Tashkent – Nukus – Moynak – Ayaz-Kala – Khiva – Bukhara – Shakhrisabz – Samarkand – Tashkent

Karakalpakstan, the least-known region of the country: the ship cemetery of Moynak, witness to the drying of the Aral Sea, the Savitsky museum and its treasure of Russian avant-garde art, and the fortresses of ancient Khorezm. Then the great cities of the Silk Road.

Highlights

• Moynak and its ship cemetery, on the former shore of the Aral Sea
• The Savitsky museum in Nukus, one of the largest collections of Russian avant-garde art in the world
• The fortresses of Toprak-Kala, Kyzyl-Kala and Ayaz-Kala, and a night in a yurt
• Two days in Bukhara and its surroundings
• Khiva, Shakhrisabz and Samarkand

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1 — Tashkent. Arrival in Tashkent, meeting at the airport and breakfast in a local home. Tour of the old town: the Khazret-Imam complex, home to one of the oldest Korans in the world, the Kukeldash madrasa and Chorsu bazaar. Lunch. In the afternoon, the modern city: Amir Timur Square, the Museum of Applied Arts and a few stations of the famous metro. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 2 — Tashkent / Nukus / Moynak / Nukus. Morning flight to Nukus (about 1 h 45). Drive to Moynak (about 3 h), a former fishing port: the ships stranded in the sand and the Aral Sea museum tell the story of one of the great environmental disasters of the 20th century. Lunch on the way. Return to Nukus. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 3 — Nukus. The Savitsky Art Museum, famous for its collection of Russian avant-garde art and its Karakalpak archaeological treasures. Lunch. The Mizdakhan necropolis (15 km), with the Gyaur-Kala fortress and the mausoleums of Mazlumkhan-Sulu and Shamun-Nabi. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 4 — Nukus / Ayaz-Kala. Drive to the fortresses of ancient Khorezm (170 km). On the way, Chilpyk, a Zoroastrian tower of silence, then Toprak-Kala and Kyzyl-Kala. Arrival at Ayaz-Kala, perched on its hill. Camel ride to Ayaz-Kala lake. Dinner with a folk concert and overnight in a Karakalpak yurt.

Day 5 — Ayaz-Kala / Khiva. Crossing of the Amu Darya and drive to Khiva (95 km). A day in Ichan-Kala, a UNESCO World Heritage site: the Kunya-Ark citadel, the Kalta-Minor minaret, the Mohammed Amin-Khan madrasa, the Juma mosque, the Tash-Khauli palace and the Pakhlavan Makhmud mausoleum. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 6 — Khiva / Bukhara. Depending on the train timetable, the Nurullabay palace and the Kosha-Darvaza gate, outside the city walls. Fast train to Bukhara (about 3 h 30 to 4 h 30). Check-in, dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 7 — Bukhara. The Ark citadel and the Bolo-Khauz mosque, the Samanid mausoleum and the Chashma-Ayub mausoleum. The Poi-Kalon ensemble: the Kalon minaret, the Kalon mosque and the Mir-i-Arab madrasa. The three trading domes, the Ulugh Beg madrasa and the Magoki-Attari mosque. At the end of the day, the Lyabi-Khauz ensemble and the Nadir Divan-Begi madrasa. Dinner in a traditional house and overnight at the hotel.

Day 8 — Bukhara and surroundings. A walk through the old town to Chor-Minor. Outside the city: Sitorai-Mokhi-Khosa, the summer palace of the last emir, the Chor-Bakr necropolis and the Bahauddin Naqshband complex, a major Sufi pilgrimage site. Optional in the afternoon: the Romanov palace in Kagan and the village of Zirobod with its ethnographic museum. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 9 — Bukhara / Shakhrisabz / Samarkand. Drive to Shakhrisabz (about 4 h 30), Tamerlane’s birthplace: the remains of the Ak-Saray palace, the Jahongir mausoleum and the Kok-Gumbaz mosque. Lunch. Continue to Samarkand over the Takhtakaracha pass (1 h 30). Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 10 — Samarkand. The Gur-Emir mausoleum, Tamerlane’s tomb, and the Rukhabad mausoleum. Registan Square and its three madrasas. Lunch. The Bibi-Khanym mosque, Siab bazaar and the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis. Free time. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 11 — Samarkand / Tashkent. In the morning, the Ulugh Beg observatory and the memorial complex of Imam al-Bukhari, just outside the city. Lunch. Afrosiyob fast train to Tashkent (about 2 h 15). Farewell dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 12 — Tashkent. Breakfast and transfer to the airport for your international flight.

Transport during the tour

Route	Mode	Duration
Tashkent – Nukus	Domestic flight	1 h 45
Nukus – Moynak – Nukus	Air-conditioned vehicle	2 × 3 h
Nukus – Ayaz-Kala	Air-conditioned vehicle	3 h with visits
Ayaz-Kala – Khiva	Air-conditioned vehicle	2 h
Khiva – Bukhara	Fast train	3 h 30 – 4 h 30
Bukhara – Shakhrisabz – Samarkand	Air-conditioned coach	6 h with stops
Samarkand – Tashkent	Afrosiyob train	2 h 15

Price includes

• Accommodation for 11 nights in double rooms, category of your choice, including 1 night in a yurt
• Full board, from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on day 12
• An English-speaking tour guide throughout the tour
• The domestic flight Tashkent – Nukus and the train tickets
• Transfers and transport in air-conditioned vehicles
• Entrance fees to the sites, museums and workshops listed in the itinerary
• The camel ride and the folk concert at Ayaz-Kala
• Mineral water in the vehicle

Price does not include

• International flights
• The optional excursions on day 8
• Travel insurance
• Photo and video fees at monuments and at the Savitsky museum
• Drinks, tips and personal expenses

Good to know

• The Moynak day is long (about 6 h of driving there and back), but unforgettable.
• Best time: April to June and September to October.
• 3*, 4* hotels or charming guesthouses, as you prefer.

Prices on request — our prices depend on group size, dates and hotel category.

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