- This vacation package is an extraordinary contrast of Stunning Activities;

- You will discover one of the richest art & crafts museums of the world in Nukus;

- Camels, dunes, yurts, unique desert forest filled with gazelles, and antique citadels in the vast Kyzyl Kum desert;

- Gorgeous landscapes of the Takhtakaracha mountain pass;

- Expert guided visits of over 50 greatest monuments of Uzbekistan in 8 cities during this customizable holiday;

- Stay in perfectly-located in the heart of the old cities, surrounded by majestic monuments;

12 Days trip of Uzbekistan's Highlights & Aral Sea designed and planned by local experts

Customizable private trip to the Aral Sea, Samarkand, Bukhara, Shahrisabz, and Khiva through the magic past and present of Uzbekistan.

Day 1. FLIGHT TO UZBEKISTAN

DAY 2. ARRIVE IN TASHKENT, SIGHTSEEING

On arrival in Tashkent, you will be transferred to your hotel. Our guide/driver will be waiting for you at the waiting area of the airport with a board written your name/s.

After having some rest and breakfast at your hotel, you will start the visits to Tashkent. Your first impressions in Uzbekistan will be discovering mostly white cars all around and the amazing contrast of people dressed both in pure traditional and modern western styles. In the morning we invite you to visit the most traditional and ancient part of Tashkent where you will visit the old madrasas, mosques, minarets, and mausoleums of Central Asian Silk Road architecture. During the visit, you can visit the biggest bazaar of Tashkent – Chorsu Bazaar.

In the afternoon you will continue the visits to the modern part of Tashkent:

• A couple of beautiful stations of the metro of Tashkent; Pakhtakor and Alisher Navoi are 2 stations of metro decorated in cultural/traditional style;
• Memorial of the Victims of the Great Repression;
• The place Mustakillik Maidoni and The park Amir Temur.

We can assure you that your first day in Uzbekistan will be rich in emotions and discoveries. Every monument you visit, and every corner of the bazaar you see will amaze you with their unique but simple Uzbek atmosphere. And they will prepare for more surprising cultural discoveries.

Overnight in Tashkent.

Day3. TASHKENT – NUKUS – ARAL SEA (Muynak) – NUKUS
Early breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the domestic airport of Tashkent to take the morning flight to Nukus (07:40,1255km, 1 h. 45 min. flight). Arrive in Nukus and drive to make a visit to the Aral Sea, to the former port city of the Aral Sea – Muynaq (220 km, 3 h.).

On arrival in Muynak, you will have time to visit the famous “Cemetery of ships” of the Aral Sea and to visit the museum of the history of the Aral. After the visits, you will return to Nukus, and just before arriving in Nukus, you will visit the ancient necropolis – the complex Mizdakhan.

Overnight in Nukus.

Day 4. NUKUS – KHIVA (190 km)
After breakfast, you will visit the famous Savitsky Art Museum. This museum hosts the world's second-largest collection of Soviet avant-garde artwork and it has been famous for having a hidden gallery of some masterpieces which were forbidden in the Soviet Union.

After visiting the museum of Nukus you will depart to Khiva. On the way, you will stop for visiting the ancient desert citadels – Kizil Kala and Toprak Kala.

Continue the drive to Khiva and you will arrive in the city by the end of the day. Check in to the hotel and have free time for rest. Your hotel in Khiva will be located in the old city which makes it easy to go out for walking.

Overnight in Khiva.

Options:

1. If you want to add a touch of adventure to your trip, we can propose you stay overnight in a Yurt Camp (Ayaz Kala Yurt Camp, or Jampik Kala Yurt Camp) located next to one of the ancient fortresses. Experience a little part of nomadic life and staying in a peaceful location with authentic landscapes can be a very original experience.  

2. On the way to Khiva, you can visit a very unique desert forest in the nature reserve Badai Tugai. The area of the nature reserve is densely covered with desert trees – Saxaul and it is also home to over 1500 desert gazelles. If that’s something you like, we can add this small trip to your itinerary.

Day 5. KHIVA - minarets, and domes
Breakfast at the hotel. Today you will spend your day in the UNESCO World Heritage site Ichan Kala citadel. Visit some of the 250 monuments of the old citadel:

• The west gate – Ata Darwaza;
• The blue minaret – Kalta Minor and its madrasa;
• The Ark citadel with its summer mosque, reception hall, and Observation tower (optional);
• The Tosh Khovli Palace with the Harem;
• The mausoleum of Pahlawan Mahmud with the biggest dome in the citadel;
• The madrasa Muhammad Rahimkhan;
• The old slave market in the East Gate;
• The Juma mosque – a 1000-year-old mosque with unique architecture and 213 wooden columns.

After the visits, you will have some free time to walk on the walls of the citadel or to climb to the observation tower and a minaret which give a perfect panoramic view over the whole citadel

*Walking in the streets of the old city after dinner can be one of the best experiences of your Uzbekistan & Aral Sea Trip. That’s when you feel that you are in the stories of 1001 nights!

