from different parts of Uzbekistan which are off-tourist-routes.

If you would like to make a traditional “tea time”, we recommend you to go to the Silk Road Teahouse in the center of the old city where you can taste different sorts of tea (herbal tea, tea with saffron, ginger tea, etc.). Besides, you may go to one of the old Hammams near the trade dome Toqi Telpakfurishon for having a traditional, energetic massage and a hammam session.

Overnight in Bukhara.

Day9. BUKHARA – SAMARKAND (250 km)

After breakfast transfer to Samarkand by car. Arrival in Samarkand in the afternoon. Transfer to hotel for some free time. After having some rest you will go to see some of the most popular monuments of Uzbekistan:

• The mausoleum of Tamerlan which is extremely richly decorated with ceramics, mosaics, gold, marble, and jade;
• The place of Registan with its 3 magnificent madrasas – Ulugh Bek, Tillakori, and Sherdor.

Overnight in Samarkand.

Day10. SAMARKAND – SHAKHRISABZ – SAMARKAND
Breakfast at the hotel and depart to Shakhrisabz (90 km, 2 h.*). Stop in Shakhrisabz to see the monuments built by Amir Temur (Tamerlane) 600 years ago:

• The crypt of Amir Temur and the mausoleum of his sons;
• The complex of the Blue Mosque with richly decorated mausoleums of the Saints;
• The impressive ruins of the White Palace of Tamerlane – Ak Saray.

After the visits, you will return to Samarkand (90 km, 2 h.*). 

In the evening, we will invite you to make a Samarkand by Night tour where you will rediscover Gur-Emir and Registan with absolutely different colors!

Overnight in Samarkand.

Day11. SAMARKAND – the highlight of the trip
Breakfast at the hotel. Today you will start the visits in the heart of the Silk Road – Samarkand:

• The majestic Registan Place with its three magnificent madrasas;
• The Shakhi Zinda necropolis and its 20+ mausoleums all in one place which are decorated differently from each other;
• Bibi Khanum mosque and the bazaar Siab;

16:00 transfer to the train station to take the Afrosiyob High-Speed train Samarkand – Tashkent (17:00). Arrive in Tashkent (19:10) and transfer to your hotel.

Dinner & overnight in Tashkent.

Day12. THANK YOU AND GOODBYE

Departure from Tashkent

Early breakfast. Transfer to the International Airport of Tashkent.

*The end of our services!

Hope to see you at the crossroads of the Silk Road. Good Luck!