Aral Sea

Day 1

Tashkent

Arrival at Tashkent airport. Transfer to the hotel for luggage drop-off and additional breakfast, check-in at 14:00. Start to explore the city, very dynamic and modern, with its own history. Visit to Hast Imam Square, where there are Barakkhan Madrasah, Tillya Sheikh Mosque and Kaffal Ash-Shashi Mausoleum (XVI century) are located. Walk through the biggest and most dynamic market of Uzbekistan – Chorsu. Visit to the Museum of Applied Art. Visit to Tashkent City amusement park. Lunch and dinner are not included. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2

Tashkent – Nukus-Muynak-Ustyurt plateau-Aral Sea

Breakfast (lunchboxes). At 04:45 transfer to Tashkent airport for departure by domestic flight HY-011 to Nukus (07:15/08:55) Meet your guide/driver and drive to Muynak. In Muynak you will visit the “Graveyard of Ships”, Muynak Museum of Culture, where works of artists F. Madgazin and R. Matevosyan, who depicted the Aral Sea and the Amu Darya River, are exhibited, here you will be able to compare the Aral Sea before and after drying. Lunch in the guest house in Muynak. We continue travelling along the dry bottom of the Aral Sea. Ascent to the Ustyurt plateau, stop at the magnificent Ustyurt canyons. Arrival to the sea. Walk in the neighbourhood. Dinner at the campfire. Overnight in yurt camp.

Day 3

Aral Sea – Chakala Mound, cemetery of nomads – Aral Sea Camp

Early rise to see the magnificent sunrise behind the sea. Breakfast. Departure on excursion. Visit to the fortress Kurgancha Kala 14th century, Cape Aktumsyk, walking tour through picturesque places of Ustyurt, canyons, slabs, cave. On the way stop at the ancient cemetery of nomads in the times of the Great Silk Road, descent down the path for a photo of Martian landscape (canyons). Lunch in yurt camp. Walk along the seashore, swimming (depending on the weather). Departure back to the yurt camp. Dinner. Overnight in yurt camp.

Day 4

Aral Sea-Komsomolsk-Barsakelmes Salt Lake-Sudochie-Kungrad-Mizdakhan-Gaur-Kala-Nukus.

Early rise to see the magnificent sunrise behind the sea. Breakfast. After breakfast our way continues to the settlement “Komsomolsk” on the Ustyurt plateau. There you can see the abandoned airport of the gas compressor station. It was used as an emergency landing place for aeroplanes. There you can take photos of camels and horses and taste camel milk in the village of Kubla Ustyurt. From the Ustyurt Plateau, the journey will continue to the Barsakelmes salt lake. This huge salt lake is a remnant of the ancient Tethys ocean. You can make a unique photo session. Continuation of the way to Sudochie Lake, former part of the Aral Sea – a place where many migratory birds nest, such as Pink Flamingo and others. On the way we pass Khojeli and Kungrad districts, which were trade centres during the period of the Great Silk Road. Lunch in Kungrad. Transfer to Mizdakhkan necropolis, located in Khojeli district. Excursion around the necropolis, during which you will see: Nazlumkhan mausoleum (XII-XIVcc), Jumart kassab hillock, Shamun Nabi (XIX c), mausoleum of Khalifa Yerezhep and Gaur kala (VI B.C.-IX A.D.). Arrival in Nukus. Dinner – not included. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 5

Nukus – Kyzyl Kala – Toprak Kala – Ayaz Kala – Khiva

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to Khiva. On the way visit Kyzyl-Kala fortress. Kyzyl-Kala is a monument of the last stage in the history of ancient Khorezm architecture and can be considered a prototype of undulating Afrigid fortresses with massive columns. Further – a visit to Toprak-Kala settlement, an outstanding cultural monument of Khorezm I-VI centuries AD. In the III century it was the capital of Khorezm. Toprak-Kala was discovered by the Khorezm expedition led by S.P. Tolstov in 1938. The city has the shape of a regular rectangle. Ayaz-Kala – remains of fortifications of the period of Kushan culture (III-II centuries BC), 200 km from the Aral Sea, on the right bank of the Amu Darya, on the territory of modern Karakalpakstan. Lunch in the yurt camp “Ayaz Kala”. Arrival in Khiva. Dinner is not included. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 6

Khiva

Breakfast at the hotel At 09:00 start of the excursion to the ancient complex of Ichan Kala: Kunya Ark, Mausoleum of Pahlavan Mahmud, Minaret and Madrasah of Ichan Kala, Minaret of Kalta Minor, Tash Khovli Palace, Ak Mosque, Anush Khan Bath, Muhammad Rahimkhan Madrasah, Friday Mosque. Lunch and dinner are not included. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 7

Khiva – Bukhara

Breakfast at the hotel. Long transfer to Bukhara (450 km, 7-8 hours) through Kizilkum desert (red sands). Arrival and accommodation at the hotel. Free time for a walk through the narrow streets of the old city. Lunch and dinner are not included. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 8

Bukhara

Breakfast at the hotel. Start of Bukhara sightseeing: Ismail Samani Mausoleum, built in the X century, a masterpiece of Arab geometry, including a mosque (XVIII century). Chashmayyah Ayub Mausoleum. Bolo House complex, Visit to the majestic Arq Citadel, which was the residence of the Emir until 1920. Visit to the magnificent architectural complex Poi Kalon (XII-XVI centuries.), including the mosque Masjidi Kalon, Miri Arab Madrasah and the highest minaret of its time in the East. Visit to Ulugbek Madrasah, built by Tamerlane’s grandson in 1417, Abdul-Aziz Khan Madrasah (XVII century), Abdullah Khan Tim Madrasah (XVI century), built in 1577 and used by Afghan silk and wool traders, Visit to the 16th century covered market known as “merchant domes”. Gold embroidery, copper, blacksmith and weaving workshops are discovered during the visit. Walk around the old city of Bukhara: tour of Lyabi Hauz complex of XVI-XVII centuries with Nodir Divan-Begi Madrasah, Kukeldash Madrasah and Nodir Devon-Begi Khanaka. Lunch and dinner are not included. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 9

Bukhara – Samarkand

Breakfast. Departure to Samarkand (280 km, about 5 hours drive). After lunch visit to the famous Registan Square, which includes Ulugbek, Tilla Kori and Sherdor madrassahs. Visit to the Gur Emir Mausoleum. Visit to Konigil Meros paper factory. Lunch and dinner are not included. In the evening – visit to the historical and ethnographic park “Eternal City”. Overnight in hotel.

Day 10

Samarkand

Breakfast. We will resume our tour of Samarkand with a visit to the Shahi-Zinda necropolis. Visit to Ulugbek Observatory, Saint Daniel mausoleum, Afrosiab Archaeological Museum, Bibi Khanim Mosque and Siab Market – the busiest market in the city. Lunch and dinner are not included. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 11

Samarkand – Tashkent

Breakfast. We continue our journey to the capital of Uzbekistan – Tashkent (300 km/5 hours). Arrival and check-in at the hotel. Visit to religious sites: Catholic and Orthodox churches, visit to the Minor Mosque. Panoramic tour of Tashkent: Independence Square, Opera and Ballet Theater Square, Amir Temur Square. Visit to Magic City amusement park. Overnight in hotel.

Day 12

Tashkent

Breakfast. Transfer to Tashkent airport.