TASHKENT TO KASHGAR

Tour operates: End ofMay until September No of days: 20 nights 21 days-  Tour cost from:  US Dollar Route: Tashkent-Khiva-Bukhara-Samarkand-Penjikent-Iskandar Kul-Dushanbe-Kalaikum-Khorog-Ishkashim-Langar-Murghab-Kizil Art pass-Sarai Tash-Irkeshtam Pass-Kashgar Transport: Private Jeeps, Van and domestic flight Guides: Fully escorted by an experienced guide in each country Tour starting point: Tashkent End Point: Kashgar Guaranteed departure: Every Tuesday- Minimum 2 people required

Day 01 Arrival in Tashkent

Today we arrive in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

Overnight in Tashkent Hotel (D)

Day 02 Tashkent-Urgench Khiva

Morning flight to Urgench and transfer to Khiva, Depending on the flight schedule, possibly half day sightseeing of Khiva city

Overnight in Khiva hotel (BLD)

Day 03 Khiva: City Tour

Legend has it that Khiva was founded when Shem, son of Noah, discovered a well here. The town certainly existed by the 8th Century, as a minor fort and trading post on a Silk Road branch to the Caspian Sea and the Volga. In the early 16th century, Khiva was made capital of the Timurid Empire, becoming a busy slave market and pivot of the khanate for the next three centuries. Until Russia finally wrested the region from Timurid grasp in the 19th century, even the boldest hearts feared encounters with these fierce tribesmen and their desert territory. Khiva is an ancient walled city and looks much like it did in centuries past. It is one of the few sites in Central Asia where one can easily imagine life during the time of the emirates. We will spend the morning wandering its maze of ruins and great mosques. Later, a tour of this living museum including the Ichon-Qala gates, Muhammad Amin and Rakhim Khan's Medressas, Tosh-Khovli Palace, Islom-Huja Medressa and Minaret.

Overnight in Khiva at hotel (BLD)

Day 04 Khiva - Bukhara

Our drive to Bukhara is through the arid setting of the Kyzyl Kum Desert. Along the way we stop for some refreshments and see how humans have survived over the centuries in this unforgiving landscape. With buildings spanning 1,000 years of history and a thoroughly lived-in city centre that hasn't changed much in two centuries, Bukhara is one of the best places in Central Asia to catch a glimpse of pre-Russian Turkestan. Most of the city centre is an architectural preserve and includes a massive royal fortress, plenty of former Madrassas, a number of ancient public baths and the remnants of a once-vast market complex. There are over 140 protected buildings in the city.

Overnight in Bukhara at hotel (BLD)

Day 05 Bukhara: City Tour

Today we explore the old quarter on foot. Bukhara is an ancient city with its bustling "trade domes," active mosques, and the Kalyan Minaret ("tower of death"), one of Central Asia's tallest. We'll stroll around the streets and visit the old town center where old men with long white beards gossip for hours while drinking tea. Bukhara has been designated a World Heritage Site; the resulting restoration of some of the mosques, constructed in the 11th to 15th centuries, to make them appear as if they were built yesterday. There are even some structures still standing that date back to Zorastrian times 2,500 years ago.

We also visit the massive fortress, The Ark, with the Emir's open-air throne room and the Mausoleum of Ismail Samani, an intricate and beautiful 10th century brick structure that is nicely preserved. Our tour of the Uzbek capital includes the Barak Khan Seminary, Kukeldash and Abul Khassim Medressas, and the Uzbek Museum of Applied Arts. We'll also venture to the outskirts of Bukhara and visit the summer palace of the last emir, built by a Russian Czar with grand halls and a harem. We will also see Char Minar, a gate of a ancient madrassa long time gone. It was built in 1809 and has more in common with Indian art styles than local. Its name comes from Tajik although the towers you can see are not actually minarets but simply decorative towers.

Overnight in Bukhara at hotel (BLD)

Day 06 Bukhara - Shakhrisabz - Samarkand

We depart early for Shakhrisabz, the birthplace of Tamerlane, where we tour Ak-Saray Palace, Kok-Gumbaz Mosque, House of Meditation and the Crypt of Timur, a man who changed the course of history and made a signfigant difference to Central Asia. There's little left of Timur's Ak-Saray Palace except bits of the gigantic, 40 m (98 foot) high entrance covered with gorgeous filigree like blue, white and gold mosaics, but it's staggering to try and imagine what the rest of this glorious summer palace must have looked like. We continue later to Samarkand. For most people, Samarkand is as mythical as Atlantis or as remote and legendary as Tombouctou. The sublime larger-than-life monuments of Timur, the technicolour bazaar and the city's long, rich history work a special kind of magic. On arrival we'll visit the old bazaars for which this exotic city is famous.

Overnight in Samarkand at hotel (BLD)

Day 07 Samarkand: City Tour

Samarkand, sometimes called the ‘Rome of the Orient' was already flourishing when Rome and Babylon were founded. During the course of our full day tour we visit the famous Registan Square, Bibi Khanum Mosque, Mausoleum of Tamerlane, Observatory of Ulughbek, the site where Uleg Bek, grandson of Tamerlane, made some of the greatest achievements of the pre-telescope era of astronomy in the 15th century. We also visit the regal mausoleums of Shah-I Zinda, site of Central Asia's most sacred Islamic shrine, the massive mosque of Bibi Khanym, and the adjacent colourful market. You can purchase Samarkand's famous bread which Alexander the Great unsuccessfully tried to have duplicated back home in Greece, or try some of the region's local produce, from grapes to the world's tastiest melons of multiple varieties. Our afternoon tour covers the Afrosiab Museum, located on the site of ancient Afrosiab and the Historical Museum of Uzbek Culture and Art, with the wooden coffin of Tamerlane and a large copy of the Koran.

