Tashkent – Urgench – Khiva – Bukhara – Shakhrisabz – Samarkand – Tashkent – Kokand – Osh – Bishkek – Cholpon-Ata – Bishkek – Tashkent

Two countries in one trip: the Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan, then the mountains and Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan, by way of the Fergana Valley and Osh, one of the oldest cities in Central Asia.

Highlights

• Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand, the great Uzbek cities
• Kokand and a crossing of the Fergana Valley
• Osh and the sacred Sulaiman-Too mountain, a UNESCO site
• Lake Issyk-Kul, the Cholpon-Ata petroglyphs and the Burana tower
• Fast trains and domestic flights to save time

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1 — Tashkent / Urgench / Khiva. 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, Amir Timur Square and the Museum of Applied Arts. In the evening, flight to Urgench (1 h 30), then drive to Khiva (35 km). Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 2 — Khiva. A full day in Ichan-Kala, a UNESCO World Heritage site: the Kunya-Ark citadel, the Kalta-Minor minaret, the Juma mosque with its forest of carved wooden columns, the Tash-Khauli palace and the Pakhlavan Makhmud mausoleum. Climb the Islam-Khodja minaret for a view over the city. Dinner at the Toza-Bag palace and overnight at the hotel.

Day 3 — Khiva / Bukhara. Fast train to Bukhara (about 3 h 30 to 4 h 30 depending on the train). Check-in at the hotel. First visits: the Ark citadel, then a walk through the lanes to Lyabi-Khauz, the heart of the old town. Dinner in a traditional house and overnight at the hotel.

Day 4 — Bukhara. The Samanid mausoleum, a 10th-century masterpiece of brick architecture, and the Chashma-Ayub mausoleum. The Bolo-Khauz mosque. The Poi-Kalon ensemble: the Kalon minaret, the Kalon mosque and the Mir-i-Arab madrasa. The trading domes, the Ulugh Beg and Abdulaziz-Khan madrasas, the Magoki-Attari mosque and Chor-Minor. Dinner with a folk show and overnight at the hotel.

Day 5 — 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 6 — Samarkand. The Gur-Emir mausoleum, Tamerlane’s tomb, then Registan Square and its three madrasas. Lunch. The Bibi-Khanym mosque, Siab bazaar and the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis with its blue-tiled facades. Free time. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 7 — 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). Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 8 — Tashkent / Kokand / Osh. Early departure for the Fergana Valley over the Kamchik pass. In Kokand, visit the palace of Khudoyar-Khan. Lunch. Drive to the Dostuk border (about 2 h) and cross into Kyrgyzstan. Arrival in Osh and climb of the sacred Sulaiman-Too mountain. Dinner and overnight in a guesthouse.

Day 9 — Osh / Bishkek. Morning flight to Bishkek (about 1 h). Tour of the Kyrgyz capital: Ala-Too Square, the National History Museum and Oak Park. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 10 — Bishkek / Cholpon-Ata. Drive to Lake Issyk-Kul (about 250 km). On the way, the Burana tower, an 11th-century minaret and the last trace of the ancient city of Balasagun. Arrival in Cholpon-Ata, on the north shore of the lake. Free time. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 11 — Cholpon-Ata / Bishkek. In the morning, the Cholpon-Ata petroglyph field, carved into the rock more than two thousand years ago, and the ethnographic museum. Lunch. Return to Bishkek. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 12 — Bishkek / Tashkent. Flight to Tashkent. In the afternoon, a few stations of the Tashkent metro and the Museum of the History of Uzbekistan. Farewell dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 13 — Tashkent. Breakfast and transfer to the airport for your international flight.

Transport during the tour

Route	Mode	Duration
Tashkent – Urgench	Domestic flight	1 h 30
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
Tashkent – Kokand – Dostuk – Osh	Air-conditioned vehicle + border	full day
Osh – Bishkek	Domestic flight	1 h
Bishkek – Cholpon-Ata – Bishkek	Air-conditioned vehicle	2 × 4 h
Bishkek – Tashkent	Flight	1 h 15

Price includes

• Accommodation for 12 nights in double rooms, category of your choice
• Full board, from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on day 13
• English-speaking guides in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan
• The flights Tashkent – Urgench, Osh – Bishkek and Bishkek – Tashkent, and the train tickets
• Transfers and transport in air-conditioned vehicles
• Entrance fees to the sites listed in the itinerary
• Assistance at the border crossing
• The dinner at the Toza-Bag palace and the dinner with folk show in Bukhara
• Mineral water in the vehicle

Price does not include

• International flights
• Travel insurance
• Photo and video fees at monuments
• Drinks, tips and personal expenses

Good to know

• Most European, British and American travellers need no visa for Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan.
• Best time for Issyk-Kul: June to September.
• 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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