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DAY 1 SAMARKAND
DAY 2 SAMARKAND
International flight from your destination.
Arrive in Samarkand in the morning. Meet at airport. Transfer to hotel for accommodation.
Breakfast at hotel.
Samarkand, a key city on the Great Silk Road, has witnessed a lot of upheavals during the times of Alexander the Great (Macedonian), the Arabic Conquest, Ghengis-Khan Conquest and lastly Tamerlane’s. Hence, Samarkand’s culture was developed and mixed together with the Iranian, Indian, Mongolian and a bit of the Western and Eastern cultures.
Explore ancient city of Samarkand: visit Gur-Emir Mausoleum (graves of Tamerlane and his descendants, 15c); world famous Registan Square (meaning “sandy place”) that ranks first in Central Asia and among the greatest of all the grandiose and magnificent works of the Islamic world; visit to the impressive remnants of Mosque Bibi-Khanum built in honor of the ruler’s eldest and favorite wife; Necropolis Shakhi-Zinda (The Living King) and ensemble of mausoleums of the 11th-19th centuries; unique Ulugbek’s Observatory (Timur’s grandson, 1428-1429).
Overnight at hotel.
Arrive in Samarkand in the morning. Meet at airport. Transfer to hotel for accommodation.Breakfast at hotel.
Samarkand, a key city on the Great Silk Road, has witnessed a lot of upheavals during the times of Alexander the Great (Macedonian), the Arabic Conquest, Ghengis-Khan Conquest and lastly Tamerlane’s. Hence, Samarkand’s culture was developed and mixed together with the Iranian, Indian, Mongolian and a bit of the Western and Eastern cultures.
Explore ancient city of Samarkand: visit Gur-Emir Mausoleum (graves of Tamerlane and his descendants, 15c); world famous Registan Square (meaning “sandy place”) that ranks first in Central Asia and among the greatest of all the grandiose and magnificent works of the Islamic world; visit to the impressive remnants of Mosque Bibi-Khanum built in honor of the ruler’s eldest and favorite wife; Necropolis Shakhi-Zinda (The Living King) and ensemble of mausoleums of the 11th-19th centuries; unique Ulugbek’s Observatory (Timur’s grandson, 1428-1429).
Overnight at hotel.
DAY 3 SAMARKAND – JARTEPA BORDER – MARGUZOR LAKES
Drive to “Jartepa” border border (40 km). Going through visa and custom’s formalities. Meet by local Tajik team and drive to Marguzor Lakes (app. 80 km, 2-2.5 hrs drive one way), also known as Seven Lakes. Lunch en-route. Visit 7 lakes, each unique, with a different color: Mijgon Lake, Soya Lake, Khushyor Lake, Nophin Lake (2 139 m above sea level), Khurdak Lake, Marguzor Lake, Khazorchashma Lake (2 400 m above sea level). Overnight at the camp near 7 Lake.
DAY 4 MARGUZOR LAKES – TOVASSANG PASS – SARIMAT RIVER
Crossing the Tovassang pass (3300 m), descent to the Sarimat spring (2650 m). Lunch-picnic on the way. Dinner and overnight in a tent camp on the bank of the Sarimat River (5-6 hours on the way).
DAY 5 SARIMAT RIVER – MUNORA PASS – OBISAFED RIVER
Crossing Munora Pass (3500 м), from which a beautiful panorama of the Fann Mountains opens. Lunch-picnic on the way. Descent to Obisafed river. Dinner and overnight in a tent camp (5-6 hrs on the way).
DAY 6 OBISAFED RIVER – PUSHTIKUL LAKE – SARIKHON GORGE
Continue trekking to Pushtikul Lake. Lunch-picnic on the bank of the Lake. Descent to Sarikhon Gorge (2600 m). Dinner and overnight in a tent camp (5-6 hrs on the way).
DAY 7 SARIKHON GORGE – ARCHAMAYDAN GORGE
Acquaintance with the way of life of local shepherds. Descent to Archamaydan Gorge to the river. Lunch-picnic on the way. Dinner and overnight in a tent camp (3-4 hrs on the way).
DAY 8 ARCHAMAYDAN GORGE – GAZA VILLAGE – GUITAN VILLAGE
Continue your way through the village Gaza to the small Nut Grove. Lunch-picnic. Further trekking to Guitan village. Dinner and overnight at local family house. (5-6 hrs on the way).
