Essential Silk Road
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"A well-done, fascinating, educational tour that totally changed many of our pre-conceived ideas. A very positive experience. A very personalized tour. I was awed by the ancient ruins that most Americans don't get to see, or even know about. I felt privileged to be there."
Sandra Wood
Mendon, NY
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Roam the great Silk Road oases of Bukhara, Samarkand and Khiva, along with modern Tashkent, the Uzbek capital. Admire their mosques, madrassahs and minarets built of mudbricks and clad in ceramic tiles the color of the desert sky.
Days 1-3: Tashkent, Samarkand
Uzbekistan encompasses a good portion of the northern Silk Road. Begin in the present, in modern Tashkent, and drive into the past, to blue-tiled Samarkand, the city that Tamerlane built and decorated with the help of the greatest pool of creative talent amassed up to that point. Explore the massive Bibi Khanum Mosque, dedicated to the memory of Tamerlane's favorite wife. Walk the gracefully proportioned Registan Square before pressing on to Bukhara.
Days 4-6: Bukhara
Bukhara's old city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore its original fortress, the Ark Citadel; the Kukeldash Madrassah, the largest of Central Asia's Koran schools, dating back to 1417; and the Kalon Mosque and Minaret. The imposing Kalon Minaret, or "Tower of Death," was built in 1127, and is 155 feet tall. Browse the market for brilliant silks and hand-painted ceramics during a full day of independent discovery, and attend a dinner performance of traditional music and dance.
Days 7-8: Khiva
Travel overland to Khiva, the seat of the ruling khan until the 20th century and the best-preserved of the caravan cities. Khiva evokes a remote and exotic feel unlike any other stop along the route, with its compact old walled city full of minarets, a khan's fort, cobblestone alleys, mosques, and tombs. Highlights include the Tash Hauli Palace and the 9th century Dzhuma Mosque with its unusual wood ceiling and 115 carved wood columns, creating a forest-like effect.
Days 9-10: Tashkent
Flying back to Tashkent, spend one final night in this exotic country before departure.
Trip Details
| Length of Trip: |
10 Days |
| Departures in 2009: |
Your choice of dates - start on a Saturday |
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| Land Tour Cost |
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| 2 traveler minimum |
From $3,295** |
| Single Supplement |
From $350 |
| **Land tour costs includes internal flight costs, which are subject to change.
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Map - Click to Enlarge
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| Day 1: |
Tashkent |
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| Day 2: |
drive to Samarkand |
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| Day 3: |
Samarkand |
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| Day 4: |
drive to Bukhara |
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| Days 5-6: |
Bukhara |
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| Day 7: |
drive to Khiva |
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| Day 8: |
Khiva |
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| Day 9: |
fly to Tashkent |
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| Day 10: |
Tashkent |
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| Tashkent |
Square of Independence, the Navoi Theatre, Kukeldash Madrassah, Kaffal-Shashi Mausoleum, Barak-Khan Madrassah Chorsu Bazaar, Palace of People's Friendship |
| Samarkand |
"Crossroads of Culture" (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Registan, Shah-i-Zinde, Bibi-Khanum Mosque, Uleg Bek Observatory, Gur-Emir Mausoleum, Carpet Factory |
| Bukhara |
"Historic Centre of Bukhara" (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Lyab-i-Khauz Plaza, Kukeldash Madrassah, Kalon Mosque and Minaret, Ark Citadel, Zindan Prison, Ismael Samani Mausoleum, Summer Palace of Last Emir, National Museum of Crafts |
| Khiva |
Ichon-Qala (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Kyzyl Kum Desert, Amu Darya River, Tash-Hauli Palace, Dzhuma Mosque, Kunya Ark |
About Essential Trips
Essential trip prices are subject to hotel availability for your selected travel dates. Hotel upgrades and additional nights are available upon request. Contact us for a descriptive itinerary and booking details.
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