Treasures of the Silk Road: 17-Day Tour of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan

Itinerary

Day 1: Dushanbe Arrival & City Tour

Upon arrival at Dushanbe Airport and completion of all necessary procedures, such as border control, customs, and luggage, you will be transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon, there will be a meeting in the lobby for a city tour. Dushanbe, which gets its name from the Persian word for Monday, was once a small market village where traders would come to sell their goods on Mondays. During the Soviet era, the city grew to become the most important centre of production in Tajikistan, but the Shohmansur Covered Market still reflects Dushanbe’s historical connections with local trade. During the tour, you will visit the Monument of Ismoili Somoni, Rudaki Park, the Highest Flagstaff in the world (certified by the Guinness Committee) in the city centre, the Tajikistan State Museum, Mehrgon Bazaar, and Victory Park, where you can get a view of Dushanbe from the East Hills.

Accommodation: Hotel Atlas 4* (or similar)

✓ Dinner

Day 2: Hissar Fortress, Tajikistan Antique Museum & Tajik Local Life Insights

We will begin the morning meeting with a group for an excursion to the Hissar Fortress, located 27 km west of Dushanbe. This Fortress was home to the palace of Ibragimbek Khan, a member of the Bukhara Emirate. The thick walls of the fortress used to protect a pool, garden, and palace, while the market and caravanserai were located outside. Today, only a portion of the wall and gate towers remain, representing 18th and 19th century styles. After returning to Dushanbe, we will have lunch and visit the Tajikistan Antique Museum. This museum is home to natural history exhibits, Tajik costumes, and a mock-up of a Tajik house. The main highlight is the biggest statue of a “Relaxing Buddha”, while the ethnographic part of the museum showcases traditional Tajik crafts such as ceramics, embroidered fabrics, woodcarving, and jewellery.

Accommodation: Hotel Atlas 4* (or similar)

✓ Breakfast  ✓ Dinner

Day 3: Penjikent Transfer Via, Varzob Valley, Museum of Archaeology, Old Penjikent & Rudaki Museum

Start your journey with a drive through the picturesque Varzob Valley and Anzob Pass-Tunnel to Lake Iskander Kul (Alexander Great Lake), the heart of the Fan Mountains. Here you can visit a 50m high waterfall, located two kilometers north of the lake, and Snake Lake. Continue to Penjikent, one of the oldest cities in Central Asia, with a history of 5500 years. Ancient Penjikent was one of the easternmost settlements of the Sogdiana Empire, an Iranian civilization that ruled Central Asia for over a thousand years and held Zoroastrianism as its predominant religion. Translated from Russian, the city’s name means ‘Five Villages’. Visit the Penjikent excavations and Museum of Archaeology in Old-Penjikent, the 5th century ‘Pompeii’ of Central Asia, to see the former palaces and necropolises that survived for 300 years until the Arabs burned it down during their 8th century invasion. The Rudaki Museum in the city centre is filled with artifacts from the Bronze Age to the Sogdian era, as well as natural history exhibits from the region. It also includes an exhibit on the life and works of Samanid court poet Abdullah Mohammed Rudaki, who was born in Penjikent. Don’t miss out on the frescoes from the Old Penjikent archaeological site, a highlight of the museum.

Accommodation: Hotel Umarien 3* (or similar)

✓ Breakfast  ✓ Dinner

Day 4: Tajik/Uzbek Border Crossing, Bukhara & Bukhara City Tour

We will begin our journey today at 07:30am, heading towards the Tajik/Uzbek border at Jartepa. From there, we will continue to Bukhara, one of the greatest trading centers of the Silk Road. Though humans have inhabited the area around Bukhara for at least five millennia, the city itself has existed for half of that time. Throughout its long history, Bukhara has served as a hub of trade, culture, scholarship, and religion. With its many mosques, madrasahs, and minarets, it is known as an open-air museum. Bukhara has also seen many rulers come and go throughout its 2500-year history, from the invading Arab armies to the present day. During our city tour, we will visit the architectural complex Poi Kalon, with the Kalon Minaret, Kalon Mosque, and Mir-Arab Madrasah, as well as Toki Zargaron trade-domes and Magoki Attori Mosque.

