THE ESSENCE OF UZBEKISTAN
Details
This 8-day circuit is the perfect itinerary for a first discovery of Uzbekistan. In just one week, you will visit the three legendary Silk Road cities — Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand — each inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, each with a unique personality of its own. From the labyrinthine alleyways of Khiva, an open-air museum city on the banks of the Amu Darya, to the majesty of Bukhara the Noble with its 360 mosques, and on to the dazzling Registan Square in Samarkand, this journey is an immersion into a thousand years of Eastern civilisation. Between the cities, the crossing of the Kyzylkum Desert adds a touch of adventure and complete change of scenery.
Highlights
Khiva, open-air museum city: Itchan Kala, Djuma Mosque, Tash-Khauli Palace, unfinished Kalta Minor minaret Crossing the Kyzylkum Desert, the "Red Sands," between Khiva and Bukhara (480 km) Bukhara the Noble, its 360 mosques and the enchanting Lyab-i Hauz ensemble The Ark, Bukhara's fortress whose foundations date back to the 1st century BC Samarkand, Pearl of the Silk Road: Registan, Shah-i-Zinda, Gur-e-Amir Ulughbek Observatory, the prince-astronomer who catalogued over a thousand stars in the 15th century
Itinerary (8 days)
Arrival at Urgench Airport. Welcome by your English-speaking guide and driver. Transfer to Khiva (25 km), the former capital of the Khorezm Khanate. Check-in at the hotel, a historic caravanserai converted into a boutique hotel in the heart of the old town. Breakfast and time to rest. First discovery of Khiva, a veritable open-air museum city that has preserved its authentic charm for a millennium. The itinerary begins with Itchan Kala, the inner walled city inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Visit the Kunya-Ark Citadel, the former residence of the Khans of Khiva, with its reception hall adorned with white and blue majolica tiles and finely carved doors. Discover the Djuma Mosque and its 218 sculpted wooden columns, some dating back to the 10th century. Visit the Mausoleum of Pakhlavan Mahmud, an important pilgrimage site, adorned with strikingly beautiful majolica. Discover the Islam Khodja complex with its minaret — the tallest in Khiva — and Tash-Khauli Palace, a jewel of Khorezmian civil architecture. Guided tour until 3:00 PM, then free time to wander through the old town’s alleyways at your own pace. Breakfast included. Lunch and dinner at leisure. Overnight at hotel in Khiva.
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