5 days · 4 nightsTashkent → Samarkand → Gijduvan → Bukhara4.2

Two Capitals of the East

Price

from 19 943 189 UZS~$1600

Five days in two capitals of the East — Samarkand and Bukhara, with a potters' workshop in Gijduvan and tasting of famous kebabs.

Key highlights

What awaits you

Full Samarkand tour: Registan, Gur-Emir, Shah-i-Zinda

Narzullaev potters' workshop in Gijduvan

Gijduvan kebab tasting at the masters' home

Monument to Khoja Nasreddin and Labi-Hauz

Ark Fortress and Poi-Kalon complex

Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa Palace

Itinerary

Day-by-day program

01
Day 1 — Arrival
- Arrival in Samarkand.
- Airport meet and greet, hotel check-in from 14:00.
- Lunch.
- Free time without transport or guided services.
- Samarkand is one of the world's oldest cities, capital of legendary Sogdiana Marakanda, and later capital of Tamerlane's vast empire.
- A museum city, the heart of Silk Road caravan trade, Samarkand has beautifully preserved the unique aura of Asian medieval times.
- Overnight at the hotel.
02
Day 2 — Excursion
- Samarkand (excursion)
- Samarkand city tour:
- Registan Square
- Sher-Dor madrasah
- Tillya-Kori madrasah
- Ulugbek madrasah
- Gur-Emir Mausoleum
- Bibi-Khanym Cathedral Mosque
- Siab Bazaar
- Lunch.
- Shah-i-Zinda architectural ensemble
- Ulugbek Observatory Museum
- Overnight at the hotel.
03
Day 3 — Arrival
- Samarkand–Gijduvan–Bukhara (280 km; 4.5 hrs)
- Bukhara (excursion)
- 08:00 - Transfer to Gijduvan.
- Visit to the Narzullaev family — hereditary master potters.
- Introduction to the Gijduvan pottery school, the process of making, firing, and painting ceramics.
- Lunch at the potters' home — tasting of famous Gijduvan kebabs.
- Transfer to Bukhara — another ancient city of Uzbekistan through which the Great Silk Road also passed.
- Medieval Bukhara was one of the main political, cultural, and religious centers of the Middle East.
- More than 140 architectural monuments are beautifully preserved here, including grand madrasahs, mosques, and the city's famous symbol — the
- Kalon minaret, Ark Fortress, functioning medieval baths, and trading domes.
- Bukhara's historic center is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
- On arrival in Bukhara — hotel check-in.
- Bukhara city tour:
- Labi-Hauz ensemble
- Kukeldash madrasah
- Nadir Divanbegi madrasah and khanaka
- Famous monument to Khoja Nasreddin
- 16th-century covered bazaar trading quarter
- Overnight at the hotel.
04
Day 4 — Excursion
- Bukhara (excursion)
- Continued Bukhara city tour:
- Samanid Mausoleum
- Chashma Ayub Mausoleum
- Bolo-Hauz complex
- Ark Fortress
- Lunch.
- Poi-Kalon complex
- Abdulaziz-Khan madrasah
- Ulugbek madrasah
- Suburban sightseeing:
- Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa Palace
- Bahauddin Naqshbandi memorial complex
- Overnight at the hotel.
05
Day 5 — Departure
- Bukhara
- Breakfast
- Departure from Bukhara. Group transfer to Bukhara airport. End of the tour program.

Two capitals, two worlds, one journey. Samarkand — city of Tamerlane and Ulugbek; Bukhara — sanctuary of Sufis and trading domes. Between them — a stop in Gijduvan, where hereditary potters show how famous blue pottery is born.

Lunch at the masters' home with kebab tasting is one of the warmest moments of the route. In Bukhara await 16th-century covered bazaars, the Kalon minaret, and the emir's summer residence.

The five-day format is ideal for a first visit to Uzbekistan: a rich program without rush, with evenings for independent strolls.

Tour composition

What's included

Included

Accommodation at the listed hotel in twin/double shared rooms
Meals: breakfasts at hotels, lunches
Mineral water 1 L per person per day
Air-conditioned comfortable transport with professional driver along the route
Professional English-speaking guide, escort from group arrival to departure
Entrance tickets to all mentioned monuments
Economy-class train tickets Tashkent–Samarkand–Tashkent: Afrosiyob or Sharq (subject to availability)