Compare Samarkand & Silk Road Cities - With Khiva, Bukhara, Tashkent & Shakhrisabz by Martin Randall Travel vs Uzbekistan in 8 days - Cities of the Silk Road - Charm by Exoticca

Day 1

Fly at c. 9.35pm (Uzbekistan Airways) from London Heathrow for the seven-hour flight to Tashkent (currently the only direct flight).

Days 2 & 3

Tashkent. Touch-down c. 8.25am. Hotel rooms in the centre of Tashkent are at your disposal for the morning. The History Museum of the People of Uzbekistan is within walking distance if you want to venture out before lunch. Afternoon drive around the city centre, a modern city with wide avenues, spacious parks, glistening new government buildings. Among the places seen during the two days are the Hazret Imam complex, a group of mosques and madrassas (seminaries) from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries; the Timur Museum and park, a homage to the newly elevated national hero with 13th to 16th-century artefacts and models of some of the buildings seen on the tour; the Fine Arts Museum with collections from pre-Islamic sculpture to twentieth-century painting; free time for the Museum of Applied Arts or the Chorsu Bazaar. Fly at c. 15.30pm on Day 3 to Urgench and drive the 30 miles to Khiva. First of two nights in Khiva.

Day 4

Khiva. No modern intrusions spoil the timeless fabric within a rectangle of crenellated and turreted ramparts. Most of the buildings are 19th-century, but such was Khiva’s isolation and conservatism that to the inexpert eye they could date to any time from the 16th-century. The Friday Mosque, a forest of carved wooden columns some dating to the 10th-century, the Tash Hauli Palace, whose harem quarters constitute the loveliest secular spaces in Central Asia, and the Paklavan Mahmoud Mausoleum where tiled interiors reach a peak of opulence.

Day 5

Khiva to Bukhara. The 280 mile journey starts and finishes in an unspoilt landscape of green fields, plentiful trees and adobe farmsteads while the central section is undulating desert, specked with tufty shrubs which are briefly green in the spring. There are periodic sightings of the meandering Oxus, the mighty river crossed by Alexander the Great in 329 BC. Reach Bukhara in time for a walk before dinner. First of three nights in Bukhara.

Day 6

Bukhara. Genghis Khan ensured in 1220 that with notable exceptions (including the Kalon Minaret, at 48 metres then the tallest in the world) little of Bukhara’s first golden age remains, but of the second, the 15th and 16th centuries, there survives much magnificent architecture, lavishly embellished. Today’s walks take in the vast Kalon Mosque (finished 1514) with a capacity of 10,000, several grand madrassas, the formidable citadel of the Khans and the Zindan, their infamous prison. Take tea in the shade of mulberry trees around a 15th-century pool.

Day 7

Bukhara. The perfectly preserved 10th-century Samani Mausoleum and the remains of the 12th-century Namaz Goh Mosque display fine terracotta decoration. The Emir’s summer palace, 1911, is a riotous mix of Russian and traditional Bukharan decoration with rose garden, aviary and swimming pool. Free afternoon with the option to visit Chor Bakr, a memorial complex built over the burial place of Abu-Bakr a descendant of the prophet Mohammed.

Day 8

Shakhrisabz. A 4-hour drive across a fertile plain where wheat and cotton flourish. Shakhrisabz was transformed by Timur (1336–1405) whose home town it was. An astounding survival is the most imposing palace portal in the history of architecture, an arch 22 metres wide with a wondrous range of tiled decoration. Further Timurid remnants include a mosque complex with three turquoise domes. Cross a mountain range (broadleaf woods, fissured granite, pasturage) and drop down to the plain of the Zarifsan river, and to Samarkand. First of three nights in Samarkand.

Day 9

Samarkand. The Registan, ‘the noblest public square in the world’ (Lord Curzon, 1889), bounded on three sides by magnificent madrassas of the 15th and 17th centuries. The Museum of History, Culture and Art has collections from pre-Islamic as well as Islamic periods. Other places seen are the Gur Emir Mausoleum, burial place of Tamerlane, the adjacent Ak Serai Mausoleum and the Shah-i-Zinda, an ensemble of mausolea gorgeously apparelled in many types of glazed tiles.

Day 10

Samarkand. Commissioned by Timur, the Bibi Khanum Mosque is an exercise in gigantism and impresses despite partial destruction and over-zealous restoration. The adjacent Bazaar is a traditional produce market. Optional visits to the Afrasiab History Museum which documents pre-Islamic Samarkand and to the remains of the extraordinary observatory built by Ulug Bek in the 15th-century. Some free time.

Day 11

Tashkent. Drive to Tashkent. The flight arrives at Heathrow at c. 8.00pm.

Day 1: US - Night on board

Arrive at your US departure airport, ready to board a flight* to Tashkent. Night on board. * If either your outbound or inbound flights depart in the early hours (before 4:00 a.m.) you must arrive at the airport the night before the indicated departure day.

Day 2: In-flight

Continue with your flight.

Day 3: Tashkent

Arrive in Tashkent*, the capital of Uzbekistan, and transfer to the hotel. Spend the day at your leisure, exploring the city as you wish. We recommend getting to know the capital with an optional city tour of Tashkent.* Overnight stay in Tashkent. * Your outbound flight may arrive very late in the evening, or in the early hours of the following morning, so you have the option to book early check-in. ** Optional Tashkent Tour (Midday) Take a tour of Tashkent to see the Hasti Imam complex: Barak Kan Madrasa, Kafal Shohi Madrasa, Tilla Seykh mosque and the Museum of Usman Coran. Finally, visit Victory Park. ** Optional Tashkent Tour (Afternoon): Take an afternoon tour of Tashkent to see the highlights of the city and visit the History Museum of Uzbekistan, the White Mosque and the Metro system.

