2-day Fergana Valley Heritage Tour

Morning flight to Fergana (09:10–10:00) (240 km, 50 minutes). Meet your driver and guide at Fergana Airport. Transfer to Margilan (15 km, 30 minutes). In Margilan, the tour begins with a visit to a small family-run silk workshop (Margilan Silk), where you can observe the entire process – from the processing of silkworm cocoons to the production of the finished fabric. You will then visit the Crafts Centre, which produces goods under the Golden Silk brand. There, you will be able to see the production of high-quality velvet and traditional silk carpets. The Crafts Centre also has a museum section. The workshops and reception rooms are decorated in traditional Uzbek style. Lunch will be served in one of these rooms. After lunch, the journey continues to the town of Rishtan (50 km, 1 hour), renowned for its ceramic traditions. The tour includes a visit to the art studio of ceramist Rustam Usmanov, where you can observe the traditional process of making ceramics in the Rishtan style. You will also have the opportunity to see his personal collection in a private museum. The day concludes with a short drive to Kokand (40 km, 1 hour). Overnight at the Silk Road Hotel.

At 9:00 am, departure from the hotel and the start of the guided Kokand tour. The tour includes visits to the following sites: Khudoyar Khan’s Palace – the majestic historic residence of the rulers of the Kokand Khanate. Jami Mosque – an introduction to the architectural complex, along with visits to workshops and exhibitions of applied arts by local craftsmen. The programme also includes a visit to a workshop producing Kokand halva. Norbut-biy Madrasah – a traditional Islamic educational institution of major historical importance. The mausoleums of Damai Shahon and Madari-khan – mausoleums where members of the khanate dynasty are buried. The Hamza House Museum – an old house dating from the early 20th century, housing an exhibition on the life and work of Hamza Hakimzade Niyazi (free entry). Lunch break. The tour continues with a walk past historic European-style buildings constructed after the Kokand Khanate was incorporated into the Russian Empire in the 1870s: the mansions of the First and Second Merchants’ Guilds, including the homes of the Vadyayevs, the Simkhaevs, and the Poteliakhovs, who were prominent Jewish merchants. At 16:00, transfer to the railway station and departure from Kokand to Tashkent (250 km, 4 hours 30 minutes). End of the Fergana Valley Heritage tour.