Day by day itinerary
Day 01: Arrival in Tashkent
Upon arrival at Tashkent international airport you will be met by our guide and transferred to your hotel, the rest of the day is free at Leisure. Overnight at hotel in Tashkent. (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 at hotel in Khiva. (BD)
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 at hotel in Khiva. (BD)
Day 04: Dashoguz-Kunya Urgench
We cross the border into little known Turkmenistan and head for the site of Konya-Urgench, which has been the ancient capital of the land of Khorezm with beautiful mausoleums. Our tour of Kunya Urgench historical site, includes the Kutlug Timur minaret and Kyrk Molla. Overnight at hotel in Dashoguz. (BD)
Day 05: Gas Crater-Ashgabad
Free morning at leisure, later in the afternoon we drive to Darvaza flaming Gas Crater or the ‘mouth of hell’. En-route we visit some small Nomadic villages located in the Karakum desert.
Enjoy the amazing views with picnic dinner. Later continue driving to Ashgabad. Overnight at hotel in Ashgabad. (BD)
PS (There is also the option of spending overnight at the Gas Cater as well all camping equipment and sleeping bag will be provided.)
Day 06: Ashgabad visit
City tour of Ashgabad, Includes visit of Tolkuchka bazaar, Old Nisa – ancient Parthian settlement, Spiritual Mosque of Turkmenbashi and the National Museum of History of Ethnography of Turkmenistan. Overnight at hotel in Ashgabad. (BD)
Day 07: Mary
Morning flight to Mary, Later sightseeing of Mary visit the ancient ruins of Merv which came under Persian, Greek, Sassanian and Moslem rule and from the 11th century was the capital of the Seljuk Turks, who controlled an empire stretching from Afghanistan to Egypt. In the 13th century Merv was destroyed by the Mongols leaving only the ruins of these numerous civilizations, later visit the History Museum, Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum and Kys Kala.Overnight at hotel in Mary. (BD)
Day 08: Bukhara (Uzbekistan)
In the morning, drive to the Turkmen Uzbek border, after border formalities you will be met by our Uzbek guide, later drive to Bukhara.Afternoon city tour of Bukhara
Overnight at hotel in Bukhara. (BD)
Day 09: 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 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 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. 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 an ancient madrassa long time gone. It was built in 1809 and has more in common with Indian art styles than local.
Overnight at hotel in Bukhara. (BD)
Day 10: 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 at hotel in Samarkand. (BD)
Day 11: 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.
Overnight at hotel in Samarkand. (BD)
Day 12: Samarkand -Tashkent Train 
Early in the morning transfer to the train station for express train to Tashkent.In the morning transfer to the train station for express train journey to Tashkent.Upon arrival transfer to your hotel. Later we continue on a city tour of Tashkent visiting mosques and madrassas (Islamic schools) housing craft workshops and dating from the 14th century. We visit the Kukeldash Medressa, a grand 16th century academy undergoing restoration and the History Museum of Uzbekistan and the Museum of Fine Arts. Later visit Tashkent Metro stations. Overnight at hotel in Tashkent (BD)
Day 13: Onward flight
Trip will end with airport transfer (B)