Highlights of Uzbekistan
Day 1. Tashkent
Welcome to Tashkent, the vibrant capital city of Uzbekistan!
Today your tour will start around noon (your guide will communicate the exact time and place as soon as the day comes close). Therefore, it is advised to arrive the day before the tour starts, so that you will have plenty of time to acclimatise, rest after a day of traveling, and stroll around the city a little if you wish.
Your guide will come and welcome you at the hotel before you head out together. You will meet your guide and the rest of the group with a brief meeting. There will also be room for questions if you have any. Then, you will start a brief city tour through this ancient city and see some of its main highlights.
Accommodation: room in a hotel
Meals included: breakfast, dinner
Day 2. Tashkent - Tian Shan mountains
Today we will head straight into nature! We will drive towards the Celestial Mountains, north of the capital.
As soon as we arrive we will hike through magnificent mountain views. We will see a view of the Kungur-Buka mountains, or as the locals call it: 'Elephant Mountains' and really it actually looks like the head of a huge animal, which takes up all the space of Chimgan up to the river Chirchik. We will have a short break and enjoy a picnic before we descent back down. After the hike you can freshen up and enjoy the surroundings of the village.
Road distance from Tashkent to Chimgan village: 80 km, 2 hours,
Trekking distance: 8km
Difficulty level: moderate
Elevation gain: + 150m / - 410m
Accommodation: room in a chalet
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Facilities: wi-fi, western-style toilets, shower, electricity
Day 3. Tian Shan mountains
After breakfast, we will have our second day of hiking to the peak of the Small Chimgan.
From the chalet we set off on foot towards the foot of the peak. Along the way you will discover the fauna and flora of the Celestial Mountains. From the top you will have a beautiful panoramic view.
After taking a short rest and taking beautiful photos, we will descend our way back to Chimgan village. We will have a picnic, make plenty of short breaks for a snack and once we arrive back at the chalet you will have time to freshen up before we drive back to Tashkent, from where we will take the night train to our next stop: Khiva (depart to Khiva around 8:30 pm). We will also make a stop at the supermarket to buy some food and supplies for tomorrow morning, because you will not be able to buy any food on the night train(!)
Difficulty level: moderate/hard
Elevation gain: + 520 m / - 600 m
Accommodation: shared compartment in the night train
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Facilities: no wi-fi, no shower, limited electricity, toilets
Day 4. Khiva
Good morning and welcome to Khiva! I hope you were able to sleep on the night train. If you wake up by 9:00 am, have a little peek outside, the view is magnificent!
By the end of the morning we will arrive in this theatrical city. The fortified city with cob ramparts and rammed earth walls resembles a sandcastle as in legends or tales! As in "1000 and one nights". We will have a little city tour through this impeccable, ancient city. We will visit a couple of monuments and minarets.
After the city tour you will have some free time to stroll around the city at your own pace and if we are lucky, we will also witness a beautiful sunset.
Accommodation: room in a hotel
Meals included: lunch, dinner
Facilities: wi-fi, shower, electricity, western-style toilets
Day 5. Khiva - Bukhara
Today we will depart from Khiva to Bukhara. It will be quite a ride (approx. 6 hours), so make sure to keep yourself occupied; enjoy a nice book, the environment or sleep a little more. Once we arrive in Bukhara, we will check-in at the hotel and then you will have some free time, so: relax, stroll around, stretch the legs a little and just enjoy.
Accommodation: room in a hotel
Meals included: breakfast, dinner
Facilities: wi-fi, shower, electricity, western-style toilets
Day 6. Bukhara
Today we will have a little city tour through Bukhara. You will discover its ancient monuments such as the Ismail Samani Mausoleum (IX-X s), the eastern market of Bukhara, the Bolo Khause mosque, all the monuments of Lyabi House, its caravanserais, domes of shops and many, many more.
After the city tour you will have some free time. Inside tip: save some time for yourself to enjoy an old Bukharian hammam (dated from the 16th century).
