Navruz Holiday on the Silk Road - 11 Days

DAY 1: HOMELAND - TASHKENT. - Arrival at the international airport of Tashkent. You'll be met by the guide and driver. - Visiting the Madrassa Kukeldash, Complex Khast Imam, the religious heart of the city with the Barak Khan Madrassa, Kafal Shashi Mausoleum, Mosque Djami. Shopping in Chorsu Bazaar Market - Bazaar is the heart of every oriental city, the center of public life, the breadwinner of the whole city. Since the dawn of time bazaars appeared on the intersections of trade roads, on big squares of cities. - On counters of this oriental Bazaar, you will find fresh fruits, amber-colored dried fruits, toasted Uzbek bread, fresh-killed meat, kazy (horse meat sausage), and whatnot. And all these things are so attractive that one can’t stand to pass by them. - Lunch time. - Then we continue our tour in the modern part of Tashkent with the Panoramic view: Museum of Applied Arts, Opera and Ballet theatre named after A. Navoi – the great Uzbek poet; Independence Square, Amir Temur Square. - The tour ends with the beautiful metro in Tashkent, where every station is decorated in various themes. Dinner time. Free time and overnight at the hotel. - Overnight in Tashkent. DAY 2: TASHKENT - SAMARKAND. - After early breakfast transfer to the railway station to catch the fast train “Afrosiyob” to Samarkand (300 km and it takes 2 hours and 20 minutes). - Arrive in Samarkand at 10:30 am. - You'll be met by the driver and guide and start your excursion with the magnificent Registan Square with the three Madrasse completely covered with tiles and mosaics of lapis lazuli is one of the most extraordinary monuments of Central Asia with the Ulugbek Madrassa, the Sher Dor Madrassa and Tilla Kari Madrassa, the giant mosque Bibi Khanum built by Timur for his favorite wife. - After visiting the giant mosque of Bibi Khanum, we lead our way to the Siyob Bazaar situated right next to the main gate to the city. Today the Siab bazaar - the city’s biggest and the most ancient market. It welcomes the customers with an abundance of fruit and vegetables growing in the fertile of Zarafshan valley. - Then visit the spectacular Shahi Zinda Necropolis "the tomb of the living king", the Mausoleum Guri Emir, the mausoleum of Timur familial with its beautifully fluted dome. - Dinner and Free time. Overnight in Samarkand. DAY 3: SAMARKAND. - After breakfast, visiting the Afrosiab museum and “Samarkand – Bukhara Silk Carpets” factory, where you can observe the whole process of weaving silk carpets based on “handmade” technology, then visiting the Ulugbek observatory with its astronomical instrument "sextant" that was the largest of the fifteenth century. - Lunch in a national restaurant with local people. - After lunch continue our tour with the Museum of Wine making at Khovrenko Winery. The winery has an interesting wine museum, which familiarizes the visitors with its history as well as that of Samarkand wine making, its international awards and, of course, arranges tasting of Samarkand wines. - Dinner and free time. - Overnight in Samarkand. DAY 4: SAMARKAND - A day before the celebration of Navruz we visit a local family to see and attend the preparation of Navruz meals. - After breakfast depart to the “Tersak” village near Samarkand to celebrate Navruz in a local family. - Participation in the preparation of the feast, prepare dishes and try the Navruz meals with the local family, discover the way of life and customs of the village native people who live in the mountain region. - There, you can see a really amazing view of the mountains covered with snow right coming out of the house. - Also on this day of our tour we’ll have the chance to attend one of the ancient Uzbek games Buzkachi (Ulak Kupkari) in the village (the main point of Ulak-Kupkari is that the rider has to raise "Ulak" – specially treated goat carcass from the ground, gallop with it a full circle, never letting it be taken away by other riders and throw it to the goal, visitors can better understand the history of these horsemen of the steppes of Central Asia who have made Genghis Khan, Attila or Tamerlane the great emperors). - At the end of the day we return back to Samarkand. - Dinner at the hotel. - Overnight in Samarkand. DAY 5: SAMARKAND - SHAKHRISABZ - BUKHARA - Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to Bukhara via Shakhrisabz and visit the historical monuments in the city. - Shakhrisabz – “Green City” is world-famous as a motherland of Tamerlane (Amir Temur) – the greatest commander and a statesman. Tamerlane made his native town the second capital of his huge medieval empire in XIV c. - Survived monuments of that time convey about the past grandeur of the town. Not without reason UNESCO declared the historical center of Shakhrisabz as a masterpiece of world heritage in 2000. The Ak Sarai Palace - Ak-Saray (means from Turkish "beautiful", "clean", "white" palace) was built at the end of XIV at the beginning of XV c. according to Amir Temur’s order. Unfortunately, just small fragment of the east wall and tumbledown walls of the intake portal of the palace outgoing to the sky for 30 meters reached up to now. Originally their height was more than 70 m. The work of the best architects and craftspeople from all conquered by Tamerlan’s countries is used in building and decorating the palace. - According to the description of eye-witnesses a swimming-pool was built in the palace at a