Fascinating Uzbekistan

Cities: Nukus – Khiva – Bukhara – Shakhrisabz – Samarkand – Tashkent

Duration: 7 nights/8 days

Tour program:

On the plains of Central Asia there are many cities with hundreds of architectural monuments from different epochs. Among the most famous are Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Shakhrisabz and Nukus. These cities were the centers of science and art. Great architects created palaces, mosques and mausoleums, world famous monuments of ancient architecture to memorialize Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan.

Day 1: Nukus – Khiva (220 km = 3 h)

Arrival in Nukus.

Sightseeing in Nukus: The Museum of Igor Savitsky Gallery, home to one of the finest collections of Soviet avant-garde art from the 1920s and 30s. Today the museum holds some 80,000 exhibits ranging from the Khorezmian art of Toprak Kala to Karakalpak cubism.

Some 15 km west of Nukus on the road to Kunya-Urgench, lie the holy sites of Mizdakhan and Yusup Ishan, two enormous cemeteries of several thousand graves which spill over the only two hills on the horizon, each like a mini Jerusalem on the steppe. The larger of the two, Mizdakhan, was once an important centre of handicrafts set on the trade crossroads to Gurganj, until it was destroyed by Tamerlane en route to larger things in Gurganj.

Departure for Khiva. Arrival in Khiva. Check in to the hotel

Day 2: Khiva

Sightseeing in Khiva: Ichan-Kala  –  Mohammed-Amin Khan madrassah and minaret (XIX c.)  -  Kunya Ark – Old fortress (XVII c.) - Pakhlavan Mahmud complex (XIV-XIX cc.)  - Islam Khodja madrassah & Minaret (1908) -  Jumma mosque (X–XVIII cc.) - Tash Hauli Allakuli-Khan Palace (XVIII-XIX cc.) - Bazaar.

Day 3: Khiva – Bukhara (450 km = 7-8 h)

Transfer to Bukhara via Kyzyl-Kum desert. Arrival in Bukhara. Check in to the hotel.

Day 4: Bukhara

Sightseeing in Bukhara: Ark - ancient fortress (VI-VII cc.)  -  Chashma Ayub Mazar (graveyard) (XIV-XIX cc.) -  Poi- Kalan complex (XII-XVI cc.), that includes famous Minaret Kalan (built in 1127, height is 49 meters)  -  Samanid’s Mausoleum (IX-X cc.) -  Lyabi-Hauz complex (XVI-XVII cc.) which includes: Kukeldash madrassah (1568) and Nadir Divanbegi madrassah (1622).

Day 5: Bukhara – Shakhrisabz (220 km = 3,5 h) - Samarkand (140 km = 2 h)

Transfer to Shakhrisabz.

Sightseeing in Shakhrisabz: The remains of the normous summer palace  -  Ak-Saray and Kok-Gumbaz (Blue Dome) mosque  - The remains of the Khazrati-Imam Ensemble  -  Mausoleum containing the tomb of Tamerlane’s eldest son, Ghanjir.

Transfer to Samarkand. Arrival in Samarkand. Check in to the hotel.

Day 6: Samarkand

Sightseeing in Samarkand: Registan Square (XVII c,  Registan is circled with 3 main buildings: Ulugbek Madrasah, Sherdor Madrasah and Tillya Kari Mosque)  -  Guri-Emir mausoleum  -   Ulugbek Observatory (XV c)  -  Bibi–Khanum Mosque (XV c) -  Architectural ensemble Shakhi-Zinda (XII – XV cc).

Day 7: Samarkand – Tashkent (300 km = 5 h)

Transfer to Tashkent.

Half day sightseeing in Tashkent: The old city  -  Barak-Khan madrassa (XVI c.)  -  Kaffal-al-Shashi Mazar –  Kukeldash madrassah (XVIII) – Museum of Applied Art  -  Square of Independence  -  the building of National Theatre of opera and ballet.

Day 8: Tashkent – departure

Transfer to the airport. Departure.

The cost of the tour:

Pax	1	2	3-4	5-6	7-9	10-14+1	15-19+1	Single supplement
$/pax 2-3*	1115	725	625	565	545	445	425	70
$/pax 3-4*	1205	765	665	615	595	565	545	130

Hotels 2-3*:

Khiva – Malika Khiva or similar

Bukhara – Old City or similar

Samarkand – Karavan Serail or similar

Tashkent – Grand Raddus or similar

Hotels 3-4*:

Khiva – Asia Khiva or similar

Bukhara – Asia Bukhara or similar

Samarkand – Asia Samarkand or similar

Tashkent – Tashkent Palace or similar

The price includes:

- Uzbek visa support letter;

- Transport for the whole program;

- Twin/double accommodation with breakfasts;

- Guided tours in the cities;

- Free tour leader for groups more than 10 pax;

- Entrance fees to the main monuments;

- Porterage and mineral water during intercity transfers.

The price doesn’t include:

- Uzbek visa;

- International flight;

- Personal expenses;

- Folk shows, wine tasting;

- Photo and video shooting;

Extra charge:

- Escort guide from our agency during the whole tour = 400$/group;

- Meals – Half board = 55$/pax;

- Meals – Full board = 85$/pax.