Best of Tajikistan & Uzbekistan
15 days
From
$ 2199
Duration15 days
Get yourself to two incredible (and often overlooked) destinations: Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. This 15-day combo trip brings together the best highlights of these two cultures for first-time visitors. Stay at unique Tajik homestays and roam the stunning countryside before heading to the cultural centre of Samarkand. Spend a night in a traditional desert yurt and discover a part of the world few others get to see. This is a tour for all kinds of adventurers.
This tour is operated by
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Duration: 15 daysService level: Standard
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Physical Grading: Light
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Ages: 12+
Tour Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1: Dushanbe
Enjoy an evening welcome meeting. Some travellers may have started their travels in Tajikistan. Get to know them with an optional welcome dinner.
Arrive at any time.
Day 2: Dushanbe/Kŭli Iskandarkŭl
Visit some sights in the capital city of Dushanbe, including museums, monuments and the main mosque. After lunch, drive through the valleys and mountains of the area for an overnight in local homes in the stunningly beautiful Iskanderkul area. Meet the locals and explore this gorgeous landscape in the Fann Mountains.
Meals: B, D
Day 3: Kŭli Iskandarkŭl
Spend a full day exploring. Hike in the mountains to an impressive waterfall. After a picnic lunch, return to Sarytag village.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 4: Kŭli Iskandarkŭl/Khŭjand
Continue on to Istaravshan and visit an ancient settlement in Ura-Tube. Enjoy an optional lunch in a local chaikhana (teahouse) before driving to Khujand. Explore the city in the afternoon, visiting the museum and a mausoleum.
Meals: B
Day 5: Khŭjand/Tashkent
Some travellers will be joining the group here as they start their journey into Uzbekistan.
Visit the Khujand market (largest in Tajikistan) before continuing on to the border. Cross into Uzbekistan and drive to the capital city of Tashkent. Enjoy a short orientation walk in the evening before an optional dinner.
Meals: B
Day 6: Tashkent
Enjoy a free day to explore.
Meals: B
Day 7: Tashkent/Samarkand
Travel on to Samarkand. Take an orientation walk and opt to visit the Amir Timur Mausoleum.
Meals: B
Day 8: Samarkand
With free time, enjoy the Samarkand sights, have a cup of tea in a local tea house, or wander around the bazaar.
Enjoy a city tour and visit to the Registan. Opt to check out the Guri Amir Mausoleum, Tomb of the Prophet Daniel, and the Registan minarets. Use some free time to wander the bazaar or visit more sights.
Meals: B
Day 9: Samarkand/Aydar Kŭl Camp
Travel out into the desert to visit the Nurata Shrine and remains of the Alexander the Great fortress. Continue on for an evening in a local yurt camp. Opt to ride a camel or enjoy an evening Kazakh singing show.
Meals: B, D
Day 10: Aydar Kŭl Camp/Bukhara
Travel to Bukhara, one of the most charming cities in the country. Opt to visit the old city bazaars, have dinner with a local family, or visit a traditional hammam (bathhouse).
Meals: B
Day 11: Bukhara
There is plenty of time to explore the artisan shops and wander the narrow twisting streets and alleyways. A centre for pottery, cloth, and Turkmen carpets, the Old City is centered around Lyabi-Hauz, a delightful pool of water surrounded by ancient mulberry trees, where you can sit at café tables and let the evening drift by. There is also the option to take in a local puppet show held in an old caravanserai or indulge in a Turkish bath.
Take a half-day guided walk around the beautifully restored mosques, madrassas, and covered markets that make up the Old City.
Meals: B
Day 12: Bukhara/Khiva
Enjoy a full day's travel through the desert to reach UNESCO-listed Khiva. Get to know the place on a late afternoon walking tour.
Meals: B
Day 13: Khiva
Explore the old town surrounded by city walls, bargain with locals on the market, and wander through the madrassas, climb up minarets, and explore the dark dungeons Khiva was infamous for back in the 10th century. Wander through the inner walls of the Ichon-Qala and enjoy spectacular sunset views of the sand-coloured mosques and madrassas.
Enjoy a guided tour of the city with free time to experience the local life. Opt to browse the shops, wander the lanes, examine handmade silk rugs, or sit in a café in this ancient historical town.
Meals: B
Day 14: Khiva/Tashkent
Take a short flight back to Tashkent and enjoy a city tour or explore on your own with some free time.
Day 15: Tashkent
Depart at any time.
Meals: B
Inclusions
Included
- Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group Your Local Living Moment: Community Homestay, Kŭli Iskandarkŭl Your Local Living Moment: Overnight in a Yurt, Aydar Kŭl Camp
- Dushanbe city tour
- Hikes and picnic lunch
- Mug Teppe settlement visit (Ura-Tube)
- City tour (Khujand)
- Khujand market visit
- City tour (Tashkent)
- Orientation walk (Samarkand)
- City tour including a Registan visit
- Nurata Shrine visit
- Alexander the Great fortress visit
- Guided walking tour (half-day, Bukhara)
- Walking tours (Khiva)
- Transport between destinations and to/from included activities
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Transport
Private vehicles, Walking -
Accommodation
Hotels/guesthouses (11 nts), Multi share-community homes (2 nts), Desert yurt (1 night)