DAY 9 GUITAN VILLAGE – ARTUCH
Crossing Guitan Pass (2600 m). Descent to Artuch base. Lunch.
Dinner and overnight at bungalow (5-6 hrs on the way).
Dinner and overnight at bungalow (5-6 hrs on the way).
DAY 10 ARTUCH – CHUKURAK LAKE – KULIKALON LAKE
Ascent via Chukurak Lake to Chukurak Pass, from which a beautiful panorama of the Chimtarga (5489 m), Mirali (5106 m) and Maria (4790 m) peaks opens. Descent to Kulikalon Lake with view to the plateau with its numerous junipers and majestic north face of the glacier. Lunch-picnic on spot. Dinner and overnight at the tents.
DAY 11 KULIKALON LAKES – ALAUDIN PASS – ALAUDIN LAKES
Ascent to Alauddin Lakes with amazing color changing from light-blue to bright ultramarine. Hiking around the Lakes - a unique part of Pamir-Alay Mountains surrounded by the lakes with crystal water (5-6 hrs on the way). Lunch-picnic on spot. Dinner and overnight at the tents.
DAY 12 ALAUDIN LAKES – PENJIKENT
Hiking around the Lakes. Drive to Penjikent. Lunch on the way. Dinner at local café. Overnight at hotel.
DAY 13 PENJIKENT – JARTEPA BORDER – SAMARKAND
Drive to “Jartepa” border border (20 km). Going through visa and custom’s formalities. Meet by local Uzbek team and drive to Samarkand (40 km). Arrival and accommodation at hotel. Overnight at hotel.
DAY 14 SAMARKAND – BUKHARA
Transfer to train station for high-speed train “Afrosiab” Samarkand/ Bukhara (09:50/11:50).
Architectural heritage of Bukhara is very rich – caravan-sarais and trading domes, public baths and big pools, defensive walls and city gates, khanakas and mausoleums, mosques and madrassahs, individual structures and big complexes. Decorative methods, splendor designs and original ideas of architects strike the imagination of anyone.
Full day tour of Bukhara: Lyabi-Khauz Complex; puppet wokshop; walk through the old Jewish quarter; Tok-i-Sarrafon – Moneychanger’s Bazaar; Magoki-Attari mosque; Tok-i-Tilpak Furushon – Cap Maker’s Bazaar; Ulugbek’s madrassah and Abdulaziz-khan madrassah; Tok-i-Zargaron– Jeweler’s bazaar; Poi-Kalyan Ensemble.
Architectural heritage of Bukhara is very rich – caravan-sarais and trading domes, public baths and big pools, defensive walls and city gates, khanakas and mausoleums, mosques and madrassahs, individual structures and big complexes. Decorative methods, splendor designs and original ideas of architects strike the imagination of anyone.
Full day tour of Bukhara: Lyabi-Khauz Complex; puppet wokshop; walk through the old Jewish quarter; Tok-i-Sarrafon – Moneychanger’s Bazaar; Magoki-Attari mosque; Tok-i-Tilpak Furushon – Cap Maker’s Bazaar; Ulugbek’s madrassah and Abdulaziz-khan madrassah; Tok-i-Zargaron– Jeweler’s bazaar; Poi-Kalyan Ensemble.
DAY 15 BUKHARA – TASHKENT
Continue SS tour of Bukhara: Fortress Ark (citadel), a fortified residence of Emirs of Bukhara); Bolo-Khauz mosque; the Samanids Mausoleum, the most precious Bukhara monument dated back to the 9th century; Chashma-Ayub shrine known as a curative source; Chor Minor, a colorful madrassah with four peculiar looking towers, which was used as a library for students.
After lunch transfer to Kagan train station for high-speed train “Afrosiab” Bukhara/Tashkent (15h48/19h44). Arrive in Tashkent, transfer to hotel. Accommodation.
Overnight at hotel.
After lunch transfer to Kagan train station for high-speed train “Afrosiab” Bukhara/Tashkent (15h48/19h44). Arrive in Tashkent, transfer to hotel. Accommodation.
Overnight at hotel.
DAY 16 TASHKENT – DEPART
