Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Tour
KYRGYZSTAN & UZBEKISTAN – 18 DAYS
Departing Bishkek on 27th of September 2020
*** TOUR CLOSED ***
Lying at the heart of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan share much in common however they offer very different holiday experiences. Kyrgyzstan, with its dramatic mountain scenery and large population of nomadic shepherds contrasts with the spectacular Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva whose ancient turquoise mosques etch the desert skyline.
In Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital we visit the Ala Too and Victory Squares, the White House and Hero Monument and take a stroll in the nearby Ala-Archa National Park. In the mountainous countryside, we travel around the Issyk-Kul Lake and gaze on petroglyphs dating from the 2nd Millennium BC. In Karakol we visit the Russian Orthodox Church and the Dungan mosque. Lush summer pastures are home to yurt dwelling nomads who still hunt with eagles. Back in Bishkek we fly to the ancient Osh, dominated by Sulaiman Too, a mountain in the city centre, protected by UNESCO due to its cultural and spiritual significance.
We cross into Uzbekistan to Ferghana city and visit silk and carpet centres and on our way to Tashkent we stop at a ceramic centre, the Khudayarkhan’s palace and Juma Mosque. In Tashkent we visit the Hastim Imam Complex, ride the metro, visit the State Museum of Applied Arts and explore the fabulous Chorsu food bazaar. The high speed train brings us to legendary Samarkand. Here we discover the most celebrated sights including the madrassas and mosques of the magnificent Registan. A short drive away is World Heritage-listed Shahrisabz where we explore the palace ruins of the conqueror Timur and visit nearby Konigil, known for its ancient paper making workshop.
Next comes Bukhara, one of the great Silk Route cities of central Asia and two days here allows ample time to see the principal sights and make our own discoveries. A long drive across the steppe brings us to ancient Khiva, once a slave-trading Khanate and the most intact of our three ancient cities. Within its baked mud brick walls we visit a wonderful carpet and textile workshop and see some stunning vernacular architecture, exploring mosques, madrasas and mausoleums. Our Central Asian adventure comes to an end with a flight back to Tashkent.
Tour Highlights
| • Ala-Archa National Park | • Shah-I-Zinda Complex |
| • Issyk-Kul Lake | • Konigil Silk Paper Mill |
| • Cholpon Ata Petroglyphs | • Urgut Local Market |
| • Preshevalsky Museum – Karakol | • Shahrisabz |
| • Trinity Russian Orthodox Church | • Fortress Ark – Bukhara |
| • Dungan Mosque – Karakol | • Emir’s Royal Residence |
| • Seven Bulls of Jety Oguz | • Tuda-Kal & Gazelle Reserve |
| • Eagle Hunting Exhibition | • Labi Khaus Complex – Bukhara |
| • Hastim Imam Square – Tashkent | • Uzbek Cooking Class |
| • Applied Arts Museum | • Kalta-minor Minaret |
| • Samarkand Registan | • Khiva Tash Hauli Palace |
| • Ulugbek’s Observatory | • Historic Juma Mosque – Khiva |
DAYS 1 & 2 – Bishkek, DAY 3 –Burana-Issykul-Cholpon Ata, DAY 4 – Karakol, DAY 5 – Bokonbaevo-Bishek, DAY 6 – Osh-Ferghana, DAYS 7 & 8 – Tashkent, DAYS 9 & 10 – Samarkand, DAY 11 – Sharisabz-Samarkand, DAY 12 – Samarkand-Bukhara, DAY 13 & 14 – Bukhara, DAYS 15 & 16 – Bukhara-Khiva DAY 17 –Khiva-Tashkent, DAY 18 – End Tashkent.
Cost: USD $4160*
Single Supplement: USD $845*
* Paid in Australian dollars calculated on the due date using the bank buying rate for US Dollars cash.