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ESSENCE OF UZBEKISTAN
Day 1 London to Taskent
Depart London Heathrow on the Uzbekistan Airways flight overnight to Tashkent (Tuesdays and Fridays only).
Day 2 Taskent
Arrive Tashkent in the morning, where you will be met and transferred to the Dedeman Hotel for one night.
Today enjoy a sightseeing tour of Tashkent. Places of interest include the 16th Century Kukeldash Madrassah which is being restored as a museum and the Kaffali–Shash Mausoleum. Tashkent also houses many museums of Uzbek and pre–Uzbek culture. These include the State Art Museum, which houses a collection of paintings and ceramics as well as the Bukharian royal robes. The Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts exhibits embroidered wall hangings and reproduction antique jewellery. (B)
Day 3 Taskent to Urgench – by air
Urgench to Khiva – 30 kms
Early morning transfer to Tashkent Airport for the Uzbekistan Airways flight to Urgench, where you will be met and then driven to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Khiva where you will stay at the Malika Hotel for one night.
Start your tour of Khiva at Ichon–Qala, the area where the majority of the architectural monuments are located. Places of interest are the Kunya–Ark citadel and the Tosh–Khovli Palace, residence of the Khan, which had been preserved intact along with its ornate gates. This area prominently displays the simplicity and monumentality of medieval architectural forms, the delicateness of woodcarvings, and skilled interweaving of ornamentation. The silhouettes of its towering minarets, hemmed in by clay built houses with their flat roofs and surrounded by the fortress’s powerful clay built walls, give a clear idea of a typical Central Asian feudal city. (B)
Day 4 Khiva to Bukhara – 420 kms
Today leave Khiva and continue by car to Bukhara where you will stay for two nights. The settlement of Bukhara in Uzbekistan dates back to the 8th Century when it was, for 200 years, the centre of an expanding Islamic kingdom prospering as the trade and intellectual centre for Central Asia. Stay for two nights at the Asia Bukhara Hotel. (B)
Day 5 Bukhara
This morning commence your sightseeing tour of Bukhara. One of the most ancient cities of Uzbekistan, Bukhara is believed to have been founded in the 13th Century BC during the reign of Siyavushids who came to power 980 years before Alexander the Great. There are more than 350 mosques and 100 religious colleges in the city and sights such as the Poi–Kalon, Ismail Samani Mausoleum and Kalian Minaret are not to be missed. (B)
Day 6 Bukhara to Samarkand – 300 kms
This morning leave Bukhara and drive to Samarkand stopping en–route at Shakrisabz. Remains of Ak Saray Palace and old city walls can be found in just north of the city centre; however, the most beautiful historical part of Shakrisabz is the Kok Gumbaz mosque and Dorut Tilovat. Afterwards continue onto Samarkand where you will stay for two nights at the Grand Samarkand Hotel. (B)
Day 7 Samarkand
Today commence your sightseeing of this famous city. Samarkand is situated in the valley of the River Zarafshan and is the second largest city of Uzbekistan roughly the same age as the city of Babylon or Rome. The history of Samarkand is about 2,500 years old and has witnessed the times of Alexander the Great, the Arabic Conquest, Genghis–Khan and Tamerlane. Majestic and beautiful Samarkand has attracted poets and historians and to this day is known as the ‘Rome of the East’. (B)
Day 8 Samarkand to Tashkent – 270 kms
Taskent to London
This morning, after breakfast, leave Samarkand and return to Tashkent Airport in good time to catch the Uzbekistan Airways flight to London (Tuesdays and Fridays only), arriving London Heathrow Four in the evening local time. (B)
Planning your journey: We can design a unique journey to suit you as our tours are totally tailor made. By combining your own ideas with our knowledge and experience we can help you to create your own journey tailored exactly to your requirements Once you have formulated your ideas, or if you require some general or specific advice, please call us on 01892 515966 or simply send your ideas to pettitts@btconnect.com. On receipt of your enquiry we will provide you with a full written quotation together with our suggestions and recommendations.
A Guide to Price – ESSENCE OF UZBEKISTAN
Prices vary according to selected airlines, hotels and season, however, an indication to the current cost of this itinerary is from £1,880.00. All prices are per person and are based on a minimum of TWO persons travelling together and sharing a twin bedded room with meals as indicated. If you wish to travel alone we will be pleased to assist you with your arrangements and can provide a proposal on request.
Note: Meal Basis (N) = No Meal; (B) = Breakfast; (L) = Lunch; (D) = Dinner
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