Your travel plan:
Day 1 Tashkent arrival
Day 2 Tashkent – Samarkand (domestic train)
Day 3 Samarkand – Shakhrisabz – Samarkand
Day 4 Samarkand
Day 5 Samarkand – Bukhara (domestic train)
Day 6 Bukhara
Day 7 Bukhara – Farap border – Turkmenabat – Mary
Day 8 Mary – Ashgabat
Day 9 Ashgabat
Day 10 Ashgabat – Erbent village – Darvaza
Day 11 Darvaza – Kunya Urgench – Dashoguz border – Khiva
Day 12 Khiva
Day 13 Khiva – Urgench – Tashkent (domestic flight)
Day 14 Tashkent – Amirsoy – Chimgan – Charvak – Tashkent
Day 15 Tashkent – Departure
Detailed day-by-day itinerary:
Day 1 Tashkent arrival
Arrival at International Airport of Tashkent at ____.
You will be welcomed by your driver at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Standard check-in at/after 14:00.
5-6 hours city tour of Tashkent: the Architectural complex of Khast-Imam, charming Kukaldash Madrasa. Take a walk through the mahallas of Old Tashkent near the Kolkuz Canal. Explore one of the biggest Bazaar of Uzbekistan – Chorsu, Tashkent city park and Broadway Alley.
After lunch, explore unusual underground stations of Tashkent Metro, the museum of Applied Arts, Independence Square, Amir Temur Square and Memorial Square.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 2 Tashkent – Samarkand (domestic train)
Breakfast at hotel.
Transfer to the railway station to take express train to Samarkand.
Upon arrival to Samarkand, meet your driver at the station.
5-6 hours sightseeing tour to: the Gur-Amir Mausoleum –the family crypt of the great dynasty of Tamerlane, the Registan Square – the ensemble of three madrasas and Bibi Khanum Mosque.
After lunch time you will visit the Siyab Bazaar, Khazrat Khizr mosque and the Shakhi-Zinda Ensemble, which includes more than 20 historical buildings, built from early XI to XIV cc.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 3 Samarkand – Shakhrisabz – Samarkand (~2h drive)
Breakfast at hotel.
Meet your driver and guide and transfer to Shakhrisabz city (~83 km, 2h road trip).
On the way photo stop in Shaytan Jiga Plateau, where you can see stone objects, formed thousands of years before.
Another stop will be on the top of Takhtakaracha pass, where local people trade herbs, species, local snacks and dried fruit.
In Shakhrisabz sightseeing tour will start with visiting huge remains of the entrance portal of Ak-Saray Palace. Then you will visit Dor-ut Tilavat Ensemble with Kok-Gumbaz Mosque and Mausoleum of Sayyids. After, Dor-us Saodat Memorial Complex and the Mausoleum of Jakhongir.
Lunch time. Among all dishes of the local cuisine, it is recommended to pay special attention to the meat baked in a tandoor (clay oven) in Shahrisabz style. Particularly, it is recommended to taste lamb cooked in this style.
Transfer back to Samarkand. Overnight at hotel.
Day 4 Samarkand
Breakfast at hotel.
Meet your guide and driver at hotel and continue your sightseeing tour.
You will visit: the first observatory in Central Asia, built by Mirzo Ulugbek in XV c., St. Daniel Memorial complex and Afrosiab museum.
Khudjum silk carpet factory where you can observe the entire production process, from unwinding silkworm cocoons to the intricate weaving of patterns. The carpets in the factory are crafted using traditional techniques passed down through generations.
Head to Samarkand paper mill – “Meros” located in Koniguil village. Discover how paper is made step-by-step. You can take part in the process.
Enjoy a master class on making fragrant Samarkand flatbread. Under the guidance of an experienced master you will learn the secrets of dough kneading, traditional molding and baking in tandoor. The master class ends with tasting of fragrant flatbreads with tea. This is a unique way to plunge into the culture and traditions of Samarkand!
Drive to another interesting place – Samarkand Silk Road complex. The complex covers 260 hectares and includes worldclass business and medical hotels, eateries, recreational facilities, park grounds, an ethnographic corner and a large congress hall for hosting international events. A central feature of Silk Road Samarkand is the 2-kilometer-long channel which divides the complex into northern and southern sections.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 5 Samarkand – Bukhara (domestic train)
Breakfast at hotel.
