In the Heart and Arts
10 Days Tour in the soul of Uzbekistan
Friday 20 October > Sunday 29 October
This tour has been designed also thanks to the support, knowledge, and expertise of Advantour which will manage operations on the ground.
Starting from € 1330* per person
13 people max + Tour leader
10 days
Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Nurata mounatins
(*price based on a group of 12 + 1 Tour leader, based in a double room accommodation)
!! IMPORTANT !!
Read before you book!
Uzbekistan is great in every season. Bear in mind that this part of the world gets quite hot in summer. On the other hand, the places we visit will be less crowded with visitors. You should be able to stand up to 37 degrees Celsius. It is very dry and it is extremely important that you keep yourself very well hydrated all the time, make sure you do not walk too long in the sun, cover your head constantly and avoid long walks in the central hours of the day. The tour activities will be planned accordingly.
If you do not book a single supplement you might be sharing a twin room with another member of the group of your same gender.
Personal travel insurance covering medical expenses is mandatory for this tour.
We do not offer flight ticket booking but we can suggest you the best travel routes and stop over.
A small group discovery tour, through the people, the history, the art, and the food in the heart of the Silk Road
Uzbekistan is in the heart of the silk road, halfway from the Far East and Europe. It is a land of ancient kingdoms, empires, khanates, brutal invasions, and inspiring poets, artists, and kings. A unique melting pot of people, religions, ethnic groups flavors, art, and knowledge, so clearly and proudly carried in everyday life.
Why this Tour
With this tour, we will get deeply involved with the traditions, the art and crafts, the local costumes, the food, and everyday life. Besides the main sightseeing, we will meet local people, talk to them, and get to know the country from its very heart. We choose to stay in family-run, small guesthouses, eat in people’s homes or in small cafes but also in well-known local restaurants. We will travel on the road to be able to see the country meter by meter. We will get lost in cities, go shopping in local bazaars and hike in the peace of the pristine, lush nature of the mountains and valleys.
A small group will allow us to do this and much more in an easy and low-impact way for local people and the environment.
We will not try to squeeze in as much as we can but we will allow time to slow down, immerse ourselves as much as we can in the place and its past and present, we will take opportunities when they come, and change plans when it is needed.
We will go with the flow but without skipping the main sightseeing places.
Some of the highlights…
Visit the biggest bazaar in Central Asia
Get amazed by the stunning view of Registan Square in Samarkand
Spend two nights with a local family in a village learning about the daily life and hundreds of years old traditions
Visit artisans and masters of unique arts such as miniature, pottery, embroidery, paper making, etc
Use local trains
Trek through Nurata Valley and its villages
Learn how to make some of the local dishes
Where we are going on this trip
Tashkent
The vibrant capital of Uzbekistan will be the start and the end of our two weeks tour. We will explore the city on foot witnessing the three eras of this city melting together, the past, the modern, and the contemporary.
Samarkand
The most iconic of all is probably one of the symbols of the Silk Road. Burial place of Amir Timur and an overwhelming showcase of medieval architecture. Samarkand is a jewel box, when you think there can't be more it will still surprise you, again and again.
Bukhara
The pearl in the desert. Close to the border with Turkmenistan, an oasis that has been the capital of empires and Khanates. Bukhara is overwhelmingly beautiful, its pure, clean, natural charm will capture you and take you back centuries. Its people, its pedestrian walking center, and its smaller size make it perfect to be discovered slowly, on foot, getting lost, stopping by at local cafes, and randomly walking into colorful embroidery workshops or centuries-old steamy Hammam.
Nurata Valley
The hilly area behind Navoi and Nurata is all to be explored by hiking from one village to the next. Far away from the shine and buzz of the main sites and cities, this area kept its natural, untouched, remote uniqueness. We will walk through the hills, reach villages, stay in local family homes, visiting ruins left from the time of Alexander the Great.
Scroll down for the Day-by-day Itinerary
Tour cost and what’s included
The cost of the tour varies depending on the number of participants.
It starts from € 1330 (per person) in a 12 people group based on double room occupancy and triple room in Nurata mountains.
