Day 1 Tashkent

Evening arrival in Tashkent. You will be met by our guide at the airport.Transfer to your hotel. Accommodation at the Tashkent Lotte Palace

Day 2 Tashkent

Enjoy exploring the capital city of Tashkent; a vibrant, modern showcase city, it glitters in the sunlight and glows at night. This morning we visit the landmarks of the city: the Khasret Imam, Sheik Tellya Mosque, and the 2,000 year-old Chor-Su Bazaar to watch craftsmen at work, enjoy the bustle of the market and bargain for souvenirs. We’ll compare the old with the new at Mustakillik (Independence) Square and the imposing bronze statue of Tamerlane himself at Amir Timur Park. Visit the Earthquake memorial, Abul Kasim handicraft center, and the ceramic studio of Akbar Rakhimov.

Night panorama of Tashkent after dinner.

Day 3 Tashkent – Kokand

Morning train to the spectacular Ferghana Valley. Arrival in Kokand.

Visit the Khudoyar-Khan Palace, Museum, and Juma Mosque. Watch traditional wood carvers creating wall panels, jewelry boxes, many-sided khantaxta tables and intricate laukh Koran stands.

Day 4-6, Kokand – Rishton – Ferghana – Margilan – Namangan

Scenic drive to Margilan. Stop at the Rishton ceramics workshop of the Rustam Usmanov family. After lunch we arrive in Margilan, the home of atlas silk weaving. During our stay in Margilan we’ll visit Ferghana’s UNESCO sites and the Kumtepa bazaar. At the Abjubosits family workshop, we’ll learn the secrets of specialized silk and velvet ikat weaving and dyeing. In the Kumtepa bazaar ikat fabric is available by the meter, ready to be made into fashion and home décor and we’ll shop for a variety of embroidered fashion and decor items made by local women.

Day 7, Ferghana – Chust – Tashkent

Morning sightseeing drive to Chust, a charming Namangan village famous for the artistic embroidered doppi caps, worn by both men and women. Enjoy culinary experiences and master classes with award winning craftsman

On the way to Tashkent there’s a panoramic view of the Syrdarya river. Arrival and accommodation in Tashkent.

Later in the afternoon we have an invitation to visit the workshops of award-winning, women-owned textile artists and designers. We’ll find handmade traditional silk and cotton ikat goods and one-of-a-kind fashion. Enjoy dinner, and delight in the flash and swirl of regional dancers and gorgeous costumes and the haunting melodies of the flute and two-stringed dotar concert!

Day 8, Tashkent-Samarkand

This morning we follow the golden road to Samarkand. This legendary 2,750 year-old city was once the capital city of the Timurid empire.

Upon arrival we’ll head right to the   magnificent UNESCO heritage site of Registan Square. One of the most recognized landmarks of the ancient world, it’s bordered on three sides by majestic porticoes and soaring minarets of its medressehs. What were once small student rooms now house countless stalls and displays of ceramics, embroidery items, carpets, hats, caps, and a wide variety of ethnic textiles.  Within the old city are the remains of Ulugbek’s 15th c. observatory, the tomb of the Hebrew Prophet Daniel in the old Jewish quarter. and the beautiful tile mosaics of the Gur e Emir mausoleum. The Shahi Zinda complex is a veritable museum of tile artistry under the open sky.

Enjoy a wine tasting at Khovrenko before dinner at Platan restaurant.

Day 9 Samarkand

This morning finds us in the heart of the city to visit the school of embroiderers at their workshop. The romantic Bibi Khanum Complex overlooks the busy and colorful Siob Bazaar. This is a photographer’s delight packed with bustling stalls and colorful arrays of produce. We’ll enjoy delicious local breads and fruits, Uzbek halvas and friendly greetings from the local traders.

Just outside of Samarkand is a traditional mulberry paper factory and silk making workshop. We’ll stop at the highest point in Samarkand for more photo opportunities and return for dinner.

