Treasures of Uzbekistan: ancient cities and modern life

Arrival in Urgench. Meeting at the airport. Departure by car to Khiva (30 km, 40 min). We will start the excursion upon arrival. We will visit the architectural complex Ichan-Kala: Kalta Minor, Kunya Ark, the Muhammad Rahim Khan Madrasah and the Islam Khoja Madrasah, the Tash-Khauli architectural complex, the Pakhlavan Mahmoud Mausoleum, the Allakuli Khan Madrasah. Accommodation and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure by car to Nukus (177 km, 3 hours). Arrival in Nukus and visit to the Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art named after I.V. Savitsky. The museum houses the second largest collection of Russian avant-garde art in the world and an exhibition of Karakalpak applied art objects. We will take a short walk through the center of Nukus: we will see the statue of the Karakalpak poet Berdakh, the Nukus City Hall, and the drama theater. In the afternoon, we will visit the Mizdakhan necropolis – an ancient cemetery and one of the oldest and most visited pilgrimage sites in Karakalpakstan. We will continue to the ruins of the Gyaur-Kala fortress. Return to Nukus. Accommodation and overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, departure from Nukus to Moynaq (200 km, 3 hours 30 minutes). Stop in Moynaq, where we will visit the "ship graveyard" — the former port where the hulls of abandoned ships rust. We will also visit the local museum, where we can see some interesting artifacts from the history of the Aral. Lunch. Then, transfer to Ayaz-Kala (369 km, 6 hours). Overnight in a yurt.

After lunch, we will depart by car to Bukhara (450 km, 7 hours), the longest section of the tourist route. It crosses the Kyzyl-Kum desert and the banks of the Amu Darya. Accommodation and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Excursion to Bukhara. We will go on an excursion to one of the oldest cities in Uzbekistan. We will see: the Mausoleum of Ismail Samani, Chashmai Ayub, the Bolo-Khauz Complex, the Ark Citadel, the Poi-Kalyan Complex. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. On the second day in Bukhara, we will travel outside the city to the summer residence of the last emir of Bukhara, Sitoraï Mohi-Khosa, which means "Palace like the stars and the moon." Then, we will visit the sacred necropolis of Chor-Bakr and the mausoleum of Bakhaouddin Nakchbandi. We will attend a workshop where you can discover the art of miniature painting and calligraphy. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Free time (time for shopping). After lunch, we will head to the village of Ukhum (290 km, 4 hours 30 minutes). Dinner. Overnight in a guesthouse.

Breakfast. You will have the opportunity to discover the life of the local inhabitants. Then, a hike in the surroundings of the Nurata Nature Reserve. During the hike, you can see ancient irrigation canals and petroglyphs. After that, we will drive to Samarkand (220 km, 4 hours). Check-in and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Start of the excursion. Samarkand is a unique open-air museum, and today we will see it with our own eyes. We will visit: Gur-e-Amir, the famous Registan Square, Bibi-Khanym, Siab Bazaar, Shah-i-Zinda. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure by car to Shakhrisabz (150 km, 2-3 hours). Start of the excursion upon arrival: Ak-Saray Palace, Kok-Gumbaz Mosque, Dorus-Saodat Complex, Dorut-Tillavat Complex. Return to Samarkand. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. We will head to the "Meros" paper factory, located in the village of Konigil, a 30-minute drive from Samarkand. Here, you will discover the technology of paper production, ceramic manufacturing, and the art of woodworking. Transfer to the train station for departure to Tashkent. Transfer and check-in at the hotel.

After breakfast, we will start exploring the city. We will visit the attractions of one of the most beautiful and modern cities in Uzbekistan, its capital, Tashkent. We will visit the old part of the city and see: Khasti Imom, including the Barak Khan Madrasah, the Kaffal Chachi Madrasah, the library located on the same square and important for the preservation of the Uthman Quran. We will continue to the Koukaldoch Madrasah. We will also visit the oriental market Chorsu. Then, by metro, we will go to the Museum of Applied Arts. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. We continue to explore the city and will see its more recent, but no less interesting part. We will visit Amir Temur Square, Tashkent's Broadway, Theater Square, Mustakillik Square, the "Courage" monument. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Transfer to the train station for departure to the city of Kokand. Arrival in Kokand. Kokand is an ancient city that, due to its strategic location, was one of the most convenient fortified points on the caravan routes of the Great Silk Road. Beginning of the excursion in Kokand, visit: the Palace of Khudoyar Khan, the Norbut-Biy Madrasah, the largest madrasah in Kokand, the Mausoleum of Modari-Khan ("Modari-Khan" means "Mother of the Khan"). Departure to the city of Rishtan (50 km west of Fergana), famous worldwide for its ceramics. It is decorated according to ancient traditions (over 800 years). The masters pass down their manufacturing secrets from father to son. We will visit the workshop of the famous potter Rustam Umarov, where visitors can see the best Rishtan ceramics in magnificent handmade and painted tea sets and lagans (plates), as well as beautifully decorated jugs and vases. Transfer and check-in at the hotel.

Breakfast. Continuation of the excursion in the Fergana Valley, visit: the monumental complex of Akhmad Al-Fergani, the Saïd-Akhmad Khoja Madrasah, where masters produce original silk carpets; the silk factory "Yodgorlik" in Margilan, where visitors can observe the process of silk production with traditional "ikat" decoration. Transfer to Margilan train station (16 km, 40 min). Train Margilan-Tashkent (16:03-21:17). Arrival in Tashkent. Transfer and check-in at the hotel.

Petit-déjeuner. Transfert à l'aéroport pour le vol vers Paris.

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