Cost per person in a group of 8 travelers = € 1580
Cost per person in a group of 9 travelers = € 1490
Cost per person in a group of 10 travelers = € 1420
Cost per person in a group of 11 travelers = € 1360
Supplement for single room: Euro 220 per person
The Tour cost includes:
9 Breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 Dinners
2 trains, local and private transport
private transport from and to the airport
Local guides
Entrances to monuments/ museums/ activities when included
9 nights in guesthouses and hotels
Tour leader 24/24 with the group
The following aren’t included:
Flight tickets
Personal (required) travel insurance
Not-included meals
Entrances and activities not mentioned in the itinerary
Souvenirs
Airport transfers
Tipping kitty to collect at the start of the trip
Day by day Itinerary
Day 1 Tashkent
Arrive at the hotel and meet with Alice and the rest of the group before going to try some Uzbek cuisine.
Inclusions: private transfer from the airport
Day 2 Tashkent
First full day in Tashkent. We start our tour by exploring the modern and lively capital of the country. Early we will walk through the city center and its parks and canals, visiting the Khast Imam complex where the oldest Koran is kept. We will explore the biggest bazaar of Central Asia: Chorsu Bazaar and learn about the food products and inhabits of the country by getting lost through vegetables, spices, cheese, nuts, etc. After lunch at the food court of the market, we will meet (pottery master name) And visit its workshop to learn more about one of the most popular art and craft of the country, ceramic. Some time to rest before heading to the tv tower to enjoy a spectacular 360 degrees view from the highest structure of the capital. We conclude our first day with a glorious portion of Plov, the national dish of the country at the Plov center, where tons of rice are cooked in an enormous Calderon every day and the city gathers for lunch and dinners. (This could be moved to the evening of the first day)
Inclusions: B, Local Guide all-day, ceramist workshop, entrance to the tv tower, Khast Imam complex, transport, and Metro
Day 3 to Samarkand
We catch an early train to Samarkand (or we use cars) and arrive at around 11 am. To avoid the hit today we will first immerse ourselves in the village atmosphere of Konigil. We will relax in its beautiful breezy gardens and learn more about the centuries-old traditions of paper-making from mulberry trees. We will have lunch there and then continue to learn more about another unique and ancient art of this land: carpets! We will visit the Afghan- Uzbek silk factory founded by the 103 years old Haji Mohammad Ewaz Badghisi, one of the most iconic and known enterprises of the country still nowadays. The factory is not only known for its incredible family history and the quality of its silk carpet but also for the treatment given to its workers, the values in which the family believed, and the humanitarian projects that the family is involved in, especially in their second home country Afghanistan.
For the evening we will enjoy a delicious home-cooked dinner by Dildora, a lady who lives close to the Amir Timur mausoleum (Gur Emir) and loves to open her house to small groups of travelers.
Inclusions: B, L, D LG full-day, visit to Konigil area and Afghan- Uzbek carpet factory, transport
Day 4 Samarkand
In the first half of the day, we will follow the Silk Road history through blue domes, dusty alleys, and Soviet, breezy boulevards. The rest of the day will be on our own with the opportunity of visiting the Bagizagan winery and taking part in a wine tasting.
Inclusions: B, LG half-day Entrances to Registan Square, Bibi Khanum mosque, Shah-I- Zinda complex, Gur Emir, Train, and Public transportation
Day 5 to Nurata Mountains
We will drive towards Nurata ( approx 200 km and 4 hours drive) and then continue to the less discovered and incredible stunning area of the lush and breathing Nurata mountains.
We will drive through an arid, flat area with the mountains accompanying us on one side and the Aydar Lake in the distance on the other. The road is very bumpy but probably the most scenic of our tour.
We arrive just in time to learn how to cook another popular and very loved Uzbek dish: Manti(ravioli filled with meat or vegetables) and get settled in our guesthouse and get familiar with nature and a very different pace of living.
Time to detox from technology and the crowd in the village of Asrof, only 35 families live there, our guesthouse is located in a small valley where water flows in shallow and crystal-clear streams. The vegetation there abounds in fruit trees, centuries-old gigantic mulberry trees, and flowers, the air is clean and it will take us very short to get adjust to this paradise.
Inclusions: B, D transport, cooking experience
Day 6 Nurata mountains
Today we explore the valley of Nurata at the border with the Kyzylkum desert, away from the buzz of the cities. We will hike from Asrof through the remains of a 200-year-old village walking up towards the spring and through woods of ancient mulberry trees. We have a few different options for hiking today accordingly to our fitness level and vibe.
Inclusions: B L D, private transport if needed
Day 7 to Bukhara
In the morning depart Nurata Mountains and drive to Bukhara (330 km, 5-6 h.*). We will arrive at around 14.30. Bukhara is all to be explored by foot, getting lost through its alleys and spending time through its ancient bazaar and mosques. Today it could be a good time to experience a local Hammam after the long drive (or ride).
