«UNDER BLUE DOMES OF MARAKANDA FROM MUMBAI»

Day 1:

Tuesday

Tashkent

Arrival in Tashkent from Mumbai by flight HY 428 Mumbai - Tashkent (07: 45-11: 10). You will be met by our representative with meeting board “SAMARKAND STAR TOUR”. Transfer to hotel. Lunch. After lunch we will start from the exploring of Old city: visit Khast Imam Complex with Barak Khan Medressa, Mausoleum of Yunus Khan & Kafal-Al-Shashi. Next to the Old city under the green dome lies Chorsu Bazaar - one of the largest and oldest in Central Asia. Behind the bazaar is Kukeldash Medressa – an Islamic school that located beside the Juma Mosque dated back to 15th century. Also, we visit Abdul Kasim Medressa where we can see a lot of souvenirs workshops. Dinner. Free time. Night in Tashkent.

Day 2:

Wednesday

Tashkent – Urgench – Khiva  - 1050 km (1050 km by air):

At 05:00 transfer to the airport for an early flight to Urgench HY 051 (07:25 - 08:55). Transfer to Khiva and hotel accommodation.

Khiva – is a beautiful and ancient town and perfect for exploring by walk, with impressive four walls at the centre of each side of the old city. Upon entering through its gates we are welcome by high minarets and many medressas. We visit many of these monuments including the Kalta Minor Minaret and Mohammed Rakhim Khan Medressa, Juma Mosque (XVII c.), the Islom-Khodja complex includes mosque and minaret, the Kuhna Ark, which was the main fortress, the Pakhlavon Mahmud Mausoleum complex and Toza Bog Palace, which was the summer palace of Mohammed Rakhim Khan II. After excursion, free time. Night in Khiva.

Day 3:

Thursday

Khiva - Bukhara (450km ) 

After breakfast, transfer to Bukhara via Kizil Kum desert and Amu-Darya river.

Kizil Kum desert – biggest deserted area in Central Asia. Driving through the desert you can meet herd of ships lead by cowboy on a camel. During the history desert was a home for many nomadic people.

Amu Darya river – old Oxin one of two biggest rivers of Central Asia can be observed from the road when it is 80 km to Urgench. The big dam dividing the river into 5 canals. 2 of them is going to Turkmenistan and 3 to Uzbekistan.

Arrival & accommodation at hotel. Free time. Night in Bukhara.

Day 4:

Friday

Bukhara 

Today we explore the mausoleum of the Samanids (IX-X cc.) - the pearl of Central Asia . Next we visit the tomb of Chashma Ayub (XII century.), which means "source of Job." Bolo House complex including a reservoir, a Friday mosque and minaret. Friday Mosque Bolo House is located at the entrance to the Arc citadel. Inside the citadel was situated a town, which includes residential and office buildings: the mosque, a prison, a harem, the treasury, the residence of the Emir, etc. Then we see Poi Kalyan complex (XII-XVI cc.) includes the Kalyan Mosque , Mir-Arab and the famous Kalyan minaret. After lunch, you explore one of the biggest architectural ensembles of Bukhara "Lyabi House." The oldest part of the complex - Medressa Kulbaba-Kukeldash, which has 160 cells and it pretend the biggest in Bukhara. Medressa "Nadir Devanbegi" was built by order of vizier Nadir-devanbegi shortly after the device pool and logically completed the ensemble “Lyabi- House”. The oldest mosque Magoki Attori located next to the ensemble “Lyabi House”, built in the tradition of figurative brick masonry and carved ornaments of archaic majolica. And finally, you see interesting monument - Chor Minor Medressa, built in 1807 on money Turkmen traveler. Until present time have survived four minarets, which gave the name of this complex. Free time. Night in Bukhara.

Day 5:

Saturday

Bukhara 

Today we explore the mausoleum of the interesting monument - Chor Minor Medressa, built in 1807 on money Turkmen traveler. Tour outside the city: Until present time have survived four minarets, which gave the name of this complex, Sitorai Morhi – Khosa (XIX c) – amir’s country residence – constructed in a tight combination of local and European traditions in the countryside near Bukhara. The halls of the palace are richly decorated with carpets & paintings, Chor-Bakr memorial necropolis (10th century), visit to the Mausoleum of Bakhouddin Naqshbandi (16th-19th century), Tomb of his mother and his mentor (14th century). Free time. Night in Bukhara.

