498346898 - touroperator of city tours.
This great cultural and informative tour will introduce you to the history and culture of Uzbekistan and its world-known ancient memorials of Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva. These cities still keep memories of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, numerous trade caravans of the Great Silk Road and certainly the great and mysterious historical figure of legendary Tamerlane…
Everyone, who has ever heard of the beauty and wealth of fertile Central Asian lands, has surely heard of the outstanding Central Asian politician and commander called Tamerlane as well! Entire world far behind the borders of Asia rings with the fame of his great campaigns and conquests!
There are many secrets and legends left unrevealed by history and they are telling about Tamerlane’s powerful empire, which once occupied the territory from Armenia in the west to India in the east, from the Caucasus and the Aral Sea in the north to the Persian Gulf in the south. Moreover, his name is associated with the golden age of Samarkand - the city chosen by Tamerlane as the capital of his vast empire! Its azure domes and ancient walls still attract travellers from all over the world!
The «Central Asia Travel» company invites you to make a journey across the lands, which were once an adornment of the famous and powerful country created by the great commander! Majestic Samarkand and divine Bukhara, ancient Khiva and hospitable Tashkent - these fine pearls of Uzbekistan will tell you numerous stories about the wonderful and mysterious empire, towards the heart of which you are making your way! Welcome!
Itinerary:
| Day 1. | Arrival to Tashkent. |
| Day 2. | Tashkent - Urgench - Khiva. |
| Day 3. | Khiva - Bukhara. |
| Day 4. | Bukhara. |
| Day 5. | Bukhara - Shakhrisabz - Samarkand. |
| Day 6. | Samarkand. |
| Day 7. | Samarkand - Tashkent. |
| Day 8. | Tashkent. Departure. |
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The cost of the tour in USD for 1 person: | ||||||
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Group |
2 |
3-4 |
5-6 |
7-9 |
10-15 |
SGL supplement |
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Hotels of 2-3* |
895 |
780 |
690 |
675 |
655 |
120 |
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Hotels of 3-4* |
1040 |
975 |
900 |
885 |
850 |
190 |
The cost tour includes:
| • | Accommodation at the hotels on twin/double share with breakfast: | ||||||||||||||
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| • | Services of the driver with comfortable transport during the tour, including airport - hotel - airport transfers; | ||||||||||||||
| • | Sightseeing tour in each city; | ||||||||||||||
| • | Entry fees for the main monuments of each city; | ||||||||||||||
| • | The cost of Tashkent - Urgench domestic air flight; | ||||||||||||||
| • | Visa support for Uzbekistan. |
The cost tour does not include:
| • | International air fare; |
| • | Visa free; |
| • | Medical insurance; |
| • | Photo and video shooting at museums and monuments. |
Additional service:
| • | Board: | |
| - | Half board - 70 USD/per person/on all route; | |
| - | Full board - 140 USD/per person/on all route; | |
| • | Services of accompany guide - 275 USD for tour. | |
Additional information:
Necessary documents.
In order to make this tour you need to get a visa to the following country:
| • | Uzbekistan - single-entry. |
The list of the documents necessary to apply for a visa may vary greatly depending on the country of your residence (e. g. the citizens of Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan (for the period of 60 days) and Kazakhstan can enter Uzbekistan without a visa, because Uzbekistan has bilateral agreements on visa-free travel with all CIS countries except Tajikistan and Turkmenistan). General guidelines on visa application process and the list of necessary documents can be found here. If you need more detailed information, please, contact our tour operators.
General recommendations:
- If possible all necessary documents to enter/exit all countries of the tour must be prepared before your arrival to the starting point of the tour;
- Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the supposed ending date of the tour.
Transport.
You are supposed to use the following types of transport en route:
Plane - 1 local air flight is expected during the tour (Tashkent - Urgench). Air ticket is included into the price of the tour.
Car/Minibus/Bus (depending on the size of the group) will be used in all other cases en route. This type of transportation is also included into the price of the tour.
Accommodation en route.
