Extensive Uzbekistan

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Exploration of Tashkent

  

  Upon arrival at Tashkent International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by your local guide and transferred to a café for breakfast. Begin exploring the old part of the capital: visit Khazrat-i-Imam, the architectural complex which includes the mausoleum of Abu-Bakr-al-Kaffal Shanshi, the Barak Khan madrasa, the Friday mosque, and the Moyie Mubarek madrasa with the ancient 7th-century Quran. The Chorsu market: the largest market in Uzbekistan, where, under a large blue dome, all the country's products are gathered: fruits and vegetables, stalls astonishing for their abundance, volume, colors, and the unchanging chatter of the vendors. Check-in at the hotel around 2:00 pm. Later, continue the city tour: visit the Monument of Courage, stroll on Independence Square, Amir Temur Square, and walk along the local Broadway. Special activity: discover the underground riches of Tashkent - a metro journey with a visit to the most beautiful stations, decorated with marble, mosaics, glass - a unique art for public service. Meals: breakfast at the local café and dinner at the local restaurant.

• day 2

  Train journey to the Fergana Valley

  

  Light morning breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the station for the train to Kokand #060 (08:07 - 12:07). Kokand was the capital of the Khanate and has the special residence of the ruler: the palace of Khudoyor Khan. The 18th-century Juma Mosque, whose iwan has 98 carved wooden pillars, supports a ceiling also carved and painted, depicting motifs of red, green, blue, and yellow flowers. Drive to Rishtan. Visit the pottery workshop, where you will discover the famous light blue ceramics of Rishtan. The artisans of Rishtan are renowned and have been passing down their manufacturing secrets from generation to generation for over 8 centuries. Continue to Margilan (50 km, 1h). Upon arrival, dinner and overnight at the hotel. Special visit: the mosque and mausoleum of Khodja Ilgor (19th century), of unusual shape (unmatched in Central Asia). Also stroll along the colorful Bazar Mazaar street, full of unique ceramics. Meals: breakfast at the hotel and dinner in an authentic Uzbek restaurant, where you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere of an ordinary local dinner.

• day 3

  Exploration of Margilan, then on the way to Khorezm.

  

  Breakfast at the hotel, then visit Margilan, the center of silk production. Millions of meters of the finest fabrics are produced there every year. Visit Yodgorlik, the only factory of its kind in Central Asia and the largest factory for the production of handmade silk products in Uzbekistan, which rightly deserves worldwide fame. You will follow the entire manufacturing process, from the cocoon to the finished material, and discover the weaving process of the famous Atlas fabric, from cocoons and winding. Only a few architectural sites in Margilan have survived due to earthquakes. Among them is the small asymmetrical Chakar mosque. Transfer to Fergana airport for the flight to Urgench HY-056 (14:05-15:45). Arrival in Urgench and transfer to Khiva (35 km, 45 min). A moment of rest at the hotel and a first walk through the Ichan Kala, UNESCO World Heritage center, the city center (protected by brick walls about 10 m high) of the ancient oasis of Khiva. This place was the last resting place for caravans before crossing the desert to Iran. Dinner and an evening stroll through the cobbled streets. Interesting fact: the thread is 429 m long and represents only 1 g of silk. And 1 square meter of such fabric weighs only 17 g. Meals: breakfast at the hotel and dinner with the Khiva delicacy Shivit oshi. A bright and colorful dish, about which locals pass down legends from generation to generation about the beneficial properties of this dish.

• day 4

  Exploration of Khiva

  

  After breakfast, start the walking tour. Khiva is an open-air museum, which is why today we will dedicate the whole day to studying its architectural monuments. A list of all the buildings will leave you in no doubt: during the tour, you will be transported into the life of the Khiva Khanate of centuries past. Visit the "old fortress" of Kunya-Ark, the Kurnych-Khana caravanserai, the Mukhammad Rakhim Khan madrassah, and the Seid Alauddin mausoleum. The Muhammed Rakhim Khan madrassah and the Islam-Khodja madrassah, with its minaret 44.5 m high and 9.5 m in diameter, the tallest minaret in Khiva. The Tash-Khauli palace, with its harem, reception halls, and court of justice, is a true labyrinth where Allakouli Khan and his extravagant entourage lived. Ala-Khuli Palace, "the stone palace," the second residence of the Khiva khans. Next: the Ala-Khuli Khan madrassah, Kalta Minor, the Sayid Alaoudin mausoleum, and the Juma mosque, which is the main mosque of Khiva. It has 218 carved wooden columns. Behind the Juma mosque rises the most remarkable architectural monument of Khiva: the Pakhlavan-Makhmud mausoleum. Special activity: you will have the opportunity to climb to the terrace of the Ak-Cheikh-Bobo tower, which offers a magnificent panoramic view of the whole city and allows you to enjoy the sunset. Then, have a glass of local sparkling wine on one of the terraces. Meals: breakfast at the hotel and dinner with a cooking demonstration of the Tukhum-barak dish, prepared only in Khorezm. It is said that this dish was the Khan's "secret weapon," which he ate before visiting his harem.

