Silk Road Caravan in Uzbekistan Tour from UK
Tour Details
10 days
from $1,265 / per person
Prices
Econ StanPrices are in $ per person and for larger groups are available upon request
Description
Uzbekistan once formed the very backbone of the ancient Silk Road trading route, with its cities of grandeur a welcoming destination for weary travelers and shrewd traders who would congregate in its caravanserais. Today, these very cities welcome visitors from the world over to admire their enduring splendor and recollect their history, a past filled with powerful dynasties, magnificent cultural development and the echo of silk road caravans plodding through their streets.
On the Silk Road Caravan in Uzbekistan Tour from UK, you will retrace the steps of these ancient merchants, crossing expansive desert and hilly terrain to reach the famed cities of Urgench, Khiva, Bukhara, Gijduvon, Samarkand and Tashkent. This extensive 10-day Uzbekistan tour from UK includes unhurried time to tour each major city plus an overnight stay in a yurt camp, visit to off-the-beaten-path petroglyphs and tour of a fortress built by Alexander the Great. You’ll be traveling by plane, train and car, but for those truly anxious to relive the Silk Road lifestyle, even camel rides will be provided!
Program
Your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel to begin your Tashkent city tour of Uzbekistan tour from UK. Your private tour will include:
- Excursion to the Old City, including the Khazret-Imam Architectural Complex. The complex includes the Madrasah of Barak-Khan (16th century), Tillya-Sheykh Mosque, Juma Mosque and Mausoleum of Saint Abu Bakr Kaffal Shashi (15th century). Walking through the Islamic Civilization Center and Zarqaynar street;
- Visit to Chorsu Bazaar, Tashkent’s most well-established bazaar that includes a large selection of traditional Uzbek ceramics, jewelry, handbags, garments and more;
- Ride on the Tashkent Metro, an immaculate subway system with each station decorated in colored mosaics and ceramics to depict a specific theme;
- Walk through Amir Timur Square, with a massive statue of none other than Tamerlane himself at the center;
- Independence Square, including the touching World War II Mourning Mother Monument and the Eternal Flame;
- Drive to the Sacred Heart Cathedral, a 20th century Roman Catholic Church with beautiful stained-glass windows and Gothic-style architecture;
- Tour of the Applied Arts Museum, an informative collection of Uzbekistan’s finest handicrafts housed in an ornately decorated villa.
Tour duration: approximately 4-5 hours
After beginning your excursion at Kunya-Ark Fortress, the inner citadel of Ichan Kala, you’ll continue on to some of Khiva’s most famous sites:
- Kalta Minor Tower, once destined to be one of the tallest minarets in Central Asia;
- Muhammad Amin-Khan, the biggest medieval madrasah (educational institution) in Khiva;
- Muhammad Rahim-Khan Madrasah, a sprawling complex that once stood as one of the largest in all Central Asia;
- Juma Mosque, built with 212 wooden columns and a minaret 32.5 m high;
- Tash-Hauli Palace (Stone Courtyard Palace), which resembles a fortress with high battlements, towers and garrisoned gates;
- Necropolis of Pahlavan Mahmud, the ancient religious center of Ichan Kala;
- Minaret and madrasah of Islam Khodja, personal advisor of the last khan. The complex consists of a madrasah and a minaret whose top platform has a height of 45m, the highest observation point in town.
Tour duration: 6-7 hours
Arrive in Bukhara in late afternoon. Check in to the hotel and enjoy a free evening in the Old City, the picturesque heart of Bukhara. Overnight in Bukhara.
*Since there is only one cafe on the way, you might want to consider preparing a packed lunch before this trip.
- The Lyabi-Hauz ensemble holds the largest artificial reservoir of medieval Bukhara (14th-17th centuries). This ensemble includes some of the largest madrasahs in Bukhara: the Khanaka Madrasah, Kukeldash Madrasah and Nadir Divan Beghi Madrasah (all 16th century);
- The Magoki-Attori Mosque is the oldest mosque in Bukhara (12th century);
- Walk through the four Trade Domes (15th-16th centuries);
- Continue your city tour of Bukhara to the Poi Kalyan Ensemble (12th-16th centuries), consisting of the Kalyan Minaret, Kalyan Mosque, Emir Alim Khan Madrasah and Mir-i-Arab Madrasah;
- Explore the relatively untouched Ulugbek Madrasah (15th century) and Abdulazizkhan Madrasah (17th century);
- Head to the Ark Fortress (4th century), the ancient center of Bukharin statehood and currently home to a small museum;
- Stop by the Bolo-Khauz Complex, consisting of an artfully decorated 18th century mosque, a minaret and reservoirs that once provided water for the entire city;
- Complete your city tour of Bukhara at the Samanids Mausoleum (9th-10th centuries), the most ancient brick building in Central Asia, and the Chashma Ayub Mausoleum.
