Tashkent, Chimgan, Samarkand and Bukhara: 8-day sightseeing tour

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day 1

   Arrival in Tashkent and free time without transport and excursions. The day sets a leisurely tone: you can look around, walk through modern quarters or simply rest after the road. Night in a hotel.

2. Day 2

   The main impression of the day is the heliocomplex “Physics-Sun” in Parkent District. Here they tell about the solar laboratory and show heliostats directing rays to the concentrator. The ascent to the upper floor opens a panorama of the Chatkal Range and the surrounding kishlaks. Return to Tashkent, free time.

3. Day 3

   A day in Chimgan, in the spurs of the Western Tian Shan. Ascent by cable car to the observation deck — for the panoramas of the Chatkal Range, the Charvak Reservoir and the village of Brichmulla. A walking stroll in the mountains, a stop for lunch at the “Bochki” spot near the reservoir, and in the evening — a walk in Tashkent City park with singing fountains. This is the most “airy” day of the trip.

4. Day 4

   Morning — a tour of the Old City of Tashkent: Hast Imam Square with the Uthman Quran manuscript, the Barak Khan Madrasah, the Kaffal al-Shashi Mazar Mausoleum and the Chorsu Bazaar under a dome. Lunch at the Central Asian pilaf center “Besh Qozon”, where pilaf is cooked in giant cauldrons. Then — the Minor Mosque, the “Courage” monument, Amir Temur Square and Anhor park with an ethnographic part. In the evening transfer to Samarkand.

5. Day 5

   A whole day is given to Samarkand. Registan Square with three madrasahs, the Gur-Emir Mausoleum, the Bibi-Khanym Cathedral Mosque, the Siab Bazaar, the Shah-i-Zinda ensemble and the Ulugh Beg Observatory Museum — a rich and solemn day. The pace is high, but in the evening you can breathe out and walk on your own.

6. Day 6

   Morning — free time in Samarkand, then transfer to Bukhara. The first excursion goes through the center: the Lyabi-Hauz ensemble with the Kukeldash and Nadir Divan-Begi madrasahs, the monument to Khoja Nasreddin, the trading quarters of covered bazaars. A separate stop is the puppet workshop on Lyabi-Hauz Square, where hereditary masters show puppets and put on a small performance. The day is softer than the previous one, with a transition from large forms to details.

7. Day 7

   Continued acquaintance with Bukhara: the Samanid Mausoleum, Chashma Ayub, the Bolo-Hauz complex with carved columns, the Ark Citadel and the Poi-Kalyan complex with the Kalyan Minaret. Among the madrasahs, the Abdulaziz Khan Madrasah with its ornaments and the strict Ulugh Beg Madrasah stand out. The day is dense and architectural, with many details. In the evening — transfer to Tashkent.

8. Day 8

   Breakfast and group transfer to the airport. The tour program ends, but the aftertaste of changing cities and eras remains. Free time until the transfer.