Stay : Secret Uzbekistan
If you are well organized and travel by shared taxi rather than by bus or train, this itinerary allows you to cover a large part of the country's sites of interest, alternating major destinations such as the "Silk Road" with excursions into the countryside and visits to the country's most preserved traditional regions.
Summary of the stay
Best time to go
21 days
€€ - Charm and comfort
Detail of the stay : Secret Uzbekistan - 21 days
Day 1: First contact with the capital
Steps: Tachkent
Arrival by plane to Tashkent. In the late morning, visit the Koukeldach madrasa and visit the Chorsu bazaar, the largest and most colourful in the Uzbek capital. In the afternoon, a short excursion to the Zenghi Ata mausoleum, about fifteen kilometres away.
Day 2: In the Ferghana Valley
Departure for the Ferghana Valley early in the morning, arrival in Kokand in the day. Visit of the khan palace and the old town.
Day 3: Meeting with Uzbek artisans
Steps: Kokand, Rishtan, Ferghana, Marguilan
Morning in Kokand and then departure for the visit of Ceramists ceramists and Des silk workshops. Night at Ferghana.
Day 4: On the border with Kyrgyzstan
If you are in the area on a Sunday or Thursday, visit the Jakhon market of Andijan in the late morning. Otherwise, day trip to the surroundings of Andijan. Night in Namangan.
Day 5: A typical village of the valley: Choust
Steps: Tachkent, Namangan, Choust
Visit of Namangan then the cutlery shops of Choust. Steel is still forged in the traditional way by a few families who supply almost the whole country with everyday knives as well as ceremonial knives. Return to Tashkent and overnight in the capital.
Day 6: To the Timurid capital
Steps: Samarkand
Travel to Samarkand in the morning. Arrival in the early afternoon in the capital of Tamerlan. Visit the main monuments in the centre of Samarkand: the Gour Emir, Registan, the Bibi Khanum mosque, the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis.
GOUR EMIR
Day 7: The surroundings of Samarkand
Steps: Samarkand
Visit of the sites around Samarkand: the observatory of Ouloug Bek, the Afrosyab hill, the mausoleum of Al-Boukhari. Night in Samarkand.
COLLINE D'AFROSYAB
Day 8: Tamerlan's hometown
Steps: Namangan, Shahrisabz, Langar
Departure in the morning for Shahrisabz, quick visit of the historical centre and the ruins of the Ak-Saraï palace. Transit to Langar and visit the Langar Ota mausoleum and the Friday mosque. Night in Langar.
Day 9: Hiking in the Fanskys
Steps: Langar
Hiking in the Langar mountains or a day of rest. Night in Langar.
Day 10: En route to the south
Journey to Boysun, passing through the Derbent Gorge. Visit of Boysun museum and night on site.
Day 11: At the Afghan border
Steps: Termez
Journey to Termez by passing through Omonkhona. Visit of Fayaz Tepe late in the day. Night in Termez.
Day 12: Termez
Early morning visit of the Archaeological Museum of Termez (provided it reopened) and visit the ancient sites around the city: Stupa de Zurmala, mausoleum of Al-Termezi, cited by Kampir Tepe. Evening flight to Bukhara.
KAMPIR TEPE
Day 13: Rest around the Pearl of the Pearl basins
Steps: Boukhara
Visit of the city centre from the Liab-i-Khaouz basin to the Samani mausoleum, passing through Poy Kalon and the bazaars. Night on site.
ENSEMBLE POY KALON
Day 14: The great monuments of Bukhara
Steps: Boukhara
Visit of Bukhara. The Jewish quarter, Tchor Minor. Shopping and strolling for some, excursion to the Naqchbandi mausoleum for others depending on your energy level. Take your time to meet the craftsmen of Bukhara. They still work in the respect of traditions, in many fields: carpets, cutlery, silk, miniatures, cabinet making..
Day 15: Visit of the surroundings of Bukhara
In the late morning, the summer palace of the Bukhara emirs, Sitori-i-Mokhi Khoza, or "palace of the moon and stars"; in the early afternoon, a few kilometres east of the city centre, Tchor Bakr, the necropolis of the emirs. Night in Bukhara unless you opt for a flight to Khiva. The desert road can be long and difficult, so it is often a recommended alternative to a bus or train.
Day 16: En route to Le
Steps: Khiva
Most of the interesting monuments of Uzs are located in the centre, in the first wall (Ichan Kala). The day will be devoted to this, with the visit of palaces, mosques and madrasahs. Late afternoon, a small tour in the outside city for visiting Nouroullah Bey Palace.
PALAIS DE NOUROULLAH BEY
Day 17: In the heart of the desert
Visit of the desert citadels between Khiva and Noukous. A day in a taxi will allow you to see four to five of them in total. You can opt for a night at the foot of Ayaz Kala, where there is a yurt camp during the tourist season
Day 18: , and Karakalpakstan
Steps: Moynaq
Visit in the morning of the Savitsky Museum. For the most motivated, excursion to Moynaq. For the most organized, excursion on the Aral Sea. On the way, visit Mizdakhan.
MER D'ARAL
Day 19: Moynaq and the Aral Sea
Steps: Moynaq, Tachkent, Noukous
The old port on the river mer d'Araloffers the distressing spectacle of the greatest ecological disaster of the 20th century. Apart from the small local museum, you can stroll between the rusty wrecks, gathered at the foot of the cliff where the waves used to break. The sea itself is only accessible by 4x4 after a day of crossing a salt desert. Return to Noukous in the evening and flight to Tashkent.
MER D'ARAL
Day 20: The traditional Tashkent
Steps: Tachkent
In the morning, shopping at the Chorsu bazaar, then visit the capital's monuments, the Sheikh Antaour complex and the Hazrati Imam complex, and the Museum of the History of the Peoples of Uzbekistan. Evening in one of the capital's major attractions, the Navoi opera or the circus.
Day 21: Modern Tashkent
Steps: Tachkent
Visit of contemporary Tashkent: photo galleries, Quartier district, designer shopping. Take off at night.
Ideas for holidays and week-end breaks Uzbekistan
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