Silk Road, No Alarm Clocks: 10 Unhurried Days

Our driver meets you at the airport with your welcome kit. Rooms are available from 14:00. If you have energy left: Alay Bazaar, the Amir Timur Museum or the white Minor Mosque.

A late start for the city tour, then an evening flight to Urgench and a short drive to Khiva.

1. 11:00Tashkent city tour

   • Courage Monument to the 1966 earthquake
   • Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum and the Khast-Imam square
   • Chorsu Bazaar under its great green dome
   • A ride on the ornate Tashkent metro
   • Museum of Applied Arts, Navoi Opera Theatre and Amir Timur Square

2. 18:30Early dinner in Tashkent before the flight (at own expense): we land in Khiva late, when most restaurants are closed

3. 20:40Flight Tashkent – Urgench (about 1 h 30 min)

   • Flight times change by season; if there is no evening flight on your date, we fly the next morning instead

4. 22:10Arrival in Urgench and transfer to Khiva (35 min)

Ichan-Kala at a gentle pace, with the best view of the old town from the Kunya-Ark watchtower.

1. 10:00Walking tour of Ichan-Kala (about 6 hours with breaks)

   • Mukhammad Amin Khan and Mukhammad Rakhim Khan madrasahs
   • Kalta-Minor
   • Juma Mosque
   • Tosh-Khovli Palace
   • Pakhlavan Makhmud Mausoleum
   • Climb of the Islam-Khoja Minaret
   • Panorama from Kunya-Ark

2. Tea and coffee break

A free morning in Khiva, then the afternoon train across the Kyzylkum Desert to Bukhara (about 6 hours).

1. 14:45Check-out and transfer to Khiva railway station (about 15 min)

2. 15:33Train Khiva – Bukhara in 4-berth compartments

   • We help you pack a light supper for the train: there is no dining car

3. 21:40Arrival at Bukhara station (Kagan) and transfer to the hotel (about 25 min)

A walking day in old Bukhara, ending with dinner and music in a madrasah courtyard.

1. 10:00Walking tour of old Bukhara (5–6 hours with breaks)

   • Lyabi-Hauz and the Magoki-Attori Mosque
   • Chor-Minor
   • The trading domes
   • Poi-Kalyan: Kalyan Minaret, Kalyan Mosque and Mir-i-Arab Madrasah
   • Ulugbek and Abdulaziz Khan madrasahs
   • Ismail Samani Mausoleum and Chashma-Ayub

2. Tea and coffee break

3. 19:00Dinner and folklore show at the Nadir Divan-Begi madrasah

A half-day trip to the birthplace of Ibn Sino and to the potters of Gijduvan, back in Bukhara for a free afternoon.

1. 10:00Afshona, birthplace of Ibn Sino (Avicenna)

   • A TourEast addition

2. 11:30Gijduvan: pottery master class and lunch with a family of potters

   • Six generations of potters

3. 15:00Free afternoon in Bukhara

   • Ideas: the old hammam, the Khodjaev house-museum, the Naqshbandi complex

4. 17:30Sunset tea on a rooftop facing the Kalyan Minaret

   • A TourEast addition

The Ark Fortress and the Emir's summer palace in the morning, then the Afrosiyob train to Samarkand.

1. 10:00Ark Fortress and the Bolo-Hauz Mosque

2. 11:45Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa, the summer palace of the last Emir

3. 13:00Lunch break (at own expense)

4. 14:15Transfer to Bukhara station (Kagan)

5. 15:09Afrosiyob train to Samarkand (about 1 h 40 min)

6. 16:46Arrival in Samarkand and transfer to the hotel

The monuments of Timur's capital with a local guide, then your photo shoot on the Registan in the soft evening light.

1. 10:00Sightseeing tour of Samarkand (6–7 hours with breaks)

   • Registan Square
   • Bibi-Khanym Mosque
   • Siab Bazaar
   • Ulugbek Observatory
   • Shah-i-Zinda necropolis
   • Gur-Emir, the mausoleum of Amir Timur

2. 18:00Photo shoot on Registan Square with a professional photographer

   • A gift from TourEast; edited photos are sent after the tour

A free day in Samarkand, then the evening Afrosiyob train to Tashkent. Ideas (at own expense): the Konigil paper mill, the Afrasiab Museum, the Tomb of Saint Daniel.

1. 12:00Check-out; luggage stays at the hotel until the evening

2. 17:40Afrosiyob train to Tashkent (about 2 h 30 min)

3. 20:12Arrival in Tashkent and transfer to the hotel

Check-out by noon and transfer to Tashkent International Airport.