height of 40 m. The water was given by drift to the swimming-pool from environing mountains and flew down as a water-fall, created a coolness and special microclimate in the palace. The Mausoleum of Djakhonghir with a quiet mosque called Matchiti Hazrati Imam complex Darul Tilovat "house of meditation”, is a large mosque on Friday Kuk Gumbaz "blue dome" and the mausoleum of Gumbazi Saydan. - Lunch in Shakhrisabz. - Continuation of the way to Bukhara. - Arrival in Bukhara and accommodation at the hotel. - Free time and dinner. - Overnight in Bukhara. DAY 6: BUKHARA - Breakfast at the hotel. - Today we celebrate the Navruz holiday in Bukhara. Navruz - the spring "New Year" holiday, has been celebrated for at least 2,500 years, and perhaps for as long as 5,000 years. Originating in Persia and long associated with the ancient Zoroastrian religion, its name means "new day" in Farsi because for ancient Persians it marked the first day of the New Year. - Today, Navruz is celebrated each year on March 21, when the sun enters the sign of Aries on the astrological calendar. In the northern hemisphere, this date frequently coincides with the spring equinox, the day on which the number of daylight hours equals the number of nighttime hours. - We start our tour from the Mausoleum of the Samanids, and architectural jewel of the ninth century, the Mausoleum of Tchashma Ayoub "source of Job", Mosque Bolo Khaouz "mosque over the bath," the Citadel Ark the heart of the old town, was the official residence of the rulers of Bukhara. - Lunchtime. - Then we continue our tour from the Kalon Complex occupies a central part of the city of Bukhara with its impressive Kalon Minaret of the twelfth century, Poi-Kalyan Complex including: Minaret of Kalyan (XII), Medrese of Mir-Arab (XVI), Kalyan Mosque (XV), The Old Covered Market (Bazaar) belong to civil architecture of the sixteenth century Taki Zargaron (jewelers), Taki Telpakfurushon (hatters), Taki Sarrafon (currency exchange), the Jews of Bukhara. - The Madrassa twins: the Madrassa of Ulugbek and that of Abdulaziz and Madrassa Nodir Devon Beghi, the Madrassa Kukeldash. - Demonstration of silk production and materials, Chor-Minor Medrese (1807). - Dinner at Medrese Nadir Devan Begi with folklore show and national Navruz dishes in menu: sumalak and kuk barak (small dumplings with greens) and etc. - Overnight in Bukhara. DAY 7: BUKHARA- KHIVA - After breakfast depart by vehicle to Khiva, the route crosses the desert Kyzyl Kum "red sands", the road that skirts the edge of the large bed of the river Amu Darya, whose dry offers stirring views of unusual beauty. - Arrival in Khiva and check-in the hotel. - Dinner. - After dinner, a visit to Mukhammad Aminkhan Madrassah to watch folklore show and dance for jolly Khorezmian music “Lazgi”. Overnight in Khiva. DAY 8: KHIVA - Breakfast at the hotel. - The day will be dedicated to visiting Khiva. “Ichan Kala”, its old town dating from the fifth century BC was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. - The excursion starts from the West Gate Ata Darvaza, Complex Muhammed Aminkhan (XIX s) with the Madrassa Aminkhan and Kalta Minor Minaret, the Fortress Kunya Ark, the residence of local rulers with the Reception Hall, the Royal Mosque, the Harem, the Old Prisons, etc., Mosque Djouma (x, s) is the most beautiful Friday Mosque of Khiva from the 213 carved wooden columns, the Palace Tash Khovli, the second residence of the rulers of Khiva with the Harem, the Reception Hall, the Hall of Justice, the Mausoleum of Pahlavan Mahmud, poet, philosopher and legendary wrestler, patron saint of the city, one of the most sacred and beautiful place in Khiva, the Complex of Islam Khodja the Madrassa and Khodja Minaret Islam, the West and the East Gate Complex Palvan Darvaza, the Ak Mosque, the Madrassa Allakuli khan and Kutlimurad, the Royal Caravanserai with its fascinating bazaar and just from this site you may have a free time for walking and shopping in a local Bazaar in Khiva. - Dinner. - Overnight in Khiva. DAY 9: KHIVA - NUKUS - Breakfast in the hotel. After breakfast depart to Nukus (150 km). - On the way to Nukus we make a photo stop at an impressive Ayaz Kala and Tuprok Kala, a complex of three forts dating from the sixth to seventh century who were part of a series of fortifications located on the edge of Kyzyl Kum desert, which served as a defense against the incursions of nomadic peoples. - Arrival in Nukus and check-in the hotel. - Lunchtime. - After lunch we will visit the Savitsky Karakalpakstan Art Museum. The museum hosts the world's second-largest collection of Russian avant-garde art and exposition of Karakalpak applied arts items. - Free time and dinner. - Overnight at the hotel. DAY 10: NUKUS - MUYNAK - NUKUS - TASHKENT - After breakfast drive to former fishermen’s town Muynak (200 km, 3 h), which used to be situated on the shores of the Aral Sea. - Lunchtime in guesthouse. - In Muynak you can see a former port with abandoned ships in the sand – “Cemetery of ships”. - Then visit Local History Museum with art exhibits of the Aral Sea history. - In the afternoon return to Nukus. - Transfer to the domestic airport of Nukus city to take the flight Nukus – Tashkent. - Arrival in Tashkent. Transfer to the hotel. - Dinner & overnight in Tashkent. DAY 11: TASHKENT - HOMELAND - After breakfast transfer to Tashkent international airport for the return flight back home with nice experiences and memories!