Mysterious Uzbekistan

After breakfast, take the train over the impressive Kamchik Pass (2,268 m) to Kokand.
You will have a local driver for two days in the Fergana Valley.
In Kokand, you will visit the magnificent Islamic buildings – the Khudoyarkhan Palace and the impressive Juma Mosque.
In Rishtan, we will visit a ceramics workshop where a potter will show you the production process and give a demonstration. Dinner at the hotel.

Explore the tree-lined streets of Fergana.
Visit the town of Margilan, where you will visit the largest silk factory, "Yodgorlik." Here, you will learn all about the individual steps of silk production.
In the afternoon, we will drive back over the mountain pass to Tashkent.
Dinner at a local restaurant.

Morning flight to Nukus (1,255 km, 2 hours 45 minutes).
Upon arrival, drive to the former fishing village of Muynak (220 km, 3 hours), which once lay on the shores of the Aral Sea.
In Muynak, you will visit the former harbor with its abandoned boats in the sand – the "ship graveyard."
Afterwards, visit the local museum, which tells the history of the Aral Sea through art exhibitions.
Picnic lunch.
In the afternoon, return to Nukus with a stop at the Mizdakhan archaeological complex, where you will visit the region's most important burial sites.
Dinner at a typical local restaurant.

After breakfast, visit the Savitsky Art Museum, which houses a unique collection of classical Russian avant-garde art.
Continue to Khiva with stops at:
- Ayaz Kala – an impressive ancient mud fortress in the Kyzylkum Desert, dating back to the 2nd century BC.
- Toprak Kala – the ancient capital of Khorezm, dating back to the 2nd century AD.
Lunch in yurts. Arrival in the oasis town of Khiva in the afternoon.

A highlight of your trip!
The mud streets and two-wheeled donkey carts that can still be seen here give a glimpse of life unchanged since the Middle Ages.
Visit the old town of Ichan Kala, known as an "open-air museum" due to its oriental ornaments and turquoise tiles.
Sights:
- Kunya Ark – former residence of the Khans of Khiva
- Juma Friday Mosque – with 212 intricately carved wooden columns
- Pakhlavon Makhmud Mausoleum
- Islam Khodja Madrasa and Minaret – the wise vizier of Khan Muhammad Rakhimkhan
- Muhammad Rakhimkhan Madrasa
- Tash-Hovli Palace
Soak up the magical impressions of the day.

Long drive through the Kyzylkum ("Red Sands") semi-desert and steppe to Bukhara.
Picnic lunch at an Uzbek rest house.
Upon arrival in Bukhara, check into the hotel and enjoy free time to explore on your own.
Dinner at a local restaurant.

We begin our tour with the Mausoleum of Ismail Samani and then visit the Khashmai Ayub Mausoleum. Afterward, we continue our city tour on foot.
Bukhoroi Sharif ("Noble Bukhara") is a city with impressive domed bazaars, active mosques, and madrasas. Bukhara has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
You feel transported to the world of One Thousand and One Nights, and it's impressive that teaching and learning still take place in the mosques and madrasas—for example, in the Miri Arab Madrasa.
You can admire the classical architectural complexes around Lyabi-Hauz with their trading domes, as well as several mosques, madrasas, and the dervish monastery of Khanaka Nadir Divanbegi – and understand why Bukhara bears the honorary title of "noble city."
Along the way, we visit the market arcades of Toki Zargaron, Toki Telpakfurushon, and Toki Saraffon.
In the afternoon, we have time to explore Bukhara's Jewish Quarter and visit a synagogue that is over 400 years old. Afterwards, we visit a puppet workshop.

In the house of the merchant Khodzhaev, now a museum, you can see how wealthy merchants and traders lived in Bukhara 100 years ago.
We then visit the summer residence of the last Emir of Bukhara – Sitorai Mokhi Khosa, which means "place where the moon and stars meet" in Persian.
Bukhara is one of the seven holy cities of the Islamic world.
In the afternoon, we leave Bukhara and drive to the yurt camp in the Kyzylkum Desert (230 km, 4 hours).
Along the way, we make a short stop at the ruins of an ancient caravanserai and a "sardoba" (water reservoir).
These two sights date back to the 11th to 14th centuries and bear witness to the many caravans that traveled here along the Silk Road.
A short stop in Nurata to visit a local mosque and the holy spring.
Continue over the Nurata Pass, where you can see petroglyphs.
Arrive at the yurt camp in the evening.
The yurts can accommodate 2–6 people, with a maximum of 8 in exceptional cases.
After dinner, an akyn (folk singer) will sing Uzbek songs around the campfire.

In the morning, drive to Aydarkul Desert Lake.
Lunch at the lake.
In the afternoon, drive to Samarkand.
Samarkand – the Pearl of the Orient – ​​is over 2,750 years old and was considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world in the Middle Ages. It has lost none of its fascination to this day.
Dinner at a local restaurant.

In Samarkand, the world of One Thousand and One Nights begins anew for you.
The city is one of the oldest in the world and was the center of the famous Silk Road.
At the Afrosiyob Museum, you'll gain a detailed insight into ancient Samarkand.
Then, you'll visit one of the greatest pilgrimage sites in the Islamic world – the tomb complex of Saint Daniel and the Shahi-Zinda Necropolis, a collection of beautifully decorated Timur-style mausoleums with majolica and mosaic tiles.
After a break, we'll visit a tissue paper factory revived by the Mukhtarov brothers. Thanks to them, ancient paper production was brought back to life using Samarkand technology.
What's particularly impressive is that the entire production process is carried out by hand, allowing visitors to experience it up close.
Afterwards, we'll visit the Ulugbek Observatory, once the largest research center in Central Asia.
Ulugbek, the grandson of Amir Timur, erected a sextant here, which was only discovered in 1908.
Dinner with a local family.

During your tour, you will be impressed by the palatial mausoleum of the ruler Amir Timur, the Gur-Emir Mausoleum.
Today, you will enjoy the absolute highlight of your trip – Registan Square with its three imposing, ornately decorated madrasas.
Tashkent Street, with its many souvenir shops, leads you to what was once the largest mosque in Central Asia – the Bibi-Khanym Mosque.
Timur wanted to use it to demonstrate his technical and financial capabilities and build the most beautiful building in the Orient.
During your stroll through the bazaar, you can sample raisins, apricots, and nuts and enjoy the hustle and bustle of the friendly locals.
In the evening, you will take part in a historical costume show at the "El Merosi" Theater.
This theater presents the traditional costumes of the peoples of Central Asia from various eras – from ancient times to the 19th century (the Massagetae, Achaemenid, Anakhite, Sogdian, and Timurid periods).
Dinner at the "Samarkand" restaurant, where you can experience Uzbek culture up close.

Today we'll take a trip to Shahrisabz – the birthplace of the great Timur.
Travel by private car over a scenic mountain pass, where you'll have a photo stop for breathtaking shots.
Visit the remains of Timur's summer palace, Ak-Saray, which took 20 years to build, as well as the Jakhongir Mausoleum, which Timur had built for his eldest son, who died in a military campaign.
You'll also visit the Kok Gumbaz Mosque, whose blue dome is visible from afar and is known for its unique acoustics.
In the afternoon, return to Samarkand.
Transfer to the train station at 5:00 PM.
Departure at 6:00 PM on the "Afrosiyob" express train to Tashkent (300 km).
Arrival at 8:10 PM.
Dinner at a local restaurant.

After an early breakfast, transfer to Tashkent Airport for your flight home.

End of the Mysterious Uzbekistan Tour.