From the Ferghana Valley to the Aral Sea - 16 days

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Tashkent

  Arrival in Tashkent. Breakfast in a private home, with locals, then transfer for a tour of the capital of the Republic of Uzbekistan, rich in parks and fountains. Today, it is a city of major cultural importance. Once a trading center, its privileged location at the crossroads of caravan routes linking Europe and India attracted the curiosity of many conquerors (Genghis Khan in the 11th century). Discovery of the Barak Khan madrassahs (16th century), Abdul-Kassim Cheikh (19th century), the Tilya Chaikh mosque (19th century), Independence Square, the "Courage" monument erected to the victims of the 1966 earthquake, and the A. Navoi theater. Lunch during the visits. Dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 2

  Tashkent/Kokand/Rishtan/Fergana

  Breakfast. Route to Ferghana via the Kamtchik pass. Stop in Kokand, visit of the famous palace of Khudayar Khan, whose construction took 8 years (1863-71), the Juma mosque, which was one of the largest royal mosques in Kokand, and Dakhmai Chahon, "the Tombs of the Governors". Continuation to Richtan, a city known for the particular traditions of its ceramists, and visit of a workshop. Arrival in Ferghana. The city of Ferghana (230,000 inhabitants) is the administrative center of the Ferghana region. Its creation dates back to 1877. It was decided to build a new city 12 km from the old city of Marghilan. At first, it was called "Yanghi Marghilan", meaning "new Marghilan", then in 1924, it was renamed Ferghana. Today, Ferghana is an important industrial center, whose production capacity is second only to Tashkent. Lunch during the visits. Dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 3

  FERGHANA/MARGHILAN/TASHKENT

  Breakfast. Departure for Marghilan. Visit to the silk production factory and walk through the market. The road to Tashkent passes through the Kamtchik pass (2268 m) in the Chatkal mountain range. Arrival and check-in at the hotel. Dinner. Night at the hotel.

• day 4

  TASHKENT/NUKUS

  Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the airport for the flight to Nukus. Flight to Nukus, flight HY 1001 at 7:10 am. Arrival at 9:55 am. Arrival in Nukus and check-in at the hotel. Visit to the Savitsky Museum, a museum considered the "Louvre of the desert". Dinner in town. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 5

  Nukus / Kunghirat / Ustyurt Plateau / Sudochi Lake / the Aral Sea

  Breakfast at the hotel and departure for the Aral Sea by 4x4. Arrival in Kungrat and visit to the Kunghirat market. Drive to the Ustyurt plateau, arrival on the plateau and visit to the Mayak minaret, the old airport, then arrival at the Aral Sea. Walk along the sea, dinner under the yurt.

• day 6

  THE ARAL SEA / THE VILLAGE UCHSOY / MUYNAK / NOUKUS

  Breakfast under the yurt. Departure to Moynak, crossing the village of Uchsoy. Arrival in Muynak and visit of the former port. Now, the Aral Sea has "evaporated" and is 150 km away. In Moynak, you will discover the "Cemetery of Ships". Return to Nukus. Lunch. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• day 7

  NOUKOUS / TUPRAK-KALA / AYAZ-KALA

  Breakfast. Departure by road to Ayaz-Kala. On the way, stop and visit Toprak-Kala. These are impressive sites: the ruins of the two citadels are perched on a hill in the middle of the desert. Departure to Ayaz-Kala, arrival and installation in the yurt. Visit the remains of Ayaz-Kala, the best-preserved fortress. Road to Khiva, arrival in Khiva. Dinner in town. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 8

  KHIVA

  Breakfast. Visit of this museum-city, which, surrounded by high ramparts, extends over nearly 26 ha, and its monumental constructions dating from the 18th and 19th centuries: the old citadel Kounia Ark, the Mukhamed Aminkhan madrasa (19th c.), the Kalta Minor minaret (19th c.), the Juma mosque (18th c.), the Seid Allauddin mausoleum (14th c.), the Tach Khauly palace (19th c.), the Palvan Darvaza complex (19th c.), the Kunya Ark palace (17th-19th c.). The Djouma mosque is the main mosque of Khiva; it has 218 carved wooden columns. Lunch during the visits. The Pakhlavan Makhmoud mausoleum is the most remarkable architectural monument of Khiva. Dinner and overnight in Khiva.

