Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent: 9-day sightseeing tour

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day 1

   Arrival in Urgench and a group transfer to Khiva. Free time: transport and a guide are not provided for this stretch, you can simply look around and get used to the city. The ancient shahristan of Ichan Kala has been preserved here almost untouched. Night in a hotel.

2. Day 2

   The main impression of the day is Ichan Kala from the inside: streets where every building turns out to be a separate monument. Among the stops — the Kunya-Ark fortress, the citadel of the rulers, and the Islam Khodja minaret, the tallest in Khiva, from which the whole city is visible. A few more madrasahs, mosques and palaces — including the Juma mosque with its carved wooden columns. Night in a hotel.

3. Day 3

   A day of travel: transfer to Bukhara through the Kyzylkum Desert along the Amu Darya. This is the same route the caravans of the Silk Road took. Along the way — several stops and a walk among the dunes with their reddish tint of sand. On arrival — check-in and free time, you can look into souvenir shops and workshops. Night in a hotel.

4. Day 4

   Bukhara reveals itself as a city with a dense history: many architectural monuments have been preserved here. On this day — the Samanid mausoleum, the Ark fortress, the Poi-Kalyan complex with the Kalyan minaret, the Abdulaziz Khan and Ulugh Beg madrasahs. A separate stop — Lyabi-Hauz square with a pond, cafes and a monument to Khoja Nasreddin. Then — the trading quarter of covered bazaars with artisans' workshops. Night in a hotel.

5. Day 5

   Transfer to Shahrisabz — a green city where Tamerlane was born. Here you see the ruins of the Ak-Saray palace, the Dorut-Saodat memorial complex with Timur's crypt, which remained empty, and the Dorut-Tillyavat ensemble. The excursion is completed by the Kok-Gumbaz mosque with its blue dome. Then — transfer to Samarkand and a night in a hotel.

6. Day 6

   The first day in Samarkand is devoted to its main ensembles. Registan Square with its three madrasahs sets the scale, the Gur-Emir mausoleum — the theme of Tamerlane's dynastic tomb. Further — the Bibi-Khanum cathedral mosque, the Siab bazaar and the Shahi-Zinda ensemble of eleven mausoleums. Night in a hotel.

7. Day 7

   The excursion around Samarkand is continued by two museums. One tells about the ancient settlement whose ruins lie nearby. The other is connected with the Ulugh Beg Observatory: there a part of a huge measuring instrument that went into the ground has survived. After that — transfer to Tashkent, the capital, where next to new buildings the flavor of the Old City has been preserved. Night in a hotel.

8. Day 8

   Tashkent is shown from the side of the Old City: the Hast-Imam square, where the manuscript of the Uthman Quran is kept, the Barak Khan madrasah and the Kafal-al-Shashi Mazar mausoleum. A separate stop — the Chorsu bazaar under a huge dome, and nearby — quarters of old buildings with houses made of clay and narrow alleys. Lunch — at the Besh Qozon pilaf center. The day is completed by a walk through the central part of the city. Night in a hotel.

9. Day 9

   Breakfast and a group transfer to the airport. The tour program ends.