Transfer to the railway station to take express train to Bukhara.
Upon arrival in Bukhara, pick up at the station and transfer to your hotel. Standard check-in at/after 14:00.
4-5 hours walking sightseeing tour, you will visit: architectural ensemble Laybi-Hauz, Magok-i Attari Mosque, Toki Sarrofon, Ustoz Shogird Miniature Workshop, Toki Telpak Furushon, Tim Abdullah Khan – a covered bazaar built in 1577, Toki Zargaron, the architectural complex Poi-Kalyan, the madrasa of Ulug Beg and Abdulaziz Khan, Zindan and Ark-Citadel –a residence of Bukhara.
After lunch continue to explore other marvelous monuments, as: Bolo-Hauz Mosque, built in the 17th century, the mausoleum of Ismail Samani, which is one of the most ancient monuments in the city and the mausoleum Chashma Ayub.
Dinner in the old Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasah which is famous for a folklore show with folk dance accompanied by traditional live music and fashion show!
Overnight at hotel.
Day 6 Bukhara
Breakfast at hotel.
Meet your guide and driver in the lobby of your hotel and continue your sightseeing tour. You will visit: the mosque Tchor Minor, summer residence of last Emir of Bukhara Sitorai Mokhi Khosa.
After lunch you will visit holy site, the memorial complex of Hazrati Bakhouddin Naqshbandi – the founder of Naqshbandiya Order, located in the village of Qasri Orifon and Chor –Bakr Necropolis, a complex located in Sumiton village.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 7 Bukhara – Farap border – Turkmenabat – Mary
Breakfast at hotel.
You will head to Uzbek-Turkmen border “Farap” (~122km).
Border formalities. After crossing the border, meet your driver and guide in Turkmen side.
Drive ~290km & 5 hours direct driving to Mary via Turkmenabat.
Lunch at the local restaurant. Then drive to Mary Region. En route stop at some typical dunes of Garagum Desert to enjoy with photos.
Upon arrival accommodation & rest or (if time permits) short walking tour within the central part of Mary City which has The Regional Mosque of Mary Province, The Central Theater of Mary, The Convention & Conference Center “Ruhiyet Koshgi”, Central Park & Monument of Mollanepes-the National Classic Poet who lived in Mary in XVIII-XIXcc.
Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight at hotel.
Day 8 Mary – Ashgabat (domestic flight)
Breakfast at hotel.
After breakfast, drive to Bairamali city 35 km from Mary to explore the archaeological and historical jewels of the ancient Silk Road City. Visit ancient Merv – “Queen of the world”, one of the most important capitals of Islam along with Baghdad, Cairo and Damascus.
Enjoy ancient Merv: Gyz Gala & Oglan Gala (VI-VII), Complex of Askhabs: Al Hakim Ibn Amr Al Jafari and Buraida Ibn Al Heseib Al Islami (VIII-XIV), Gyaur Gala (IV BC), Soltan Sanjar Mausoleum, Buddist Complex (IV-VI), Beni Makhan Mosque-first Mosque built in Central Asia. Lunch at the local restaurant. Then visiting “Maru-Shahu-Jahan” local bazar.
Afterwards transfer to Mary airport, for evening flight to Ashgabat, arrival and transfer to your hotel.
Overnight at hotel
Day 9 Ashgabat (city tour)
Breakfast at hotel.
We will begin our tour in Ashgabat. Ashgabat is a relatively young city in 25.05.2013 city was included Gunnies Book of records as a white marbled city on the world.
Today you will explore Ruhyyet Palace, Wedding Palace, modern Yildyz Hotel, Ferries Wheel, Constitution Monument, Arch of Neutrality, Monument and park of Independence, Artogrul Gazy Mosque and other beauty sights of Ashgabat. After lunch visit Nissa fortress -the Sanctuary of Parthian Kings. UNESCO declared fortress a World Heritage Site in 2007.
Drive to visit the biggest Mosque in Central Asia Ruhy Mosque.
Return Ashgabat city.
Dinner at the local restaurant.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 10 Ashgabat – Erbent village – Darvaza (~280 km, 5-6 h. drive)
Breakfast at hotel.
