Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, and meet your Tour Escort for your private transfer to your selected hotel. Dinner this evening will be at the hotel. (D)

Day 2

Tashkent is the ancient capital of Uzbekistan and a major starting point for travel in Central Asia. After breakfast, meet your tour guide in the hotel lobby for a city tour which will include a visit to the Museum of Applied Arts that exhibits beautiful embroidery, local ceramics, wall hangings and many more local artifacts. Later you will visit the Museum of Antiquities, and the Old Town with its narrow lanes, mud brick houses, mosques and madrasas (Islamic schools) that still house 14th century craft workshops. Next you will explore the 16th century Muslim temples of Kukeldash and Abul Khassim Medressa, and the Chorsu Bazaar, a huge open market that draws many locals including those living in the rural areas outside of the city. In the afternoon you will take a two hour flight to Urgench, then transfer one hour by private car or minivan to Khiva where you will be taken directly to your hotel for dinner and overnight. (B, D)

Day 3

Today you will explore one of the most remote oasis cities of the Silk Road. Khiva's old inner town, Ichan-Kala, is preserved within 2,200m of unbroken fortified city wall. The town is entirely constructed of mud-brick with delicate blue and white tiled decoration and features many of the familiar Islamic architectural highlights of Central Asia : minarets (Khiva has the largest number of minarets of any city in Central Asia), medressehs, mosques and mausolea : set in narrow streets and squares. You will have some free time for your own personal exploration, then relax over dinner this evening at your hotel. (B, D)

Day 4

Enjoy a hearty breakfast, then embark on a seven hour excursion by car across the Kara- Kum (black sands) and Kyzyl-Kum (red sands) Deserts to Bukhara, once a bustling commercial centre of the Great Silk Road. A boxed lunch will be provided for your journey. After check-in, the afternoon is at leisure to explore this “museum town” dating back to the Middle Ages. This evening experience a traditional bathhouse, followed by dinner at your hotel. (B, L, D)

Day 5

Today you will discover the sights of this historical city with over 140 architectural monuments, including the 10th Century Ismail Samani Mausoleum and the Ark Fortress of the 18th and 19th century Emirs of Bukhara. You will also see the magnificent ensemble of the Kalyan Mosque, Minaret and Mir-i-Arab Medresseh with their splendid 15th and 16 th century blue and white-tiled decoration. Tonight's dinner will be at a local restaurant where you will be introduced to traditional Uzbek cuisine. (B, D)

Day 6

After breakfast, your guide will take you on a morning excursion to Yangikazgan Village. From here, continue by four-wheel drive to a yurt camp located in the Kizil Kum Desert. A highlight of this tour comes after lunch, when you will experience an unforgettable camel trek across the desert's sand dunes. Dinner and a memorable overnight will be in a traditional, nomadic yurt. (B, L, D)

Day 7

Today will be spent exploring the surrounding area of Yangikazagan. Travel by four-wheel drive to the picturesque, 200km long Lake Aydarkul where you will have lunch and the opportunity to enjoy swimming, hiking, or simply relaxing by the water's edge. Return to your yurt camp for dinner and an evening of Kazak folk song and dance. (B, L, D)

Day 8

After breakfast you will be driven to Samarkand, founded almost 2,500 years ago. Once called the “Pearl of the Muslim World,” Samarkand rose to great glory as a major trading port along the Silk Road from the 2nd to the 16th century. Upon arrival, begin exploring this ancient city and marvel at its architectural splendour, then enjoy a relaxing dinner at your hotel. (B, D)

Day 9

Your guide will take you on a morning visit to Ulugbek's Observatory and the Shakhi-Zinda ensemble, a remarkable collection of tombs and mausolea dating from the 14th and 15 th centuries. The day's highlight will be a visit to famous Registan Square, a vast open square flanked by three richly decorated medressehs, the Ulugbek, Shir-Dor and the Tilly-Kori. Continue to the Bibi Khanum Mosque, one of the largest and most lavish mosques ever built, and the 13th century Gur Emir mausoleum of Tamerlane and his family. This evening enjoy a dazzling light and sound show at Registan Square, followed by dinner. (B, D)

Day 10

As you travel back to Tashkent by private car, you will visit the Al Bukhary complex en route and arrive at the Uzbek capital late in the afternoon. This evening your tour concludes with a special Farewell Dinner with traditional Uzbek folk songs and dance. (B, D)

Day 11

Enjoy breakfast with the morning at leisure until your private transfer to the airport for your onward journey. (B)

Extra Information

Inclusions -

All airport - hotel - airport transfers - All sightseeing visit as indicated

Exclusions -

Personal spending money

Extras -

HOTELS;

Tashkent - 'Tashkent Palace' 4*

Khiva - 'Malika' 3*

Bukhara - 'Lyabi House' 3*

Yangikazgan - 'Yurt Camp'
Samarkand - 'Grand Samarkand' 3*