Itinerary

All meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner are included each day.

Plan for your home departure on April 14, latest.

Day 1, April 15, 2024 Tashkent:  Arrival in Tashkent. Meet and greet service at the airport then transfer to hotel. Overnight in Tashkent.

Day 2, April 16, Tashkent: This morning after breakfast we will visit the old quarter of Tashkent Khast-Imam Square and see the Koran of 8^th century which was brought to Central Asia by Tamerlan at 15^th century. On the square you will see some of the glorious buildings and beautiful turquoise-tiled domes lighted like an exotic stage set.

Then we will visit the workshop of one of the most talented Tashkent embroiderers. She is famous for her traditional dark red “Palak” designs. The Santa-fe Folk Art Market considers her embroidery as the best among all other embroidery works presented in the Market. We will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch we’ll visit a retail design studio specializing in contemporary apparel using Uzbek textiles. The studio has a lot of partners all over the world, cooperating with many galleries in the USA and Europe.  

Then we will visit a museum dedicated to embroideries and other fine crafts.

We will finish the sightseeing tour today visiting the private studio with museum & workshop of a local potter who is one of the finest ceramic artists in the country.

Dinner and Overnight in Tashkent.

Day 3, April 17, Tashkent – Samarkand: Following breakfast, we will drive to Samarkand which was the grand capital of the emperor Tamerlane. The famous Silk Road went through Tashkent, Sirdarya regions and mountainous countryside of Jizzah region. We will have lunch at the roadside inn. We will check into our hotel after arrival in Samarkand.  

If the group has the energy, we can start the sightseeing tour after arrival in Samarkand.

We will drive out examine the remains of the medieval world’s best and most remarkable observatory developed by Tamerlane‘s brilliant and learned grandson, Ulugbek. Although originally part of a three-story observatory and a 30-meter-high (foot) marble astrolabe for observing the positions of the stars, only the astrolabe’s below-ground semicircular track remains. Ulugbek discovered 200 previously unknown stars with this instrument, and his calculations as to the length of the year have been shown to be amazingly accurate. In the little museum next door we’ll learn more about Uzbek astronomers.

Then will continue to Shaki-Zinda ensemble of the Mausoleums. This unusual necropolis has monuments of the 14th and 15th centuries, reflecting the development of the monumental art and architecture of the Timurid dynasty.

We will finish the day visiting the workshop of a very famous textiles/garment designer of Samarkand.   We will have dinner at the workshop.

Overnight in Samarkand.

Day 4,  April 18, Samarkand: After breakfast we’ll visit the most attractive place in the whole of Uzbekistan. It is surrounded by three madrassahs built in the 14^th-16th centuries.

Then we will visit a paper making workshop which is located in a nearby village. The paper is made from mulberry tree’s bark. This craft was widely spread in Samarkand area in 16-19^th centuries. But when factory made paper came here in end of 19th century this craft died and was forgotten in 20 century. We will have lunch at paper making workshop. After lunch we will visit the workshop of another very famous designer of Samarkand City. Her designs are very popular in Paris, London and New York.  This will be followed by a visit to the biggest mosque in Samarkand – Bibi-Khanum Mosque built in 16^th century and also visit a nearby Market.

In the early evening we’ll visit the silk carpet weaving workshop run by an Afghan family. We will see how local craftsmen create the wonderful patterns using silk and wool yarns. Dinner is at the workshop.

Overnight in Samarkand.

Day 5, April, 19, Samarkand – Bukhara: After breakfast depart Samarkand by coach as we continue tracing the Silk Route to holy Bukhara by the Royal Road (one of the most important parts of the Silk Route connecting Samarkand and Bukhara).

We will stop in a village that is very well known with its embroidery traditions. We will have lunch in the home of one of the most famous local embroiderers.  We will continue on to Bukhara and check into our hotel.  It is located in the Jewish quarter of 16 century. Dinner in the courtyard of our hotel.

Overnight in Bukhara.

Day 6, April 20, Bukhara: After breakfast today the entire day will be devoted to visiting the most important craft sites of Bukhara. We’ll start at the Bukhara silk weaving workshop, then continue to a gold embroidery factory. After, we will go to the Museum of Blacksmith’s Art, a workshop of Bukhara garment designer and complete the morning session with a stop at the craft center where we’ll have an opportunity to see demonstration of many Uzbek crafts. We will enjoy lunch in Bukhara at a local family restaurant.

In the evening dinner in the traditional Uzbek house with pilaf making master class. Overnight in Bukhara.

