Tashkent – Urgench – Khiva – Kunya-Urgench – Ashgabat – Mary (Merv) – Bukhara – Shakhrisabz – Samarkand – Tashkent

Khorezm on both sides of the border: Khiva in Uzbekistan, Kunya-Urgench and the ancient city of Merv in Turkmenistan, and Ashgabat with its white marble monuments, before reaching Bukhara and Samarkand. A rare itinerary for travellers who want to go further.

Highlights

• Kunya-Urgench and Merv, two UNESCO sites in Turkmenistan
• Ashgabat, a white marble capital unlike anywhere else
• Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand, the great Uzbek cities
• Two border crossings fully arranged by us
• Turkmen dinner with a folk programme

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 / Urgench / Khiva. Morning flight to Urgench (1 h 30), then drive to Khiva (35 km). A full 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. 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 / Kunya-Urgench / Ashgabat. Drive to the Shavat border and cross into Turkmenistan in the morning. Visit Kunya-Urgench, the former capital of Khorezm: the Kutlug-Timur minaret and the mausoleums of Turabek-Khanym and Najmeddin Kubra. Drive to Dashoguz and evening flight to Ashgabat (1 h). Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 4 — Ashgabat. A day discovering the capital: the Neutrality Arch, the Independence Monument, the main mosque and the Russian bazaar. Turkmen dinner with a folk programme. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 5 — Ashgabat / Mary / Merv. Early transfer to the airport and flight to Mary (40 min). Visit ancient Merv, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the great cities of the Silk Road: the Gyaur-Kala and Erk-Kala fortresses and the mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar. The Mary History Museum. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Mary.

Day 6 — Mary / Farab / Bukhara. Drive to the Farab border (about 300 km) and back into Uzbekistan. Continue to Bukhara (80 km). Visit the Ark citadel, then free time in the old town. Dinner in a traditional house and overnight at the hotel.

Day 7 — 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 8 — 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 9 — 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 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 – Shavat – Kunya-Urgench – Dashoguz	Air-conditioned vehicle + border	full day
Dashoguz – Ashgabat	Domestic flight	1 h
Ashgabat – Mary	Domestic flight	40 min
Mary – Farab – Bukhara	Air-conditioned vehicle + border	6 – 7 h
Bukhara – Shakhrisabz – Samarkand	Air-conditioned coach	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
• English-speaking guides in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan
• The domestic flights Tashkent – Urgench, Dashoguz – Ashgabat and Ashgabat – Mary, and the train ticket Samarkand – Tashkent
• Transfers and transport in air-conditioned vehicles
• Entrance fees to the sites listed in the itinerary
• Assistance at both border crossings
• The Turkmen folk dinner and the dinner with folk show in Bukhara
• Mineral water in the vehicle

Price does not include

• International flights
• The Turkmen visa and the Turkmenistan entry and exit fees
• Travel insurance
• Photo and video fees at monuments
• Drinks, tips and personal expenses

Good to know

• Turkmenistan requires a visa issued on a letter of invitation: we prepare the file, allow several weeks before departure.
• Turkmen flight timetables may change the order of days 3 to 5.
• 3*, 4* hotels or charming guesthouses in Uzbekistan, as you prefer.

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

Request this tour