- Stay in perfectly-located hotels with all beautiful monuments around you;

- Guided visits to 40+ most beautiful places of Uzbekistan;

- 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 to give yourself the best 8 Days Tour in Uzbekistan;

8 Days Uzbekistan Private Guided Tour itinerary crafted by local experts. The best Uzbek sites, Private guided tours, and well-narrated stories of expert guides

Day 1. ARRIVE IN TASHKENT, SIGHTSEEING

Arrive in Tashkent, welcome at the airport, and transfer to the hotel for check-in. Time for rest.

After having some rest and breakfast at your hotel, you will start private guided 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 guided visits to 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 for more surprising cultural discoveries.

Overnight in Tashkent.

Day 2. KHIVA - palaces and minarets

Early breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the domestic airport of Tashkent (06:15) to take the flight to Urgench (07:40). Arrive in Urgench (09:00) and transfer to Khiva (35km). You will be transferred to your hotel in Khiva to leave your luggage.

Today you will spend your day in the UNESCO World Heritage site Ichan Kala citadel. Guided visit to 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 – is 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.

Day 3. KHIVA – BUKHARA through the desert Kyzylkum

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

During the drive, you will stop to see a panoramic view of the Amu Darya river, visit a 3000-year-old citadel – Guldur sun Kala and have lunch in a typical dessert restaurant. You will arrive in Bukhara by the end of the day. Time for rest at your hotel.

Before dinner, we invite you to take a short walk in the center of the old city which will give you the first impression of this ancient city of the caravans.

Option: Just after leaving Khiva, you will stop in a small village where you can taste fresh Uzbek bread and see the preparation of Uzbek bread in a traditional clay oven - tandoor.

Overnight in Bukhara.

Day 4. BUKHARA (guided visits on foot)

Breakfast at your hotel. Today you will visit some of the most beautiful monuments of Uzbekistan. Your day will be full of well-narrated stories, and the discovery of the culture and crafts of Bukhara which differs a lot from Khiva. The guided 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;
• Chor Minor;
• The monuments of Lyabi Khauz ensemble.

Dinner with traditional dance and fashion show in the madrasa Nodir Devanbeghi.

Overnight in Bukhara.

Day 5. BUKHARA – SHAKHRISABZ – SAMARKAND
Breakfast at the hotel and depart to Samarkand via Shakhrisabz (275 km, 4 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 continue the drive to Samarkand (90 km, 2 h.*).  

Tip: the road to Samarkand passes through the mountain pass Takhtakaracha. Takhtakaracha is widely famous in Uzbekistan for its traditional cuisine – Tandir Meat (entire lamb cooked during long hours in a traditional clay oven and flavored with herbs from the mountains). If you are a meat lover, you should consider tasting the Tandoor/Tandir Meat before arriving in Samarkand.

Arrive in Samarkand, and check in to the hotel.

Overnight in Samarkand.

Day 6. SAMARKAND – the highlight of the trip
Breakfast at the hotel. Today you will start the guided visits to 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;

Option: 40-minute drive from Samarkand, there is a famous Bazaar of Urgut. If you want to see the most folklore, the traditional market of Uzbekistan, or want to buy a wide range of 100% locally made craft products, you can make a short visit to this market.

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.

Day 7. SAMARKAND – TASHKENT

Breakfast at the hotel. Today you will continue the visits in Samarkand:

• The Gur-Emir mausoleum is a jewel of architecture decorated with ceramics, mosaics, gold, marble, and jade;
• Samarkand Silk Paper Workshop;
• The Observatory of Ulugh Beg;
• The museum of the history of Samarkand – Afrosiyob and the Afrosiyob archaeological site.

At 16:00 transfer to the railway station to get the fast-going train “Afrosiyob”, departing to Tashkent at 17:00. Arrival in Tashkent at 19:10.

Transfer to the hotel. Night in Tashkent

Day 8. TASHKENT – DEPARTURE

Early breakfast in the hotel. Transfer to the airport and depart Tashkent.

*The end of our services!

The best 8-day tour itinerary of Uzbekistan awaits you. Hope to see you at the crossroads of the Silk Road. Good Luck!

Best Places to visit on The Road to Samarkand, 8-Day Tour

Most of the top places of Uzbekistan are covered in this private tour. If you have more time, you may like our UNESCO Heritage Tour or Best Highlights of Uzbekistan tour. All these tour itineraries are prepared by local travel experts in Uzbekistan.