Basic Tour 1

Basic Tour 1 — Legendary cities of Uzbekistan
‘Samarkand is the beauty of the earth, but Bukhara is the beauty of the spirit.'
8 days / 6 nights
Starting from 297 €

Tour itinerary:
Day 1: International flight to Tashkent
Day 2: Arrival in Tashkent
Arrive in Tashkent. You will be met by our driver and transferred to the hotel. Check in to the hotel at noon. Meet your guide to start sightseeing in the capital of Uzbekistan, the biggest city in Central Asia. Visit Old City part of Tashkent with Khast-Imam Complex where the world famous Quran of Caliph Uthman. In Khast-Imam visit Madrasah of Barak-Khan, Tillya-Sheykh Mosque, Mausoleum of the Saint Abu Bakr Kaffal Shashi and the Islamic Institute of Imam al- Bukhari. Explore Chorsu Bazaar. Then take a ride on Tashkent Metro to city center with Amir Timur Square, Independence Square and Applied Arts Museum. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 3: Tashkent – Bukhara
Transfer to to railroad station of Tashkent. At 08:00 am departure for Bukhara by train. At 11:45 am arrival at the railroad station. Meet and transfer to Bukhara (10 km). Upon arrival you will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel. Leave your luggage at the hotel. Check in at noon. Take a walking sightseeing tour with a guide in historic center of Bukhara which has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Visit Lyabi-Khauz Ensemble, Magoki-Attori Mosque, trade domes, Ulugbek and Abdulazizkhan madrasahs, Kalon Minaret, Kalon Mosque and Miri-Arab Madrasah,  Ark Fortress, Bolo-Khauz Mosque,  Ismail Samani and Chashma-Ayub mausoleums. Enjoy free time in Old City. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 4: Bukhara
The country excursion: Sitora-i-Mohi Hosa (located 4 km from Bukhara) - a summer palace of the last emir of Bukhara (19 century).    Madrassah Chor Minor (19 c.) - is a tiny madrasah with four different minarets. Visit  to the national house-museum named after merchant F. Khodjaev (XIXc) including tea-drinking and demonstration of national clothes XIXc – beginning of XXc. PM you spend for shops and relax at some tea house. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 5: Bukhara – Guijduvan  - Samarkand
After breakfast drive to Samarkand. On road stop in Guijduvan (45 km) visit famous ceramist workshop of Abdullo Narzullaev. To continue  drive to Samarkand. Arrive and hotel accommodation. After lunch in a local restaurant, you have a half-day tour of Samarkand visiting the mausoleum of Tamerlane - Guri Emir. O/n at hotel.

Day 6: Samarkand
Meet your guide and driver at hotel lobby to start city tour. Visit spectacular Registan Square, remains of Bibi-Khanum Mosque, Siob Bazaar.
Lunch at national house offered by us in Samarkand.
Continue sightseeing:   Ulugbek Observatory, Afrosiyob museum, Shakhi-Zinda Necropolis. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 7: Samarkand – Tashkent
Check-out from the hotel till noon. Continue sightseeing:  drive to Konigil village to explore traditional way of making Samarkand paper from mulberry. Enjoy free time with car and driver at your disposal after sightseeing tour. At 16:00 transfer to railway station to take the fast-speed Afrosiyob train departing to Tashkent at 17:00 (300 km). Scheduled arrival time is 19:10. Pick-up and transfer to hotel in Tashkent. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 8: Tashkent – departure
Check-out from the hotel. Transfer to the airport. Departure according to the schedule of the international flight.

Tour rate in Euro per person:

Base     1        2-3        4-5            6-8            9-14             15-20+1   Single room  supplement
  735 420 387 358 320 297 120

Note 1: (15-20 +1 free *) - The leader of the group who can benefit from this trip. If you are organizing a group trip of 15-20 people, a gratuity will be offered for the group leader in double room accommodation.

The price of the tour includes:
•    Accommodation in double room at the hotels  3-4, breakfasts included
•    Train ticket Tashkent -  Bukhara, Samarkand - Tashkent in economy class
•    All airport-hotel-railway station transfers, transportation during visits.
•    Lunch at national house offered by us in Samarkand Day 6
•    Visa support for Uzbekistan

The price of the tour excludes:
•    Meals (lunch, dinner);
•    International flight;
•    Entrance tickets to the museums, mausoleums and other sights;
•    Additional services in the hotels;
•    Video/ Camera fees of museums, monuments;
•    Special cultural programs including concerts, performances, etc;
•    Insurance;

Recommended additional options for an extra fee in:
•    Lunches and dinners - 8 Euro per meal;
•    Local guide in each city - 50 Euro per day visits

Payment: The cost of the tour can be paid via bank transfer or using other options which can be discussed through communication with us.

Cancellation fees:
•    Cancellation prior 30 days – no charges apply
•    Cancellation prior 15 days – 50% charge of the tour price
•    Cancellation prior 7 days – 100% charge of the tour price

Transport
AC sedan “CHEVROLET COBALT, LACETTI” (Air-conditioned, 1-3 pax)
Minibus “HYUNDAY STAREX” (Air-conditioned, 3-5 pax)
Minibus “TOYOTA HIACE” (Air-conditioned, 6-8 pax)
Media bus “Yutong” (Air-conditioned, 9-20 pax)

Tashkent optional treats:
•    Travelling on the excellent Tashkent metro stopping off at several stations to admire the beautiful platform decorations.
•    The opera, music and ballet program of the Alisher Navoi theatre is usually available. If there is a performance, for those interested, tickets are around US$10.  Performances start at 6:00 p.m.
•    Polish Catholic Church. There is the main hall on the second floor where festive and weekend Masses are held. The cathedral is opened for visit where the church services in English, Russian and Korean languages are held.

Samarkand optional treats
•    Visit the papermaking workshop in Konigil. Thanks to a UNESCO project, the ancient papermaking art using a water mill and traditional techniques has been revived.
•    Diner one evening in the restored wing of an old, private residence and listen to the remarkable tale of how this house was saved from demolition and restored by Samarkand's finest artisans. (About US$10).
•    Light show on Registan square - a unique opportunity to get more about history of Samarkand for several centuries with modern effects.
•    Uzbek traditional music concert, dinner and fashion show at art boutique. (About US$15)

Bukhara optional treats
•    Enjoy a delicious, traditional dinner, cooked in tandoor clay ovens, in the courtyard of a restored merchant’s house. (About US$10)
•    Be scrubbed and massaged at a 16th century hammam. There are separate hammams for men and women. (About US$25)
•    Traditional Bukharian puppet theatre performance (about US$8)

NOTE: The program of tours will be specified in accordance with the schedule of the international flights of arrival and departure.