Arrival: Arrival at Tashkent International Airport. Meet the driver in the arrivals area and transfer privately to the hotel. Standard check-in is available from 14:00.

Depending on the flight arrival time and after a suitable rest, guests may visit Magic City independently. This popular entertainment complex is especially atmospheric during the festive season. Rides, attractions and personal purchases are paid directly on site.

Transport: private airport transfer and scheduled local transport
Guide: not included

Overnight: Tashkent
Meals: not included

09:00 – Tashkent city tour: Meet the guide and begin a full-day introduction to Tashkent, a modern capital shaped by Silk Road history, Soviet urban planning and contemporary Uzbek culture.

The morning panoramic tour includes Independence Square, Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre Square and Amir Temur Square, followed by a visit to the Tashkent TV Tower. Lunch at the Central Asian Plov Centre is paid directly by guests.

Continue to the Hazrati Imam Complex, including Barak Khan Madrasa, Tillya Sheikh Mosque and the 16th-century Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum. Conclude at Chorsu Bazaar, one of Uzbekistan’s largest and most vibrant markets.

Transport: private vehicle for the scheduled programme
Guide: local English-speaking guide

Overnight: Tashkent
Meals: breakfast

09:00 – Amirsoy, Charvak and Chimgan: Depart for Amirsoy Mountain Resort, approximately 65 km from Tashkent in the foothills of the Chatkal Range. The journey normally takes 1.5–2 hours, depending on winter road and weather conditions.

Enjoy the mountain scenery and a cable-car ride. Skiing, snowmobiling, equipment rental, lessons and other resort activities are optional and paid directly by guests. Continue to Charvak Reservoir, with a short scenic stop in the Chimgan area, before returning to Tashkent in the afternoon or early evening. Lunch is not included.

Weather note: the mountain programme and cable-car operation depend on weather, road, safety and technical conditions. A suitable alternative will be offered if access or operations are restricted.

Transport: private vehicle, approximately 130–170 km round trip
Guide: local English-speaking guide

Overnight: Tashkent
Meals: breakfast

Morning: After an early breakfast, check out and transfer to Tashkent railway station. The provisional train is planned to depart at 08:30 and arrive in Samarkand at 10:49. Exact timing and train type remain subject to railway confirmation and ticket availability.

On arrival, meet the local Samarkand guide and transfer to the city. Begin with the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum, the burial place of Amir Timur and members of the Timurid dynasty. Continue to Registan Square, framed by the Ulugbek, Sher-Dor and Tilla-Kori madrasas. Lunch is not included.

Transfer to the hotel for check-in from 14:00. The remainder of the afternoon and evening is free for rest or an independent walk.

Transport: private transfers and train Tashkent–Samarkand
Guide: local English-speaking guide from arrival

Overnight: Samarkand
Meals: early breakfast

09:00 – Morning: Depart for the Imam al-Bukhari Memorial Complex, dedicated to the renowned Islamic scholar and compiler of hadith. Continue to the Ulugbek Observatory, one of the most important scientific sites of the medieval Islamic world.

Afternoon: After lunch at guests’ own expense, visit the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, one of Samarkand’s most remarkable architectural ensembles. Continue to the monumental Bibi-Khanym Mosque and the lively Siab Bazaar. The remainder of the day is free.

Transport: private vehicle for the scheduled programme
Guide: local English-speaking guide

Overnight: Samarkand
Meals: breakfast

Morning: After an early breakfast, check out and transfer to Samarkand railway station. The provisional train is planned to depart at 08:33 and arrive in Bukhara at 10:10. Exact timing and train type remain subject to railway confirmation and ticket availability.

Meet the Bukhara guide on arrival and transfer to the city. Hotel rooms are available from 14:00. After lunch at guests’ own expense, begin the sightseeing programme at the Ark Citadel, the former residence of the Emir of Bukhara.

Continue to the Poi Kalyan ensemble, including Kalyan Mosque, Mir-i-Arab Madrasa and Kalyan Minaret. Visit Abdulaziz Khan Madrasa and the 16th-century trading domes, where Bukhara’s traditions of gold embroidery, copperwork, blacksmithing and weaving remain visible. Conclude at the Lyabi-Hauz ensemble with Nodir Devon-Begi Madrasa, Kukeldash Madrasa and Nodir Devon-Begi Khanaka.

Transport: private transfers and train Samarkand–Bukhara
Guide: local English-speaking guide from arrival

Overnight: Bukhara
Meals: early breakfast

09:00 – Morning: Visit the Zinnur Gold Embroidery Workshop to learn about Bukhara’s renowned decorative traditions. The visit is subject to workshop confirmation during the festive period.

Continue to Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa, the late 19th- and early 20th-century country palace of the Emir of Bukhara and today a museum of decorative and applied arts.

Afternoon: After lunch at guests’ own expense, visit the Ismail Samani Mausoleum, Chashma Ayub and the Bolo Hauz Mosque and complex. The remainder of the day is free.

Transport: private vehicle for the scheduled programme
Guide: local English-speaking guide

Overnight: Bukhara
Meals: breakfast

Morning: Breakfast and check-out. Transfer from Bukhara to the Alat-Farap border, normally around 1.5–2 hours. After completing the Uzbek exit formalities, continue by the required border shuttle services through the control points and neutral zone.