Inclusions: B, transport
Day 8 Bukhara
Today we spend the full day in Bukhara, In the morning we will be exploring the city with our local guide. At lunch is time to try the Sofi plov of the world-known famous miniaturist Davlat Toshev. We will spend time and learn about his incredible initiative of opening a school for kids with health and family difficulties, understanding how the project works, and his creative process behind the intriguing Central Asian and middle eastern art of miniatures.
Davlot loves cooking and with his wife, he will show us a different version of the national dish.
For those in the mood for more arts and beauty, we will walk almost next door to the Suzanne workshop of Rakhmon Toshev and its family and get driven away by the bright colors, the ability of its creators, and the stories behind this ancient embroidery technique.
We will enjoy a free afternoon and meet in the evening to learn about another popular art, developed in Bukhara for centuries, puppet making.
Inclusions: B, L, LG full day, entrances to Samanid Mausoleum, Ark citadel, Bolohvuz mosque, Kalyan Mosque
Day 9 to Tashkent
We check out from the hotel at noon and we enjoy some more free time in Bukhara before heading back to Tashkent. At 14:30 transfer to the train station to take the fast train to Tashkent (15:50 – 19:43). Arrival in Tashkent and we will be heading to our last dinner together as a group!
Inclusions: B Private transport, train ticket
Day 10 Tashkent
Time to say goodbye to our group!
Check-out from the hotel at noon. Free time until transfer to Tashkent International Airport. End of the tour.
Inclusions: B, private transfer to the airport
I designed this tour with responsible tourism in mind. This is why we will…
Stay in family-run guesthouses and homestay
eat at family houses and traditional, local cafes
buy local products and artifacts from local masters after meeting them
use local transport and trains in order to reduce our emissions
Spend time with different local guides
Use filtering bottles and reusable dishes in order to reduce our waste
Prepare yourself, what to expect
Accommodations
We travel responsibly, because of this we choose small, family-run guesthouses, homestays etc. Many accommodations are basic but comfy, cosy, with all we need. You might need to share the room with the others in the group.
Connectivity
In most accommodations and cafes in the city, you will have Wi-Fi available while in the desert and villages in Nurata will be of course, more challenging.
Hygiene standards
Visitors and city’s infrastructures are new and modern, in local houses, rural areas and along the road toilets are very basic, drop and squatting style.
Moving
Trains in Uzbekistan are relatively modern, some of them very new and fast. We will also use local taxis on some bumpy roads.
Laundry
In most accommodations, you will have the possibility of using a laundry service especially when we stop for 2,3 nights at the same place. Pack wisely with few, light items so you can also wash them when needed.
Locals
Uzbeks are some of the most friendly people I ever met around the world. They will make you feel at home everywhere and you will be treated as never before. You will be a guest and proudly will be shown around, thought about the life, culture and art. Still remember you are a visitor and a lot of things work in a different way than your home country, be patient, open-minded and appreciate all that we will be given.
This trip is perfect for you if…
You have wondered what is Central Asia looking like, those countries between Europe and Asia, diverse and rich as anything else in the world. Since thousands of years ago when empires, kingdoms, tribes fought, embraced and mixed into each other when goods, ideas, technologies, flavours, languages, traditions used to travel from the furthest East to the heart of Europe.
This trip is perfect if you love to fully experience the diversity of a place with its highs and its lows if you like to meet people with different (and similar) backgrounds, religions, traditions, points of view. If you like to try different food, learn about ancient history and lost civilisations. If you like to get lost through dusty alleys and modern boulevards if you like to visit bazaars and learn about the arts and crafts, the folk traditions and the nowadays ambitions of the place.
It is your perfect trip if you love exploring a place slowly, using public transportation, if you prefer the quality over the quantity if you are ok skipping something that might be on a ‘must-see list’, if you are flexible and you are ok dealing with a possible change of plans, embracing opportunities to take or any other issue/ problem it might arise when travelling overland.
It s your trip if you love to explore the countryside and trek and being a guest in someone's house if you are dreaming of witnesses what is left and what is alive from the past of the ancient Silk Road.
You will fully enjoy the trip if you are ok dealing with hot and dry weather (between the end of June to the end of August temperature up to 40) if you are happy to trek for about 17 km (one day). If you don’t mind some very early start and if you embrace an ethical, sustainable and responsible way of travelling and interacting with locals and the environment.