After breakfast, you will visit Ertogrul Gazi Mosque it honors Ertogrul, the father of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. Then visiting “Altyn Asyr” trade market and “Gulustan” market (so called Russian bazaar).
After lunch at 14:00 drive to Darvaza- Gas Crater, which is a huge flaming crater, located 280 km to the north of Ashgabat.
En route visiting one of the village Erbent to observe the rural life of Turkmen people.
Continue with moving to the Water, Clay and Gas Crater.
In the evening enjoy the spectacular and fascinating view of the gas crater. Barbeque style dinner.
Overnight at tent or yurt with sleeping bags.
Day 11 Darvaza – Kunya Urgench – Dashoguz border – Khiva
After breakfast drive to Kunya Urgench – the capital of Khorezmshahs (3-16th cc.) inscribed into the World Heritage Book of UNESCO. Konya Urgench (known as Gurganch in the past) is the largest historical and archaeological park in the north of Turkmenistan. It is large reserve with numerous ruins and monuments on the territory of modern Kunya Urgench. Such great Muslim scholars as al-Biruni, al-Khorezmi and Avicenna once worked here. Sightseeing of the old city: Portal of Caravansaray (11-14th cc.), II Arslan Mausoleum (12thc), Mausoleum of Khorezm shah Sultan Tekesh (13th c), Academy of Horezm (3-13th cc.), Mausoleum of TurabekHanum, Minaret of KutlugTimur (14th c)-one of the tallest minarets in Central Asia, Najmeddin Kubra (13th c) and Solatn Ali (15th c) Mausoleums.
Lunch at local restaurant. After lunch at 15:00 transfer to “Dashoguz/ Shavat” border.
After crossing the border, you will meet your driver in Uzbek side. Transfer to Khiva (~56km, 1h drive).
Check into your hotel. Overnight at hotel.
Day 12 Khiva (city tour)
Breakfast at hotel.
Time to explore marvelous city, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Your walking sightseeing tour includes visits to all monuments and sites of Ichan Kala: Juma Mosque, Kunya Ark fortress, Kalta Minor minaret, the Madrasa of Muhammad Amin Khan and the Tash-Kauli Palace. After lunch continue to explore other exceptional monuments of Ichan Kala: The Mausoleum of Pahlavan Mahmud, the Mausoleum of Sayid Alauddin, the Madrasa of Islam-Khodja.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 13 Khiva – Urgench – Tashkent (domestic flight)
Breakfast at hotel.
Free time until 12:00. After checking out of your hotel, meet your guide at the hotel and start half day walking sightseeing tour to visit other architectural monuments, located in Dishan Kala: housemuseum of Nuralla Bay, Kibla Toza Bog Palace, which was the Summer Residence of Khiva Emirs and one of the most beautiful monuments in Khiva of the XIX century.
Meet your driver and transfer to Urgench airport (~30 min road trip). You will take a domestic flight to Tashkent.
Upon arrival to Tashkent, pickup at the airport and transfer to your hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 14 Tashkent – Amirsoy – Chimgan – Charvak – Tashkent
Breakfast at hotel.
In the morning meet your driver at hotel. Transfer to Amirsoy ski resort (~1,5h road trip), passing through picturesque views of beautiful mountains, houses and local people.
There are different seasonal outdoor activities like climbing, hiking trails, Snowmobiling, horse riding (should be paid on spot) and mountaineering in Amirsoy.
Have a walk in the mountain area. You will enjoy the breathtaking nature sights of the mountain peak.
Transfer to Beldersay resort (~35min road trip). In Beldersoy you can take a ride on the chair lift (should be paid on spot) going up to gorge to Kumbel peak (2400 m), where the longest Ski track in Uzbekistan has its start.
Chimgan (~20min road trip) – there you can get ATV riding or horse riding (should be paid on the spot).
Then, drive to Charvak Lake to take some pictures.
Transfer back to Tashkent, to hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 15 Tashkent – Departure
Breakfast at hotel.
(2-3 hours before your flight departure) pickup at your hotel and transfer to the International Airport. Your flight leaves Tashkent at ______.
End of the trip!
We will wish you to have a safe flight and always remember your trip to Uzbekistan!
