Eastern caravan

We will devote the second day to excursions around the ancient capital of the Kokand Khanate. In the 18th century, Kokand was the most important center of religion, and to this day many ancient mosques have been preserved here. We will visit the palace of Khudoyar Khan (19th century), see its bright panels and ornaments. We will take a walk through the mausoleum of Madari Khan with a blue dome and a mosaic of unusual colors, the architectural complex of Jami, and the tomb of Dakhma-i-Shikhon. All these buildings tell a fascinating history of the city, intertwined with the history of countries - now existing or remaining only in memory. We will also go on an excursion to Rishtan. This is a city of craftsmen, the blue ceramics produced here are known throughout the world. Let's get acquainted with the process of making original masterpieces and the secrets of local craftsmen. Return to Kokand and dinner at the hotel.

On this day we will travel to Tashkent along the picturesque Kamchik Pass. We will cover a distance of 240 km between Kokand and Tashkent, the journey will take about 4 hours. Having checked into a hotel in the capital of Uzbekistan, you can spend the rest of the day at your discretion, relaxing after the journey.

Tashkent is diverse and multifaceted. There are archeological monuments over 2 thousand years old, amazingly beautiful medieval buildings, monumental architecture of the 19th century and the legacy of the Soviet era. We will take a tour of the old city: Khast-Imam Square, where one of the oldest copies of the Koran is kept in the majestic mosque, the Kukeldash madrasah built in the 16th century, and the unusual asymmetrical mausoleum of Kaffal Shashi. Let's plunge into a kaleidoscope of colors by visiting the noisy and fragrant Chorsu bazaar, the oldest in Tashkent. We will have lunch with delicious Uzbek pilaf in an establishment where 10 tons of this national dish are prepared daily. In the afternoon we depart for Samarkand.

This is one of the most ancient cities in the world; in the Middle Ages it was an important point on the Silk Road. It is also the capital of the great empire of Tamerlane, where dozens of architectural masterpieces have been preserved. We will visit the tomb of Tamerlane - the Gur-Emir mausoleum with a ribbed dome and carved vaults, walk along the picturesque Registan Square and the oldest bazaar of the city (Siab), which covers an area of ​​more than 7 hectares. Let's go to the Ulugbek Observatory Museum and take beautiful pictures with a view of the legendary Bibi-Khanum Mosque.

After breakfast, transfer to Bukhara, another ancient and atmospheric city on the Silk Road. On the way, we will make a stop in the city of Gijduvan, where we will visit a family of hereditary ceramic masters. We will have lunch here and taste the famous local kebabs. Arrival in Bukhara. In the Middle Ages, it was an important political and religious center; buildings built in the 16th-17th centuries are located here. madrasahs included in the Lyabi-Khauz ensemble. This ensemble is one of the central squares of the city, its heart, and consists of several picturesque buildings grouped around an octagonal pond. Also in Bukhara we will visit the indoor bazaar quarter with its workshops, learn more about folk crafts and traditions.

We continue our tour of Bukhara - it is impossible to fully get acquainted with this amazing city in one day! We will see the “mosque of forty pillars”, Bolo-Khauz, the Ark fortress, which is repeatedly destroyed and restored, striking in its shape and monumentality. We will visit the architectural ensemble of Poi-Kalyan (XII-XVI centuries), the country residence of the emir khan - the Sitorai Mohi-Khosa palace, whose name means “Like the sun and the moon”, and the memorial complex of one of the most famous religious figures of Islam, Sufi Bakhautdin Naqshbandi.

If you are going on a tour lasting 8 days, then on this day you will be transferred to the airport and return home.
For those who chose the 10-day program, the adventure continues! Our path to Khiva lies through the vast Kyzylkum desert, along which the rich caravans of the Silk Road once walked.
Sands of a reddish hue (the name of the desert is translated as “Red Sands”), rocky hills and dunes... we will definitely make several stops for beautiful photographs. We will also go up to the observation deck to admire the full-flowing Amu Darya River. Arriving in Khiva, we will take a walk through the Old Town.

The city of Khiva, which is more than 2.5 thousand years old, is small and incredibly atmospheric. This is an open-air museum, lost in the desert and containing many architectural gems. Almost every building here has a rich history, the streets are full of legends, peace and fairy-tale mood. We will visit the citadel of the Khiva khans, Kunya-Ark, the mausoleum of Pakhlavan-Makhmud with colorful paintings and wooden carvings, the Tash-Khauli palace with skillful tiles, minarets and madrassas.