9 day Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

Flight to Ashgabat. 

Evening arrival at Ashgabat International Airport.

Migration formalities usually take 20 min to 60 min: visa/passport control and baggage claim. Come out of the terminal and meet the driver holding a sign with your name on it.

Transfer to the hotel. Arrival at the hotel. 

Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to Ashgabat airport.

6:40 AM Morning flight to Mary.

7:10 AM Arrival in Mary.

Transfer to ancient Merv (UNESCO site).

Visit to the historical park, including:

Mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar;

Mausoleum of Mohammed bin Said;

Medieval castles – fortresses “Kesk” (6th-7th centuries);

Merv Regional History Museum.

Transfer to Bukhara.

Arrival in Bukhara.

Transfer to the hotel. Check-in.

Free time for rest in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel.

09:00 Meet the guide in the lobby.

Start WALKING sightseeing program in Bukhara (5-6 hours):

- Ensemble Lyabi Hauz (Nadir Divanbegi Madrassa, Khanaka, Kukeldash Madrassa and the monument of Khodja Nasreddin);

- Magoki Attari Mosque is one of the oldest mosques to survive in Bukhara from the time before the Mongolian invasion;

- Abdullakhan’s Tim with numerous handicraft shops of souvenirs, ceramics, national clothes, and carpets;

- Caravanserai Sayfuddin (the Center of Handicraft Development of Bukhara);

- There are three trading domes, or so-called covered bazaars, Toki Sarrofon, Toki Telpak Furushon, and Toki Zargaron preserved from the XVI century, and these bazaars were the centers for trade of silk, jewelry, and even for money exchange. Today as well, one can enjoy and purchase different souvenirs of a wide range, from small souvenir magnets to the famous Bukhara carpets;

- Visit Ulugbek and Abdulazizkhan Madrassas or so-called Kosh (pair) madrassas opposite each other with the distinctive style of facade ornamental decoration;

- Poi Kalon Square with Kalon Minaret and Mosque, Mir Arab Madrassa – the heart of Bukhara, a monumental complex impresses the imagination;

- Ark Fortress – the oldest citadel dating back to I century BC, where one can feel the history of the great fortress covered in beautiful legends and myths.

Optionally can be added by request:

Visit the Samanids mausoleum (IX century), a monument of early medieval architecture.

Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning at leisure. 

12:00 Standard hotel check-out. Transfer to Samarkand, en-route visiting the famous Gijduvan pottery workshop where visitors are welcome for a tour around the workshop and observe the process of ceramic making and painting.

The owners demonstrate the stages of making ceramics from turning the potter’s wheel to making paints from natural ingredients, decorating the ceramics in a distinctive style, drying, and firing.  Take a tour around the museum hall of ceramic masterpieces with a unique collection of the ceramic items of Gijduvan and other regions of Uzbekistan. 

By request, a master class in painting ceramics, suzani embroidery, and traditional bread baking.

Continue to Samarkand.

Arrive in Samarkand in the afternoon, check in the hotel.

Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 Transfer to  Shahrisabz and the beautiful Takhta Karacha pass.

Meet the guide in Shahrisabz.

Excursion tour in Shakhrisabz includes visiting ( 2,5 hrs)

- Ak Saray Palace (“White Palace”), the ruins of the summer palace of Tamerlane. The palace was constructed and decorated by skillful builders, masters, and artisans who were deported from conquered Khorezm. Some parts of the gate tower survived to the present day.

- Mausoleum of Dorus-Saodat ("The Place of Power", 14th century) contains the tomb of Eldest and favourite Tamerlane’s son, Jahongir.

- Visit Kok Gumbaz, so-called “House of Meditation.

- Mausoleum Gumbazi-Seyidon of the 16th century, where the descendants of Ulugbek are buried. 

Return to Samarkand. Transfer to the hotel.

Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

9:00 AM Start of the Samarkand tour (5-6 hours):

Gur Emir Mausoleum – the burial mausoleum of Timur and his descendants, decorated with gilded ornaments and considered one of the city's most important monuments;

Continue to the famous Registan Square, the heart of Samarkand and a true masterpiece of medieval Central Asian architecture, with the grandiose complex of the Ulugbek, Sherdor, and Tilla Kori madrasas;

Bibi Khanim Mosque – one of the largest medieval buildings in the city and one of the most magnificent mosques in the Islamic world in the 15th century;

Shahi Zinda Necropolis – a fascinating complex of mausoleums arranged on either side of the cenotaph (symbolic tomb) of the Muslim saint Abbas ibn Kussam;

Ulugbek Observatory – one of the most important astronomical centers of the medieval world, built by Ulugbek, a distinguished scholar and astronomer;

Siyab Bazaar in Samarkand.

4:40 PM Transfer to Samarkand train station.

6:15 PM Departure for Tashkent on the "Afrosiyob" / "Sharq" train.

8:30 PM Arrival in Tashkent.

Exit the terminal and meet your driver.

Transfer to the hotel.

Free time for rest in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

9:00 AM: Meet your guide in the hotel lobby.

Begin your Tashkent tour (5-6 hours), exploring the city's ancient and modern parts:

Amir Timur Square, founded in 1882 and originally called Konstantinovsky Square. On August 31, 1994, it was renamed Amir Timur Square in honor of the great conqueror's cultural and historical contributions. Surrounding the square are the Timurids Museum, the Uzbekistan Hotel, the Forum Palace, and the famous Chimes;

Tashkent Clock, one of the city's main symbols;

Theater Square and the Alisher Navoi Opera House, built in 1947 and considered one of the world's finest opera houses, featuring both classical and national repertoire;

Independence Square, Uzbekistan's main square, representing the country's past, present, and future. Here are fountains symbolizing the vital energy of the Uzbek people, the Cabinet of Ministers and the Senate, as well as the "Eternal Flame" in memory of the soldiers fallen during World War II;

Earthquake Memorial, dedicated to the tragic Tashkent earthquake of April 26, 1966, and located near the area considered the epicenter. Even today, citizens visit the monument to pay homage to those who participated in the reconstruction of the city;

Khast Imam Square, the religious center of Tashkent, which includes the Barakkhan Madrasa, the Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum, and the Library of Islamic Literature, where the 7th-century Holy Quran (Osman Quran) is kept. Khast Imam is one of the most important spiritual centers in Central Asia and attracts pilgrims and visitors from around the world;

Chorsu Bazaar, Tashkent's ancient bazaar. The name "Chorsu" means "four waters" and symbolizes the meeting of the four main areas of the old city. The distinctive blue dome, rebuilt in traditional style after the Tashkent earthquake, has become one of the city's symbols. Here you can find ceramics, handicrafts, carpets, jewelry, fruit, fabrics, and souvenirs;

Tashkent Metro, whose first line opened in 1977. The stations are characterized by splendid decorations, traditional ornaments, and unique lighting effects.

Transfer to the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to Tashkent International Airport.

Departure on the morning flight.

End of the tour.