Uzbekistan: Golden Road to Samarkand

Fly to Tashkent

Board the overnight flight from London (regional connections available) to Tashkent with Uzbekistan Airways. (N)

Meal basis: As per itinerary – B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner, N: No meals.

Tashkent - Fly to Nukus

Arrive in Tashkent and transfer to the Hotel Manor (or similar) for a rest. After an introductory lecture and welcome lunch, take a city tour to see the highlights of Tashkent, including Kukeldash madrasa, the Museum of Applied Arts, Muyie Mubarak library and Tillya Sheikh mosque. In the afternoon, fly to Nukus and overnight at Jipek Joli Inn (or similar). (B, L)

Chilpak - Khiva

Morning tour of the Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art, which houses the collection of Igor Savitsky, who secreted away thousands of Russian avant-garde and post-avant-garde paintings during the Stalinist Soviet period. Besides this rare and extensive collection of art (second only to St Petersburg), he also collected thousands of Uzbek artefacts, textiles and jewellery. Tour the museum with a local specialist. En route to Khiva, stop at Chilpak to see the fourth-century Zoroastrian Tower of Silence. Stay for 2 nights at Feruzkhan Hotel (or similar). (B, D)

Khiva

Full-day tour of the old walled city of Khiva, capital of Khorezm between the 16th and 20th centuries, and one of the most remote of the Silk Road cities. Visits include the Kunya Ark fortress, the original residence of the Khiva khans; the beautifully decorated Tash Hauli (stone palace); the Friday Mosque; and madrasas (theological colleges), which now house museum collections. Also visit a UNESCO-listed silk carpet workshop. (B)

Drive to Bukhara

Full-day drive to Bukhara (7-8 hours), through the Kyzylkum desert stopping at the Amu Darya river, known as the Oxus river in the ancient world. Stay at Emir Hotel (or similar) for 4 nights. (B, L)

Bukhara

Take a full-day walking tour of Bukhara, visiting the Persian Samanid brick mausoleum, the Chashmai Ayub, known as Job's Well, and the Bolo Hauz mosque. Visit the trade domes, madrasas and traditional Bukharan bazaars. Continue to the Poi-Kalyan complex, which includes the towering Kalyan minaret and the twin-domed Mir-i-Arab madrasa. (B)

Bukhara

Visit the architectural ensemble around the Lyab i-Hauz pool, fed by the waters of the royal canal. Continue to the Chor Minor, a curious four-towered gatehouse, and the Sitora-i Mokhi-Khosa, the summer palace of Bukhara's last emir. Then visit the Fayzulla Khodjaev Museum, set in the house of a wealthy merchant and showing aspects of life in the early 20th century. Continue to the Balyand mosque, a jewel of 16th-century architecture, and the imposing ark fortress of the Bukhara emirs. Walk down the narrow streets of historic Bukhara to the old Jewish quarter. See one of the city's hidden gems, the Jewish synagogue, which houses a collection of ancient torahs dating back approximately 600 years. (B)

Rabat i-Malik - Gijduvan - Vabkent

Drive the royal road to the 11th-century Rabat i-Malik caravanserai (a trading route stopoff). Continue to Gijduvan, renowned for its traditional ceramics, and see Abd-al-Khalyk Gjduvani shrine. Return to Bukhara via Vabkent to see the minaret commissioned in the 12th century by one of Bukhara's rulers. (B, L)

Shahrisabz - Samarkand

Drive to Shahrisabz, birthplace of Tamerlane, where he built an enormous palace, of which part of the beautifully ornamented audience chamber remains. Drive alongside the Zarafshan Mountains to Samarkand for 2 nights at the Hotel Welfort (or similar). (B)

Afrosiyob - Samarkand

Drive to the ancient deserted site of Afrosiyob on the outskirts of Samarkand, where a settlement once thrived until it was destroyed by Timur. Archaeological finds are housed in the Afrosiyob History Museum. Continue to the observatory of Ulugbek, Timur’s astronomer grandson, and see the Bibi Khanum mosque, built by Timur for his favourite wife. End the day at the magnificent Gur-Emir mausoleum, where Timur is buried beneath the Timurid fluted blue domes. (B)

Samarkand - Tashkent

Visit the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis and the Samarkand Museum of History, Culture & Art. In the afternoon, travel by rail to Tashkent. After a farewell dinner, overnight at the Hotel Manor (or similar). (B, D)

Tashkent - Fly to London

Transfer to the airport for a flight to London. (B)

Meal basis: As per itinerary - B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner, N: No meals. 

