Arrival at Tashkent International Airport. Meeting and transfer to the hotel for early check-in.

Sightseeing tour of Tashkent — we will visit Old Town, we’ll see Khast Imam Square where Barak Khan madrasah, Tilla Sheikh archives are located, which houses the oldest copy of the Quran of Uthman (VII century AD). Later we will go to the madrasah Kukeldesh, Akbar’s pottery house, on Friendship Square and in the Historical Museum. In the evening we will attend a performance at the Navoi Theater (season in September-May).

Overnight stay: Tashkent
Meals: breakfast

Breakfast. Continued visits to religious sites: Catholic and Orthodox churches. Visit the most beautiful metro stations. A walk through the largest and most dynamic market in Uzbekistan – Chorsu. Sightseeing tour of Tashkent: Independence Square, Opera and Ballet Theater Square, Amir Temur Square. Visit to the amusement park Magic City. Transfer to Tashkent airport for departure by domestic flight HY-057 to Urgench (20:25/21:55), </ b>arrival in Urgench. Transfer to the hotel in Khiva.

Overnight stay: Khiva
Food: breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel.

In the morning: Start the tour of Old Khiva, visiting such iconic places as the madrasah of Muhammad Amin Khan and the minaret of Celte Minor. Explore Kunya Ark, a 12th-century fortress and the residence of the rulers of Khiva. Continue on your way to the mausoleum of Pahlavan Mahmud, famous for its intricate tile work. After lunch, visit the madrasah and the Islam Khoja Minaret, as well as the Juma Mosque, famous for its 213 wooden columns. You can explore the city on your own for the rest of the day.

Overnight stay: Khiva
Food: breakfast

Arrival at the Shavat border/Dashoguz no later than 11:00. After leaving the border of Uzbekistan, take a bus transfer to get to the border of Turkmenistan (the fare is $1 per person). Meeting with the Turkmen guide and passing the formalities upon arrival (obtaining a visa, filling out a declaration, customs formalities and PCR test). We get into our 4×4 SUVs and go to Dashoguz for lunch.

After lunch, we begin our journey to the center of the Karakum Desert to see the Darvaza gas crater, also known on the Internet as the “Gates of Hell”.

The road from Dashoguz to Darvaza is quite damaged, so be prepared for a road test. After making several stops along the way to stretch our legs and take pictures of wandering camels in the desert, we will arrive at Darwazi in the evening, before sunset. An overview of the area while kebabs are being prepared for dinner. Dinner at sunset.

Overnight stay: Darvaza, in yurts
Food: Breakfast and dinner

After breakfast, we say goodbye to the gas crater and head to the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat. On the way, stop in Yerbent at the monument of victory over Basmatism in Central Asia.

The village experience: Next, we will visit the village of Bokurdak, where you will get acquainted with traditional life. Explore the adobe houses and authentic yurts, get to know the locals and observe traditional crafts such as embroidery and bread baking. A homemade lunch will allow you to taste the Turkmen culture.

Evening Walking Tour: The historical districts of Ashgabat are waiting for us, starting with Ashgabat Park on Makhtumkuli Avenue; we will get acquainted with the history of the city on Lenin Square and the lively Russian Bazaar (Gulistan). We will also visit the impressive monument to Akhal-Teke horses.

Dinner at a local restaurant at your own expense. Transfer to the hotel.

Overnight stay: Ashgabat
Food: Breakfast and lunch

Breakfast at the hotel.

Day tour: In the morning, our program will begin with a visit to the memorial complex “Khalk Khakydasy”, dedicated to the heroes of Turkmenistan of the Great Patriotic War, the Battle of Gokdepa and the earthquake of 1948. Explore the hall with an impressive diorama of the Battle of Gokdepin and archival photographs after the earthquake in Ashgabat.

After the museum, we will begin to inspect the iconic monuments of Ashgabat. First we will stop at Bagt Koshgi — the elevation of the Wedding Palace with a panoramic view of the city. This three-dimensional cubic building is especially popular among newlyweds who come here at night to take pictures with the glowing palace. Then we will make a short stop for photos at The Monument to the Constitution and the Alem Ferris wheel included in the Guinness Book of Records. We continue to move into the mountains Kopetdag, until we reach Makhtumkuli Park with a giant 60-meter statue of the famous Turkmen poet and philosopher Makhtumkuli Fragi. We return to the city center with a stop at The Monument of Neutrality with a 12-meter golden statue of the first President of Turkmenistan. And we conclude the tour with a visit to Independence Park with its monuments and Monument to the Book of Rukhnam (translated as “The Book of the Soul”, written by the first president of Turkmenistan).

Dinner at one of the best restaurants in the city with a panoramic view of the city.

