Uzbekistan - History & Wilderness - Tashkent, Bukhara, Nurata, Samarkand

Assemble the Delhi airport early in the morning to board flight to Tashkent. Reach Tashkent by late morning and transfer to your hotel. The largest city in Central Asia with a population of over 2 million, Tashkent is a mix of Russian and Uzbek style, an indication of the fact that for many years it was a key city of the Soviet Republic.  After lunch, start your afternoon by exploring some of the popular sights of Tashkent. Start by visiting some of the incredibly picturesque underground metro stations of the world. Get mesmerized by the beautiful architecture and design of the metro stations. Visit the Independence Square, Amir Temur’s Square and Navoi Theater and spend the evening at the Broadway Alley which is popular hangout place for tourists and locals alike. You can cycle around the alley, play table-tennis with some locals, get your portrait sketched or simply sit at a café and relax here. If you still have enough gas left for the night, we can suggest you some of the coolest places to enjoy the nightlife at Tashkent.

Overnight at Tashkent. (D)

After breakfast proceed for a day tour of Tashkent City. Tashkent is a wonderful mixture of a modern metropolis and the unique colors of an eastern city. Taking a walk in Tashkent, you will see graceful European constructions of Turkestan Governorate General, monumental buildings of the Soviet era, blue domes of mosques and madrasas, and glittering facades of modern buildings. During this tour you will visit the city’s old and new parts, explore a real eastern bazaar, and take the Tashkent metro - one of the most beautiful in the world. We will start our tour by visiting the Old City part of Tashkent with Khast-Imam Complex where the world famous Quran of Caliph Uthman – Ottoman has been preserved. 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 Chorsu Bazaar where you will find fresh fruits, amber-colored dried fruits, toasted bread (lepeshka), fresh-killed meat, kazy (horse meat sausage), and what not… And all these things are so attractive that one can’t stand to pass by them. Next to bazaar there are choykhonas, where you can taste amber yellow pilaf, fragrant shashlyk (grilled meat), hot shurpa (soup). We have a special lunch today for you at the very popular Plov Center. Just the view of the Plov making and the aroma of it will make you drool for it (If you are a vegetarian or have certain meat restriction, we can even arrange for a vegetarian lunch for you at a nearby restaurant too). Later in the afternoon, we will visit the state museum of Applied Arts and the Minor Mosque.

Overnight at Tashkent. (B,L,D)

Early morning transfer to the railway station to board train to Bukhara. Reach Bukhara by late morning or afternoon and transfer to your hotel. Post lunch, indulge in a half day tour of Bukhara. Start with a visit to Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa – the summer residence of Bukhara’s last emir. The site boasts a unique combination of Oriental and Russian architecture. Continue to the Mausoleum of Bakhouddin Naqshbandi and Chor-Bakr Necropolis. Later in the afternoon you can opt to visit one of the age old bath houses at Bukhara. The hammam experience may be one of the most memorable ones of your trip. You will immerse yourself in centuries-old traditions, and will experience the "real Bukhara". This will take you beyond the souvenir shops and tour guides, and will put you in contact with the way people really live in Bukhara. After a long day of walking, a deep muscle massage is exactly what you need. Masseurs will introduce you to the secrets of Oriental Massage.

Overnight at Bukhara. (B, D)

After breakfast, start your day long sightseeing tour of the ancient city of Bukhara. It is a walking tour of the old city of Bukhara with a knowledgeable guide. The area's history stretches back a millennia, and the city itself was founded possibly as early as the 3rd or 4th century BCE. The historic center of Bukhara, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, has preserved much of its past. There are so many interesting sites in Bukhara that you’ll need all the time you can get. Visit The Lyabi-Hauz ensemble which holds the largest artificial reservoir of medieval Bukhara (14-17th centuries) and includes the Khanaka and Kukeldash Madrassahs (16th century), and the Nadir Divan Beghi Madrassah (16th century). Then wander around the delicate archways and soaring minaret of the Poi Kalyan Complex. The 12th-century minaret is embellished with intricate brick patterns and served as a lighthouse for caravaneers in former times. Also visit the Magoki Attori Mosque, the trade domes, Ulugbek Madrasah, The Ark Fortress and many more sights on tis excursion at Bukhara.

Overnight at Bukhara. (B,D)

After Breakfast, start your journey towards the yurt camp located in Kyzyl Kum desert (230 km, 4 hrs). On the way stop in Gijduvan pottery masters workshop and Nurata town to visit a local mosque with a holy spring water. Visit "Chashma" memorial complex and ruins of harnisone of Alexender the Great. The city on Nurata was founded by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC, though archaeological remains date the first inhabitants of the area many thousands of years earlier, and the ruins of his fortress can still be seen today. From Nurata, head towards the Kyzylkum desert to spend the night sleeping in yurts. Choose to take an optional camel ride in the desert, and enjoy an evening campfire and local music with tonight's dinner underneath the desert stars.

Overnight at Yurt Camp. (B,L,D)

After breakfast at the camp, visit the Lake Aydarkul. The Aydarkul area has a great potential for fishing, cattle-breeding and, of course, tourism. While arriving in Aydarkul, you feel the unrestrained rapture. From one side there is a desert of South Kyzylkums, and from another side there is blue water, behind which there are the Pistalitau Mountains, and further there is the Nurata ridge. The area around the lake best suited for walks and rides on horseback and camelback. Fauna is very rich. In spring and in summer alpine grasslands abounds in variety of colors – bright-red tulips and snowy-white acacia. High up in the mountains black storks build its nests. This bird species is listed in the Red Book of many countries. In early spring, when the lake is filled with water, thousands of ducks, geese, pelicans and herons flock together here. You can enjoy a swim in the lake or have a camel ride to a nearby village. We will enjoy a picnic lunch and later in the afternoon will drive back to Samarkand. Reach Samarkand by evening and check in to the hotel.

Overnight at Samarkand. (B,L,D)

After breakfast, start your full day Samarkand tour. Samarkand is a city that evokes the romance and history of the Silk Road like no other. Today, take a visit to the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum – the final resting place of the mighty 14th-century ruler Timur and his sons and grandsons. Continue to the Shah-i-Zinda complex – the so-called ‘Town of the Dead’ necropolis – with more than 20 beautifully decorated unique buildings. Nearby is the Ulugbek Observatory, built in the 1420s by the Timurid astronomer of the same name. Stop in the Afrasiab Museum, which houses a seventh century fresco of the Sogdian King Varkhouman. Also, be sure to stand in the middle of the iconic Registan Square today with the three medressas – Ulugbek, Sher Dor and Tilla-Kari – towering over you. Later in the evening, transfer to the railway station to board train from Samarkand to Tashkent. Reach Tashkent later at night and transfer to the airport to board return flight to India. (B)

END OF TOUR