CLASSIC TOUR - 8 DAYS

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  PARIS / URGENCH

  Departure from Paris/Roissy by direct flight to Urgench. Meals and overnight on board.

• day 2

  OURGENTCH / KHIVA

  Arrival and welcome by our local French-speaking guide. Transfer to Khiva and check-in at the hotel. Breakfast. Full day of sightseeing in Khiva: Kounya Ark, the "old fortress," which was conquered by Tamerlane (1379) and then by the Uzbeks (1512); the madrasa of Khan Moukhammad Amin and Kalta Minor, an unfinished minaret from the 18th century; the mausoleum of Said Allaoudin, one of the oldest monuments in the city (1303); the Djouma mosque with its 212 carved wooden columns (Friday mosque, 18th century); the palace of Khan Tachkhaouli, the second residence of the Khiva khans from the 19th century; the mausoleum of Pakhlavan-Mahmoud (14th – 20th century); the Islam-Khodja complex (early 20th century) and many more. Dinner with a local family. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 3

  KHIVA/BUKHARA

  Departure for Bukhara. We cross the Kyzylkum desert, along the road bordering the Amu Darya river. Arrival in Bukhara. Check-in and dinner at the hotel.

• day 4

  BUKHARA

  After breakfast, First visits in Bukhara: Liabi-Khauz – the “Riverside Basin”, the most original architectural ensemble in Bukhara and the favorite meeting place of the Bukharans: Koukeldach madrasa (1568), Nadir Divan Beghi madrasa (1622), and the Khanaka, the former residence of the dervishes. Visit to the Magokki Attari Mosque, built on the site of a Buddhist and Zoroastrian temple (12th-16th c). Walk under the merchant domes: money changers, hatters, jewelers from the 16th century. Next, we successively discover: the Ulugh Beg madrasa (15th c), built by the astronomer prince of Samarkand; the imposing Abdoulaziz Khan madrasa (17th c); the Poi Kalon complex from the 12th/15th c, dominated by the "minaret of death", which includes the mosque and the Miri Arab madrasa, a magnificent example of brick architecture. Dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 5

  BOUKHARA / SAMARKAND

  Breakfast. Continuation of visits in Bukhara: the Ark citadel, fortified residence of the Emirs of Bukhara, the Bolo Khaouz complex; Samanid Mausoleum (9th c.), "the pearl of the Orient," one of the oldest in the Muslim world, and the Mausoleum of Chashma Ayub, "the source of Job" (14th-16th c.), renowned for its healing properties. Chor Minor (Four minarets) Departure by road for Samarkand. On the way, visit Gijduvan. Visit the ceramics workshop, renowned throughout Uzbekistan and protected by UNESCO. This dynasty of ceramic artisans works according to a unique ancestral technology. Arrival in Samarkand. Check-in at the hotel. Dinner in town. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 6

  SAMARKAND

  After breakfast, first visits in the capital of Tamerlane's empire: Registan Square, bordered by three majestic madrasas: Ulugh Beg from the 15th century, Tillya Kari (covered in gold) from the 17th century, and Sher Dor (which features lions) from the 17th century. The Bibi-Khanym Mosque, with its immense blue dome, is the largest mosque in Central Asia and was built by order of Tamerlane after the conquest of India. Very close by is the great Samarkand market, with a thousand colors, always full of life. Discovery of the incredible necropolis of Shah-i-Zinda, which brings together all the architectural experiences of the 14th and 15th centuries; an apotheosis of ceramic art. It is composed of eleven mausoleums, including that of the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. Panoramic view of the archaeological site of Afrosiab and its museum presenting the founding of the city. The 7th-century frescoes of Afrosiab are astonishingly fresh. Dinner with a local family. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 7

  SAMARKAND / TASHKENT

  Continuation of the visit to Samarkand: Gur Emir Mausoleum (15th century), housing the tombs of Tamerlane and his descendants, the pride of Samarkand with its superb blue-turquoise ribbed dome. It is said: "If the sky disappears, the dome of Gur Emir will replace it." Rukhobod Mausoleum (15th century) (exterior), Ulugh Beg Observatory, built in the 15th century by Ulugh Beg, one of the greatest astronomers of his time. Departure by road to Tashkent. Farewell dinner in a restaurant in town. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 8

  TASHKENT / PARIS

  Breakfast. Discovery of the capital: the Khast-Imam complex, in the heart of old Tashkent: the Barakhan madrasa, a magnificent monument from the 16th century and seat of the grand mufti of Central Asia; the Tellia Cheikh mosque – the main Friday mosque of the city, with its beautiful library – and the Kaffal Ach Chachi mausoleum from the 16th century. Visit to the former residence of the Russian diplomat, which today houses the Museum of Decorative Arts. At the beginning of the afternoon, transfer to the airport for the flight to Paris with Uzbekistan Airways.