A tour of Tashkent’s Old City includes a visit to Khast-Imam Square, the spiritual heart of the capital, home to the Barak Khan Madrasah and the Kafal-al-Shashi Mazar mausoleum—some of the city’s oldest architectural monuments, the Center of Islamic Civilization—a bridge between the Golden Age and the New Uzbekistan.

Lunch at the Besh Kozon Central Asian Plov Center, where up to 10 tons of aromatic, traditional plov are prepared daily in huge cauldrons.

Transfer to Samarkand, one of the oldest cities in the world and a true pearl of the Great Silk Road, where history comes alive in the splendor of oriental architecture. The city dazzles with majestic madrassas, azure domes, and the atmosphere of the legendary era of Tamerlane. Samarkand carefully preserves its rich cultural heritage, combining the spirit of the ancient East with inimitable hospitality. A stroll through its historic streets allows you to feel the grandeur of the past and enjoy the unique atmosphere of one of the most beautiful cities in Central Asia.

Overnight at the hotel.

Meals: breakfast, lunch

Breakfast at the hotel.

This Samarkand tour introduces its main attractions. The highlight is the famous Registan Square, considered the most famous in Central Asia and surrounded by three majestic madrassas: Ulugh Beg, Sher-Dor, and Tillya-Kari. Next comes a visit to the Gur-Emir Mausoleum, a monumental tomb of the Tamerlane dynasty that served as the architectural model for the Humayun Mausoleum in Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra. The itinerary also includes the grand Bibi-Khanum Mosque, striking in its scale and majestic beauty, the city’s largest market, the Siab Bazaar, and the unique Shahi-Zinda architectural complex, consisting of eleven medieval mausoleums. The tour concludes with a visit to the Ulugh Beg Observatory Museum, one of the most important astronomical observatories of the Middle Ages, where a fragment of a huge sextant is preserved in the underground section.

Overnight at the hotel

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to Gijduvan. Visit the Narzullaev family, a line of master ceramicists and guardians of the traditions of the Gijduvan pottery school. During the visit, you will learn about the ceramic creation process, including the stages of molding, firing, and artistic painting. Lunch will be served in the ceramicists’ home, followed by a tasting of the famous Gijduvan shashlik.

Next, transfer to Bukhara, one of the oldest cities in Uzbekistan, a route along the Great Silk Road. In the Middle Ages, Bukhara was the most important political, cultural, and religious center of the region. More than 140 architectural monuments have survived to this day, including majestic madrassas and mosques, the city’s symbol, the Kalyan Minaret, the Ark Fortress, functioning medieval baths, and trading domes. The historic center of Bukhara is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tour of the country summer residence of the last Bukhara emir – the Sitorai-Mohi Khosa Palace. Bakhautdin Naqshbandi Memorial Complex.

Arrival in Bukhara and hotel check-in.

Bukhara tour: visit to the Lyabi-Khauz ensemble – Bukhara’s most famous square with an artificial pond surrounded by the Kukeldash and Nadir Divanbegi madrassas, a khanaka, a monument to Khoja Nasreddin, and numerous cozy cafes. A stroll through the 16th-century covered bazaars, home to traditional craft workshops, is also included

Continuation of the Bukhara tour: the Samanid Mausoleum – a dynastic tomb combining Sogdian and Islamic architectural traditions; the Chashma Ayub mausoleum, an unusual, oblong-shaped mausoleum associated with the biblical legend of the wandering Job; the Bolo-Hauz complex – a monumental part of Bukhara’s Registan, consisting of a pond, a minaret, and a mosque adorned with 20 carved columns; the citadel of ancient Bukhara, a “city within a city” – the ancient Ark Fortress; the oldest building in the ceremonial square, the central ensemble and main symbol of Bukhara – the Poi-Kalyan complex; the Abdulaziz Khan Madrasah; and the Ulugh Beg Madrasah.

Overnight at the hotel

Transfer to Khiva through the famous Kyzylkum Desert.

We’ll make several stops and stroll through the picturesque dunes.

Arrival in Khiva. Hotel check-in.

Overnight at the hotel

Khiva is one of the most distinctive and well-preserved ancient cities of Uzbekistan, a true pearl of the Great Silk Road. The city is known as a living open-air museum, where history is seamlessly woven into everyday life.

A tour of Khiva, within the historic Ichan-Kala complex, introduces the city’s main monuments. The program includes a visit to the Pakhlavan Mahmud complex, revered as a place of pilgrimage, as well as the Kunya-Ark fortress, the central citadel of Ichan-Kala, the former residence of the rulers and a true “city within a city.” One of the key attractions of the route is the Islam Khoja Madrasah and Minaret – the symbol of Khiva and the city’s tallest minaret (56.6 m), whose summit offers panoramic views of all of Khiva. The tour also includes a visit to the Tash-Khauli Palace, the Khan’s main residence, and the Juma Mosque, the city’s central and most unusual mosque, famous for its 213 intricately carved wooden columns. The tour concludes with a visit to the minaret and the Muhammad Amin Khan Madrasah, the largest madrasah in Khiva and one of the largest in Central Asia.

Transfer to Urgench airport. Evening flight to Tashkent

Transfer to Tashkent airport 3 hours before departure.

End of tour program