Day 7, April 21, Bukhara – Khiva: After breakfast we’ll continue our drive to Khiva, the last great oasis on the old caravan route that will lead us through the Kizil-Kum (Red Sands) desert to this remote desert city. It’s a long day but we will enjoy stops and lunch en route.  

Dinner and overnight in Khiva.

Day 8, April 22, Khiva: Textiles abound in Khiva. Here, we will visit another spectacular museum of handicrafts and several grand architectural wonders.   

Later, we will visit the Suzani Center to see stunning embroidered examples from all over Uzbekistan. as well as afamily of woodcarvers, a carpet weaving cooperative and a world recognized silk weaving workshop.

Dinner and overnight is in Khiva.

Day 9, April 23, Khiva – Nukus – Tashkent: This morning after a hearty breakfast we will drive to Nukus.  On our arrival we will enjoy a lunch stop and a stop to visit a very special museum for national clothes and jewelry of the Karakaplak people, from the Soviet Union period and before.

Dinner is in Nukus. This evening we will fly to Tashkent where we will spend the night.

Overnight is in Tashkent.

Day 10, April 24, Tashkent – Rishtan – Margilan: Today after breakfast we will head south to Fergana via private cars (3 passengers in the car, the way goes thought mountains and police does not allow to use large passenger vehicles). On our way through the mountains we will stop in one of the most important ceramic centers in Central Asia. We’ll visit the private studio of a master ceramic artist and learn about the traditional floral designs native to the region. We’ve been invited to enjoy lunch at the potter’s home. After lunch we will continue our drive to Margilan. In Margilan we will be staying at small but very nice and cozy hotel built in traditional local style by a very famous local IKAT weaver.

Day 11, April 25,  Margilan: We’ll devote the whole day to visiting Margilan, well-known for its silk factories and is rightfully considered the center of silk production of the whole Central Asia. We’ll have a chance to see the age-old process of silk production and learn more from the masters about the distinctive colors and patterns historically coveted by Chines and Persian merchants. We will be acquainted with a master ikat weaver and enjoy lunch at his workshop.

We will also visit the craft center of Margilan Town located in a madrassah of the 19^th century.

Dinner and overnight in Margilan.

Day 12, April 26, Margilan – Tashkent: Late morning flight/Afternoon train/flight to Tashkent. Dinner and overnight in Tashkent.

Day 13, April 27, Tashkent – flight home: Morning transfer to the airport to fly home, or you may stay on to enjoy our 5 additional days in Kyrgyzstan. You’ve come all this way, why not?  If you decide to depart from our group, we wish you wonderful memories of our time along the Silk Road.

 Optional Tour to Kyrgystan

Day 13, April 27 Tashkent – Bishkek: Morning flight (at 07.50 am) to Bishkek. 

Arrive Bishkek in the morning where we will meet with our guide. After some rest in our hotel we will continue for lunch in downtown. We will enjoy several craft workshop visits and sightseeing on the way. We will enjoy a traditional dinner in town.

Overnight in Bishkek

Day 14, April 28, Bishkek – Issyk Kul Lake: Today we wull drive to Lake Issyk Kul lake which is 4824 feet above sea level, it is the second largest mountain lake in the world. On the way we will stop in a village to visit a felt carpet workshop with sewn in embroidery patterns.  We will stay overnight in hotel on the shore of the lake with beautifully maintained garden.  

Day 15, April 29, Kemin: In the morning we visit open air museums of Petroglyphs apparently dated to 3rd century BC. Then, it is all-aboard for brief boat cruise across the second largest alpine lake in the world. We will continue on to Kemin where we stay in a boutique hotel run by a local farmers family.  We will take time to enjoy fresh mountain air and sunshine. Later we will meet with an eagle hunter family and learn about training of hunting eagles. Before dinner we help local ladies to bake the bread for the dinner.  

Overnight Kemin

Day 16, April 30, Kemin – Bishkek: This morning, we see detailed demonstration of yurt assembly in the garden. Then we will head to the Burana tower and ancient settlement dated to 11th century for sightseeing. We will enjoy horse games which reflect the important role horses have played in the traditional Kyrgyz nomadic lifestyle, the country is famous for at least four types of horse games such as odarysh or wrestling, tiyin-enish, where riders try to pick up coins at full gallop and kobber or buzkashi, a type of goat-snatching polo. Here we have lunch with local family and see the horse games. After, we will continue to Bishkek. Final dinner. Overnight in Hotel.

Day 17, May 1, Bishkek – home. Transfer to airport.  Enjoy your flight home with the incredible memories of our Silk Road Adventure.