Authentic immersion on the Silk Road in 15 days.

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Europe - Tashkent

  

  Departure to Tashkent from CDG airport. Dinner and overnight on board. Flights at your own expense.

• day 2

  Tashkent

  

  Welcome at the airport by your French-speaking guide, then transfer to your hotel, check-in and rest. A walking tour will allow you to get familiar with the Uzbek capital. You will first stroll through the old quarters of Tashkent and also see some examples of oriental architecture. The Barakhan madrasa, built in the 16th century, shows a very beautiful example of local craftsmanship. The ancient Quran book, written at the initiative of the Arab caliph Othman, is a true religious heritage of the Muslim world that you will see during your walk. You will have the opportunity to visit the large Chorsu market, founded in the 11th century, and see locals shopping. You will then take the metro, the most beautiful in the city, with its differently decorated stations. You will also see the new city, founded at the end of the 19th century by the Russians, and discover Independence Square, the square of Timur the Great as well as beautiful contemporary buildings. You will have dinner in a local restaurant and spend the night in Tashkent.

• day 3

  Tashkent - Kokand - Rishtan - Ferghana

  

  Breakfast at the hotel and departure towards the Ferghana Valley. To get there, you will pass through the most beautiful mountain pass in the country, reaching an altitude of about 4000 m. You will cross two tunnels that allow you to avoid climbing all the way to the top of the pass. You will be fascinated by the sublime mountain landscapes before descending into the verdant oasis of Ferghana. The first stop will be in the city of Kokand, which was the capital of the Kokand Khanate. Visit its palace with its immense garden, where you will meet locals out for a stroll. Your route will take you to Richtan, a city very famous for its ceramic schools, where you will discover one of the ceramic workshops. Getting back into your vehicle, you will head towards the city of Ferghana and cross green areas filled with thousands of fruit trees. Upon arrival, check in at your hotel and take your first walks in the city. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• day 4

  Ferghana - Margilan - Andijan - Ferghana

  

  You take the road to Marguilan, a city located next to Ferghana and an important center of this valley. You will visit the "Yodgorlik" workshop, which processes silk cocoons using an ancestral method. You will see the different stages of silk production before it becomes Atlas fabric. You will then stroll through the city and visit the Friday mosque as well as the fruit market. You will taste these delicious fruits coming from different parts of the Ferghana valley. Next, transfer towards the city of Andijan, the birthplace of the founder of the Mughal dynasty in India. You will take a walk in a beautiful garden named in honor of this historical figure and located at the foot of beautiful mountains. In the late afternoon, return to Ferghana to spend a second night there.

• day 5

  Ferghana - Tashkent - Urgench - Khiva

  

  Breakfast at the hotel, then you will be driven to Chust, a city located at the end of the Ferghana Valley and very famous for its knives. You will visit the city market, where you will meet several artisans who continue the tradition of making these handcrafted items. You will have lunch in a local restaurant before heading back towards Tashkent. Once the pass is crossed, you will arrive in the city and take a walk depending on the time available. At the end of the day, you will be transferred to the station and take the night train to Urgench, a local experience. There will be 4 of you per compartment and you will have sleeper beds. You will have dinner on board and spend the night on the train.

• day 6

  Khiva

  

  Arrival in Khiva and transfer to your hotel. Once settled and rested in your hotel, you set out to discover the mythical city of Khiva, the first major stop on the Silk Road, also called an open-air museum city thanks to its historical atmosphere preserved to this day. You will discover the historical monuments, mainly madrasas (former Quranic schools), mosques (places of prayer for the faithful), caravanserais (accommodations for merchant caravans), minarets (watchtowers used to call to prayer), etc. At the end of the day, you will climb onto the ramparts of the fortified city, from where you will have a breathtaking view of the inner city and a magnificent sunset over the monuments. You will have dinner in a splendid setting, next to a minaret that pierces the sky. You will spend the night at the hotel. A stroll through the winding streets of Khiva is recommended to admire its illuminated monuments before returning to your hotel.

• day 7

  Khiva - the desert fortresses - yurt camps

  

  Your humble organizer suggests that you get up early to feast your eyes on the sunrise over the fortification walls of Khiva. In the morning, you will continue your exploration of the city of Khiva and visit some beautiful monuments such as the Tash Khauli Palace, the Nurullabay Palace, and others. At noon, you will taste a regional culinary specialty called Shivit Oshi (local green spaghetti made with dill). In the afternoon, you will head north of the country to discover the desert region that once housed around fifty fortresses. You will cross the Amu Darya river, which once fed the Aral Sea. You will visit the Toprak Kala and Kizil Kala fortresses, then arrive at Ayaz Kala at the end of the day. It is around this fortress that a yurt camp will welcome you for the night. You will have a sublime view of the fortress ruins from your yurt camp. You will stroll around the camp and the fortress and enjoy peaceful tranquility as well as a beautiful sunset over the sand dunes. Dinner and overnight stay under the nomadic yurt.