Meet the Turkmen guide, who will assist with the tourist visa, migration procedures, customs declaration and the mandatory rapid PCR test. Border formalities usually take approximately 1.5–2 hours but may take longer depending on traffic and official procedures.

Afternoon: After the final shuttle, meet the vehicle and drive to Turkmenabat, around 40–50 minutes. Stop for an optional lunch at a local café before continuing to Mary by road. Arrival is expected in the evening, followed by hotel check-in and rest.

Long travel day: the day combines an international border crossing with approximately 5.5–6.5 hours of driving. Timing remains dependent on border operations.

Transport: Bukhara–border transfer; border–Mary private vehicle
Guide: English-speaking Turkmen guide from the border

Overnight: Mary
Meals: breakfast

Morning: Breakfast and check-out. Drive to Ancient Merv, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the greatest cities of the medieval Islamic world. Across more than four millennia, Merv developed as a major centre of Silk Road trade, scholarship and empire.

Highlights:

• Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, the monumental tomb of the last great Seljuk sultan
• Erk Kala and Gyaur Kala, fortified settlements with origins reaching back to antiquity
• The Askhabs mausoleums, traditionally associated with companions of the Prophet Muhammad
• Greater and Lesser Kyz Kala, monumental mud-brick fortress residences
• The Mausoleum of Muhammad ibn Zayd, an important early Islamic monument

Continue to St Alexis Orthodox Church, built in 1910, then return to Mary for lunch at guests’ own expense and a visit to the Mary Regional Museum.

Afternoon: Depart for Ashgabat via the new desert highway. Arrival and hotel check-in are expected in the evening after approximately four hours on the road.

Transport: Mary–Merv–Mary and Mary–Ashgabat by private vehicle
Guide: accompanying English-speaking guide

Overnight: Ashgabat
Meals: breakfast

Morning: Begin at the Halk Hakydasy Memorial Complex, dedicated to the victims of the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake, the Second World War and the Battle of Geokdepe. Museum displays and archival photographs illustrate the city’s destruction and recovery.

Continue through modern Ashgabat with photo stops at the Alem Cultural and Entertainment Centre, the Monument of Neutrality, Independence Park and its principal monuments.

Afternoon: After lunch at Berkarar Mall or a local restaurant, explore older districts on foot, including the historic Clock Tower, Ashgabat Circus, Magtymguly Avenue, the Russian Bazaar and the Lenin Monument. Dinner is at guests’ own expense, followed by return to the hotel.

Transport: private vehicle for the scheduled programme
Guide: accompanying English-speaking guide

Overnight: Ashgabat
Meals: breakfast

Morning: Breakfast at the hotel and a relaxed morning. Guests may keep the day free for rest and shopping or reserve an optional half-day excursion to Kipchak, Old Nisa and the State Museum, subject to opening hours and holiday operations.

The optional excursion includes the Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque and family mausoleum in Kipchak, followed by Old Nisa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and former centre of the Parthian Empire. If open, continue to the State Museum of History and Ethnography. Return to the hotel with time to prepare for the evening.

Evening: An optional New Year’s Eve dinner can be arranged at a selected local restaurant or, subject to host availability, with a local family. At approximately 23:00, transfer to Bagt Koshgi hill or another suitable viewpoint to experience the city celebrations and any official fireworks display. Return to the hotel after midnight.

New Year programme: dinner venue, viewpoint access, traffic arrangements and any official fireworks are subject to final confirmation by local authorities and suppliers. The base tour price does not include the optional dinner or optional daytime excursion.

Transport: evening transfer included; optional daytime transport extra
Guide: guide for scheduled evening programme

Overnight: Ashgabat
Meals: breakfast; festive dinner optional

Morning: Breakfast and a free morning. Check out by 11:00 and depart by 4WD vehicles for the Karakum Desert, with a maximum of three guests per vehicle.

Afternoon: Stop in Bokurdak for a hosted late lunch and an introduction to desert family life. Depending on household activities, guests may see pishme preparation, camel milking, embroidery, traditional cooking and the use of yuzarlik incense.

Evening: Continue to the Darvaza Gas Crater and arrive before dusk, subject to road conditions. View the crater as daylight fades, followed by a kebab dinner and an overnight stay in a yurt camp near the crater.

Transport: 4WD vehicles, approximately 272 km / 4–4.5 hours (last 110 km / ~2 hrs. uneven old asphalt road)
Guide: accompanying English-speaking guide

Overnight: Yurt camp near Darvaza
Meals: breakfast, hosted lunch and dinner

Morning: Breakfast at the yurt camp and a final look at the Darvaza Gas Crater. Begin the return journey to Ashgabat, stopping at the smaller Water and Mud Craters when local access and road conditions permit.

Afternoon: Continue through the Karakum Desert return journey to Ashgabat. Arrive in the city in the mid-afternoon, check in to the hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.

Transport: Darvaza–Ashgabat by 4WD, approximately 4–5 hours plus stops
Guide: accompanying English-speaking guide

Overnight: Ashgabat
Meals: breakfast

Departure: Depending on the international flight schedule, check out and transfer privately to Ashgabat International Airport.

End of services!

The final hotel night is included through the morning of 3 January. If the flight departs very early, a packed breakfast may be requested but remains subject to hotel confirmation.

Transport: private hotel–airport transfer, approximately 15 km / 20 minutes
Guide: not required

Meals: breakfast, subject to flight time