Tashkent – Urgench – Khiva – Bukhara – Nurata – Aydarkul – Samarkand – Shakhrisabz – Tashkent

Between Bukhara and Samarkand, a break in the Kyzylkum desert: a night in a Kazakh yurt, a camel ride at sunset, songs around the fire and a picnic on the shore of Lake Aydarkul.

Highlights

• A night at the Yangikazgan yurt camp, in the open desert
• A camel ride and an evening of Kazakh songs around the fire
• Fish picnic and swimming at Lake Aydarkul
• Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand, with an excursion to Shakhrisabz
• Fast trains and the Afrosiyob

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 / Nurata / yurt camp. Drive to Nurata (about 3 h 30) and lunch in a traditional house. Continue via the village of Yangikazgan to the yurt camp, in the heart of the Kyzylkum desert. In the late afternoon, camel ride in the dunes. Dinner around the campfire, with songs by a Kazakh akyn (bard). Overnight in a yurt.

Day 6 — Lake Aydarkul / Samarkand. Drive to Lake Aydarkul. Picnic on the shore with grilled fish from the lake, swimming in season. Continue to Samarkand (about 3 h 30 in total). Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 7 — 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 8 — Excursion to Shakhrisabz. Drive to Shakhrisabz over the Takhtakaracha pass (1 h 30). Tamerlane’s birthplace: the remains of the Ak-Saray palace, the Jahongir mausoleum, the Dorut-Saodat ensemble and the Kok-Gumbaz mosque. Lunch. Return to Samarkand. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 9 — 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 10 — 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 – yurt camp	Air-conditioned coach	3 h 30
Camp – Aydarkul – Samarkand	Air-conditioned coach	3 h 30
Samarkand – Shakhrisabz – Samarkand	Air-conditioned coach	2 × 1 h 30
Samarkand – Tashkent	Afrosiyob train	2 h 15

Price includes

• Accommodation for 9 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 10
• 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 camel ride, the evening around the fire and the picnic at Lake Aydarkul
• 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

• Swimming in Lake Aydarkul in summer; the rest of the year the picnic is without swimming.
• Yurts sleep 2 to 8 people; showers and kitchen at the camp.
• 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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