Day 4: Tashkent - Urgench - Khiva

Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning, set off to visit Tashkent Old Town. Admire Kukeldash Madrasa, the largest in the city. From the Madrasa's towers, the melodic call of prayer is announced. Take a stroll through the exotic Chorsu Bazaar, a covered market whose main building has an elegant turquoise dome. Next, explore the modern part of the city and discover the amazing contrasts as you visit Independence Square, Eternity Square, the amazing Romanov Palace and Amir Temur Square. At the indicated time, transfer to the airport to board a flight to Urgench.* Arrive and transfer to Khiva. Check in to the hotel and enjoy the remainder of the evening at your leisure. Overnight stay in Khiva. * Please note: the flight from Tashkent to Urgench will be on the morning of day 3 of your trip, therefore you will have 2 nights in Tashkent instead of 1, and 1 in Khiva instead of 2.

Day 5: Khiva

Breakfast at the hotel. Set off to visit the Itchan-Kala architectural complex, protected by high brick walls and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Khiva was part of the Silk Road Triangle, together with Bukhara and Samarkand. Among its many wonders explore the Kunya Ark Castle, sumptuously decorated; the madrasah Mohammed Rakhmin Khan which houses an interesting museum about the city, and the minaret of Islam Khodja. Next, visit Tash Hovli Palace, built of stone and blue coloured ceramics brought from China. End the visit at the Juma Mosque and the Allakuli Khan Madrasa. Spend the rest of the day exploring at your leisure. You also have the option to add an extra tour to the Mausoleum of Pahlavan Mahmud.* Overnight stay in Khiva. * Optional Mausoleum of Pahlavan Mahmud Excursion: Discover the Mausoleum of Pahlavan Mahmud, a philosopher, poet, fighter, tanner craftsman and founder of a branch of Sufism. Afterwards, enjoy the sunset from the Oq-Sheykh Bobo viewpoint.

Day 6: Khiva - Bukhara

Breakfast at the hotel. Leave by road to Bukhara, southeast of Khiva. During the 8-9 hour journey, cross the Kizil-Kum Desert which means 'red sands' in Arabic and see the historic Amudarya River, which marks the border with Kazakhstan. Arrive in Bukhara in the afternoon, transfer to the hotel and spend any free time exploring this atmospheric city at your leisure. Overnight stay in Bukhara.

Day 7: Bukhara

Breakfast at the hotel. Set off on a comprehensive tour of the UNESCO-protected city of Bukhara. Visit the beautiful Mausoleum of the Samanids, known for its significance to the Islamic faith, the holy spring of Chashmai Ayub and the charming Bolo Hauz Mosque. Afterwards, explore the spectacular Lyabi Hauz Architectural Complex, dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Here you can admire two madrasas, sat on the banks of a picturesque lake, as well as a number of eye-catching mosques, which showcase an array of historic architectural styles. Continue the tour of the city with a visit to the Kalyan minaret, part of the Poi Kalyan Architectural Complex. Visit one of the largest mosques in Central Asia: Kalon Mosque and the striking Miri Arab Madrasa before heading to Bukhara's atmospheric bazaar, a huge domed construction home to countless artisan workshops and stalls selling local wares. You can complete your visit by adding an optional tour to the impressive Chor Minor and the Ark Citadel.* Overnight stay in Bukhara. * Optional Ark Citadel & Chor Minor Excursion: Visit the amazing Ark citadel, an imposing fortress dating back to the 5th-century and see the impressive Chor Minor, a historic gatehouse for a now-destroyed madrasa.

Day 8: Bukhara - Samarkand

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the city of Samarkand, located 290 kilometres east of Bukhara. Arrive in Samarkand and, in the afternoon, take a guided city tour. See the legendary Registan Square, where you can admire spectacular madrasas, dating back to between the 4th and 7th-centuries, such as Ulughbek, Shir-Dor and Tilla-Kori. Next, visit the Guri Emir Mausoleum, to explore the tomb of Tamerlane, built in the 15th-century and a precursor and for many later Mughal tombs around the world. Overnight stay in Samarkand.

Day 9: Samarkand - Tashkent

Breakfast at the hotel. Begin the day with a visit to Bibi-Khanum Mosque and the charming Siab Bazaar, where locals sell their artisan wares, the perfect place to shop for souvenirs. You also have the option to book an optional tour of the beautiful Shakhi Zinda architectural complex.* In the afternoon, transfer to the station to board a train back to Tashkent. Arrive in the capital of Uzbekistan and transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay in Tashkent. * Optional Shakhi Zinda Architectural Complex Tour: Discover the mind-blowing mosaics of the Shaki Zinda Architectural Complex, home to an ensemble of ancient mausoleums dating back to around the 6th-century. Afterwards, see the beautiful Ulughbek Observatory to trace Uzbekistan's astronomical heritage.

Day 10: Tashkent - Night on board

Breakfast* at the hotel. Spend today at your leisure.* Transfer to the airport for a flight back to the US. Night on board. * Depending on the return flight schedule and the hotel breakfast service, you may not be able to enjoy the included breakfast on the last day.

Day 11: US

Arrive in the US and end your trip.