Uzbekistan Sample Itinerary – Independent Tours

Day 1              Tashkent

• Meet and transfer to hotel by English speaking staff/ private car.
• Sightseeing in the capital of Uzbekistan, the biggest city in Central Asia with a guide.
• Visit the old part of Tashkent with Khast-Imam Complex and see the world famous Quran of Caliph Uthman.
• In Khast-Imam visit Madrasah of Barak-Khan, Tillya-Sheykh Mosque, Mausoleum of the Saint Abu Bakr Kaffal Shashi and the Islamic Institute of Imam al-Bukhari.
• Explore the vibrant Chorsu Bazaar.
• Then take a ride on Tashkent Metro to the city center and take a walk through Amir Timur Square, Independence Square and the Applied Arts Museum.
• Enjoy free time in the afternoon.
• Overnight at the Uzbekistan Hotel (4 star).

Day 2              Tashkent-Kokand-Ok Yer-Fergana

• Transfer to the train station at 7:00 and catch the train to Kokand, departing at 8:05. *Alternatively go by car; the road takes about 6 hours and goes through the Kamchik Mountain Pass.
• Arrive in Kokand at 12:16. Visit the Khudoyar-Khan Palace, Jami Mosque and Norbut-biy Madrasah.
• Drive to Ok Yer village and visit the house of craftsman Bakhrom-aka to visit a traditional Kyrgyz family manufacturing wool carpets.
• Continue on to Fergana city (80 km) to visit Akhmad Al-Fergani Park.
• Overnight at the Hotel Asia Fergana (4 star).

Day 3              Fergana-Rishtan-Margilan -Tashkent

• In the morning, drive from Fergana to Rishtan to the house of a well-known ceramic master, Rustam Usmanov. Here you can enjoy a pottery workshop and have a look at their ceramics collection in a small museum.
• Drive to Margilan and visit Said Akhmad-Khoja Madrasah. Today, the madrasah is home to a number of craftsmen producing handmade carpets and silk.
• Continue to Yodgorlik Silk factory to see the production process of silk with traditional Ikat patterns.
• If it is Thursday or Sunday, visit Kumtepa Bazaar, the largest market in Fergana Valley.
• At 15:20 transfer to Margilan railway station to take the train to Tashkent, departing at 16:20.
• Arrive in Tashkent at 21:25.
• Transfer to the Uzbekistan Hotel.

Day 4              Tashkent-Samarkand

• Transfer to the Railway Station at 7:15 and catch the high-speed train “Afrosiyob”, leaving for Samarkand at 8:00.
• Arrive in Samarkand at 10:10 and start sightseeing.
• Your tour will include visits to Gur-Emir Mausoleum, Registan Square, Bibi Khanum mosque, Shahi-Zinda necropolis, Ulugbek observatory.
• Overnight in Bibi Khanum Hotel (3 star).

Day 5              Samarkand

• Visit the famous Siab bazaar in Samarkand is early morning, the best time to see the market place in action.
• Free time for the rest of the morning.
• Continue sightseeing in the afternoon, visiting old Afrosiab Museum and the Tomb of Saint Daniel.
• Overnight in Bibi Khanum Hotel

Day 6              Samarkand-Shakhrisabz-Bukhara

• In the morning depart Samarkand and drive to Bukhara via Shakhrisabz (275 km, 4 hours).
• Stop in Shakhrisabz for a city tour. Here you’ll visit the Mausoleum of Jakhongir in Dor-us Saodat Memorial Complex, the remains of Ak-Saray Palace, the Dor-ut Tilavat Ensemble with Kok-Gumbaz Mosque and the burial vault of Tamerlane’s father.
• In the afternoon continue driving to Bukhara (90 km, 2 hours).
• Arrive in Bukhara and check in to the hotel.
• Overnight at the Omar Khayam Hotel (4 star).

Day 7              Bukhara

• Your city tour of Bukhara will include vists to the Lyabi-Khauz Complex, Magoki-Attori Mosque, Chor-Minor Madrasah, trade domes, Kalyan Minaret, Kalyan Mosque and Miri-Arab Madrasah, Ulugbek and Abdulazizkhan. Madrasahs, Ark Fortress, Bolo-Khauz Mosque, Ismail Samani and Chashma-Ayub mausoleums.
• Overnight at the Omar Khayam Hotel.

Day 8              Bukhara-Khiva

• Set off in the morning for Khiva along, through the Kizilkum desert. (480 km, 7-8 hours).
• Stop en-route to enjoy views of the Amudarya River and the desert.
• Arrive in Bukhara in the late afternoon and check in to the hotel.
• Free time for the rest of the day.
• Overnight at the Bek Khiva Hotel (4 star).

*We advise preparing lunch-boxes for this trip as there aren’t many places to stop along the way.

*Some parts of the road are presently being renovated, so travel times may vary depending on exactly when you do this tour. 

Day 9              Khiva

• Spend a day at the UNESCO World Heritage site, Itchan-Kala Fortress, which is a living museum under the open sky.
• Take a walking sightseeing tour in Khiva with a guide: visit Kunya-Ark Citadel, Tash-Khovli Palace, Mukhammad Aminkhan Madrasah, Mukhammad Rahimkhan Madrasah, Kalta-Minor, Juma Mosque, Pakhlavan Makhmud Mausoleum, and Minaret of Islam-Khoja. Free time in the afternoon.
• Overnight at the Bek Khiva Hotel.

Day 10            Khiva-Nukus

• After breakfast, drive to Nukus (200 km, 4-5 h.).
• Arrive in Nukus and drive to the former fishermen’s town of Muynak (220 km, 3 h.), which used to be situated on the shores of Aral Sea. On the way you can stop at the archaeological complex of Mizdakhan.
• In Muynak have a look at a former port with abandoned ships in the sand – “Cemetery of ships”.
• Then visit the Local History Museum with art exhibits of the Aral Sea history.
• In the afternoon return to Nukus.
• Overnight at the Jipek Joli Hotel (3 star).

Day 11            Nukus-Tashkent

• Visit the Savitsky Karakalpakstan Art Museum. This museum hosts the world’s second largest collection of Russian avant-garde art and an exhibition of Karakalpak applied arts.
• Take a short drive around center of Nukus: You’ll see the statue of Karakalpak poet Berdakh, Nukus City Hall, and the Drama Theatre.
• Transfer to the Airport to catch your flight back to Tashkent.
• Overnight at the Uzbekistan Hotel.

Day 12            Tashkent/Back to home

• Transfer to the airport according to your departure flight time.

Sample pricing:

Based on 2 pax per group: USD 895 pp

Inclusions:

• • Accommodation based on TWN rooms

• • Breakfast in the Hotels

• • All sightseeing as specified in the itinerary

• • Overland transportation by AC transport

• • All airport-hotel-airport transfers

• • Portage services in hotels

• 2 bottle of 0.5 L still water per pax per day

Exclusions:

• International flights
• Camera and Video charges during the sightseeing
• Domestic flight ($120 if you would like us to book this for you)
• Train Tashkent-Kokand-Margilan-Tashkent ($25 if you would like us to book this for you)
• Meals ($10 per meal if you’d like us to arrange this for you, otherwise you can find places to eat quite easily during the itinerary)
• English speaking escort guide ($60$ per day if you’d like this, plus train and plane tickets)
• City guide ($35 per day)