• day 9

  KHIVA / BUKHARA

  Breakfast at the hotel, then departure by road to Bukhara crossing the Kyzyl-Kum desert. This is the largest desert plain in Central Asia, with an area of about 300,000 km². It is rich in natural resources, especially gas. Lunch in a Bagdad Cafe. Arrival in Bukhara and check-in at the hotel. Dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 10

  BUKHARA

  Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for a full day dedicated to discovering the monuments of Bukhara, whose construction dates back to the time when Bukhara was the largest cultural center of Central Asia. Visit of this second "museum city" of Uzbekistan, which was the regional capital from the end of the 16th century until 1917: the Ark Citadel, residence of the rulers of Bukhara; the Bolo-Khaouz mosque, located above the basin and facing the citadel; Tim Abdulla Khan; the mausoleum of Ismail Samani and that of Chashma Ayoub IX-X centuries. Stroll through the market and visit the madrasas of Ulugh Beg, Abdulaziz Khan, and Nadir Divan Beghi. Lunch. Continuation of visits: the trading domes, the Kalyan minaret XII-XIV centuries, the Magokky Attary mosque XII century, Lyab-i Hauz XVI-XVII centuries. Dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 11

  BUKHARA

  Breakfast at the hotel. Visit of the Sitora-I-Mokhi-Khossa Palace, country residence of the last emir Said Alim Khan. Visit of the Chor-Bakr necropolis, located in the village of Soumitan 6 km from Bukhara. In this necropolis is the double tomb of Abou-Bakr Saad and Abou-Bakr Akhmad, descendants of Muhammad. Lunch included. Continuation of visits: the Chor Minor mosque, one of the most attractive and unusual buildings in Bukhara. Dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 12

  BOUKHARA / SAMARKAND

  Breakfast. Departure for Samarkand. Arrival, check-in at the hotel. Lunch during the visit. Start of the visit of the country's second city, legendary city of the Silk Road: Registan Square (15th-17th c.): Ulugh Beg Madrasah, Sher-Dor Madrasah and Tillya Kori, Gur-Emir Mausoleum (15th c.). Dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 13

  SAMARKAND

  Breakfast at the hotel. Visit to the Imam Al-Boukhari complex, an important pilgrimage site for Muslims from all over the world. When Alexander the Great discovered the city, the then Zoroastrian city was called Maracanda, but it was Timur, also known as Tamerlane, who made it the first city of Central Asia. Then, visit to the Chakhi-Zinda complex (11th-19th centuries), the Afrossiab Museum, and the Ulugh Beg observatory. Lunch. Continuation of the discoveries of Samarkand. Visit to the Bibi-Khanoum mosque (14th century) and stroll through the old oriental bazaar "Siyob". Dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 14

  SAMARKAND / AYAKTCHI

  Departure for Ayaktchi, the native land of Tamerlane. Very beautiful day of walking around the village. Walk along the ridges to get a panoramic view of the region. We see the snow-capped mountains of the Pamir foothills, pass herds of goats and sheep, then descend to the Ayaktchi river. Swimming possible (depending on the season) in the river, and fishing for enthusiasts. Lunch by the river. In the early afternoon, return to the village. Free time at the end of the day to meet the villagers, bake bread or cook with our cook... Dinner and overnight stay with a local family.

• day 15

  AYAKTCHI / SHAKRISABZ / SAMARKAND

  Breakfast. Route to Chakhrissabz, birthplace of Tamerlane "Timur". Start of the visit to the legendary city on the Silk Road: visit of the Ak Saray, the most imposing secular vestige in Uzbekistan, the Gum Bezi Sayidan mausoleum built by his grandson Ulugh Beg, and a madrasa. Lunch. Then visit of the Dorus Saodat complex and the Dorus Tillavat complex. Return to Samarkand. Dinner in town. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 16

  Samarkand/Tashkent

  Breakfast. Departure to Tashkent crossing the beautiful landscape of the regions. Arrival and check-in at the hotel. Visit of the Tashkent metro, a must-see. Each station is decorated in the Art Deco spirit, making it a true work of art like the Moscow metro. Transfer to the airport and assistance with check-in formalities.