The following type of accommodation is supposed for this tour:
Hotels - we choose the most comfortably located and reputable hotels to accommodate our travelers. Below you will find the list of recommended hotels, however, due to seasonal conditions and group size the list is subject to change.
Photo of the tour:
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Detailed tour description in Uzbekistan:
Day 1. Tashkent. Arrival. City-tour.
Today you will meet Tashkent - one of the most ancient cities in Central Asia. Despite the fact that in the times of Tamerlane present-day capital of Uzbekistan was only a small town, this place has already been well-known due to trading caravans making their way to China and Western Asia, which were finding their shelter here. Tamerlane’s authority was recognized by Tashkent in 1370, when all commanders of Transoxiana sworn to the great commander. Therefore, Tashkent takeover was just another strategic step towards consolidation of the region into a single and powerful centralized state.
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan, the fourth largest city in CIS with population of about 2,3 million people. It is necessary to mention that the city is conditionally divided in two parts - the Old and the New city. The names are self-explanatory: in the Old city you will find mausoleums, madrassas and an authentic oriental bazaar, whereas in the New one there are modern squares, parks, monuments and buildings.
You will start from the attractions of the Old city. The first to visit is the Madrasah of Barak Khan. This is a splendid monument of the XVI C located in the very heart of the Old city - in the Hast Imam Square. The madrasah is surrounded by ancient wattle and daub houses almost like they were in distant past. In the past the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Central Asia headed by the mufti was lodged in the madrasah building. In addition, there is a huge library of eastern manuscripts here, and the world-known Uthman Qur"an is kept here in a special room. This manuscript was written in the middle of the VII C and is the initial source of the sacred book of Islam - the Qur’an. It consists of 353 large-sized parchment pages, which were kept in the treasuries of caliphs for centuries (in Medina, Damascus and Baghdad). In Timur Lang’s time the Uthman Qur"an was brought from Baghdad to Uzbekistan and then (in the XIX C) it was taken to St.-Petersburg, where Russian scientists proved its authenticity. Later it came back to Central Asia via Ufa and now it is kept here.
The Mazar of Kafal-Al-Shashi (sacred Sufi tomb, XVI C) is an asymmetric domed mausoleum - khanaqah. Khanaqah is a monastery type dormitory consisting of cells for pilgrims. Single cell is known as a “khujdra”. The mausoleum was erected in the X C at the burial place of Kafal-Al-Shashi who was a famous missionary, a preacher of shafiitism and a Sufi poet. Later, after the mausoleum was reconstructed it has become a popular Muslim pilgrimage site.
Another jewel of Tashkent is the Madrasah of Kukeldash (XVI C). It is situated not far from the oriental bazaar Chor-Su and is one of 23 madrassas of old Tashkent. It was built under the direction of the minister of the Shaybanid sultans known as Kukeldash (which means “foster-brother” or a person who was breast-fed by that same woman who nursed the ruler). The uniqueness of the madrasah is in the fact that it is functioning. Many Muslim students live and study there nowadays.
And now let’s have a look at the New city! First of all you will head for the Museum of Applied Arts, where the roots of handicraft traditions of the Uzbek nation are traced back to the depth of centuries. This single museum fully exhibits the best samples of national crafts spread in different regions of Uzbekistan: for instance, there you can see knives from Chust, ceramics from Rishtan, satin from Margilan, costumes with golden embroidery from Bukhara and much more.
Not far from the museum there is the Independence Square, which is the main square of the country located in the centre of the city. All large-scale public holidays are celebrated here. Recently its design was expanded with an immense arch. In the evening it is illuminated from beneath by small lights fixed into the ground. Those lights fill the surroundings with a cosmic glow. Then we are supposed to have a pleasant fifteen-minute walk from the Independence Square to the Uzbek State Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Afterwards you’ll proceed to the Istiqlol Square, which is the second largest square of the city. It is also often used as a venue of the national holidays’ celebration. Here is also a concert hall, where concerts of both local and foreign stars are held.