• day 8

  Yurt camps - Bukhara

  

  Breakfast will be followed by a departure by coach to Bukhara, the second most important city on the Silk Road, located in the middle of the desert and the steppe. To get there, you will cross the great Kizilkum Desert (Red Sand), which covers a large part of Uzbekistan. This journey will remind you of the brave caravanners who used to cross it for several weeks in the past. You will also follow the Amu Darya river, the widest in the country, which was even navigable until recently. A few photo stops will be possible along the way. At the end of the day, you will arrive in Bukhara and settle into a charming guesthouse located in the heart of the old town. Walks are also possible; you can also stroll before having dinner in a local restaurant. You will spend the night at the hotel.

• day 9

  Bukhara

  

  In the morning, after breakfast, you will set out on foot to discover Bukhara the Noble. You will start by visiting the Ark fortress, which was inhabited by all the Emirs of the city. The Bala Khauz mosque is still in use and frequented by locals. The Bukhara market is very lively and will give you the opportunity to see yet another example of local life. You will visit several historical monuments, walk through old neighborhoods of the city, and see artisans practicing their ancestral crafts, such as miniature painting, puppet manipulation, etc. In the late afternoon, you will have free time to stroll around once again at your leisure. In the evening, you will attend a folk show in the courtyard of an old madrasa before going to have dinner with a local family. You will return to your hotel for a second night.

• day 10

  Bukhara - Shakhrisabz - Yakkabog village

  

  After breakfast, you get back on the road and head south. You will cross the vast steppe where you will see herds of sheep, cows, or sometimes dromedaries. You will arrive in Shakhrisabz for lunch and the afternoon will be dedicated to discovering the birthplace of Timur the Great. Three large groups of historical monuments built by the great conqueror dominate much of the old city. Newlyweds come to have their photos taken in front of these sublime and lush landscapes of this city in southern Uzbekistan. At the end of the afternoon, you will continue your journey towards the Hissar mountains where you will spend two nights in a mountain village. Upon arrival, you will settle into a guesthouse with a local family and be introduced to your hosts. You will then take a short walk before having dinner with the host family. There will be exchanges and discussions about daily life with the family members. Overnight with the host family.

• day 11

  Yakkabog village

  

  On this 11^th day of your journey, you will discover the daily activities of the mountain villagers. The villagers are used to getting up early and take care of their herds, their gardens, or perform other rural activities. You will take an easy 4-5 km walk through the mountains and enjoy beautiful landscapes. The Uzbek mountains are quite different from those in France. Nature varies according to the four seasons of the year.You will return to the guesthouse and have the afternoon to rest. You can share some gardening or cooking activities with your host family, according to your wishes. Dinner and overnight stay with the host family.

• day 12

  village Yakkabog - Samarkand

  

  After sharing an unforgettable moment with the host family, you will continue your journey to Samarkand. This is the third major city on the Silk Road, which was a place of encounters, exchanges, and also conquests. Samarkand is surrounded by mountain ranges, which influences its favorable climate throughout the year. You will cross one of these mountain ranges to reach Samarkand and arrive in the city for lunch. In the afternoon, you will check in at the hotel located next to the historic center of the city, then you will begin your discoveries. The great Registan Square is considered the monumental pearl of the mythical city. The three imposing madrasahs of the Registan make the square gigantic. The place where great events were once organized has now become a tourist center of the country. You will stroll around the square before going to dinner in a local restaurant. You will spend the night at the hotel.

• day 13

  Samarkand

  

  The day will be devoted to discovering the legendary city of Samarkand. The necropolis of Shakhi Zinda is a beautiful example of Muslim architecture, and its mausoleums are covered in turquoise color that imitates the blue of the sky. You will also stop at the Afrosiyob Museum, which houses frescoes from the 7th century CE, a very beautiful testimony to Sogdian life before the Islamization of Samarkand. The most precise age of Samarkand was identified by a team of French-Uzbek archaeologists, and you will see a fine collection resulting from this archaeological research in this museum. At the end of the afternoon, you will discover the Ulugh Beg Observatory, built in the 15th century by the great astronomer and grandson of Timur the Great. A huge sextant was built at the time, the ruins of which you will see preserved to this day. After a day rich in discoveries, you will stroll through the Samarkand market, as beautiful as those of Tashkent and Bukhara. You will have dinner in a local restaurant and spend the night at the hotel.

• day 14

  Samarkand - Tashkent

  

  You will continue your discoveries of Samarkand and visit the silk paper workshop. Silk paper is a legacy of the Silk Road and arrived in Samarkand from the 8^th century. The ancestral process still endures today, despite the evolution of cellulose paper. You will discover that the mulberry tree is a tree of paradise, giving so many fruits to man. You will finish your discoveries by visiting the mausoleum of Timur the Great, a Timurid masterpiece that shows different oriental architectural influences. You will have a few hours to stroll around the city one last time before being transferred to Samarkand station, where you will take the high-speed train to Tashkent. After 2 hours of travel, you will arrive in the capital of Uzbekistan. You will have dinner in a local restaurant and settle in at the hotel for the night.

• day 15

  Tashkent - Europe

  

  You will be transferred to Tashkent International Airport, depending on the schedule of your return flight.