Day 1: Arrival

Tashkent - Fly to Tashkent, arriving in the evening or early the next morning, depending on flight connections. Upon arrival, a travel guide will greet you at the international airport and escort you to your hotel. Enjoy two nights in Tashkent.

Day 2: Tashkent

Chorsu Bazaar - After resting at the hotel, embark on a tour of Tashkent’s old town. Visit the historic Khasti Imam complex, where you’ll find the Tilla-Shaykh Mosque, Barakkhan Madrasa, Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum, and a library housing the oldest Koran. Explore the Chorsu Bazaar, a renowned medieval market on the Great Silk Road. In the afternoon, stroll through the modern city, visiting Independence Square and Amir Timur Park. At the Museum of Applied Art, admire over 7,000 exhibits of traditional and foreign cultures. Conclude the day with a ride on Central Asia’s only underground train, featuring numerous impressive stations. Dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 3: Tashkent – Nukus

The Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art named after I.V. Savitsky - Enjoy an early breakfast at the hotel. At 05:30, transfer to the airport for a 07:10-9:55 flight to Nukus. After hotel check-in, visit the Savitsky State Museum of Art, home to the world’s second-largest collection of Russian avant-garde art and one of Central Asia’s largest applied art collections. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Nukus.

Day 4: Nukus – Kungrad – Ustyurt Plateau – Sudotche Lake – Aral Lake

Day 5: Aral Lake – Muynak (250km) – Misdakhkan XIV в. – Gyaur Kala – Nukus

Ships Cemetery - Start early to capture the sunrise. After breakfast, travel to Muynak (250 km – 4 hours) to see the old port with its abandoned ships, known as the ‘ship cemetery.’ Continue across the dry lakebed past the Uschsai gasworks towers. Lunch. Stop in Nukus to explore the 14th-century architectural complex of Mizdakhan and Gyaur Kala, destroyed by Genghis Khan. Arrive in Nukus. Dinner at a local hotel. Overnight stay.

Day 6: Nukus – Toprak Kala – Ayaz-Kala – Khiva

Ayaz-Kala - Travel to Khiva, stopping at Ayaz Kala, an impressive ancient mud fort. In the Kyzylkum Desert, discover the vast ruins of Ayaz Kala, one of the greatest forts of ancient Khorezm, dating back to the 2nd century BC. It was part of a border fort system protecting the Khiva Oasis from the desert. Visit the Toprak Kala mud fort, the ancient capital of Khorezm (2nd century AD). Arrive in the oasis town of Khiva in the afternoon. Enjoy a regional dinner of “Shivit oshi,” green noodles made with dill juice. Two nights in Khiva.

Day 7: Khiva

Itchan Kala - A trip highlight! The mud roads and two-wheeled donkey carts, still part of the streetscape, reflect a lifestyle unchanged since the Middle Ages. In the historic center, admire the oriental ornaments and turquoise tiles of the richly decorated buildings, understanding why Khiva’s old town is called “Ichan Kala” (open-air museum). Visit Kuhna Ark, the former residence of Khiva’s Khans, the Juma Mosque with its 212 artistically decorated wooden columns, the Pakhlavon-Makhmud Mausoleum, the Islam Khodja Madrasa and Minaret, and the Tash-Hovli Palace. Enjoy the sunset over the oasis. Dine like royalty at the Khans’ summer palace, “Toza-Bog.” Relish the day’s magical impressions.

Day 8: Khiva – Bukhara

Day 9: Bukhara

Ark of Bukhara - Explore the 2,500-year-old town of Bukhara on foot. Visit the Citadel Ark, Bolo Havuz Mosque, Chashma-Ayub, and Samanid Mausoleums, Bukhara’s oldest buildings. In the afternoon, see the vast Poikalon architectural complex. Explore the domed bazaars and trading streets of Toqi-Sargaron goldsmiths and Toki Telpak-Furushon capmakers, and the Kosh-Madrasa complex with Ulugbek and Abdulaziz-Khan madrasas. Relax with tea at the Labi-Hauz Complex, listening to stories and legends by the Nasreddin monument, an Oriental Till Eulenspiegel. Dinner in an old Jewish house with a Bukhara family. Learn about Bukhara embroidery from Susani embroiderer Abdurahman. Try Emirs Plov.

Day 10: Bukhara – Shakhrisabz – Samarkand

Statue of Amir Timur - Travel to Shakhrisabz (270km), Amir Timur’s birthplace. Timur, a 14th-century ruler, conquered Iran and the Caucasus and defeated the Golden Horde in South Russia. Visit the Ak Sarai Castle ruins, Kuk-Gumbaz Mosque, and “Dorut-Tilovat” Complex with Shamseddin Kulal and Gumbas Saineddin mausoleums. Continue to Samarkand (170km). Check into the hotel, with free time for the rest of the day. Dinner at a local restaurant. Two nights in Samarkand.

Day 11: Samarkand

Samarkand Textile Workshop - Experience the magic of ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ in Samarkand, one of the world’s oldest cities and a Silk Road center. At the Afrosiyob Museum, learn about ancient Samarkand. Visit the Shahi-Sinda Complex, a stunning collection of Timurid-style mausoleums with majolica and mosaic tiles. At the paper manufacturing factory, witness traditional paper-making using mulberry tree fibers. End the day at the Ulugbek Observatory, built in 1428-1429 on a Chupanata hill. In the evening, attend a theatrical presentation of Oriental historic costumes at the “El Merosi” Theatre, showcasing Central Asian costumes from ancient times to the 19th century. Dinner at “Samarkand” restaurant, experiencing the local culture.

Day 12: Samarkand – Tashkent

Samarkand Textile Workshop - Ancient Samarkand still radiates its historical splendor! In the Middle Ages, it was one of the world’s most beautiful and significant cities. The Gur-Emir Mausoleum, the palace-like tomb of ruler Amir Timur, is awe-inspiring. Today’s highlight is Registan Square, with its three grand, artistically adorned madrasas. Visit the Bibi-Khanum Mosque, once Central Asia’s largest mosque. Afterward, explore a vibrant bazaar, transitioning from museum-like to Oriental reality. Market stalls are piled with nuts, almonds, pistachios, dried apricots, raisins, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Exotic aromas of spices and herbs fill the air. A market as colorful and fascinating as life itself. In the late afternoon, depart Samarkand on the “Afrosiyob” fast train at 17:00 to Tashkent. Arrive at 19:10, transfer to the hotel. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Tashkent.

Day 13: Tashkent – Return Flight

Tashkent International Airport - After an early breakfast, transfer to the airport for your return flight home.

• Excursion to Aral Lake by jeep, tents and cook
• Hotel pick-up and drop-off
• Inland flight Tashkent-Nukus
• Fast train Samarkand – Tashkent
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Entrance tickets
• In-vehicle air conditioning
• Guide service

• International flights

The journey to Aral Lake offers tourists a chance to witness human folly and marvel at nature’s wonders. This adventurous and dynamic tour, located on the border of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, highlights the tragedy of the Aral Lake’s disappearance. Visitors are left with a blend of admiration and sorrow. Admiration for the stunning beauty of the desolate landscape and the Ustjurt Plateaus, and sorrow for the visible scars of the region. In this unique setting of deserts and oases, travelers encounter welcoming locals who are open to the West yet deeply rooted in their ancient culture.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.