Before dinner, we will move on and visit Poyi Kalon Complex, Miri Arab Mosque and the Madrasa (16th c) and enjoy a beautiful sunset.
Accommodation: room in a hotel
Meals included: breakfast, dinner
Facilities: wi-fi, shower, electricity, western-style toilets
Day 7. Trekking day one
Today we will depart back into nature again!
Once we had breakfast, we will depart to the village between the mountains and the steppe where we will start the first day of our second trek!
The beginning of the hike passes through hills not so high, almost flat and desert, further on a small drop through a rocky valley. Enjoy the richness of the landscape, the green valleys, extraordinary canyons and narrow gorges with carved stones of various shapes. We will have a break in between to have a picnic and then we will proceed to our first camp where we will be staying the night.
Accommodation: overnight in a tent
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Facilities: no wi-fi, no shower, no electricity, toilets outdoors
Hike distance: 18 km
Difficulty level: moderate
Day 8. Trekking day two
Today will be your second day of trekking through the mountains of Uzbekistan.
After having breakfast and dismantling our tents we will walk towards another wide valley. After hiking along the desert valley and through villages where the conquerors once passed, you arrive in a wide valley, higher than the previous village where will camp and set up our tents again.
Accommodation: overnight in a tent
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Facilities: no wi-fi, no shower, no electricity, toilets outdoors
Hike distance: 15 km
Difficulty level: moderate
Day 9. Final day of trekking
Our final trekking day! We will set off again on the trails to the Yomon Ketchi pass (1500 m). We will have a short, but steep climb from where we can admire the amazing view of the mountains, valleys and villages that will surround us. We will make our way to the end.
Once we make our way to the next stop (approx. 3 hours to the Kyzyl Kum Desert), you will have some time to relax. We will stop for a well-deserved lunch before we move on to our next camp.
Accommodation: shared room in a yurt camp
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Facilities: no wi-fi, shower, limited electricity, toilets
Hike distance: 8 km
Difficulty level: moderate
Day 10. Kyzyl Kum Desert
Today you will be able to ride a camel if you wish towards to Aydarkul Lake, from where you can enjoy a well-deserved, long, relaxing day. Have a little swim, enjoy a good book, enjoy the view or have a picnic.
Once we head back to the yurt camp we will relax some more and have an amazing local dinner served.
Accommodation: shared room in a yurt camp
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Facilities: no wi-fi, shower, limited electricity, toilets
Day 11. Samarkand
Today we will make our way to the beautiful Samarkand, , the "pearl of the Orient". This city developed at the crossroads of the main axes of the Silk Road and became the capital of the Timurid Empire. Get your camera ready, because this city is very photo genetic! We will go to Registan Square to visit the madrasas and we will visit a mausoleum, a true jewel of Islamic art. After the tour you will have some time to stroll around the city and enjoy all of its glory.
Accommodation: room in a hotel
Meals included: breakfast, dinner
Day 12. Samarkand
We will proceed our visit in this beautiful city. We will visit more highlights, more mosques, big markets with shops, observatories and a museum. Take it all in, because this city will not bore you easily.
Accommodation: room in a hotel
Meals included: breakfast, dinner
Day 13. Samarkand - Tashkent
Before we will make our way back to the capital city of Uzbekistan, you are free to explore some more, buy the souvenir you had your eyes on, enjoy your breakfast in peace, walk around a little more, take some final photos, or if you are feeling really frisky, you can even visit a hammam if you wish.
It will be a bittersweet afternoon. As soon as we arrive back in Tashkent, you will check-in at the hotel, rest, and have an optional final dinner with our group of new friends!
Accommodation: room in a hotel
Meals included: breakfast
Day 14. Tashkent
The time of saying goodbye has arrived. You can choose to have a relaxing morning, pack up your things at your own pace, enjoy breakfast, or take the first morning flight back home.
We hope you have had a wonderful time and have made some wonderful memories. Safe travels!