Accommodation: Hotel Malika 4* (or similar)

✓ Breakfast  ✓ Dinner

Day 5: Deeper Bukhara City Tour & Puppet Show

In the morning we explore an oriental bazaar, full of vibrant colours and exotic aromas. We continue our journey through Bukhara, taking in the stunning architectural ensembles of mosques and madrasahs, such as the Ark Citadel, the Samanids Mausoleum, Chor Minor Madrasahs, Lyabi Khauz Square, the Chashma Ayub Mausoleum, Bolo Mosque, Nugai Caravanserai, and Akhmadjon Caravanserai. We also attend a folklore show at Nadir Divan Begi Madrasah and meet a puppet master, who puts on a short performance and explains the intricate craftsmanship of his creations.

Accommodation: Hotel Malika 4* (or similar)

✓ Breakfast  ✓ Dinner

Day 6: Silk Road Journey Via Shakhrisabz, Koba Caravanserai & Samarkand Transfer

We are taking a journey along the Silk Road, one of the oldest trade routes in the world. Our first stop is Shakhrisabz, the ancient city of Central Asia which dates back over 2700 years. Being the hometown of Tamerlane, it is no surprise that everywhere in the city is associated with his name. During the city tour, we will be visiting Koba Caravanserai. Afterwards, we will be taking a transfer to Samarkand.

Accommodation: Hotel Registon 3/4* (or similar)

✓ Breakfast  ✓ Dinner

Day 7: Samarkand City Tour

Founded in the 7th century B.C. as ancient Afrosiab, Samarkand is a historic town and a crossroad and melting pot of the world’s cultures. It received its most significant development in the Timurid period from the 14th to the 15th centuries. During your visit, explore the fabled city of Samarkand, one of the most important sites of the Silk Road. Registan Square will be a highlight, having been the heart of the city for centuries. You will also see three of its beautiful madrasahs – the Ulug-Bek Madrasah built in the 15th century, the Tillya-Kori Madrasah built in the 17th century, and the Sher-Dor Madrasah, also built in the 17th century. Finally, visit Gur Emir – the mausoleum of the Great Tamerlane and a masterpiece of Islamic architecture of the Medieval East. Dinner will be served in a national house.

Accommodation: Hotel Registon 3/4* (or similar)

✓ Breakfast  ✓ Dinner

Day 8: Ulugbek Observatory, Shohi-Zinda Necropolis & Tashkent Transfer

Today, you will visit two of Samarkand’s most renowned attractions: the Ulugbek Observatory, a historical monument and one of the most esteemed observatories of the Middle Ages; and Shohi-Zinda Necropolis, an ancient architectural ensemble located on the southeastern slope of Afrosiab Mountain. Dating back to the 11th, 14th, and 19th centuries, the complex features several mausoleums and religious buildings, as well as a Silk paper manufacture, which was used to craft many Arabic manuscripts. Following the sightseeing tour, we will continue to Tashkent.

Accommodation: Hotel City Palace 4* (or similar)

✓ Breakfast  ✓ Dinner

Day 9: Tashkent City Tour

Take a tour of Tashkent, the modern yet oriental capital of Uzbekistan. From ancient squares to modern buildings, explore the city’s 2,000-year-old history. On your visit, you’ll start at the Kukeldash Madrasah, still functioning as a school for the Koran. Then, explore the Khast-Imam Square and admire the Barak Khan adrasah, the Tillya Sheikh Mosque, and the Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum, with its unique brickwork. Before you leave, take a look at the Koran written by the third Caliph Osman (644 – 656).

Accommodation: Hotel City Palace 4* (or similar)

✓ Breakfast  ✓ Dinner

Day 10: Fergana Valley, Tajikistan/Kyrgyzstan Border Crossing, Rishtan Ceramics Centre & Rishtan Tour

This morning we drive to Fergana Valley, the most fertile part of Central Asia. It is surrounded by the Tien Shan Mountain Range and watered by tributaries of the Syr Darya River. This area has an illustrious history, with Alexander the Great founding a city here in the southwestern mouth of the valley in 329 BC and traders from China coming this way as they created the Silk Road in the 1st century BC. The whole valley became a rich oasis, with irrigated fields producing grains, fruits, silk, cotton, nuts, and vegetables, and supporting horses, cattle, sheep, and camels. Buddhism made its way here from China before the advent of Islam in the 8th century AD, and it was later ruled by the Kokand Khanate in the 18th and 19th centuries, before being taken by Imperial Russia at the end of the 19th century. During the 20th century, the Soviet Union dedicated the valley to the cotton monoculture, sapping its fertility and its water, and derailing its agricultural diversity. Visit Rishtan – centre of unique ceramic production in Uzbekistan – for a glimpse of its world-renowned ceramics. Tucked inside the Fergana Valley between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Rishtan is perhaps the region’s oldest and most celebrated ceramics centre. The city itself is a sight to behold, with melons growing wild in the fields and pomegranate and apple trees sprouting up along the streets, and canopies of grapes shading the sidewalks. There is evidence of earthenware in the foothills of the Alai Range dating back one thousand years. Rishtan ceramics are well-known for their intricate floral and geometric designs in bright blue and green hues painted on a creamy white background. This region has become renowned for pottery thanks to the copious amounts of high-quality raw materials available, such as red clay and pigments made from minerals and mountain grasses. The techniques used to make the ceramics have been passed down from father to son for many generations.