Tour duration: 6-7 hours
- Chor Minor (Four Minarets), an unusual madrasah built by Niyazkul in the 18th century;
- Emir's Summer Residence, Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa (19th century), a unique site boasting of a blend of Oriental and Russian architecture;
- Bakhautdin Naqshband Mausoleum, an ensemble dedicated to the founder of the Sufi Order "Naqshbandia"; the site includes a mausoleum, mosque, pond, and museum.
Tour duration: 3-4 hours
Your next stop along the way is Sarmish (100km, 1hr 30min), an open-air museum of petroglyphs.
Continue to the yurt camp (150km, 2hrs). After arriving to the camp, you’ll have free time for camel rides, resting or walking among the dunes.
Enjoy dinner around a campfire in the evening while a Kazakh akin (skilled improvised singer) entertains with folk songs.
Overnight in the yurt after star gazing in the endless desert sky.
Have lunch at the yurt camp before leaving for Samarkand via Nurata. Arrive in Nurata village (70km, 1hr) to visit a local mosque known for its holy spring waters and to explore the ruins of a fortress built by Alexander the Great.
Continue the drive to Samarkand (200 km, 3 hrs). Upon arrival, check in to the hotel and have a rest. Overnight in Samarkand.
- Registan Square, the commercial center of Samarkand for centuries and Samarkand’s most famous site today. The square includes three madrasahs: Ulugbek Madrasah (15th century), Sher-Dor Madrasah (17th century) and Tilla-Kori Madrasah (17th century);
- A boulevard lined with workshops and souvenir stores;
- Bibi Khanum Mosque built by Tamerlane for his favorite wife;
- Siab Bazaar, a multi-level complex where you can shop for souvenirs and sample sweets, fruits and Samarkand’s famous bread;
- Shakhi-Zinda, a burial complex built between the 9th-14th centuries. Climb the blue-domed path and explore more than twenty small mausoleums that line the broad alleyway;
- Gur Emir, the imposing burial site of Tamerlane and Mirzo Ulugbek;
- Ulugbek Observatory, where you can see the remains of a 14th-15th century sextant and tour the Ulugbek Museum.
Tour Duration: 6-7 hours
- Visit to the excavation site and museum of the ancient city Afrosiab;
- Tour of the mausoleum of Khodja Daniyar, believed to be the tomb of the prophet Daniel, whose remains were brought here by Tamerlane;
- Drive to Konigil Village to observe the traditional way of making Samarkand paper from mulberry leaves;
- Excursion to the Oriental Silk carpet factory to see firsthand how top-quality carpets are created. You can even learn basic skills from the masters and try carpet weaving yourself!
Overnight in Tashkent.
Tour duration: approximately 4 hours
Includes
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Transfers:
Airport and train station transfers. Transfers Khiva to Bukhara, Bukhara-Gijduvan-Sarmish-Aydarkul-Nurata-Samarkand (1-2 ppl in sedan; 3-8 in minivan);
Economy class flight tickets from Tashkent to Urgench (flight times subject to change based upon availability);
Economy class train tickets for the Samarkand to Tashkent routes (on rare occasions when the high-speed train is unavailable, we will replace it with a reservation on the regular train). -
Accommodation:
Accommodation based on double/twin room at hotel (8 nights, with breakfast) and yurt camp, shared room (1 night, with lunch, dinner and breakfast).
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City tour
Private, local English-speaking guide and entrance fees to the sights as per itinerary on days 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 and 9;
Transportation during the city tour on day 1, 5, 8 and 9 (1-2 ppl in sedan; 3-8 in minivan).
- Tour leader to accompany the travellers for the whole period of the tour;
- Consular fees for Uzbekistan tourist visa and Letter of invitation;
- International flight tickets before and after the tour;
- Tips are not included (driver, guide, porter);
- Hotel charges for additional services;
- Full board (lunches and dinners);
- Travel insurance;
- All other charges and services not mentioned under “Inclusion”.
Prices
| Persons | Economy | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $2,480 | $2,620 |
| 2 persons | $1,485 | $1,585 |
| 3 persons | $1,755 | $1,855 |
| 4 persons | $1,265 | $1,365 |
per person
Single supplement: Economy $215 | Standard $255
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