Premium Uzbekistan

Day 1  Tashkent                  
Arrive in Tashkent and transfer to your hotel. Meet your tour leader and fellow travellers in the evening.

Day 2  Tashkent      
Explore Tashkent with a city tour with your local guide. First, make your way to Khast Imon complex including the Barak Khan medressa, Kaffal Shashi mausoleum, Quran Library and Mosque, which holds what’s said to be one of the oldest and holiest Koran in the world. You will then head to the bustle of the Chorsu Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest markets in Central Asia. Your leader will show you some of Tashkent’s beautiful metro stations, then you’ll finish the tour at Amir Temur Square. With a free afternoon, you may like to visit the striking Kukeldash medressa.            

Day 3  Tashkent to Samarkand          
Early this morning, board your high-speed train bound for Samarkand.On arrival, join your tour leader for a city tour of this intriguing city. Make a visit to the Gur Amir Mausoleum, stand on the iconic Registan Square and visit the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, overlooking the busy and colourful Siob Bazaar. After time in the city, transfer to your hotel for an evening at your leisure.

Day 4  Samarkand        
Today you’ll dig deeper into Samarkand’s fascinating cultural heritage during another city tour. Visit the workshop of a local artisan and discover one of the few people in Central Asia who continues to produce paper using a 1000-year-old method. Continue to the Afrosiab Museum, then stop by the gorgeous remains of the Ulugbek Observatory. This evening, join a local family for a cooking demonstration and tuck into some amazing local cuisine.        

Day 5  Samarkand to Bukhara    
This morning, make your way to the holy and historical city of Bukhara. Stop along the way in Gijduvan, famous for its ceramic pottery, where you’ll have the chance to visit a pottery workshop. Enjoy a classic Uzbek lunch with a local family before continuing to Bukhara. Tonight's stay will be in a beautiful converted old Jewish house.  

Day 6  Bukhara      
A UNESCO-listed site, Bukhara is widely regarded as Central Asia’s holiest city. With monuments dating from the 8th to the 18th Century AD, your leader will help you understand the vast span of history and architecture during a tour of the city. Enjoy a free evening to explore the city at your own pace.    

Day 7  Bukhara to Khiva    
Make a morning visit to Sitorai Mohi Hosa, the summer Palace of Alim Khan, Uzbekistan’s last emir. In the afternoon, take the train to Khiva. You’ll travel through the Kyzyl-Kum (Red Sands Desert), the largest desert area in Central Asia. Arrive in Khiva in the evening and check in to your feature stay accommodation for the next two nights, the gloriously grand Orient Star Hotel.        

Day 8  Khiva    
Take a full day to explore this enchanting city with your leader. They will guide you through the city's ancient monuments including the Kalta Minor Minaret, the Khan museum, the 17th Century Juma Mosque and the Islom-Hoja Minaret and Medressa. Late afternoon, head to one of the city’s delightful roof terraces for a glass of champagne as you watch the sun set over thousands of years of history. This evening, join a cooking class and learn the secrets of Khorezmian cuisine.      

Day 9  Khiva toTashkent          
Take a short flight back to Tashkent and enjoy an explore of the city at your own pace.          

Day 10  Tashkent          
Your tour comes to an end after breakfast.