Tour to Ancient Cities of Uzbekistan

Country  Uzbekistan 

Tour to Ancient Cities of Uzbekistan

Tour route  Tashkent - Urgench - Khiva - Bukhara - Shakhrisabz - Samarkand - Tashkent

Total Duration  8 days

Transportation  Comfortable AC

Season  April - October

Group Size  Any

Hotel Type  3* given as an option

Placement  TWN / DBL placement

Meal  Bed and Breakfast

Single Supplement  $550

Description  This most requesting tour is a chance to visit the ancient cities of Uzbekistan, located in the land which in different times called Sogdiana, the land between the Amu-Darya and Syr-Darya, or Transoxiana by the Romans and Mawaranahr by the Arabs (both means the land "Beyond the Oxus"). As well as to visit the land of ancient cities of Uzbekistan, khorezm civilization, which lays on the lower reaches of the Amu-Darya.

Day 1 Tashkent

Arrival to the Tahkent (the capital of Uzbekistan and peoples' friendship) international airport and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation and rest after flight.

Free time in the evening Tashkent.

Overnight at hotel in Tashkent.

Tashkent - is one of the most biggest ancient city in Central Asia - the capital of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The first information about Tashkent as a city settlings is kept in the ancient east chronicles of the II century B.C., in the Chinese sources it’s called Yuni; in the inscriptions of 262 years B.C. of Pursian king Shapura I on "Kaabe Zoroastra" the oasis of Tashkent was called Chach. Chach was a crossroads on the way of gold export, precious stones, spices and splendid horses to another towns and states. Today Tashkent, in translation from uzbek standing for "Stone town" is a capital of modern Republic, keeping the evidence of future, the memory of many history events of Uzbekistan, - one of the biggest industrial center of Central Asia, with the population of over 2 million people.

Day 2 Tashkent - Urgench - Khiva

07:00 Morning flight to Urgench HY-1051.

08:40 arrival to Urgench, transfer to the hotel in Khiva (The only city-museum under the open sky in Central Asia) (35 km, 30 min). Guided sightseeing city tour. Visit a UNESCO World Heritage site Ichan-Qala fortress: Kunya-Arc, Sayeed Alauddin mausoleum, madrasa Arab-Mukhamadkhan, mosque Oq-Masjid, madrasa Hodjan Berdi-biya, Shirgazikhan, Abdullakhan, Juma mosque, madrasa Allakulikhan, Toshkhovli palace, Pakhlavan Makhmud mausoleum, minaret Islom-khodja. Free time in the afternoon.

Overnight in Khiva.

The history of Khiva and the Khorezm oasis is fascinating and a walk through the Ichan Kala, the old walled city of Khiva, will give you an insight into the life led there ancient days up to the present time. Today Khiva is the gateway to a region that has much to offer: ancient Khorezm, where you can discover lots of cities from the 6th century, acquire hand made ceramics, woven rugs and silk carpets and many other interesting things.

Day 3 Bukhara

In the morning depart Khiva and drive to Bukhara (one of the most esteemed city of Islamic culture) through the Kyzylkum desert along Caravan road (480 km, 7 h). On the way stop to see Amu-Darya (Oxus) river.

Arrival to Bukhara in the afternoon.

Check in to the hotel. Free time, walking through the backstreets of Bukhara.

Overnight in Bukhara.

Day 4 Bukhara

Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 Sightseeing tour in Bukhara. Visit Samani dynasty mausoleum, Arc Fortress, Chashma-Ayub mausoleum, Imam Al Bukhari museum, Bolo-Houz mosque, Poi Kalon ensemble, Kalyan minaret and mosque, Miri-Arab madrasa, Toki Zargaron dome of jewelers, Magoki-Attori mosque, Khanaka and Nadir Divan Begi  madrasa, Kukeldash madrasa, Ulugbek madrasa, Abdulazizkhan madrasa, Abdullah-Khan madrasa, trade domes, Lyabi Hauz complex and Chor-Minor madrasa.

19:00 Dinner with folklore show at Nodir Devan Begi madrasa.

Overnight in Bukhara.

