Heart of Central Asia

Tour Itinerary

• Days 1-2: UK - Tashkent

  Fly overnight from the UK to Tashkent. Arrive and transfer to your hotel. Once settled, enjoy an afternoon tour of Uzbekistan’s capital, stopping at Kukeldash mosque one of the largest madrasahs in Central Asia.

• Day 3: Urgench - Khiva

  Transfer to the airport and take a short morning flight to Urgench. After you arrive to your hotel, visit the ancient fortresses of Ayaz-Kala and Toprak-Kala before an afternoon drive Khiva, a 2,500-year-old city in western Uzbekistan.

• Day 4: Khiva

  Today enjoy a full-day tour of Khiva, beginning with a visit to Kunya Ark, a 17th-century fortified citadel once serving as the royal residence for the Khans of Khiva. Continue onwards and witness for yourself the city’s tallest landmark, The Islam Khoja Minaret, before reaching the UNESCO world heritage site, Tash Hauli palace.

• Days 5-7: Bukhara

  Spend three days immersing yourself in the rich history of Bukhara, beginning with a full-day drive through the Kyzylkum Desert, stopping at the Amu Darya River, Central Asias largest river for some unforgettable photo opportunities. The next day, take a city tour of Bukhara, including visits to Chor Minor Mosque, the Poi-Kalyan complex, the surviving trading domes, and Lyab-i-Hauz - once the city’s principal source of water. On your final day in Bukhara, continue your tour with visits to The Ark, a vast fortress whose foundations date back 2,000 years; the summer palace of the city’s final emir; and the Samanid mausoleum, built in the early 10th century.

• Day 8: Shahrisabz - Samarkand

  Drive to Shahrisabz, the birthplace of Timur, military leader and former Amir of the Timurid Empire. Take time to visit the summer palace, mosques and mausoleums before continuing to Samarkand for three nights.

• Days 9-10: Samarkand

  Today, take a full day tour of Samarkand including visits to Registan Square, the Ulugbek observatory, Afrosiab Museum, Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, and the Bibi Khanum Mosque. The following day, continue your tour visiting GurEmir mausoleum, which marks the final resting place of several members of the Timurid dynasty, including Timur himself.

• Day 11: Samarkand - Tashkent

  Spend the morning at your leisure. In the afternoon visit one of Samarkand’s restored silk paper workshops before travelling on Uzbekistan’s renowned Afrosiyob train to Tashkent.

• Day 12: Tashkent - UK

  Transfer to the airport in the afternoon for your flight back to the UK.