TREASURES OF THE SILK ROAD - 15 DAYS

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  PARIS / TASHKENT

  Flight to TASHKENT from Paris CDG2B on Uzbekistan Airways, flight HY 252, at 21:30. Dinner and overnight on board.

• day 2

  Tashkent

  Arrival and check-in at the hotel. Panoramic tour of the capital of Uzbekistan: Khasti-Imam Square (16th c.), the Friday Mosque (built in 2007) with its two minarets, Barakkhan Madrassa (16th c.), the Quran of Othman (the oldest Quran in the world, dating from 649, written on gazelle skin), Chorsu market and Koukaldach Madrassa (16th c.). Discovery of Independence Square (formerly Lenin Square), Tamerlane Square, Aboul Kasim Madrassa (19th c.), the Tashkent metro and the theater square. Lunch and dinner in town. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 3

  Tashkent / Fergana

  After breakfast, you take the road towards the Ferghana valley. You will cross the Kamtchik pass, at an altitude of 2200 m. Arrival in Kokand, visit of the palace of King Khoudayarkhan (19th-20th centuries). Lunch during the visit. Then, road to Margilan to see the silk factory, unique in Central Asia. Continuation to the city of Ferghana. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• day 4

  : FERGHANA / TASHKENT

  In the morning, drive to Tashkent via Richtan to visit the ceramics workshop. After the visit, drive to Tashkent. Arrival in Tashkent, dinner in town. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 5

  Tashkent / Samarkand

  After breakfast, drive to Samarkand. During the journey, you will pass through the Tamerlane Gate and the honey market. Arrival and check-in at the hotel. Lunch. Visit of the city of Samarkand: the Gur-Emir mausoleum (14th-15th c.), the Rukhobod mausoleum (descendants of the prophet, 15th c.; it is a sacred place, which is why it is visited from the outside), and also the Ok Saroy mosque (15th c.), the neighborhood mosque, which is also visited from the outside. Visit of the famous Registan Square with its three madrasahs. Registan Square (the sand square in Persian), the most beautiful square, is surrounded by three imposing madrasahs: the Ulugh Beg madrasah (15th c.) with the leaning north minaret, the Sher Dor madrasah and its fluted domes, the Tilla Kari madrasah (17th c.) with blue domes covered in gold inside. The Bibi Khanum mosque and the oriental market of Samarkand. Lunch and dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 6

  SAMARKAND

  The Ulugh Beg Observatory (15th c.) and its small museum, the archaeological site of Afrosiab and the Afrosiab museum. In the afternoon, you will visit the necropolis of Shah-i-Zinda or the "living king", composed of more than 11 mausoleums dating from the 11th to the 15th centuries, including that of Qassim-ibn-Abbas from the 11th century, cousin of the prophet. Visit to a carpet factory (this is unique in Central Asia). Lunch in a local restaurant and dinner with a local family with vodka. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 7

  CHAKHRISABZ / SAMARKAND

  Departure for Chakhrisabz, the birthplace of Tamerlane. Visit of Tamerlane's palace (14th-15th c.) and the Kouk Goumbaz complex (15th c.), the mosque of Ulugh Beg, the sacred mausoleums, as well as the mausoleum of Djakhangir, Tamerlane's favorite son, Tamerlane's crypt, and the mosque of Khaste-Imame. Lunch with a local family. Return to Samarkand, dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• day 8

  SAMARKAND / NOURATA / YANGUIGAZGAN

  Departure for Nourata. Visit of the natural spring and the garrison of Alexander the Great's soldiers (328 BC), as well as the Friday mosque and Abdoullakhan's mosque. Lunch with a local family, then drive to the yurt and camel ride. After dinner, you will attend a concert: a Kazakh singer will perform nomadic songs for you.

• day 9

  Yanguigazgan / Aydarkoul / Guijdouvan / Bukhara

  The road to Lake Aydarkoul: you can swim there and take a short walk. Lunch is taken by the lake, where you eat fish, and it is also possible to swim. Then, you take the road to Bukhara. On the way, you visit the ceramics workshop located in Guijdouvan, a workshop protected by UNESCO. Then, continue on the road to Bukhara, check in at the hotel and take a walk in the Liabi-Khaus complex. Dinner in a tchaykhana. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 10

  BUKHARA

  Visit of the city of Bukhara. The Liabi Khauz complex, the Nodir Divan Beghi and Koukaldach madrassas, the merchant domes, and the Gaukouchan complex, the Magok-i-Attari mosque (12th and 14th century). Visit of the complex: the Oulougbek and Abdulazizkhan madrassas. The Poi Kalon complex (Kalon minaret and mosque), the most beautiful square in the city, the Mir-Arab madrassa facing Kalon and the ancient Ark citadel. Lunch in a local restaurant. The visit continues to the Tchor Minor madrassa and its 4 minarets, the two "twin" madrassas facing each other: Modar-i-Khan and Abdoullah Khan, the Ismail Samani mausoleum located in a vast park, and the Tchachma Ayoub mausoleum, the Bukhara market, the Bolo Khauz mosque and the blacksmith's workshop. Dinner with a folk concert. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 11

  BOUKHARA / KHIVA

  The road to Khiva, you will cross the red sand (Kizil Koum). Lunch in a Bagdad Café in the middle of the desert. In the afternoon, you will arrive in Khiva and settle into the hotel. You will have a walk in the old town. Dinner in town. Night at the hotel.

• day 12

  KHIVA

  The visit: the unfinished minaret and the madrassa of Moukhamad Amin Khan, the ark of Khiva, the madrassa of Moukhammad Rakhim Khan and the mausoleum of Said Alouddine, the madrassa of Islam Khodja. The minaret is 45 meters high, it is the tallest monument in Khiva. The Friday Mosque (10th-17th centuries), the mausoleum of Pakhlavon Makhmoud, the Palace of Tach Khaouli and the king's harem, as well as the wood carving workshop, the madrassa of Allakoulikhan, the madrassa of Khoutlimourad Inak and the caravanserai of Khiva. Lunch in a local restaurant and dinner with a local family with Uzbek vodka.

• day 13

  KHIVA / NOUKOUS

  After breakfast, departure to Nukus. On the way, visit the Ayaz Kala and Toprak Kala fortresses. Lunch. Arrival and check-in at the hotel. Visit to the Museum of Applied Arts, known as Savitskiy, highly renowned in Central Asia. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• day 14

  Nukus / Moynaq / Nukus / Tashkent

  The road to Moynak (it was the stop for boats on the Aral Sea). We visit the ship cemetery. Picnic lunch. Return to Nukus and flight to Tashkent. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• day 15

  TASHKENT / PARIS

  The visit: Independence Square, Alayskiy Market, the war memorial, and Tamerlane Square. Lunch, then flight to Paris.