Cox and Kings Uzbekistan: The Golden Road to Samarkand

• International flights (and domestic flights if applicable)
• UK departure and overseas airport taxes
• 3- and 4-star accommodation
• Selected meals: 11 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 2 dinners
• Local Transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle
• Fully escorted by an English-speaking guide throughout
• Entrance fees unless otherwise stated

• See traditional silk weavers at work and visit ceramicist workshops
• Specialist led tour
• Discover the intricacies of Samarkand’s Islamic architecture
• Travel by Uzbekistan’s famous Afrosiyob train from Samarkand to Tashkent

Day 1: Fly to Tashkent
Board the overnight flight from London (regional connections available) to Tashkent
(No meals)

Day 2: Tashkent • Fly to Nukus
Arrive in Tashkent and transfer to your hotel for a rest. After an introductory lecture and welcome lunch, take a city tour to see the highlights of Tashkent, including Kukeldash mosque, Muyie Mubarak library and Tillya Sheikh mosque. In the afternoon, fly to Nukus, arriving in the evening.
(Breakfast and lunch)

Day 3: Chilpak • Khiva
Morning tour of the Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art, which houses the collection of Igor Savitsky. Tour the museum with a local specialist before travelling to Khiva, stopping on route to see the Zoroastian Tower of Silence.(Breakfast and dinner)

Day 4: Khiva
Full-day tour of the old walled city of Khiva, capital of Khorezm between the 16th and 20th centuries, and one of the most remote of the Silk Road cities. Visits include the Kunya Ark (old fortress), the original residence of the Khiva khans; the beautifully decorated Tash Hauli (stone palace); the Friday Mosque; and madrasas (theological colleges), which now house museum collections.(Breakfast)

Day 5: Drive to Bukhara
Full-day drive to Bukhara (7-8 hours), through the Kyzylkum desert stopping at the Amu Darya river, known as the Oxus river in the ancient world.
(Breakfast and lunch)

Day 6: Bukhara
Take a full-day walking tour of Bukhara, visiting the Persian Samanid brick mausoleum, the Chashmai Ayub, known as Job’s Well, and the Bolo Hauz mosque. Visit the trade domes, madrasas and traditional Bukharan bazaars. Continue to the Poi-Kalyan complex, which includes the towering Kalyan minaret and the twin-domed Miri-Arab madrasa.
(Breakfast)

Day 7: Bukhara
Visit the architectural ensemble around the Lyab i-Hauz pool, fed by the waters of the royal canal. Continue to the Chor Minor, a curious four-towered gatehouse, and the Sitora-i Mokhi-Khosa, the summer palace of the last emir of Bukhara. Then visit the Fayzulla Khodjaev Museum, set in the house of a wealthy Bukhara merchant showing aspects of life in the early 20th century.
(Breakfast)

Day 8: Rabat i-Malik • Gijduvan • Vabkent
Drive along the royal road to the 11th-century Rabat i-Malik caravanserai (a trading route stop-off). Continue to Gijduvan, renowned for its traditional ceramics, and see Abd-alKhalyk Gijduvani shrine. Return to Bukhara via Vabkent.
(Breakfast and lunch)

Day 9: Shahrisabz • Samarkand
Drive to Shahrisabz, birthplace of Tamerlane, where he built an enormous palace, of which part of the beautifully ornamented audience chamber remains. Drive alongside the Zerafshan mountains to Samarkand
(Breakfast)

Day 10: Afrosiyob • Samarkand
Drive to the ancient deserted site of Afrosiyob on the outskirts of Samarkand, where a settlement once thrived until it was destroyed by Tamerlane. Archaeological finds are housed in the Afrosiyob History Museum. Continue to the observatory of Ulug Beg, Tamerlane’s astronomer grandson, and see the Bibi Khanum mosque, built by Tamerlane for his favourite wife. End the day with a visit the Gur Emir mausoleum.(Breakfast)

Day 11: Samarkand • Tashkent
Visit the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis and the Samarkand Museum of History, Culture and Art. In the afternoon, travel by rail to Tashkent. Enjoy a farewell dinner.(Breakfast and dinner)

Day 12: Tashkent • Fly to London
Transfer to the airport for your flight to London.
(Breakfast)

Jipek Joli Hotel, Nukus
The Jipek Joli Hotel is located in the center of Nukus across the road from the Savitskiy Art Museum.

Hotel Emir, Bukhara
The Emir Hotel is situated in the old Jewish quarter, only 50 yards from the historic complex around the Lyab i-Hauz pool and with good transport links across Bukhara.

Accessibility
This tour includes some long drives and requires a good level of fitness as there is walking over rough terrain and up some high, uneven steps. There are also some long road journeys.

Private Visits
Please note that the exclusive and individual nature of private visits means that they are subject to confirmation nearer the time of departure. Mosques, private houses and other buildings often have fluid opening times. If any visits have to be re-arranged, please be assured that there will be alternatives of equal interest.