12-day Extended Uzbekistan Tour

Arrive in Tashkent. Transfer from the airport to the hotel, checking in from 14:00. Free time.

After breakfast, take a guided sightseeing tour of Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, the largest city in Central Asia to begin the 12-day Extended Uzbekistan Tour. Begin at the Courage Monument, which commemorates the 1966 earthquake and honours the resilience of the people of Tashkent, before continuing to the historic Old City. Visit the Mausoleum of Kaffal Shashi, walk past the Khast-Imam Complex, view the exterior of the Islamic Civilization Center, and stroll along the newly developed Zarkaynar Street. Next, explore Chorsu Bazaar and a local pottery gallery, then ride the beautifully decorated Tashkent Metro to the modern city centre. Enjoy free time for lunch on Taras Shevchenko Street, known for its lively dining scene, then continue to the State Museum of Applied Arts and admire the elegant facade of the Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre, concluding the tour at Amir Timur Square, where your captivating Tashkent City Tour comes to an end. Free time. Transfer to the airport to take the evening flight to Nukus at 18:05 (1,255 km, 1 h 40 min). Arrive in Nukus at 19:45 and transfer to the hotel. After the tour or later in the evening you can visit the Islamic Civilization Center in Tashkent on your own (optional). Lunch break 13:00-14:00 Duration of sightseeing tour: 6-7 hours

Breakfast. Visit the Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art named after I.V. Savitsky*. The museum hosts the world’s second-largest collection of Russian avant-garde art and an exhibition of applied art from Karakalpakstan. Take a short drive around the centre of Nukus and see the statue of Berdakh, the Karakalpak poet; the Nukus City Hall; and the Karakalpak Music and Drama Theatre. In the afternoon, drive to Khiva (200 km, 4-5 h.). On the way, visit the archaeological monuments of ancient Khorezm: Chilpyk-Kala (a Zoroastrian dakhma, or Tower of Silence) and Toprak-Kala (the capital of Khorezm in the 3rd century). Arrive in Khiva and check-in to the hotel. * Savitsky Karakalpakstan Art Museum is closed on Mondays. ** Due to renovations in Block 1 of the Savitsky Museum, some archaeological and applied arts exhibitions are closed indefinitely. Only Block 2 is currently open to visitors. Lunch break 13:00-14:00

Spend a day in UNESCO World Heritage site Ichan-Kala Fortress, living museum under the open sky. Take a walking sightseeing tour in Khiva with a guide: visit Kunya Ark Citadel, Toshkhovli Palace, Mukhammad Amin Khan Madrasah, Mukhammad Rahimkhan Madrasah, Kalta Minor, Juma Mosque, Pakhlavan Makhmud Mausoleum, Minaret of Islom Khodja. Free time in the afternoon. Overnight at the hotel. Lunch break 13:00-14:00 Duration of sightseeing tour: 5 hours

In the morning depart Khiva and drive to Bukhara (480 km, 7-8 h.*). The Silk Road once routed through Bukhara and Khiva ran through the Kyzylkum Desert, as the present road does nowadays**. Stop along the way to enjoy the views of the surrounding desert. Arrive in Bukhara late in the afternoon, check in to the hotel. Time for rest and overnight at the hotel. *we advise preparing lunch-boxes for this trip. **some parts of the road are presently being renovated. Lunch break 13:00-14:00

After breakfast, enjoy a guided walking sightseeing tour of Bukhara’s Old City. Visit the Lyabi-Khauz Ensemble, Magoki-Attori Mosque, trading domes, Kalyan Minaret, Kalyan Mosque and Miri-Arab Madrasah, Ulugbek and Abdulazizkhan madrasahs, Ark Fortress, Bolo-Khauz Mosque, Ismail Samani and Chashma-Ayub. Overnight at the hotel. Lunch break 13:00-14:00 Duration of sightseeing tour: 6-7 hours

Start the second day with a visit to House Museum of Fayzulla Khodjaev - a unique building that has become a true pearl of the city. Then visit to Bakhoutdin Naqshbandi Mausoleum and Sitorai-Mokhikhosa – summer residence of Bukhara’s last emir, unique site combining Oriental and Russian architecture. Enjoy free time in the afternoon. Visit to the National folklore show at Nodir Devan Begi Madrassah. After the show dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel. Lunch break 13:00-14:00 Duration of sightseeing tour: 3-4 hours

After breakfast, depart Bukhara and drive to a yurt camp in the Kyzylkum Desert (230 km, 4 h.*). On the way, stop in Gijduvan to visit a pottery master’s workshop and take a master-class on traditional pottery. After lunch, continue to Nurata town to visit the Chashma Complex of Religious Buildings and its famous holy spring. Stop at the Nurata Pass to see the Zukarnay Petroglyphs, which date from the Bronze Age. Arrive at the yurt camp and enjoy camel riding and free time. In the evening, enjoy dinner around the camp fire accompanied by a performance of Kazakh akin (folk singers). Overnight at the yurt camp. Lunch break 13:00-14:00 Meals: lunch, dinner

After breakfast at the yurt camp visit Aidarkul Lake, which is surrounded by desert. Free time at the lake and picnic lunch. In the afternoon, leave the yurt camp and drive to Samarkand (270 km, 5 h). Arrive in Samarkand and check-in to the hotel. Time for rest. Meals: picnic lunch

Breakfast. At 9:00 start a sightseeing tour of the fascinating city of Samarkand. Visit the spectacular Registan Square, the Gur Emir (Tamerlane’s Mausoleum), the remains of the Bibi Khanum Mosque, and the Shakhi-Zinda Necropolis. Then drive to Konigil village to explore the traditional way of making Samarkand paper from the bark of the mulberry tree. Free evening. Overnight at the hotel. Lunch break 13:00-14:00 Duration of sightseeing tour: 6-7 hours

Breakfast. Check-out of the hotel by noon. Visit to Siab Bazaar. Free time to explore Samarkand or shop for traditional handicrafts. Farewell lunch in Samarkand. In the evening, transfer to the railway station to take the train to Tashkent (300 km, 2 h 10 min). Pick-up and transfer to your hotel. Overnight at the hotel. Lunch break 13:00-14:00

Breakfast. Check-out of the hotel by noon. Free time until your transfer to Tashkent International Airport. Departure. End of the 12-day Extended Uzbekistan Tour.