Overnight in Khiva.

Day 6. KHIVA - BUKHARA
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Bukhara through the desert Kyzyl Kum (Red Desert). *This transfer can be made by train.

During the drive, you will stop to see a panoramic view of the Amu Darya river and to have lunch in a typical desert restaurant. *The Amu Darya River was one of 2 rivers of Central Asia that used to flow in the Aral Sea.

You will arrive in Bukhara by the end of the day. Time for rest at your hotel. Before dinner, we invite you to take a short walk in the center of the old city which will give you the first impression of this ancient city of the caravans.

Option: Just after leaving Khiva, you will stop in a small village where you can taste fresh Uzbek bread and see the preparation of Uzbek bread in a traditional clay oven - tandoor.

Overnight in Bukhara.

Day 7. BUKHARA (visits on food)

Breakfast at your hotel. Today you will visit some of the most beautiful monuments of Uzbekistan. Your day will be full of well-narrated stories, and the discovery of the culture and crafts of Bukhara which differs a lot from Khiva. The activities of the day:

• Mausoleum of Samanids (9^th century);
• Bolo Khauz – the mosque with 40 pillars and the legendary Ark citadel;
• The complex Kalon with the biggest mosque, the biggest madrasa, and the highest minaret in the city;
• Chor Minor;
• The monuments of Lyabi Khauz ensemble.

Dinner with traditional dance and fashion show in the madrasa Nodir Devanbeghi.

Overnight in Bukhara.

Day 8. BUKHARA – the palaces and Sufi places
After breakfast, you will start the next step of the visits to Bukhara. With your driver and guide, you will visit 2 important monuments outside the old city:

• The summer residence of the Emirs of Bukhara – Sitorai Mokhi Khossa with its Administrative Palace, Octagonal Palace, and Harem;
• The center of Sufism of Bukhara in the necropolis Naqshbandi.

In the afternoon you will have some free time to revisit your preferred places, visit the huge number of workshops, etc. If you would like to make a traditional “tea time”, we recommend you to go to the Silk Road Teahouse in the center of the old city where you can taste different sorts of tea (herbal tea, tea with saffron, ginger tea, etc.). Besides, you may go to one of the old Hammams near the trade dome Toqi Telpakfurishon for having a traditional, energetic massage and a hammam session.

Overnight in Bukhara.

Day 9. BUKHARA – SHAKHRISABZ – SAMARKAND
Breakfast at the hotel and depart to Samarkand via Shakhrisabz (275 km, 4 h.*). Stop in Shakhrisabz to see the monuments built by Amir Temur (Tamerlane) 600 years ago:

• The crypt of Amir Temur and the mausoleum of his sons;
• The complex of the Blue Mosque with richly decorated mausoleums of the Saints;
• The impressive ruins of the White Palace of Tamerlane – Ak Saray.

After the visits, you will continue the drive to Samarkand (90 km, 2 h.*).  

Tip: the road to Samarkand passes through the mountain pass Takhtakaracha. Takhtakaracha is widely famous in Uzbekistan for its traditional cuisine – Tandir Meat (entire lamb cooked during long hours in a traditional clay oven and flavored with herbs from the mountains). If you are a meat lover, you should consider tasting the Tandoor/Tandir Meat before arriving in Samarkand.

Arrive in Samarkand, and check in to the hotel.

Overnight in Samarkand.

Day 10. SAMARKAND – the highlight of the trip
Breakfast at the hotel. Today you will start the visits to the heart of the Silk Road – Samarkand:

• The majestic Registan Place with its three magnificent madrasas;
• The Shakhi Zinda necropolis and its 20+ mausoleums all in one place which are decorated differently from each other;
• Bibi Khanum mosque and the bazaar Siab;

In the evening, we will invite you to make a Samarkand by Night tour where you will rediscover Gur-Emir and Registan with absolutely different colors!

Overnight in Samarkand.

Day 11. SAMARKAND – TASHKENT

Breakfast at the hotel. Today you will continue the visits in Samarkand:

• The Gur-Emir mausoleum, is a jewel of architecture decorated with ceramics, mosaics, gold, marble, and jade;
• Samarkand Silk Paper Workshop;
• The Observatory of Ulugh Beg;
• The museum of the history of Samarkand – Afrosiyob and the Afrosiyob archaeological site.

After the visits, you will be transferred to Tashkent through the Zerafshan mountains and the steppes of Hunger (4hrs). *Alternatively, the transfer can be made by high-speed train. The high-speed train leaves Samarkand at 17:00 and arrives in Tashkent at 19:20.

Overnight in Tashkent.

Day 12: TASHKENT – DEPARTURE
Depending on the time of your flight you will be transferred to the International Airport of Tashkent.

*The end of our services!

The customized tour to Uzbekistan's top cities and the Aral Sea awaits you. Hope to see you in the land of the sun, the crossroads of the Silk Road. Good Luck!