Fly to Tashkent

Board the overnight flight from London (regional connections available) to Tashkent with Uzbekistan Airways. (N)

Meal basis: As per itinerary - B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner, N: No meals.

Tashkent - Fly to Nukus

Arrive in Tashkent and transfer to the Hotel Manor (or similar) for a rest. After an introductory lecture and welcome lunch, take a city tour to see the highlights of Tashkent, including Kukeldash madrasa, the Museum of Applied Arts, Muyie Mubarak library and Tillya Sheikh mosque. In the afternoon, fly to Nukus and overnight at Jipek Joli Inn (or similar). (B, L)

Chilpak - Khiva

Morning tour of the Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art, which houses the collection of Igor Savitsky, who secreted away thousands of Russian avant-garde and post-avant-garde paintings during the Stalinist Soviet period. Besides this rare and extensive collection of art (second only to St Petersburg), he also collected thousands of Uzbek artefacts, textiles and jewellery. Tour the museum with a local specialist. En route to Khiva, stop at Chilpak to see the fourth-century Zoroastrian Tower of Silence. Stay for 2 nights at Feruzkhan Hotel (or similar). (B, D)

Khiva

Full-day tour of the old walled city of Khiva, capital of Khorezm between the 16th and 20th centuries, and one of the most remote of the Silk Road cities. Visits include the Kunya Ark fortress, the original residence of the Khiva khans; the beautifully decorated Tash Hauli (stone palace); the Friday Mosque; and madrasas (theological colleges), which now house museum collections. Also visit a UNESCO-listed silk carpet workshop. (B)

Drive to Bukhara

Full-day drive to Bukhara (7-8 hours), through the Kyzylkum desert stopping at the Amu Darya river, known as the Oxus river in the ancient world. Stay at Emir Hotel (or similar) for 4 nights. (B, L)

Bukhara

Take a full-day walking tour of Bukhara, visiting the Persian Samanid brick mausoleum, the Chashmai Ayub, known as Job's Well, and the Bolo Hauz mosque. Visit the trade domes, madrasas and traditional Bukharan bazaars. Continue to the Poi-Kalyan complex, which includes the towering Kalyan minaret and the twin-domed Mir-i-Arab madrasa. (B)

Bukhara

Visit the architectural ensemble around the Lyab i-Hauz pool, fed by the waters of the royal canal. Continue to the Chor Minor, a curious four-towered gatehouse, and the Sitora-i Mokhi-Khosa, the summer palace of Bukhara's last emir. Then visit the Fayzulla Khodjaev Museum, set in the house of a wealthy merchant and showing aspects of life in the early 20th century. Continue to the Balyand mosque, a jewel of 16th-century architecture, and the imposing ark fortress of the Bukhara emirs. Walk down the narrow streets of historic Bukhara to the old Jewish quarter. See one of the city's hidden gems, the Jewish synagogue, which houses a collection of ancient torahs dating back approximately 600 years. (B)

Rabat i-Malik - Gijduvan - Vabkent

Drive the royal road to the 11th-century Rabat i-Malik caravanserai (a trading route stopoff). Continue to Gijduvan, renowned for its traditional ceramics, and see Abd-al-Khalyk Gjduvani shrine. Return to Bukhara via Vabkent to see the minaret commissioned in the 12th century by one of Bukhara's rulers. (B, L)

Shahrisabz - Samarkand

Drive to Shahrisabz, birthplace of Tamerlane, where he built an enormous palace, of which part of the beautifully ornamented audience chamber remains. Drive alongside the Zarafshan Mountains to Samarkand for 2 nights at the Hotel Welfort (or similar). (B)

Afrosiyob - Samarkand

Drive to the ancient deserted site of Afrosiyob on the outskirts of Samarkand, where a settlement once thrived until it was destroyed by Timur. Archaeological finds are housed in the Afrosiyob History Museum. Continue to the observatory of Ulugbek, Timur's astronomer grandson, and see the Bibi Khanum mosque, built by Timur for his favourite wife. End the day at the magnificent Gur-Emir mausoleum, where Timur is buried beneath the Timurid fluted blue domes. (B)

Samarkand - Tashkent

Visit the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis and the Samarkand Museum of History, Culture & Art. In the afternoon, travel by rail to Tashkent. After a farewell dinner, overnight at the Hotel Manor (or similar). (B, D)

Tashkent - Fly to London

Transfer to the airport for a flight to London. (B)