Mountains and Minarets.    Combined tour in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan with fixed dates

The Great Silk Road as a trade route came into being in the 3^rd century B.C. and lived to see the 16^th century of this era.
The Great Silk Route is one of the most significant achievements in the history of the world civilization. The widespread network of caravan ways crossed Europe and Asia from China to the Mediterranean coast, and in ancient times served as important means of business relations and cultural exchanges between East and West.

Travel itinerary:Bishkek - Son-Kul lake - Issyk-Kul lake - Bishkek - Osh - Andijan - Kuva- Fergana - Margilan - Kokand - Fergana - Tashkent - Khiva - Bukhara - Samarkand - Tashkent

Day 1: Arrival in Bishkek, picking up at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Breakfast. Sightseeing tour around city: Oak Park, Ala-Too Square, Philarmonic, Statue of Manas, Victory Square, etc. Lunch. Continue city tour and free time. Dinner in restaurant. Accommodation in the hotel. Overnight in Bishkek.

Day 2: Breakfast and transfer to the lake Son-Kul (3016 m above sea level). Traditional dinner and overnight in yurts.

Day 3: Free day at the lake. Today you can ride horse or go for a short hike. In this magnificent place you can see hundreds of herds and a lot of different yurts, where you for sure will be invited to have kymyz, the national drink made of fermented mare's milk with a traditional bread, diverse very tasty milk products and jam. Dinner and overnight in the yurt.

Day 4: After breakfast drive to the north of the lake Issyk-Kul, where you have a free afternoon to relax. Dinner in a comfortable hotel where we stay overnight.

Day 5: Breakfast, excursion to Cholpon-Ata to petrogliphies - collection of stones with ancient drawings dated 2000 B.C. Back to the Hotel lunch and transfer back to Bishkek (250 km), on the way visiting Burana tower at the place of the ancient city Balasagyn (11-13^th c.). Accommodation in a hotel in Bishkek. Dinner in the city restaurant. Overnight in Bishkek.

Day 6: Transfer to the airport Manas and flight to Osh. Arrival. Lunch. Excursion around the town. Accommodation in a guest house. Overnight in Osh.

Day 7: Breakfast. Transfer to the Uzbek-Kyrgyz border Dostuk. Crossing of the border. Transfer to Fergana via Andijan and Kuva. Lunch in Andijan. Excursion in Kuva city. Arrival in Fergana. Accommodation in the hotel. Dinner in city restaurant. Overnight in Fergana.

Day 8: Breakfast. Coach trip to Kokand via Margilan and Rishtan. Visit Rishtan pottery workshop. Margilan city - visiting of ceramic workshop of Rustam Usmanov and "Yodgorlik" silk factory. Lunch in national restaurant. Kokand city tour: Palace of Khudoyar-Khan - architectural complex (1870), Gishtlik Mosque (1913), Djami mosque and Minaret (1809 - 1812), Kamol-Kazy Madrasseh (the middle of the 19^th c.), Mulkabad Mosque (1913), Miyen-Hazrat Madrasseh (end of the 18^th c.), Dahman-Shakhon and Madirakhan Necropolises (beg. of the 19^th c.). Dinner. Transfer to Ferghana. Overnight in Fergana.

Day 9: Breakfast. Coach trip to Tashkent (419 km, 5 hrs). Accommodation in the hotel. Lunch in city restaurant. Free time. Dinner in restaurant. Overnight in Tashkent.

Day 10: Breakfast. Transfer to Tashkent airport for morning flight to Urgench. Arrival in Urgench. Transfer to Khiva (35 km). Accommodation in the hotel. City tour around Ichan-Kala architectural complex (12-19^th c.): the Residence of the last Khan including Ismail Khodja Mausoleum, Mohammed Amin Khan madrassah. Lunch. Continuation of city tour: Kunya-Ark Castle (16-17^th c.), Kalta Minor tower, Tash-Hovli Palace (19^th c.), Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum(14-18^th c.), Juma mosque (10^th c.). Dinner. Overnight in Khiva.

Day 11: Breakfast. Coach trip to Bukhara via desert along Caravan road, (480 km, 6-7 hrs). Lunch box on the way. Arrival in Bukhara. Accommodation in the hotel. Dinner. Overnight in Bukhara.

Day 12: Breakfast. City tour: Citadel Ark, Samanides Mausoleum (10^th c.), Chashma Ayub, Bolo-Hauz mosque (beginning of the 20^th c.), Coumpol bazaar. Lunch. Continuation of city tour program: Medreseh Nodir-Divan-Beghi complex Lyabi-Khauz (14-17^th c.), Minaret Kalon (12-14^th c.), Kalon Mosque (15^th c.), Miri Arab Medreseh (16^th c.). Dinner. Overnight in Bukhara.

Day 13: Breakfast. Coach trip to Samarkand (290 km, 5 hrs). Accommodation in the hotel. Lunch. City tour: excavations and museum of the ancient city of Afrosiab, architectural complex Shakhi-Zindeh (11-15^th c.), Mausoleum Guri Emir - Tamerlane's Tomb (14-15^th c.), Bibi-Khonum mosque, market place. Dinner. Overnight in Samarkand.

Day 14: Breakfast. Continuation of city tour program: Registan square: Medreseh Ulughbek (15^th c.), Medreseh Shir-Dor (17^th c.), Medreseh Tilla-Kori (17^th c.), Ulughbek Observatory. Lunch. Overnight in Samarkand.

Day 15: Breakfast. Coach trip to Tashkent (315 km, 4 hrs). Accommodation in the hotel. Lunch. City tour around Tashkent: Independence Square, Navoi Theater square, Barak-Khan Madrasah, The Kaffal-Shashi mausoleum (15^th c.), Kukeldash Madrasah (16^th c.), the Djuma mosque (9^th c.) Dinner in the city restaurant. Overnight in Tashkent.

Day 16: Breakfast. Transfer to Tashkent airport for flight to next destination.