Day 6:

Sunday

Bukhara – Shakhrisabz – Samarkand 

Breakfast. Drive to Samarkand via Shakhrisabz. Sightseeing in Shakhrisabz incl:

Kuk Gumbaz Mosque and Dorus Tilovat Complex – (1437) this big Friday Mosque was built by Ulugbek in honour of his father Shakhrukh, gumbazi Seydon – (Dome of Sseyids) finished by Ulugbek in 1438 as a mausoleum for his own descendants. Doru Saodat Complex – The complex was built in 1392 by Timur and means the seat of power and might. Hazrat Imam Mosque of 14 century, Ak Saray (white Palace) – Timur’s summer palace.

Arrival Samarkand and accommodation at hotel. Free time. Night in Samarkand.

Day 7:

Monday

Samarkand

After breakfast, you explore  the Gur – Emir Mausoleum – the famous necropolis of Tamerlane,  central Registan square with the majestic Medressas dated back to different centuries: Ulugbek Medressa (1417-1420), Sher-Dor Medressa (1619-1636) and the Tilya Kori Medressa (1647-1660). Lunch. After lunch continuation of excursion to the Bibi-Khanum Mosque to one of Tamerlane’s wife the largest mosque of its time in the entire region of Central Asia, walk through the picturesque Siab Bazaar, one of the busiest and most colorful places in the city. Farewell dinner at the  National House of Shakhnoza. Free time. Night in Samarkand.

Day 8:

Tuesday

Samarkand -  Tashkent

Breakfast. After check-out from the hotel. You will visit  Samarkand Silk Paper - Manual Production at the Meros Paper Mill. The art of making paper, brought to Samarkand from China in the 7th century, had long been forgotten when it was revived with the assistance of UNESCO. Then the remains of the Ulugbek Observatory which is the first observatory in the East, where you could contemplate the stars with the help of a huge sextant, Mausoleum of St. Daniel XIV century, Afrosiob Museum, with excavations and wall drawings, the Shahi Zinda complex, a real gem of the architecture of Samarkand XIV-XV centuries, a unique complex where you can find all the artistic processes of decorating Islamic buildings. Transfer to the station for the transfer to Tashkent by an express train “Afrosiab” depending on the current timetable and type of train or on the way. Dinner. After dinner transfer to airport for flight HY 427 Tashkent - Mumbai (00:05 - 04:45) to your destination. End of tour.

Number of person

Budget option 2-3*(guest houses)

3-4* Hotel option

1

Per request

Per request

2

850

950

3-5

700

850

5-7

650

780

8-14

600

730

15+

530

650

Additional payment for single supplement

80

150

Cities:

Budget option (2-3* hotels)

3-4*  option

Tahkent

Arien Plaza Hotel / Samir Hotel
or similar

Ramada Tashkent Hotel 4*

 Sharq Hotel 4* 
or similar

Samarkand

Zilol Baht / Arba Hotel / City Hotel
or similar

 Asia Samarkand + / Sultan Boutique 
or similar

Bukhara

Rangrez Hotel / Fatima Hotel 3*
or similar

Omar Khayam 3+ 
or similar

Khiva

Shokh Jahon Hotel 3* 
or similar

Bek Khiva Hotel 4*
or similar

Price includes:

Price excludes:

- Letter of Invitation for Uzbekistan (not visa fees);

- All transfers by comfortable vehicle;

- Accommodation in twin room sharing with breakfasts;

- Entry tickets;

- Excursions with Professional English Speaking guides

- Guides in each city for excursions for groups of 1 to 7 people

- Guide-escort services for the whole route for groups of 8+ people;

- Air fare Tashkent – Urgench, (economy class);

- Tickets (economy class) for express train "Afrosiab" (Samarkand - Tashkent);

- Mineral water 1 lt per day on transfers between cities;

- Farewell dinner at the National House of Shakhnoza;

- Memorable souvenirs;

- International air fare to/from Uzbekistan;

- Photo and camera fees on sights;

- Early check - in, late check - out after 14:00;

- Insurance;

Additional services:

Food:

- Half board (dinners) - 85 USD / per person / program;

- Full board - 165 USD / per person / program

Quantity of pax in the group:

Type of the transport:

1-2

AC sedan “CHEVROLET ORLANDO, LACETTI” (Air-conditioned)

3-5

Minibus “HYUNDAY STAREX” (Air-conditioned)

5-8

Minibus “ISTANA, TOYOTA HICE” (Air-conditioned)

9-15

Middle-size bus “YUTONG” (Air-conditioned)

15-35

Tourist class bus up to 45 seats