We recommend you getting to all above-mentioned spots by underground. No traffic lights or jams! Moreover, it is the coolest transport in hot weather. «Tashkent underground is the most beautiful!!!» This phrase is frequently heard from both city guests and its dwellers. That’s true as each underground station is uniquely designed. If you look carefully, you’ll see how different are the station. However, you are not allowed to take pictures in the underground.
Well, the first day of your journey was quite successful and saturated with the impressions, therefore, perfect complement to it will be a night spent in a cozy room of your hotel in Tashkent.
Day 2. Tashkent - Urgench (flight) - Khiva (30 km, 30 min.),(НУ-1051 07:00/08:40).
After an early morning and breakfast at the hotel you will head for the airport once again. Your flight to Urgench is at 07:00. Upon landing on the other side of the country you will be met and taken to Khiva. Fortunately, the way from Urgench to Khiva is quite short as the distance between the cities is 30 km, hence, it will take you half an hour.
And so, this is Khiva before us… it is a unique, truly oriental city, where you can still feel the spirit of ancestry and the Middle Ages even in the air. You won’t find modern skyscrapers, wide highways and busy traffic in this city. It seems that even time has stopped here in a hope to preserve everything that was created by great architects of the East on this amazing land over centuries.
Archaeologists say that after a visit to Khiva one can easily imagine appearance of many other Central Asian cities in antiquity. You will be pleasantly surprised by the fact that all major attractions of this city are compactly located on a small area encircled by walls. This is the oldest part of the city - Itchan Kala, an inner city of Khiva (XVIII C), which is a state-protected historical museum. But this is a non-traditional museum as it is inhabited by real people, who live here in accordance to the lifestyle of their forefathers. Mostly they are hereditary artisans: weavers, smiths, potters, wood-carvers.
Khorezm withstood five sieges of Tamerlane, who managed to conquer the region only in 1388. This wise politician was craving for the city not without a purpose! After he whipped the Golden Horde, Tamerlane assured that the Great Silk Road, which was the major trade artery in those times, was passing through the territory of his country. And Khiva was one of the culturally and economically profitable Silk Road spots, where trade caravans moving to Iran and Mediterranean were passing.
But let’s come back to the open-air museum called Itchan Kala! The legend says that the city was founded around an old well called Kheyvak, which had been dug out by the order of Sim, the son of biblical Noah. Thus, over time the word “Kheyvak” transformed into “Khiva” became the name of the city. By the way, you can see that same well inside Itchan Kala today!
But this is not everything! Pay attention to the Konya-Ark citadel (XVII C), the complex of Pahlavan Mahmoud (XVII-XIX CC), which was built in the honour of a famous Khiva poet and powerful man, who was canonized after his death. Also you can visit the Minaret of Islam-Khoja (1908), which is a symbol of Khiva. Another attractions to visit are the Tash Khauli Palace of Alla Kuli Khan (XVIII-XIX CC), the Juma Mosque (X-XVIII CC), the Minaret and Madrasah of Mohammad Amin Khan (1831-1855), which is occupied by a tourist agency, an exchange office, air tickets retailing office and a cafe. Afterwards, you can climb the fortress of Akshish-Bobo, from where you can overview the whole city. Next we advise you to visit bazaar, where you can find luxurious Khiva carpets, suzane (embroidery), national robes and skullcaps embroidered with gold.
Overnight at a hotel.
Day 3. Khiva - Bukhara (440 km, 7-8 hrs.).
We wake up and have breakfast at the hotel. Today you will have a ride across the famous Kyzyl Kum desert along the river Amu Darya to Bukhara. In the lack of this ride your journey to Uzbekistan wouldn’t be complete! During the ride you will be able to evaluate the conditions, which suppressed Tamerlane’s warriors during their numerous invasions in Central Asia.
Bukhara is rightfully considered to be one of the most ancient cities in the world as it is more than 2500 years old! This Muslim oasis is full of the ancient history. Medieval Bukhara was not only a big political, cultural and trading centre but also a religious centre of the Middle East. That’s why in Bukhara, better than in any other city of Central Asia, one can observe an “architectural evolution” of the mosque-building traditions. Well, it doesn’t actually mean that you won’t see any madrassas, minarets and mausoleums here.
