Great Silk Road Tour

Check in hotel after 12:00

City SS with:

Museum of History – the biggest history museum in the republic, containing departments of Ancient History (with 2 expositions of Buddha), Middle Ages, Islam in Uzbekistan, New History (19-20c) and Modern Uzbekistan.

Kukeldash Madrassah (XVI c) – The grand 16th c. Madrassah has domed courtyard. Now the building is returned to service as an Islamic school. Beside it is the tiny 15th c. Juma mosque.

Chorsu bazaar – main oriental market in Tashkent (closed on Monday).

Abdulkasym Madrassah – was constructed in XIX c and served as Educational center. Nowadays it is a school of national crafts, where you can see the painters, jewelers, wood cutters and miniature painters at work.

Amir Timur Square & monument.

Lunch and dinner at local restaurant.

O/n at hotel.

ARK Fortress (VI – XIX c) – in middle ages it was a whole town with the emirs house, with wives, mosques mint place, government institutes, store rooms, a prison and a square for public executions:

Bolo Khauz Mosque (1712) Mosque Near the Pool.

Samanid’s mausoleum (IX – X c) – it was the first building in Central Asia constructed from backed bricks in the shape of a cube covered by a dome with unrepeatable geometrical brickwork design – a masterpiece of world architecture.

Lunch at local restaurant

Poikalon complex (XII – XVI c) architectural ensemble in the center of old Bukhara – includes the cathedral mosque Masjidi Kalon, Miri Arab madrasah and the highest minaret (46 m) at that time in the Orient.

Trading Domes consists of three trading centers: Tok-i-Zargaron (1570) – Jeweler’s Bazaar, Tok-i-Tilpak Furushon – Cap Maker’s Bazaar, Tok-i-Sarrafon – Moneychanger’s Bazaar.

Magoki Attori – in 937 the four-pillared mosque was burn the ground in a city-wide fire and in the 12th century the present mosque was erected, from which the focus of the mosque, the original southern portal remains.

Lyabi – Haus (XVI – XVII c) – a complex with Nodir – Devon Begi madrassah, khanaka and big pool surrended by trees. Chor-Minor – unique and one of the most surprising buildings in Bukhara with four minarets - one for each corner. It was built in 1807, by Turkmen merchant Khalif Niyazkul.

Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in hotel.

Ak Saray (white Palace) – Timur’s summer palace.

Doru Saodat Complex – The complex was built in 1392 by Timur and means the seat of power and might.

Kuk Gumbaz Mosque and Dorus Tilovat Complex – (1437) this big Friday Mosque was built by Ulugbek in honour of his father Shakhrukh
Drive to Samarkand (3 hours). Arrival and check in hotel.

Dinner at local restaurant or at hotel.

O/n at hotel.

Registan Square (XV–XVIIc) official center of Timur Empire, consist of grandiose Madrassah of Ulugbek, Sher Dor & Tillya Kari.

Bibi Khanum mosque (XIVc) built by Timur to be biggest mosque at time. Architect, craftsmen & painters built during 5 years long.

Siab Bazaar – main bazaar of Samarkand, staying on the crossroad of ancient trading routes.

Shahi Zinda mausoleum (XIV–XV c) ‘Town of Dead’ a complex of more than 20 unique buildings of different ages.

Lunch at local restaurant.

Gur Amir mausoleum (XV c) – Timurids dynastic burial vault. A unique monument ofarchitecture with blue ribbed tessellated dome.

Afrosiab museum & Afrosiab Hill – each hall of the museum contains exhibits of some certain period of history of Afrasiab. In one hall remarkable ancient wall paintings are exhibited. Afrosiab Hill is a place of ancient city-fort Afrasiab, named after legendary king of Turan.

Ulugbek’s Observatory (XV c) 1st observatory in orient with 30m sextant built by Ulugbek to make exact astronomical catalogue.

Dinner at local Uzbek family house.

O/n at hotel.

“Konigil Meros” Water Mill & Paper Factory – the craftsmen of organization “Konigil Meros” produce hand made Samarkand Paper by ancient recipe from mulberry tree bark. You can watch all the process of production and try to do it by yourselves 11:00 Transfer to the station and take train Shark to Tashkent at 11:45-15:00

Lunch boxes in train.

Arrival and check in hotel.

Dinner in local restaurant.

O/n at hotel.

Lunch in the local café. After the lunch City sightseeing tour.

Sightseeing includes:

White house – Palace made of white marble is a house of Kyrgyz government, including president’s office and the Republic Parliament Behind the White House is Panfilov park with rusting rides and arcades – the best place for the rest .

Osh Bazaar.

Ethnographic museum, which is telling about Kyrgyz history, culture and arts.

Freedom Avenue – the widest and greenest avenue among the CIS cities with century old oaks on both sides.

Dinner in local café.

Accommodation in the Guest house in Bishkek.

Burana Tower is situated in the center of ancient town – Balasagun. The tower is 24,6 miters high (original height was 45 meters). The territory of the museum with central ruins of the town is 36 hectares. There are stone statues – gravestones of nomadic Turks of the 6th to 10th centuries, petroglyphs from the 2nd century B.C. to the 10th century A.D., stone agricultural implements, epigraphy monuments.

Lunch in the Kyrgyz family.

Arrival to Cholpon-Ata and accommodation in resort on the shore of Issyk Kul lake.

Dinner and overnight in resort on the shore of Issyk Kul lake.

Russian Ortodox Church (Holy Trinity Cathedral) - the 1st church build on the land of Kyrgyzstan. The Holy Trinity Cathedral is a fine example of a Russian Orthodox Church.

The Dungan mosque that was built in 1907 year and it is the place of worship of Buddhists from all Central Asia. It built in the Buddhist pagoda style in wood. It was built without a single nail.

Transfer to Jeti-Oguz.

Jety – Oguz is the extraordinary Valley of Seven Bulls, that is famous for its unusually bright, red sandstone rock formations. Some of the valley s most celebrated landmarks include the broken heart (a crimson, heart-shaped precipice), the dragon’s lair (an spectacular, deep sandy canyon) and, of course, the seven bulls themselves (a row of crags dominating the Jety Oguz Valley). Return to Karakol.

Lunch is lunch box.

Dinner and overnight in the guest house in Karakol.

Lunch – on the way in Kochkor village in Kyrgyz family.

Son Kul is fabulous for its beauty and serenity alpine lake in Kyrgyzstan. Located at an altitude of over 3,000 meters, it is one of those rare places where you can find a large number of edelweiss.

Dinner and accommodation in a yurt at Lake Son-Kul.

Lunch, dinner and accommodation in yurts.

Lunch – on the way in Naryn in cafe.

Upon arrival, visit Caravanserai Tash-Rabat:

Caravanserai Tash-Rabat is one of the most famous monuments of the Great Silk Road in Kyrgyzstan. Among the powerful mountain ranges caravanserais were built by the ruler Mohammed Khan along the road that runs from Semirechie to Kashgar. Caravanserai was built
around the 15th century and, according to historians, served as a shelter or place of lodging for merchants and travelers, following the East along the Silk Road. Caravanserai is located at an altitude of 3000m above sea level, in the depths of the picturesque valley.

Dinner and overnight in yurts at Tash-Rabat.

Crossing the Kyrgyz – Chinese border about 11 AM.

End of service.