UZBEK VILLAGES - 7 DAYS

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Tashkent

  

  Arrival in Tashkent. Welcome by your driver and your guide. Discovery of the capital. Visit of Tashkent: capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent is today a modern city of 2.6 million inhabitants, but it has a certain charm with its wide avenues and parks. Discovery of the capital: Kukeldash Madrasa, Kaffal Chachi Mausoleum, Barakhan Madrasa (16th c.). Visit of the Museum of Applied Arts, the former palace of the Russian diplomat Polovtsev. Lunch at leisure. Panoramic tour in Tashkent: Theater Square, Independence Square, Amir Temur Square. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 2

  Tashkent / Samarkand / Langar

  Transfer to Tashkent station and departure for Samarkand by high-speed train. Arrival, then departure towards the village of Langar, south of Samarkand. The journey goes through the Aman Koutan pass, offering a beautiful mountain route through the Zerafshân range. The village of Langar, "Earthly Dwelling of God", is located in the heart of the Pamiro-Alay mountains. On the way, you will see superb surrounding mountain landscapes, with eternal snows, magnificent lakes and canyons. Lunch with a local family. You will then visit the authentic Langar-Ota mausoleum and mosque. Walk in the Langar canyons, 2.5 km long and 150 to 200 m high, following the river that runs through the middle. Overnight with a local family.

• day 3

  LANGAR / DERBENT

  

  Route to Derbent following the Hissar Alay mountain range. Derbent, once an important stop on the Silk Road and located on the path of great conquerors such as Alexander the Great and Tamerlane, will surprise you with its history, customs, and splendid landscapes. On the way, visit the Iron Gate, a former customs post on the caravan route, between ancient Sogdiana and Bactria. Arrival and walk in the village. Dinner and overnight with a local family.

• day 4

  DERBENT / BAYSUN

  Road to Baysun. Located about 20 km from Derbent, the small town of Boysun (about 30,000 inhabitants) is nestled in a landscape of hills and colorful canyons. To the north, it is dominated by a spectacular ridge that is part of the 200 km Hissar range, stretching to the border between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The town is mainly populated by Tajik ethnic groups, some of whom had fled the civil war of the 1990s in Tajikistan. They are proud of their many traditions: clothing, weaving, embroidery, music, dances, food, kupkari (called buzkashi in Afghanistan)... It was here that Alexander the Great married the beautiful Roxane in 329 BC. Visit to the Unesco Museum, initiated in 2006 for the craft heritage of Baysun. Visit to the properties of the peasants in Baysun, who mainly grow potatoes and chickpeas. Then, visit to the remains of a fortress dating from the time of Alexander the Great. Overnight stay with locals in Baysun.

• day 5

  BAYSUN

  Visit to the local bazaar of Baysun. Hiking along the canyons of Baysun. Picnic during the hike. Overnight stay with a local family.

• day 6

  BAYSUN / KARSHI / TASHKENT

  

  Hiking in the morning. After lunch, drive to Karchi to take the TGV to Tashkent. Arrival in Tashkent. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 7

  TASHKENT - RETURN

  Supplements to the visits in Tashkent and transfer to the airport.