Overnight at a hotel.
Day 4. Bukhara.
After breakfast at the hotel you will go on with a 6-hour city-tour around Bukhara!
First, you will explore the Mausoleum of the Samanid (IX-Х CC), which is a family tomb of a local dynasty. This great monument is a symbol of new architectural canons, introduced after Arab conquest, according to which every element of construction harmoniously encompasses both pre-Islamic culture and culture of the Arabian East. This great monument of the past was saved from demolition by Genghis Khan’s army only by the wit of locals, who buried the mausoleum under the sand so as there was only a dune in the place of the mausoleum. Later, when the war was over, the sand was taken away. In that same way they have preserved many other mosques and mausoleums. Therefore, the mausoleum still exists only because of care of locals.
Next we’ll have a look at the Chashma Ayub Mazar (or mausoleum) (XII-XVI C), which is translated as “the spring of Job”. Who could even think that here, in Central Asia, Christian legends about biblical characters may appear? Nevertheless, the legend tells us that Job (Ayub) was wondering in this region in the time of drought. Locals, exhausted by thirst, were asking for water. Then the prophet stroke the ground with his stick and the next moment clear spring appeared there. It is still accessible for wonderers. And in the XV C, after capturing Khiva, cruel Tamerlane brought craftsmen from Khwarezm to Bukhara, and they erected the building with a conic dome over the spring.
The most ancient fortress of Bukhara, the Ark citadel (end of the III C), perfectly fits into the local scenery, and is an impressive reinforced fort, from which Bukhara was starting long ago. Just a hundred years ago prisoners were decapitated here by the order of the Amir of Bukhara. However, many of his enemies imprisoned in dark dungeons of the fortress full of venomous insects could only dream of such an easy death!
Next you will see the Po-i-Kalyan complex (XII-XVI CC), which was built in accordance with general canons of Asian Middle Ages architectural style. Common thing was to build two monumental constructions facing one another; however, they must have been separated by a street or a square. This ensemble includes the famous Minaret Kalyan (the height of the minaret is 46 m, it was built in 1127). It is a miracle that the minaret is still there after numerous wars and invasions. For centuries it was used as a watchtower and place where public executions were carried out. Many legends relate to this majestic tower, but let your experienced guide tell you about it.
Also you won’t leave out the Madrasah of Ulugh Bek (XV C). Ulugh Bek was a grandson of the outstanding commander Timur Lang and a famous mathematician and astronomer. This madrasah was built in Bukhara by his order in 1417. According to the above mentioned architectural principle the “opponent” of this madrasah, kind of counterbalancing it, is the Madrasah of Abdul-Aziz Khan, which is decorated even more luxuriously. Who knows, maybe this is due to the fact that it was constructed in later period.
Next you will proceed to the Lyab-i Hauz ensemble (XVI-XVII CC), which contains the Madrasah of Kukeldash (1568) and the Madrasah of Nadir Divan-Beghi (1622). This complex is kind of a unique memorial to the national hero called Nasriddin Afandi. However, all constructions are grouped around the “hauz” or pond. Long ago this was the place of public celebration, because the pond created (and creates!) a pleasant microclimate, and anyway it is much cooler here than in the dusty streets of the city dried by the sun of the hot Asian summer. Here you will also see the monument to Hodja Nasreddin.
And, undoubtedly, you must have a look at unique trade domes of Bukhara, which are still functioning as bazaars - you can buy there a lot of things such as oriental souvenirs, ancient coins of Bukhara, national garments or antique silverware.
Here is where your acquaintance with Bukhara is to finish. After an overnight at the hotel you will go to Shakhrisabz - the place where Timur the Great was born. Afterwards you’ll proceed to the very heart of the great empire of the past, which is long-awaited Samarkand!
Photo of the tour:
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