• day 5

  Journey in the desert to Bukhara.

  

  Breakfast at the hotel and departure for Bukhara (480 km, 7-8 hours). Travel along the long road through the steppes across the famous Kyzyl Kum (red sand desert). The road runs along the Amudaria river. We will stop on the shore to take photos and enjoy nature. For lunch, we will stop at a typical roadside teahouse. Upon arrival, check-in at the hotel and rest. Special visit: in the afternoon, enjoy aromatic teas in the retro teahouse, an ideal place to relax, surrounded by wonderful aromas of teas and spices. Meals: breakfast at the hotel and lunch in a typical chaykhana with delicious kebabs.

• day 6

  Exploration of Bukhara

  

  After breakfast, explore Bukhara, which dates back more than 2500 years. Visit the Ismail Samani Mausoleum, one of the oldest monuments in the world dedicated to Muslim figures, the Chashma Ayub Mausoleum, and the Ark Fortress, symbol of the Emirate of Bukhara. The Bolo-Khauz complex includes a mosque, which stands in front of the Citadel, on the other side of the square, with its twenty columns of unusual height (12.5 m). The iwan is not lacking in elegance. The Poi-Kalon complex with its minaret, the Lyabi-Khauz complex, and the Maghoki Attori Mosque. Shopping in the commercial domes of the old city. After dinner, a guided night walk in illuminated Bukhara. Special visit: hidden in the narrow residential streets, the Chor-Minor madrasa is characterized by a perfect silhouette, elegance and unusual shapes, compactness, and splendor. Meals: breakfast at the hotel and dinner - Uzbek national cuisine - Plov cooking demonstration at the local family home.

• day 7

  Trip to Samarkand via Guijdouvan

  

  Breakfast at the hotel and departure for the village of Guijdouvan (60 km), the only center of polychrome glazed ceramics in the region. Visit to the pottery workshop of Mr. Narzullaev, one of the most famous ceramists in Uzbekistan and founder of the Guijdouvan ceramics school. He is distinguished by the use of geometric shapes, as well as plant themes, birds, and flowers in the ornaments. Then continue by car to Samarkand (210 km, 3 hours). Upon arrival, leave your luggage at the hotel and have a first encounter with the magical oriental city. Registan Square: it is one of the most beautiful squares in the world, with its splendid Ulugbek madrasah, Shir-Dor, an extraordinary construction that blends Islam with reminiscences of Zoroastrianism, as well as Tilla-Kari, decorated with blue ceramic tiles. The Registan, the official center of the Timurid Empire, is the most grandiose complex in Central Asia. In the 15th century, it was a commercial, artisanal, cultural, and religious center, the crossroads of Tamerlane's capital. Special visit: Sardoba Malik, a reservoir 13 meters deep, covered by a dome 12 meters in diameter, dating from the 11th century. Located on the caravan route, it served as a source of drinking water for passing travelers and caravans. Meals: breakfast at the hotel and dinner in a local restaurant.

• day 8

  Exploration of Samarkand and train journey to Tashkent.

  

  After breakfast, continue the discovery of Samarkand: The Gur-Emir or "Tomb of the Emir", the most famous monument of Samarkand and symbol of the city. Ulugbek's Observatory: this construction dates back to the 15th century, unique in the world. It was a gigantic astronomical instrument in the form of a circular building 48 m in diameter, whose median lines corresponded to the four cardinal points of the Samarkand meridian. A small museum allows you to follow the evolution of astronomical discoveries with a set of well-documented maps, portraits, and ancient books. The Bibi-Khanym Mosque, built in 1399 by order of Tamerlane, was once the most important religious building in all of Central Asia. Shopping at Syob - the large market behind the complex. The Shakhi-Zinda necropolis, composed of more than 11 mausoleums, is the most imposing and picturesque masterpiece among the architectural monuments of Samarkand. Transfer to the station. Departure for Tashkent by Afrosiyob high-speed train (17:28-19:40 or 18:00-20:10). Upon arrival, dinner, visit of the Minor Mosque (outside) and transfer to the airport for the departure flight. Special visit: Happy Bird Art Gallery. Locals and visitors call the gallery "Ali Baba's cave" because of the abundance of local objects: carpets, pottery, unique suzani, decorations for all tastes, paintings, and statues. Special visit: one of the city's newest sites - the snow-white Minor Mosque. Opened in 2014 in a picturesque landscaped location near the Ankhor canal embankment, it is reflected in its waters like the Taj Mahal. Meals: breakfast at the hotel and dinner in a local restaurant.