Tashkent – Nukus – Moynak – Ayaz-Kala – Khiva – Bukhara – Shakhrisabz – Termez – Denau – Samarkand – Tashkent – Rishtan – Margilan – Fergana – Kokand – Tashkent

The definitive journey to discover the whole country: the Aral Sea and Karakalpakstan, Khiva, Bukhara, Buddhist Termez at the gates of Afghanistan, Samarkand, then the Fergana Valley. Sixteen days to understand Uzbekistan in all its diversity.

Highlights

• Moynak, the Aral Sea and the Savitsky museum
• The Khorezm fortresses and a night in a yurt at Ayaz-Kala
• Termez and its Buddhist sites, the Surkhan Darya valley
• Khiva, Bukhara, Shakhrisabz and Samarkand
• The Fergana Valley and its craftsmen

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. Drive to Shakhrisabz (about 4 h 30). In the afternoon, Tamerlane’s birthplace: the remains of the Ak-Saray palace, the Jahongir mausoleum, the Dorut-Saodat ensemble and the Kok-Gumbaz mosque. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Shakhrisabz.

Day 10 — Shakhrisabz / Termez. Drive to Termez (about 5 h). The Termez Archaeological Museum, the Buddhist monastery of Fayaz-Tepe and the Zurmala stupa. The mausoleum of al-Hakim at-Termezi, the Sultan-Saodat ensemble, Kokildor-Ata and the Kirk-Kiz fortress. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 11 — Termez / Denau / Samarkand. Up the Surkhan Darya valley: the Jarkurgan minaret, the Kushan site of Dalverzin-Tepe and the Said-Atalyk madrasa in Denau. Tandir-kebab lunch in Denau. Drive on to Samarkand (5 to 6 h in total). Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 12 — 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 13 — 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 14 — Tashkent / Fergana Valley. Drive to the Fergana Valley over the Kamchik pass (about 5 h). In Rishtan, visit a ceramics workshop famous for its deep blue glazes. In Margilan, the workshop of ceramist Rustam Usmanov and the Yodgorlik silk factory, where ikat is still woven by hand. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Fergana.

Day 15 — Kokand. Drive to Kokand (100 km, 1 h 30), former capital of the khanate. The palace of Khudoyar-Khan, the Juma mosque and its minaret, the Kamol-Kazy madrasa, the Dakhmai-Shakhon necropolis and the Modari-Khan mausoleum. Lunch. Return to Fergana. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 16 — Fergana / Tashkent. Breakfast and transfer to Fergana airport. Morning flight to Tashkent (about 1 h), connecting with 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 – Khiva	Air-conditioned vehicle	2 days with visits
Khiva – Bukhara	Fast train	3 h 30 – 4 h 30
Bukhara – Shakhrisabz	Air-conditioned coach	4 h 30
Shakhrisabz – Termez	Air-conditioned coach	5 h
Termez – Denau – Samarkand	Air-conditioned coach	5 – 6 h with stops
Samarkand – Tashkent	Afrosiyob train	2 h 15
Tashkent – Fergana	Air-conditioned coach	5 h
Fergana – Tashkent	Domestic flight	1 h

Price includes

• Accommodation for 15 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 16
• An English-speaking tour guide throughout the tour
• The domestic flights Tashkent – Nukus and Fergana – Tashkent, 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

• Best time: April to May and September to October; Termez is very hot in summer.
• The tour is easy to shorten by leaving out Termez or the Fergana Valley.
• 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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