Tashkent – Urgench – Khiva – Bukhara – Shakhrisabz – Termez – Denau – Samarkand – Tashkent

Heading south to the gates of Afghanistan: Termez and its early Buddhist monasteries, then up the Surkhan Darya valley to Samarkand. With two full days in Bukhara and its surroundings.

Highlights

• Termez, a crossroads of Buddhism in Central Asia: the Zurmala stupa and Fayaz-Tepe monastery
• The Surkhan Darya valley and the Kushan site of Dalverzin-Tepe
• Two days in Bukhara, with the emir’s summer palace and the Bahauddin Naqshband complex
• A night in Shakhrisabz, Tamerlane’s birthplace
• Khiva and Samarkand

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. Free time for a first walk through the lanes of the old town. Dinner in a traditional house and overnight at the hotel.

Day 4 — 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 5 — 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 6 — 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 7 — 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 8 — 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 9 — 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 10 — 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 11 — 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	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

Price includes

• Accommodation for 10 nights in double rooms, category of your choice
• Full board, from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on day 11
• An English-speaking tour guide throughout the tour
• The domestic flight Tashkent – Urgench and the train tickets
• Transfers and transport in air-conditioned vehicles
• Entrance fees to the sites listed in the itinerary
• The dinner at the Toza-Bag palace in Khiva
• Mineral water in the vehicle

Price does not include

• International flights
• The optional excursions on day 5
• Travel insurance
• Photo and video fees at monuments
• Drinks, tips and personal expenses

Good to know

• Termez is very hot from June to August; we recommend this tour in spring and autumn.
• Return from Termez to Tashkent by domestic flight is possible to save a day.
• 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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