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Central Asia Tours

Central Asian Safari: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan 22 days / 21 nights
Travel across the ancient lands exploring exotic cities. From the mosaic architecture of the Silk Route oases in Uzbekistan to the beautiful pristine landscapes of Kazakhstan, discover four countries comprising one region, but each one so amazingly unique.
Day 1	Arrive in Tashkent, meet and greet at the airport and private transfer to the hotel. Accommodation at the hotel.
Day 2	You will start the day with a tour of Uzbekistan’s capital - Tashkent. Visit the Museum of Applied Arts to see some beautiful embroideries, wall hangings, carved furniture, ceramics and more. Later in the day you visit the Museum of Antiquities, and the old city, which has mosques and madrasas (Islamic schools) housing craft workshops (14th century). Next you explore the Kukeldash and Abul Khassim Medressa (16th century Muslim temples) and the Chorsu Bazaar, a huge open market beside Kukeldash, which draws crowds of people from the countryside, many in traditional dress. Fly to Urgench in the afternoon. Arrive in Urgench and transfer to the hotel. The evening is free.
Day 3	Depart for a full-day tour of the town of Khiva, one of the most ancient settlements in the world. Your tour of this living museum includes the Ichon-Qala gates, Muhammad Amin and Rakhim Khan's Medressas, Islom-Huja Medressa and Minaret, Tosh-Khovli Palace which has the most sumptuous interior decoration in Khiva, and walk the narrow streets meeting with local people. Dinner at the hotel tonight ends the day on a relaxing note.
Day 4	Today you will go on a full-day trip to Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region within Uzbekistan spread around the dying sea of Aral. Here you take a tour of the remains of Kazakl’i-yatkan, possibly the first city of ancient Chorasmia, dating back to the 5th century. Your next stop is the Art Gallery in Nukus that displays the best collection of Russian avant-garde artworks. Return to Urgench for an overnight.
Day 5	Today you have a long drive by coach (7-9 hours) through the moonscape lands between the Kara-Kum (black sands) and Kyzyl-Kum (red sands) deserts to Bukhara- former capital of the once powerful Emirate of Bukhara. Arrive in Bukhara and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation at the hotel and the evening is free to relax.
Day 6	This day will be devoted to exploring the more than 2500-year old city of Bukhara. You will visit one of the most elegant structures in Central Asia - Ismail Samani Mausoleum (built in 905 AD, with a Zoroastrian symbol of eternity over its door). The tour will take you to the Ark (former residence of the Emirs), and the Kalyan Minaret (the tallest building in Central Asia at the time when it was erected, with the first glazed blue tiles used for its decoration). You will have a chance to walk the narrow streets of the Old Town and meet the locals who still wear traditional Uzbek clothes and jewelry. Tonight’s dinner at the local restaurant will introduce you to the traditional cuisine of Uzbekistan.
Day 7	Enjoy a whole new scenery as you drive north through the Kyzyl-Kum Desert to the town of Nurata. Evoke the days of the Silk Road with a camel ride. Tonight you sleep in a traditional nomadic Central Asian home, a yurt (also called a ger).
Day 8	You will spend the day with the nomads learning about their lifestyles and following the camel Kyzyl-Kum Desert trails in the desert. In the evening experience the rich traditions of Uzbek folk song and dances as you enjoy dinner.
Day 9	In the morning you depart by coach to picturesque lake Aider-Kul. This 200-kilometers long lake provides a chance to enjoy a swim, or simply relax by the water’s edge. In the afternoon you continue your journey to the legendary city of Samarkand, the ancient capital of Tamerlane’s glorious empire. Arrive in Samarkand and transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to spend as you please.
Day 10	Today you will have a full day tour of the “Rome of the Orient”, the city that is as old as Rome and Babylon - Samarkand. You will see the Registan Square surrounded by three splendorous madrasas; visit Tamerlane’s burial place in a mausoleum, the famous Ulugbek Astronomic Observatory built in 1420, and Shahi Zinda Necropolis - “Tomb of the Living King”, site of Central Asia's most sacred Islamic shrine. You also visit a colorful local market where you can buy saffron at unbelievably low prices or try some of the region's local produce, from grapes to the world's tastiest melons of multiple varieties. Dinner at the hotel tonight ends the day on a relaxing note.
Day 11	Your morning starts with a trip to Shakhrisabz, the birthplace of Tamerlane, where you tour Ak-Saray Palace, Kok-Gumbaz Mosque (a praying house built by another famous ruler - Ulugbek), House of Meditation and the Crypt of Timur-- a man who changed the course of history and made so much of a difference in Central Asia. In the afternoon you’ll go on a trip to Penjikent in Tajikistan, and visit the ancient town of Bunjikath - an important archaeological site of the Sogdiana civilization. The reproductions of frescoes from this site and others are displayed at the Rudaki Museum, which you will also visit on this trip. Return to Samarkand for an overnight.
