Alexander the Great Night
30.01.2016Pamir Highway and Wakhan Valley
18.02.2016
Tour Duration: 7 days and 6 nights
Group Size: 8-19 pax
Route: Dushanbe – Khujand- Oybek border post (Uzbekistan)-Samarkand-Bukhara- Khiva- Urgench-Tashkent-Oybek border post-Khujand-Dushanbe
Season: March-June, September-October
Tour Costomize: Yes
Cost includes:
- round trip transportation and meal according to itinerary;
- accommodation on a twin base at below mentioned hotels or similar;
- English/Russian speaking guide;
- all excursions and entrance fees to monuments and museums as indicated in the program;
- tourist tax in Uzbekistan-2 USD/pax/night;
- airfare for the flight Urgench/Tashkent (economy class);
- letter of invitation.
Group Size: 8-19 pax
Route: Dushanbe – Khujand- Oybek border post (Uzbekistan)-Samarkand-Bukhara- Khiva- Urgench-Tashkent-Oybek border post-Khujand-Dushanbe
Season: March-June, September-October
Tour Costomize: Yes
Cost includes:
- round trip transportation and meal according to itinerary;
- accommodation on a twin base at below mentioned hotels or similar;
- English/Russian speaking guide;
- all excursions and entrance fees to monuments and museums as indicated in the program;
- tourist tax in Uzbekistan-2 USD/pax/night;
- airfare for the flight Urgench/Tashkent (economy class);
- letter of invitation.
Day 1- Dushanbe – Khujand-Oybek border post-Samarkand
- Breakfast at home.
- Departure at 6 am from Dushanbe to Khujand (410 km, 5 hours).
- Lunch in Khujand city.
- Drive to Oybek border post. Going through visa and customs formalities.
- Meet by local Uzbek team at the border point Oybek.
- Transfer to Samarkand via Tashkent (420 km, 6 hours).
- Accommodation, dinner and overnight at hotel.
Day 2 – Samarkand
- Breakfast at a hotel.
- Sightseeing tour of Samarkand: Registan Square (meaning “sandy place”) became an official centre of Samarkand since Tamerlane the Great’s time
The Square is surrounded by the Ulugbek’s madrassah (1417-1420), the Sher-Dor madrassah (1619-1636), and Tilla-Kori madrassah (1646-1660). Mosque Bibi-Khanum (named in hohor of Timur’s eldest and favorite wife), Siab bazaar, a colorful main farmers’ market.
- Lunch at a local restaurant.
- Continue sighseeing: Gur-Emir Mausoleum (graves of Tamerlane and his descendants, XV c); Rukhabad mausoleum (XV c); Necropolis Shakhi-Zinda and ensemble of mausoleums of the XI th-XIXth centuries (According to the legend, the ensemble was erected around the grave of Kussam, a son of Abbas and cousin of Mohammed).
- Dinner and overnight at hotel.
Day 3 – Samarkand –Buzkashi-Bukhara
- Breakfast at a hotel.
- Drive out of Samarkand for Buzkashi and Nawruz Celebration. Buzkashi is an old polo game in Central Asia with a goat carcass. Buzkashi games usually happen during Nawruz celebration in Central Asia.
- Festive lunch at Nawruz Celebration.
- Drive to Bukhara (300 km, 4 hours).
- Dinner, accommodation and overnight at hotel.
Day 4 – Bukhara
- Breakfast at hotel.
- Full day sightseeing tour of Bukhara: Samanids mausoleum, the burial place of the Samanids (9th–10th cc.) is a masterpiece of Central Asian architecture. The building boasts no colorful facades and paintings, but claims its fame as being the first Muslim mausoleum in Central Asia); Chashma-Ayub shrine (XIV-XVI cc.) known as a curative source, Bolo-Khauz mosque including mosque (XVIII c.), minaret (1914-17) and basin, local bazaar; Chor Minor, a colorful madrassah with four peculiar looking towers – the Chor-Minor (1807) - was used as a library for students; Liabi-Khauz Complex: Nodir-Divan-beghi madrassah (XVII c.), Kukeldash madrassah (XVI c.), Khonako (XVII c.); Magoki-Attari mosque (XII c., XVI c.); visiting trading domes consists of three trading centers: Tok-i-Zargaron (1570) – Jeweler’s bazaar, Tok-i-Tilpak Furushon – Cap Maker’s Bazaar, Tok-i-Sarrafon – Moneychanger’s Bazaar; Ulugbek’s madrassah (XV c.), and Abdulaziz-khan madrassah (XVII c.). Fortress Ark (citadel), a fortified residence of Emirs of Bukhara; Poi-Kalyan complex (Big Minaret from the 12th century is the symbol of the city) consisting of Miri-Arab madrassah (XVI c.), Kalyan minaret (XII c.) & Djuma mosque (XV c.), Baghautdin Nakshbandi complex and Sitorai Mohi Khossa (residence of Emir of Bukhara)
- Lunch and dinner at a local restaurant
- Overnight at hotel
Day 5 – Bukhara - Khiva
- Breakfast at hotel
- Drive to Khiva (450 km, 7 hours)
- Lunch en route
- Arrival to Khiva
- Accommodation, dinner and overnight at hotel
Day 6 –Khiva – Urgench - Tashkent
- Breakfast at hotel
- Sightseeing tour of open air city museum: Itchan - Kala, Kunya- Ark Fortress, Mukhammad Aminkhan madressah, mausoleum Seid Alauddin, mausoleum Pakhlavan Makhmud, Juma mosque, Tash Havli palace, Ala Kuli madrassah
- Lunch and dinner at a local restaurant in Khiva
- Drive to Urgench (30 km, 50 min). Transfer to airport for the flight to Tashkent ХЙ 1058 (20:40/22:10)
- Transfer to hotel
- Accommodation, dinner and overnight at hotel
Day 7–Tashkent- Khujand- Dushanbe
- Breakfast at hotel.
- Drive to Uzbek/Tajik border post “Oybek” ( 100 km, 1,3 hours).
- Going through visa and customs formalities.
- Lunch en route.
- Drive to Dushanbe. Late arrival to Dushanbe.
Hotel base:
Samarkand, hotel “Orient Star” 3* or similar 2 overnights
Bukhara, hotel “Omar Khayam” 3* or similar 2 overnigths
Khiva, hotel “Malika Khiva” 3* or similar 1 overnigths
Tashkent, hotel “Uzbekistan” 4* or similar 1 overnigths
Cost does not include:
- visa fee for Uzbekistan
- all personal expenses
- payment for photo cameras and video at monuments
- travel insurance
- meal out of program
Cost of the tour: upon request