The Ancient Cities of the Silk Road
Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan

Tour operates: March until October

No. of days: 12 nights 13 days

Destinations: Tashkent-Samarkand-Bukhara-Mary-Ashgabad-Dashoguz-Urgench Kunya-Khiva

Transport: Private air conditioned transport, economy class domestic flight

Accomodations: All comfortable accommodations with private facilities

Guides: English speaking guides

Tour starting and ending point: Tashkent

Ashgabad or Tashkent

Guaranteed departure: Daily- Minimum 2 people required

Day 01:Tashkent Uzbekistan

Today we arrive in Tashkent; the capital of Uzbekistan. The rest of the day is free for leisure.

Overnight in Tashkent Hotel

Day 02: Samarkand

Drive to Samarkand for a half day city tour. 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 for.

Overnight in a hotel (B)

Day 03: Samarkand sightseeing

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 grand 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.

Overnight in hotel (B)

Day 04: Bukhara via Shakhrisabz

Travel to Bukhara via Shakrisabz, the birthplace of Tamerlane. We visit Tamerlane’s palace Ak Sarai, the Kok Gumbaz mosque, Mausoleum of Jehangir (Tamerlane’s grandson) and Tamerlane’s Mausoleum. Bukhara is one of the centres of the Russian and British Intelligence Services in the 19th Century.

Overnight in hotel (B)

Day 05: Bukhara

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 whilst drinking tea. Bukhara has been designated a World Heritage Site with fully restored mosques dating back to the 11th to 15th centuries. Other existing structures date back to Zorastrian times 2,500 years ago.

We also visit The Ark, a large fortress 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 visit Char Minar, a gate of an ancient madrassa long time gone. It was built in 1809 and has more in common with Indian art styles than local.

Overnight in hotel (B)

Day 06: Bukhara

Full free day to enjoy the old city or time for shopping.

Overnight in hotel (B)

Day 07: Mary (Turkmenistan)

In the morning, drive to Uzbek Turkmen border after border formalities and continue to ancient Merv. There will be plenty of time to see this historically important site, one of the most significant in Turkmenistan and indeed central Asia. The site consists of a series of towns each succeeded by another throughout the course of history and contains, amongst other things, the remains of Erk Kala and it’s citadel and the Musoleum of Sultan Sanjar.

Overnight in Hotel (B)

Day 08: Ashgabad

In the morning, we drive to Ashgabat, via Abiverd, an ancient town through which The Great Silk Road once passed. Half day city tour of Ashgabad

Overnight in hotel (B)

Day 09: Ashgabad

Visit Tolkuchka bazaar. Continue to Old Nisa - ancient Parthian settlement and the Spiritual Mosque of Turkmenbashi.

Overnight in the hotel (B)

Day 10: Dashoguz-Kunya-Urgench-Khiva (Uzbekistan)

Depending on the flight schedule, transfer to the airport for flight to Dashouguz. We visit Kunya Urgench, whose ruins are protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. We tour the Kunya Urgench historical site, the Kutlug Timur minaret and Kyrk Molla. Later cross the border to Khiva.

Overnight in hotel (BLD)

Day 11: Khiva

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 wrestled the region from Timurid’s 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 (B)

Day 12: Khiva Tashkent

In the morning transfer to the airport for a short flight to Tashkent Later city tour of Tashkent

Overnight in hotel (B)

Day 13: Onward flight

Our Service will end with airport transfer for outbound flight (B)

Please note: For tour cost and other information please write to us!

We guarantee all tour departures for a minimum of 2 passengers. In order to confirm your booking we will need a non-refundable deposit of 400 USD per person. The final invoice will be sent to you 4 weeks before the tour departure, the final cost dependent on the final group size.

If the following dates or the described itinerary does not meet your travel needs, please write to us, we can arrange a customized tour for you.

10-Mar, 18-Mar, 22 Mar
1-Apr, 10-Apr, 18-Apr, 25-Apr
5-May, 15-May, 30-May
1-Jun, 16-Jun, 23-Jun
7-Jul, 15-Jul, 30-Jul
4-Aug, 12-Aug, 22-Aug
5-Sep, 15-Sep, 24-Sep, 30 Sep
4-Oct, 12-Oct, 25-Oct
5-Nov, 18 Nov