100% customisable travel idea
Uzbekistan Express Mythical cities of the Silk Road
Uzbekistan - Khiva - Bukhara - Samarkand
100% customisable travel idea
Uzbekistan - Khiva - Bukhara - Samarkand
100% customisable for you
Night on board, arrival the following day.
Private transfer to Khiva. Stay for one night in the outer city, not far from the eastern wall. Your accommodation is a madrasah built in the early 20th century. If you look closely you can spot elements of modern design. The hotel conversion has preserved the original structure of the building. You stay in the former student rooms, which are simple and comfortable, decorated with the floral or ikat patterns of Uzbek fabrics. The courtyard garden is very pleasant at the right time of day. In the restaurant traditional Khiva cuisine is served. You can have your meals in the dining room or outside on the tapchan, the large platform bed where rugs, cushions and a low table are set up.
In your itinerary - Private tour of Itchan Kala. Travellers have long been impressed by the formidable walled inner city of Khiva, with its four gates and walls reaching 33 feet (10 metres) high Inside the walls, the narrow streets, squares and historical sites are an open air museum like no other. With your guide, you will discover, some of the highlights such as the old fortress Kunya Ark, residence of the Khans of Khiva from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Djouma Mosque features carved columns, which are even older than the mosque itself, which dates from the 18th century. The Pakhlavan Mahmoud Mausoleum is the poignant resting place of Pakhlavan Mahmoud (1247-1325). He was a furrier, a wrestler and a poet, and a prominent figure in Khiva. The building, built between the 14th and 20th centuries, is adorned with beautifully decorated blue glazed tiles. You might be lucky and hear prayers being sung inside the complex. Next, in the residential part of the old town, a family welcomes you for an Uzbek cookery class. Ravioli is on the menu and it's great fun to join in and help to make the dough. For this traditional Khorezm dish the ravioli or dumplings are stuffed with eggs!
Optional extra - The three fortresses of Ayaz Kala.
Private transfer to Urgench Airport. Flight to Bukhara. Another private transfer and stay for three nights in the old town. The hotel embraces tradition. The décor is lavish. Everywhere you look there are objects, fabrics, paintings, walls with niches, cornices. It's a vibrant mix of ornamentation and colour. The rooms are full of vibrant colour, but also well equipped and comfortable. The hotel restaurant serves homemade Uzbek and international cuisine. Tea is served in the courtyard, which is beautifully enclosed by a gallery of wood and wrought iron. Just a few minutes from Lyab-i-Hauz, you feel completely in tune with the atmosphere of Bukhara.
In your itinerary - Private tour of old Bukhara. With a guide, discover some of the city's most beautiful attractions. The Ark, or the citadel is one of them. Built in the 16th century by the Uzbek Shaybanids, its curved walls contain a mosque, an audience chamber, barracks and a treasury - it's like a town within a town. Nearby is the Bolo Haouz Mosque with its forest of slender wooden columns and richly decorated features reflected in the peaceful pool. The Samanid Mausoleum, dating from the 9th and 10th centuries was excavated in 1934, and has been meticulously restored. The Po-i-Kalyan religious complex is home to the Mir-i Arab Madrasah, built in the 16th century by the Sufi sheikh Abdullah Yamani. It was the only Bukharan Muslim school that continued teaching during the Soviet period. Opposite are the splendid mosque (16th century) and the Kalon minaret. The minaret dates from the 12th century, and served as both a place of execution and a landmark for caravans. In the Taki, the trading domes still covering three intersections, business has thrived since the 16th century. You might even want to do some shopping there. And be sure to try some tea in a choyxona.
In your itinerary - Gijduvon ceramics and the Vobkent minaret. About 50 km (31 miles) north of Bukhara lies Gijduvon, renowned for its ceramics. At the workshop and museum, where Abdullo Narzullaev and his family work, you can follow the entire traditional process from wheel throwing, to decorating with ground colours and firing the pottery. It's a truly illuminating tour. The reputation of the Gijduvon School has spread throughout Central Asia. Gijduvon pieces are generally lighter and more delicate and blurred than Rishtan ceramics. On the way back, stop in Vobkent to admire the minaret that dates from the 12th century and the Qarakhanid dynasty. It is one of the finest examples of Central Asian minaret design. And of course UNESCO was quick to add it to the World Heritage List. A private guide will come with you on these tours.
Optional extras - Bukhara surroundings tour; visit to the hammam.
Private transfer to the railway station. Train to Samarkand. Another private transfer and stay three nights in old Samarkand. The hotel is bursting with character. Small details are carefully considered. The inner courtyard is splendid. The carved woodwork , on both the walls and the ceilings gives the place a harmonious feel. Bricks are used to good effect too. The overall effect is understated and elegant. The same applies to the rooms. Your room is well equipped and comfortable. The tones used throughout are walnut stain, tobacco and chocolate. In the open air restaurant hearty breakfasts are served. On the rooftop terrace, there are hot tubs with uninterrupted views over the rooftops and the Bibi Khanym Mosque.
In your itinerary - Samarkand with a local. The idea is to explore Samarkand however you want. Nothing is planned in advance, you just meet up with a local who knows the city like the back of their hand. You have a quick chat about what type of things you're interested in, your likes and dislikes and take it from there. Then you set off, following your friend for the day, who will tell you all sorts of interesting things about Samarkand and its residents. It's the best way to get to know the city as it really is.
Optional extra - Tamerlane treasures tour.
In your itinerary - Private tour of Samarkand, the Blue City. With your guide, the tour starts at the Registan, the square where people gathered to hear royal proclamations. The square is surrounded by three impressive madrasahs. Ulugh Beg is from the 17th century, and Sher-Dor and Tilla-Kari are from the 18th century. Next is the Gur-e-Amir, the the mausoleum of Tamerlane, which was originally intended for one of his grandsons. It's quite moving to hear the prayer for the dead being chanted over his green jade tombstone. This majestic building inspired later Mughal architecture. It was undoubtedly a precursor to the Taj Mahal. It was also Tamerlane who commissioned the Bibi Khanym Mosque (15th century), an innovative building with marble features. Legend has it that women in Samarkand wear the veil because the building's architect is said to have stolen a kiss from the patron's first wife. Next to the mosque is the Siab Bazaar, with its stalls selling a wide variety of breads, dried fruit, vegetables, spices, cheeses and more.
Private transfer to the airport and flight home.
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