Famous Cities and Lake Aydarkul

(Wednesday): Flight to Tashkent . On this day, you will have a flight from your home city to Tashkent and arrive in the capital in the morning of the next day.

(Thursday): Tashkent. Arrival in Tashkent in the early morning, meeting with the guide and transfer to the hotel (early check-in included). Today you will have a sightseeing tour of Tashkent - the capital of Uzbekistan and the largest city in Central Asia.

The Old City is the historical northwestern part of Tashkent. Here we will visit: Khast-Imam complex (16th-21st centuries) - the famous Koran of Caliph Osman (VII century) is stored here. In the complex you can visit the Barak Khan Madrassah, the Tilla Sheikh Mosque, the Kaffal Shashi

Mausoleum and the Islamic Institute named after Imam Al-Bukhari.

"Chorsu" bazaar - one of the oldest bazaars in Tashkent that counts more than one hundred years old.

The Rakhimovs' workshop - a unique piece of paradise in the old city where the approach to the design process and the products themselves is completely different. There are no typical ceramics here and each bowl is a masterpiece.

Abdulkasym Madrassah (19th century) - one of the most interesting historical buildings in Tashkent. Folk legends say that the "first stone" of this building was put at the beginning of the 19th century. There is a Center for National Applied Arts here. Everyone can visit the work of famous Uzbek craftsmen.

Amir Temur Square – there are Amir Temur Museum, the famous Tashkent Chimes, the hotel "Uzbekistan", the buildings of the Law Institute and the Palace of Forums - one of the most grandiose architectural structures in Tashkent around it.

Independence Square where the most beautiful fountains of the city are located. Today, this place is used for holiday celebrations such as the Independence Day of Uzbekistan (September 1st).

Overnight at the hotel.

(Friday): Tashkent - Bukhara (high-speed train Afrosiyob 08:00 - 11:45). Bukhara is a city from an oriental fairy tale. It attracts tourists from all over the world. There are about 300 mosques and 80 madrasahs in the city. Today you will visit:

The Ark Citadel - an ancient symbol of state power. It seems that this huge fortress has been standing in the center of Bukhara since the very creation of the world protecting and supporting Bukhara rulers.

The BoloKhauz Mosque (18th century) with a luxurious painted multi-column aivan which is reflected in the waters of the Khauz along with the minaret.

The LyabiHauz Ensemble - one of the central squares of Bukhara where the Kukeldash madrasah, Nadir Divan-Begi madrasah and khanaka are located.

Mausoleum of Ismail Samani which is famous for being the most ancient monument of Islamic architecture in the whole Central Asia.

The architectural complex Poi-Kalon - the main ensemble in the center of Bukhara which is located at the intersection of the “four bazaars” trade routes. It includes 4 elements: the Kalyan mosque with the Miri-Arab madrasah facing each other, and between them there are Kalyan minaret, and the Amir-Alimkhan madrasah.

Chor Minor Mosque which means "four minarets" - one of the most unusual monuments of Ancient Bukhara.

Free time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

Saturday): Bukhara - yurt camp on Aydarkul lake (250 km drive). This morning you will be transferred to Aydarkul Lake through the Sarmyshsay tract. This is one of the most famous places for rock art in Central Asia. The nature here is diverse, various types of trees grow here and the slopes are covered with dense thickets of shrubs. Petroglyphs of the Stone and Bronze Ages (7th-2nd millennium BC) of the early Iron Age which can be found here are distinguished by the "animal" style characteristic of the nomadic tribes of the Scythias.

Arrival at the Kizilkum Safari yurt camp. All yurts in this camp are decorated with handmade carpets and shyrdaks (felt carpets) made by local craftsmen. Here you can enjoy the beauty of nature and landscapes. For dinner, you will be served national dishes cooked on the firewood of the Saksaul tree.

After dinner, while sitting by the fire under the starry sky you can enjoy the singing of the akyn (local singer) playing the dombra. Night in yurts.

(Sunday): Yurt camp – Samarkand (310 km drive). In the early morning you will see an unusually beautiful sunrise on the lake. After breakfast at the camp you will be transferred to Aydarkul lake itself. Free time on the lake and drive to the city of Samarkand.

On the way we will visit the winery Khovrenko founded by Russian businessman Dmitry Filatov. He discovered sweet grapes here and adapted other varieties he brought afterwards. The place was taken after by the equally talented Mikhail Khovrenko - the first professor of winemaking in Russia.

Dessert wines of Central Asia are made from high-sugar grape varieties. They have an original and very pleasant taste and constitute a special group of dessert wines. In the tasting room you will be offered several varieties of the best Uzbek wines and cognacs for tasting.

At the end of the day, you can visit the Siab Bazaar. It is impossible to visit Uzbekistan and not visit the oriental market. Crossing the threshold of the arch you immediately find yourself in a fabulous atmosphere: an abundance of colors catches your eye, the hum of voices of hundreds of buyers and merchants is in your ears, and a huge number of fruits and vegetables is striking. Overnight at the hotel.

(Monday): Samarkand – flight home. Samarkand was once the capital of the Great Empire of Tamerlane. Today we are going to see:

The Shakhi-Zinda necropolis - one of the most mysterious and unique architectural monuments of Samarkand. The oldest buildings of the ensemble date back to the 11th-12th centuries. However, most of the buildings date back to the 14th-15th centuries.

The Gur-Emir Mausoleum - a one-domed building with a crypt where Amir Temur, his sons and grandsons are buried. The basis of the mausoleum is an octahedron with a ribbed dome which is the pride and decoration of the mausoleum.

We will continue our tour and go to the very heart of the city, where we will visit: Registan Square - one of the most beautiful squares in the world called the pearl of Central Asia. It gained this fame thanks to the unique monuments of medieval oriental architecture surrounding it from three sides in the form of a beautiful architectural ensemble: the Ulugbek madrasah (1417-1420), the Sher-Dor madrasah (1619-1636) and the Tillya-Kari madrasah (1646-1647). All three madrasahs face the center of the square with portals and create a harmonious composition. However, each building is distinguished by its unique decor - a pattern of filigree stone carving. The Bibi-Khanum Mosque is the largest mosque in Central Asia covered by many legends. The majestic blue domes make an extraordinary sight. The view of this monumental structure is breathtaking and striking in its beauty. In ancient times its dome was compared with the vault of heaven and the arch of the portal - with the Milky Way.

In the evening you will be transferred to Samarkand International Airport for evening flight to your home city. End of the program.

** Changes are possible in the schedule of international flights and intercity rail services