10-Day Uzbekistan Cities Tour with Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand

• Arrive in the morning and transfer to the hotel.

• Begin the tour with a visit to the capital. 

• Visit the old town Eski Shahar, a maze of narrow streets, overlooked by low houses of brick and mud, ancient mosques and madrasas.

• Explore Barak Khan madrassah (XVI century), the old mosque Djami (Friday) still under the works, and the mausoleum of Kaffal Chachi.

• Go to Charsu bazaar, the city's most famous farmer's market and a great place to meet locals coming from the countryside, dressed in traditional costumes.

• Stroll through Independence Square, the Square of Amir Temur, the Theatre Square and other attractions for a panoramic view.

Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight stay at the hotel.

• Transfer to the airport to board the flight to Urgench.

• Upon arrival in Urgench, meet the driver and drive to Khiva (30 km).

• Go out for a city tour of Khiva which includes visits to famous attractions such as the statue of the great scholar Al-Khorezmi (Algorithme), located next to the main entrance of Ichan Kala, the fortified town.

• Visit the Kunya Ark, a fortress and residence of the rulers of Khiva and find the harem, the mint, the stables, the armoury, barracks, mosque and the palace stables Tosh-Hovli.

• Proceed to Djuma Mosque or Friday Mosque which has 213 carved wooden columns supporting the ceiling. The columns were brought from different regions of Central Asia (10th-13th centuries).

• Embark upon the mausoleum of Pahlavan Mahmud, a poet, philosopher and legendary wrestler, who became the patron saint of Khiva. It’s considered to be the most sacred and honoured place in Khiva and one of the most beautiful monuments of the city.

• Explore Islam Khodja which includes the minaret and the madrassa of Islam Khodja and the Summer Palace of Nurullabay.

• Have dinner and stay overnight at the hotel.

• Depart for the desert area of Elliq Qala, to visit the ancient fortress in the desert. At the exit of the oasis of Khiva (Khorezm), cross the river Oxus.

• Visit the open-air museum of ancient fortresses. Begin with Toprak Qala fortress, the ancient fort palace of the Shah of Khorezm. Proceed to see the impressive Ayaz-Qala, a complex of three forts dating from the sixth to the seventh century. Also, see the fortress of Djanbas-Qala before sitting down at a beautiful local yurt.

• Enjoy the dance and music of the local nomads while having dinner.

Stay overnight at Yurtas in Ellik Qala.

• After breakfast, depart for Bukhara. The path crosses the Kyzyl Kum "red sands" and the Karakum "black sands". The road skirts the edge of the large bed of the river Amu Darya, which offers stirring views of the unusual beauty. During the tour, stops are planned for lunch, free and short walks.

• Upon arrival in Bukhara, one of the oldest cities in the world, start the city tour.

• Check in to the hotel after the city tour and relax.

Dinner and overnight stay in Bukhara.

• Have breakfast and then leave for the tour which includes visits to Ismail Samani Mausoleum, the oldest masterpiece of medieval architecture.

• Then, take a walk in the bazaar of Chasma Ayoub and see the Bolo-Hauz Mosque, the Emirs official place of worship, which is located next to the door of the Ark.

• Proceed to explore the complex Poi Kalon, which includes the Kalon minaret, the Kalon mosque, the madrassas of  Miri Arab and Said Alimkhan. 

• Continue the tour with the Ulugbek Madrassa, the oldest in Central Asia (1417). Visit the sixteenth-century madrassa of Abdul Aziz Khan.

• If time permits, visit the atelier of traditional puppets.

Dinner and overnight stay in the Old Madrassa Nodir Devon Beghi.

• After breakfast, leave Bukhara and proceed to Sentob. During the journey, you will visit the famous minaret of Vobkent (12th-century) which served as a beacon for the caravans on the Silk Road.

• The second stop will be at Gidjduvan, a town famous for its ceramics. Get to visit the home of a potter to see the manufacturing of traditional ceramics.

• Visit an ancient caravanserai and the tank's water. Continue to Nurata, a city in the desert.

• Explore the old town with the source chasma and its sacred fish, the Mausoleum of the patron saint of Nurata and mosques.

• Continue along the road to Sentob, the village of the mountains of the Central Asian steppe. In the spring, the desert blooms, forming a carpet of multi-coloured flowers.

• Arrive in Sentob, transfer to the guesthouse and check-in.

• Dinner at a local family's place.

Overnight stay in the guest house.

• Have breakfast and then take a walk through the village and meet the local population and observe their traditional way of life.

• Visit the ruins of the ancient Sentob, petroglyphs (rock carvings) from the Bronze Age, the old mill, and other attractions.

• In the afternoon, depart for Samarkand. Upon arrival in Samarkand, get transferred to the hotel and check-in.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

• Have breakfast and then leave to visit Registan Square, the bazaar, and the three Madrases.

• Visit the Bibi Khanim mosque, located northeast of the plaza, with its 41-meter high portal. 

• Walk around the Silk Road Bazaar and the necropolis of Shahi Zinda which houses historic mausoleums and tombs.

• Explore the site and the museum of Afrosiab and the observatory of Ulughbek, dated 1420.

• Have dinner in a traditional house with specialities “Uzbek Plov ".

Overnight stay at the hotel. 

• Enjoy a city tour and visit the complexes of Imam al Bukhari and Khodja Akhrar, Devonbeghi Madrassa and the mosque of Akhrar.

• After the city tour, get transferred to the station to catch the high-speed train to Tashkent (2 h 10m).

• Upon arrival in Tashkent, be transferred to the hotel.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

• Have breakfast and then check out.

• Get transferred to the airport.