Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva… these names evoke the long procession of Bactrian camels along the caravan routes, carrying silk and treasures from even more distant lands to the West… In the ancient Transoxiana, the land of the great steppe between Persia and the Chinese world, merchant cities and oases, crowned with elegant and exquisite turquoise domes, lined the trail. In today’s Uzbekistan, camels have virtually disappeared, but the evidence of this brilliant civilization, with its deep and numerous roots, remains.

Day 1 Europe – TASHKENT [D]

Overnight flight from your country to Tashkent.

Day 2 TASHKENT [B]

Arrival, customs clearance, and meeting at the airport.

Transfer to the hotel. Time to rest, refresh, and have breakfast. Tashkent’s architecture has a national flair: ultra-modern buildings harmoniously coexist with medieval structures. The city is full of parks and gardens with lush greenery.

Excursion in Tashkent:

• Khast-Imam – the largest religious center in Tashkent, including the Barak-Khan Mausoleum, the Tillya Sheikh Mosque, and the Abu Bakr Muhammad Kafal Shashi Medrese.

• Chorsu Market.

• Independence Square – one of the largest squares in Central Asia.

• Amir Timur Square – the central point of the new city, founded in the second half of the 19th century and designed for military parades.

• Alisher Navoi Theatre Square.

Day 3 TASHKENT – URGENCH – KHIVA [B]

Morning flight to Urgench, transfer to Khiva (30 km), check-in at the hotel.

Visit to Khiva.

Fully restored, the ancient city offers visitors a view of what it looked like between the 18th and early 20th centuries. It’s a perfect architectural ensemble, unmatched in Central Asia.

Visit to Ichan-Kala (the inner city): “old fortress”; the Tash-Huli Palace, residence of Khivan khans, with a small courtyard in the center, featuring a veranda with two columns, entirely covered with painted majolica tiles; the Ak-Cheikh-Bobo Tower with a terrace offering a magnificent panoramic view of the entire city; the Islam-Khodja Medrese (1908-1912) with the tallest minaret in the city.

In the center of Ichan-Kala, a long blind wall, surrounded by a minaret, serves as the facade of the Juma (Friday) Mosque, the main mosque of Khiva, with its 200 carved wooden columns reminiscent of ancient Arabian mosques. Behind the Juma Mosque stands Khiva’s most famous monument: the Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum (1810–1825).

In front of the Khan Muhammad-Amin Medrese stands the curious Kalta Minor (“short minaret”, 1855), an unfinished minaret of glowing blue color. Free time for walks towards the evening.

Free meal.

Hotel.

Day 4 KHIVA – BUKHARA (480 KM/7 H) [B]

Breakfast at the hotel.

Travel to Bukhara through desert landscapes with red dunes of Kyzyl Kum and along the Amu Darya, the ancient Oxus.

In the 10th century, under the Persian Samanid dynasty, Bukhara was a leading Muslim religious and intellectual center before being destroyed by the Mongols and later restored by Tamerlane. It retains much of the charm of its Arab, Persian, and Turkish past.

Free dinner.

Hotel.

Day 5 BUKHARA [B]

Breakfast at the hotel.

The morning will be dedicated to visiting the old city with the Poi-Kalyan complex: the minaret, mosque, and medrese. Then stroll through the caravanserai market with forty domes. After the market, visit the Uluq Beg Medrese, then the Labi-Haouz complex, one of the most original architectural complexes in Bukhara, the Magoki-Attari Mosque, the oldest in Bukhara, and finally the Chor-Minor Mosque, “four minarets”, an unusual and attractive monument. Lunch in the old city during the visit.

At the gates of the old city stands the Ark Citadel, with its reception halls, harem, and prison… until 1920, it was the residence of the rulers of Bukhara, and there is also a small museum dedicated to the history of Arabic script and calligraphy. At the foot of the citadel, bordering the Registan Square, visit the Bolo Haouz Mosque, “the mosque with a bowl”. Finally, in the park stands the Samanid Mausoleum, dedicated to Ismail Samani, the founder of the dynasty, built at the end of the 10th century.

Hotel.

Day 6 BUKHARA – SHAKHRISABZ – SAMARKAND (320 KM/7 H) [B]

Breakfast at the hotel.

Drive to Shakhrisabz, the birthplace of Tamerlane.

Visit the impressive ruins of the Ak-Saray Palace, “the White Palace”, built for Tamerlane. Stroll through the city and discover the Kok-Gumbaz Mosque, the Gumbazi-Sayidan Mausoleum, built by his grandson Uluq Beg, and the Jahangir Mausoleum, his eldest son.

Drive to Samarkand and check-in at the hotel.

Samarkand was an important trade center on the Silk Road, at the crossroads of major caravan routes coming from China, India, Siberia, Persia, and Byzantium… The capital of Sogdiana in the 4th century BC, it was taken by Alexander the Great, destroyed by the Arabs in the 8th century, by Genghis Khan in the 13th century, before regaining its glory and prosperity under Tamerlane in the 14th century.

Hotel.

Day 7 SAMARKAND [B]

Breakfast at the hotel.

Visit Registan Square, the center of religious life in the region, with the medreses of Uluq Beg, Shir-Dor, and Tillya-Kari, covered with polychrome ceramic mosaics, mostly in blue. Restored to its original splendor, the complex is one of the most beautiful in Islam and deserves all the highest praise.

Visit the Museum of History and Culture of Uzbekistan, which has a very beautiful archaeological section. Then visit the Bibi-Khanym Mosque and the bazaar in the heart of the old city.

Finally, visit the Guri Amir Mausoleum (the tomb of Tamerlane and his descendants).

Hotel.

Day 8 SAMARKAND [B]

Breakfast at the hotel.

Visit the famous necropolis of Shakhi-Zinda (“Living King”), the jewel of Samarkand: an extensive group of mausoleums, where all the impressions of medieval architecture from the 11th to 15th centuries seem to be concentrated. Then visit the extraordinary astronomical observatory of Uluq Beg, a giant sextant built by Tamerlane’s brilliant grandson, the king-astronomer.

In the evening, enjoy free time for shopping or a walk around the city.

Hotel.

Day 9 SAMARKAND – EUROPE [B]

Very early transfer to the airport and departure according to the schedule of the return flight.