Day 12	You will depart in the morning for an exciting coach ride across the Kamchik mountain pass to the beautiful green Fergana Valley. En route, visit the city of Kokand - Bukhara’s deadliest rival and the most tenacious Central Asian opponent of the Imperial Russia in the 19th century. In Kokand you will see the museum in the Fort of the Last Ruler - Khodayor Khan, and see a collection of exhibits related to the times of the khans’ rule. Arrive in Fergana and transfer to the hotel. Dinner at the hotel tonight ends the day on a relaxing note.
Day 13	Spend your day by taking a tour of the Edgorliq Khanatlas Silk Factory in Marghilan, Fergana where you will see beautiful hand-made and embroidered garments; visit the central mosque and the local bazaar. The afternoon is free to further explore the city on your own.
Day 14	Today you leave Fergana and travel by coach to the city of Osh, Kyrgyzstan. It is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan and it’s origin is associated with different people including King Solomon and Alexander the Great. En route you will visit Andijan - birthplace of Babur, ruler of the Moghul Dynasty in India and founder of the famous Taj Mahal and the Shalimar Gardens. Before arriving in Osh, you will also make a stop at the sacred Muslim mountain of Suleiman Gora, “the throne of Suleiman”. Arrive in Osh and transfer to the hotel. The evening is free.
Day 15	Depart in the morning for a scenic drive to Kara-Kul (“The Black Lake”) filling a crater in the Pamir Mountain Range. Enjoy a picturesque scenery of the lake that was formed by a meteor 10 million years ago, is 3915m (12,844ft) above sea level and hence too high for any aquatic life. The rest of the day is free to relax or to take some easy hikes around the mountain.
Day 16	This morning you go for another spectacular drive to Song-Kul (“The Last Lake”), which seems to be at the very end of the world in the Tian Shan Mountain Range. The lake looks like a huge bowl of pure mountain air, and the scenery surrounding it is majestic. On your way there, you will observe peaceful country landscapes, shepherds watching their livestock and local people’s traditional dwellings dotting the slopes. Tonight you sleep in the yurt (ger) of local shepherds, who pass their summer on the jailoo (summer meadows) to graze their cattle.
Day 17	Today’s adventure takes you to the town of Karakol, administrative capital of Issyk-Kul province. With the lake, hot springs and other natural wonders nearby, Karakol is a fantastic base for trekking or more leisurely exploring. A sightseeing of this historical town will include a Tungan (Chinese Muslim) mosque and the central bazaar. Tonight’s dinner at the local restaurant will introduce you to the traditional cuisine of Kyrgyzstan.
Day 18	You start your day with a trip to Djeti Oghuz gorge, a range of odd red rock formations, also known as Seven Bulls, which local legend says were turned to stone by the gods to keep them from terrorizing nomads. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore the surroundings of Karakol on your own.
Day 19	Today you continue your journey as you depart by coach to the town of Cholpan-Ata. Enjoy the fascinating views of the Issyk-Kul Lake “warm lake,” and the name fits: hot springs abound in and around the lake, which never freezes over. En rout you will visit the monument and the museum of the famous explorer of this region - Przhevalsky. Arrive in Cholpan-Ata and transfer to the hotel. Tonight enjoy a wonderful barbeque dinner of Kyrgyz traditional shish-kebabs.
Day 20	Your final border crossing from Cholpan-Ata, Kyrgyzstan to Kazakhstan takes you along the endless steppes of central Asia to Almaty ("Father Apple"), the former Kazakh capital beautifully tucked against the mountains of the Tien Shan. Arrive in Almaty and transfer to the hotel. The evening is free to begin to explore the city on your own.
Day 21	In the morning you’ll take a sightseeing tour of Almaty. Almaty is a pleasant city with wide tree-lined streets and a laid-back feel. Among major sites the tour will include a visit to the Central Museum, which covers the archeology, natural history and anthropology of Kazakhstan. Your next stop is the Panfilov Park dominated by one of the world’s tallest wooden buildings, the Zenkov Cathedral. It was built in 1904 without a single nail. You complete your tour with a visit to the Medeo, a nearby resort symbolizing the modernization of Kazakhstan, where the world’s largest speed skating rink is situated. Tonight, new friendships are recognized with heartfelt toasts during a farewell dinner with folk performance at the local cuisine restaurant.
Day 22	At the end of this long, exciting and educational journey you are transferred to the airport for your flight home.
Included in this tour	3 meals a day All accommodations Sightseeing excursions Porterage Transfers All transportation during tour
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