Overnight in Samarkand at hotel (BLD)

Day 08- PejikentIskandarkulLake (Tajikistan)

In the morning cross the Uzbek Tajik border to Penjikent, visit republican historical-ethnographic museum of Abuabdullo Rudaky Penjikent a major Sogdian city is dating back to 5th century and was destroyed with Arab conquerors in 8th century. Presently the ruins are excavated and you can see different teams of archeologists still working on sites. 
Later drive to Iskandar kul Lake Lake Iskandar Kol (Alexander's Lake). Enjoy a walk by the lake to the spectacular waterfall.

Overnight at Guest house (BLD).

Day 09- Dushanbe

Free morning to walk around the Lake later drive over Anzob pass 3372 M to Dushanbe the capital of Tajikistan

Overnight in Hotel (BLD)

Day 10- Dushanbe

In the morning, visit Hissor Fort, formerly capital of Eastern Bukhara province. The site has two madrassas (18th-19th centuries). We visit the bazaar and museums.

Overnight at hotel (BLD)

Day 11- Kalaikum

Today we start our journey toward the Pamir over the mountain pass to Kalaikum which is half to Khorag.

Overnight at Guest house (BLD)

Day 12- Khorag

Drive to Khorag, the capital of (GBAO) Gorno- Badakhshan region, along the Panj River which forms the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

Overnight in hotel (BLD)

Day 13- Khorag

In the morning, visit Khorog's bazaar, museum and botanical gardens. The rest of the day is free at leisure. In the evening you will be invited to a local family home for traditional Pamiri dinner

Overnight in Hotel (BLD)

Day 14- Ishkashim Wakhan area

Drive to Ishkahism Wakhan area to visit Yamchun fortress. Later, drive to Bibi Fotima hot spring time for walk around the village, in the afternoon, time to relax in the hot spring. Overnight home stay (BLD)

Day 15- Langar

Drive to Langer. En-route we will stop by some petroglyphs carved into the rock, depicting mountain goats, caravans, horse riders with banners.

In the afternoon we wander around the area.

Overnight at Langar home stay (BLD)

Day 16- Murghab

Enjoy a scenic drive to Murghab. Overnight home stay (BLD)

Murghab means ( "river of the birds") in Persian language. Murghob is the capital of district of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. It is the highest town in Tajikistan at 3,650m above sea level. It located at the junction of the Murghab River and the Pamir Highway. The Pamir Highway goes north to Sary-Tash and on to Osh in Kyrgyzstan and southwest to the region's capital Khorog..

Day 17- Sarai Tash (Kyrgyzstan)

Cross Kyzyl-Art Pass (4,280 m) which forms the border with Kyrgyzstan and descend to Sary-Tash and Osh (Change vehicles in Sary-Tash).Overnight in a guesthouse.

Day 18- IrkeshtamPass to Kashgar (China)

An early start to ensure good border time crossing into China. We pass through the high passes over the dirt track to Sary Tash which is also provides a vantage point of the beautiful Pamir mountain range.

We continue to the border crossing at Irkishtam Pass 3800m and continue to enter Xinjiang Province of China. Our destination Kashgar, the location of the Great Game, is an ancient and popular trading stop on the Silk Road Overnight in hotel (BLD)

Day 19- Kashgar

Free day in Kashgar for relaxation after a big Pamir highway adventures overnight in hotel (BLD)

Day 20 Kashgar Sunday Market

This day is planned to coincide with the famous Sunday market in Kashgar where everything from carpets, blankets, foods, horses, donkeys, sheep’s and even camels are for sale! Wonderful assortments of people come from all over the region, and the population of the town swells by 100,000! This is truly one of the most incredible bazaars in Asia, and a photographer’s paradise!

Overnight in Hotel (BLD)

Day 21 Onward flight

Trip will end after breakfast (B)

Note Onward arrangements can be done according to your wishes.

Tour cost tourist Class

Please send us email for cost

Hotels

Places	Tourist Class hotels
Tashkent	Poytaht
Khiva	Malika
Bukhara	Zargaron
Samarkand	Malika prime
Iskandar Kul	Home stay
Dushanbe	Tajik Matlobot or Mercury
Kalaikum	Guest house
Khorag	Lal inn
Ishkashim	Home stay
Langer	Home stay
Murghab	Home stay
Sarai Tash	Guest house
Kashgar	Seman hotel

TOUR COST INCLUDES

• All domestic transportation and transfers, domestic flights mentioned in the itinerary. 

• Twin sharing accommodation at hotel mentioned above home stay sharing accommodations

• Meals full board 

• All the sightseeing tours as described in the itinerary and entrance fees 

• Fully escorted in each country

• Visa letter support for each country permits

TOUR COST EXCLUDES

• Visa Fees. 

• Expenses in hotels such as laundry, telephone and room service, etc. 

• Optional activities 

• Meals not mention above 

• Personal expanses 

• Single supplements 

• Tips for Guides and drivers