Cradle of Civilizations: Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva

Key highlights

What awaits you

Itinerary

Day-by-day program

1. 01

   Day 1 — Arrival

   • Samarkand
   • Arrival in Samarkand.
   • Airport meet and greet, hotel check-in from 14:00.
   • 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.
2. 02

   Day 2 — Excursion

   • Samarkand
   • Breakfast at the hotel.
   • Samarkand city tour:
   • Registan Square, surrounded by three monumental madrasahs — Sher-Dor, Tillya-Kori, and Ulugbek madrasah
   • Gur-Emir Mausoleum — dynastic tomb of Tamerlane
   • Bibi-Khanym Cathedral Mosque
   • Siab Bazaar
   • Shah-i-Zinda architectural ensemble
   • Ulugbek Observatory Museum
   • Overnight at the hotel.
3. 03

   Day 3 — Arrival

   • Samarkand – Gijduvan – Bukhara (280 km, 4.5 hrs)
   • Breakfast at the hotel.
   • 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.
   • 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 preserved here, including the Kalon minaret, Ark Fortress, 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
   • Monument to Khoja Nasreddin
   • 16th-century covered bazaar trading quarter
   • Overnight at the hotel.
4. 04

   Day 4 — Excursion

   • Bukhara
   • Breakfast at the hotel.
   • Continued Bukhara city tour:
   • Samanid Mausoleum
   • Chashma Ayub Mausoleum
   • Bolo-Hauz complex
   • Ark Fortress
   • Poi-Kalon complex
   • Abdulaziz-Khan madrasah
   • Ulugbek madrasah
   • Suburban sightseeing:
   • Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa Palace
   • Bahauddin Naqshbandi memorial complex
   • Overnight at the hotel.
5. 05

   Day 5 — Arrival

   • Bukhara – Khiva (440 km, 8 hrs)
   • Breakfast at the hotel.
   • Transfer to Khiva through the Kyzylkum Desert along the Amu Darya River.
   • The excursion follows the same road along which Silk Road caravans once moved.
   • Stops will be made at the Amu Darya viewpoint and for a walk on the sand dunes.
   • Arrival in Khiva. Walk through the historic district — Itchan Kala (18th century). Overnight at the hotel.
6. 06

   Day 6 — Excursion

   • Khiva
   • Breakfast at the hotel.
   • Khiva city tour (Itchan Kala):
   • Kunya-Ark Fortress
   • Islam Khodja madrasah and minaret
   • Tash-Hauli Palace
   • Alakuli Khan madrasah
   • Juma Mosque
   • Muhammad Amin Khan minaret and madrasah
   • Overnight at the hotel.
7. 07

   Day 7 — Departure

   • Khiva – Urgench (40 km, 1 hr)
   • Breakfast at the hotel.
   • Group transfer from Khiva to Urgench airport for return flight.