Overnight stay: Ashgabat
Food: Breakfast and dinner

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning trip to a private horse farm in Gokdep (50km, 1 hour on the way): You will have the opportunity to ride, feed and photograph these unique animals, known for their speed and ancient origins.
Old Nisa Fortress:We will go to the village of Bagir to explore the ruins of Old Nisa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the ancient capital of the Parthian Empire.
After lunch: After lunch, excursion to The State Museum of History and Ethnography, where you will get acquainted with ancient artifacts and treasures of the rich historical heritage of Turkmenistan.

Then transfer to Mary (350 km, approximately 3 hours on the way). Check-in at the hotel upon arrival.

Overnight stay: Mary
Food: Breakfast and dinner

Morning: After breakfast, we will drive 40 minutes to the village of Bayramali to explore Ancient Merv, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was known as the “Queen of the World”. Highlights of the tour:

• Mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar (the last sultan of the Great Seljuk Empire)
• Yusuf Hamadani Mosque (Yusuf Hamadani was one of the most influential Sufi masters whose teachings spread throughout Central Asia)
• Erk gala (was founded in the VI century BC; in the III century BC it became the citadel of the larger Hellenistic city of Antioch/Margiana)
• Big and Small Giz Kala (VII-XII centuries), known as the “Women’s Fortress”. One of the best preserved fortresses built of mud bricks.

After lunch at the local restaurant “Ancient Turkmen Hearth” we will go to the Farap/Alat border, about 5 hours on the way. Your Turkmen guide will help you with crossing the border to the neutral zone. Next, we get to the Uzbek border on our own (there will be 3 transfers on old buses in the neutral zone, the cost of each move is $ 1).
After passing the border, meeting with the driver who will take you to Bukhara, 1.5 hours drive. Check in at the hotel upon arrival.

Overnight stay: Bukhara
Food: Breakfast and dinner

Morning and noon: After breakfast, explore the ancient city of Bukhara. Start with the Poi Kalon ensemble, which includes Mir-i-Arab Madrasah and Kalon Minaret, the symbol of the city for 875 years.

Also visit the 3 remaining domed bazaars — Taki Zargaron (1570) or jewelers’ bazaar, Taki Telpak Furushon or the bazaar of hat makers and Taki Sarrafon or the bazaar of money changers, which were among dozens of specialized bazaars in the city.

Explore the Lyabi Hauz ensemble, built around 1620, and its nearby madrasahs.

After lunch, visit Ark Fortress, Bolo Hauz Mosque, mausoleum of Ismoil Samani and Chashma Ayub (source of Job).

Evening: Enjoy dinner and a traditional folklore show at Nadir Devon Begi Madrasah, where you can listen to music, dance and taste local cuisine.

Overnight stay: Bukhara
Food: Breakfast and dinner

Morning: After breakfast, transfer to Shakhrisabz (270 km). Arrival and transfer to the local restaurant “Kish Mish” for lunch. After lunch, visit Ak Sarai (White Palace) — Tamerlane’s summer residence (14th century), Kok Gumbaz (Blue Dome) — the Friday mosque (15th century), built by Ulugbek in honor of his father and Dorut Tilyavat (House of Meditation) — the burial complex of Timur’s ancestors. Also visit Timur’s crypt is an underground room that was discovered in 1963.

Transfer to Samarkand (90 km, 2 hours drive), the historical heart of Tamerlane’s empire.

Overnight stay: Samarkand
Food: Breakfast and dinner

Morning and afternoon: Spend the day exploring Samarkand, one of the most beautiful cities in Central Asia. Visit Gur-Emir (in Tajik – the Tomb of the Emir) – the mausoleum of Timur and Timurids (15th century), Registan Square (Sandy place) – an ensemble of majestic madrasahs (15th-17th centuries), takes the first place It is located in Central Asia and is one of the greatest of all the grandiose and magnificent works of the Islamic world. In the Registan ensemble inside the Tillya-Kari Mosque, we can observe how local women hand-weave silk carpets and silk fabrics; After lunch, visitBibi Khanim Mosque (15th century) – a giant cathedral mosque, once one of the largest mosques in the Islamic world, Shahi Zinda (The Living King) – necropolis of the rulers and nobility of Samarkand and Siab market – colorful main farmers market.

Also visit Ulugbek Observatory (1420) – the remains of a huge (30 m high) astrolabe for observing the position of stars, part of a three-storey observatory.

Overnight stay: Samarkand
Food: Breakfast and dinner

After breakfast at the hotel, attend a suzana master class, where, under the guidance of an experienced craftsman, you will learn how to handle threads and fabric yourself. Uzbek suzane is a national ornamental embroidery on fabric, created manually from threads of different colors. She is highly appreciated all over the world for her exquisite sewing skills. At the same time, ancient magical knowledge and beliefs are encoded in its patterns.

Visit to the Konigil Meros paper mill.

After lunch, transfer to Samarkand Railway Station and board the Afrosiab high-speed train (17:00-19:10).

Arrival in Tashkent and accommodation at the hotel. The rest of the day is free for rest before the international flight.

Overnight stay: Tashkent
Food: Breakfast and dinner

Transfer to the airport after midnight or breakfast. The end of the tour.