Day 5 Bukhara - Sakhrisabz - Samarkand

Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 In the morning depart Bukhara and drive to Samarkand via Shakhrisabz (Kesh - a hometown of Tamerlane) (270 km, 3,5 h).

14:00 Sightseeing tour in Shakhrisabz. Visit ruins of Tamerlan's summer residence Ak-Saray palace, Tamerlane’s eldest and favorite son Jahongir mausoleum, complex Dor-ut Saodat: Khazratiy Imam mosque, mausoleum Gumbazi-Seiidan, Kok Gumbaz mosque.

17:00 In the afternoon drive to the ancient city Samarkand (90 km, 1,5 h).

Arrival to Samarkand, check in to the hotel. Free time.

Overnight in Samarkand.

Day 6 Samarkand

Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 Sightseeing tour in Samarkand (Marakanda to the Greeks) - One of Central Asian’s oldest settlements. The capital of Tamerlane’s  empire Mawaranahr). Visit Registan Square: Ulugbek, Shir Dor and Tillya-Kari madrasas, ruins of Afrosiab -  an archeological excavation and museum of the ancient town (6 BC-13 AD), Bibi-Khanum Mosque, Shakhi-Zinda necropolis, Gur-Emir mausoleum, Ulugbek observatory, and Siab bazaar in Samarkand.

Overnight in Samarkand.

Samarkand is one of the most ancient city of the world. As well as other first centres of a human civilisation - Babylon and Memphis, Athenes and Rome, Alexandria and Byzantium - Samarkand also was fated to go through rough events and upheavels.

The history of Samarkand goes deep into millenium. Archeological finds and annalistic works of eyewitnesses and ancient historians have allowed to establish with full reliability, that a human had lived in the territory of the modern city for many thousand years B.C..

Throughout centuries the ancient city was constantly involved in whirlpool of rough events. The periods of brilliant bloom of science and culture, art and crafts were superseded by full decline under blows of half-civilised, greedy conquerors. There were decades when Samarkand lost almost all population and jackals howled at night on once populous Registan. But mighty vital forces made the way again on a surface, and the city, as phoenix, rose from ashes and ruins.

Day 7 Samarkand - Tashkent

Tashkent (Chach - Modern city with old history. Starting from the settlement of Ming-Uruk (2 BC) to the nowadays).

09:00 In the morning depart Samarkand and drive to Tashkent (315 km, 5 h).

14:00 Arrival to Tashkent, check in to the hotel.

In the afternoon the sightseeing tour around Tashkent. Visit Old City part of Tashkent: Kukeldash madrasa, Kaffal Shashi mausoleum, Barak Khan madrasa, Juma (Friday) Mosque, Mui-Mubarak madrasa, Abdulkasim madrasa, Khast-Imom complex (which houses the 7'th century Osman Quran, the world’s oldest), Chor-Su handicraft bazaar and the center of Tashkent with Amir Temur Square, Independence Square, Uzbekistan History Museum,  Applied Arts Museum.

Overnight in Tashkent.

Day 8 Tashkent

Breakfat at the hotel.

Transfer to the airport, departure.

The end of the tour.

Included - specific

    Folklore show programm at Nodir Devan Begi Madrassah in Bukhara

    Hotel placement: 7 nights (early check-in and late check-out is not included)

  Check-in time after 14:00

  Check-out time before 12:00

    Breakfast – 7 included according to the program

Included - general

    Visa support

    AC Comfortable transportation for the whole trip

    Professional guide (available in different languages) will accompany you and try to give you the best explanation of the site's history, traditions and culture

    Tour operator and Group Leader will make you feel comfortable and assist you in case of problem 24/7

    Entrance fees to historical places

    For each transfer 0.5 L of mineral water

    Double / Twin hotel room placement

    Luggage handling at the airports and hotels

Excluded

    Visa application fee in Uzbek embassy in your country

    Fees for the use of cameras and videos in the monuments and tourist sites

    Expenses of personal nature like laundry, telephone, fax, internet, beverages, camera / video camera fee at monuments, medical expenses, airport departure tax etc.

    Personal expenses

    Local payments in domestic currency, such as tips and gratuities

    Expenses for things which are not listed in the tour package