Day 10 Samarkand – Gijduvan – Shafirkon – Bukhara

Bukhara’s Gijduvan and Shafirkon cities are famous for their centuries old embroidery schools and ceramics. On our Silk Road journey to Bukhara we’ll stop by to meet award winning ceramist Narzullaev, try our hand in the textile workshops and have lunch. Afternoon arrival in Bukhara. Accommodation at Sasha and Son.

The rest of the afternoon is yours to enjoy in this desert oasis and our guides will be happy to help you plan your adventure! Follow tradition here and relax on a divan, sip your green tea and enjoy the social life at one of the many chaikhanas in the city. At the Lyabi Khaus complex, the traditional heart of the city, tea and gossip reign at tables around the reflecting pool. Artisans sell their handicrafts and at night the colored lights give a festive air to the local dance troupe. The Uzbek tea ceremony is a formal and graceful ritual, poured three times from the pot into a ceramic cup allowing the full flavor and aroma of the tea to develop.

Tonight, we’ll enjoy dinner with a performance at the Nadir Divan Begi Khanaka featuring local dancers and singers and a fashion show displaying gorgeous costumes handcrafted by Uzbek designers.

Days 11-12 Bukhara

Bukhara, once the intellectual center of the Islamic world, can trace its origins to the 6th century BCE. One of Central Asia’s holiest cities, behind the ancient adobe walls the backstreets are lined with spice markets, artisan and carpet shops, and the homes of families who have lived here for generations. Beside the Lyabi Khaus is the medieval Kukeldash medresseh, and the Kalyan minaret at the Poi-Kalyon complex dates to 1127, a fitting symbol of old Bukhara. When Genghis Khan invaded he left only the minaret standing; legend says that he was struck by its beauty.

The city’s subdued desert hues give centuries-old buildings an exotic air. The Fortress Ark defended its rulers and their servants for centuries while some sixty caravanserais could be found within the city for traders and travelers of the Silk Road. Try on traditional outfits at the national costume exhibit in an old merchant’s house. Wind your way through the city’s ancient trade domes of money changers, hat and puppet sellers, carpet, jewelry and embroidery merchants.

Lunch at the private home of one of the best suzani makers in Bukhara.

During our time in Bukhara we’ll do some “monumental” touring! The Magoki Attari was originally a Zoroastrian temple and the oldest surviving mosque in Central Asia. It now hosts a museum displaying examples of the distinctive colors and patterns of the region’s carpets. We’ll visit the Abdulaziz Khan Madrassah, the 4 minarets of the Chor Minor, and the Palace of the Moon and Stars. This luxurious summer residence of the last Bukharan Emir is a fusion of both Oriental and Russian architecture. The harem building now contains a museum of applied arts with displays of furniture, jewelry, art objects from Russia, porcelain from Japan. and traditional regional embroidery

One of the many family rituals in Bukhara is the celebration of Sallabandon, marking the transition to motherhood, and we’ll be guests at this festive women’s celebration.

Day 13-14 Khiva

Morning drive through the Kyzyl-Kum (red sand) desert to the magical city of Khiva.

Enjoy lunch at a nomadic yurt with local Kazakh families. Upon arrival in Khiva we will be accommodated at the Asia Hotel. Khiva is a “living museum”, a fairy-tale city. The old walled city contains some of the best preserved and restored historical architecture including the Ichan Kala, the Ata–Darvaza gates, the majestic, blue-tiled Kalta Minar tower, the fabulously decorated Mohammad Aminkhan and Khodja Islam medressehs, the Kunya Ark (Ancient Citadel), and the Tash Hauli Palace (with interior views of the palace’s harem quarter), and the tranquil Juma mosque with its 200 beautifully carved wooden pillars. The main market is housed in a traditional caravanserai (inn for caravans). DInner includes delicious regional specialties.

Day 15 Khiva – Nukus – Tashkent

Morning drive to the desert city of Nukus in the Karakalpak region. Its popular State Art Museum. The Savitsky is known for its collection of Russian and Soviet avant-garde paintings, hidden away during the communist regime. There are extensive collections of nomadic art and needlepoint, and thousands of historical and archaeological objects. Evening flight to Tashkent. Farewell dinner.

Day 16, Tashkent

Morning transfer to the airport to take your flight to your next destination.

Departure