Accommodation: Hotel Asia 3* (or similar)

✓ Breakfast  ✓ Dinner

Day 11: Osh Transfer & Osh City Tour

Osh is believed to be over 3000 years old, making it the oldest city in Kyrgyzstan and the second largest in the country. At a crossroad of the famous Silk Road, the age of the city can be seen in the rock drawings and inscriptions found on the northern slope of the four-headed Suleiman Mountain, also known as Salomon’s Throne. This unique historical and architectural monument is situated in the centre of Osh and is still a popular place for local Muslims, with stairs leading up to the highest peak with a small mosque built in 1510. The mountain is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. During our visit to Osh, we’ll take an excursion to the bright Osh Bazaar and Historical Museum and get hands on with a local baker to learn how lepyoshka is made. We’ll also visit the workshop of Zakir Aka, who has been making handmade knives for almost 60 years. These handmade knives make great gifts for friends or family members who love to cook.

Accommodation: Hotel Sunrise Osh 3* (or similar)

✓ Breakfast  ✓ Dinner

Day 12: Flight to Bishkek & sightseeing city tour

Take a morning flight to Bishkek, the capital and largest city in Kyrgyzstan. Nestled at the foothill of the majestic Kyrgyz Ala-Tau mountain range, Bishkek is a city of many parks, marble-faced public buildings, Soviet-style apartment blocks, and thousands of smaller private houses, all laid out in a grid pattern with narrow irrigation channels that water the countless trees that provide shade in the summer. It’s said to be the greenest city in Central Asia, having more trees per head of population than anywhere else. Our sightseeing tour will include the Ala-Too Square – the main square of the country which hosts state events and celebrations – monuments, an open-air picture gallery, famous Oak Park, marble government buildings, and theatres.

Accommodation: Hotel Garden 4* (or similar)

✓ Breakfast  ✓ Dinner

Day 13: Chon-Kemin Gorge & Burana Tower

On the way to Chon-Kemin Gorge, we make a stop at the Karakhanid’s minaret of the 12th century, Burana Tower. Nowadays, it is a museum complex containing the tower itself, reconstructions of mausoleums found on the site, remnants of a citadel, a collection of balbals (gravestones used by nomadic Turkic peoples), petroglyphs (stone carvings), and a small museum. Chon Kemin is an idyllic valley with several small villages and farmers’ lands, surrounded by majestic mountains and fir forests. It is a perfect place to relax and observe time pass by with a pot of tea. As the evening approaches, we will be accompanied by a Manaschi song. The epic poem Manas is significant to Kyrgyz traditional culture, representing character, psychology, and spirit. It is recited by specialists known as Manaschi, who are held in high esteem in Kyrgyz culture.

Accommodation: GH Kemin or Ashuu (or similar)

✓ Breakfast  ✓ Dinner

Day 14: Boom Gorge, Issyk-Kul Lake, Cholpon-Ata, Karakol Transfer & Uighur Family Dinner

We travel through Boom Gorge and along the northern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake to reach Cholpon-Ata town. The lake is surrounded by snowcapped peaks of the Terskei and Kungei Ala-Tau mountain ranges and is situated at an altitude of 1600 m. It is 180 km long, 60 km wide, and 700 m deep. 134 streams and rivers flow into the lake but none flow out, which is due to underwater tectonic activity. In Cholpon-Ata, we visit the petroglyphs, also known as the Stone Garden. It covers 42 hectares and contains prehistoric monumental structures, such as stone circles, tombs, the remains of a boundary stone wall, and balbals, as well as petroglyphs dating from the 2nd millennium BC to the 6th century AD. There are plaques with descriptions and dates of the stones. We take a 20–30-minute walk on the shortest route, or explore the upper side of the museum, including a collection of stone balbals, stone inscriptions, stone circles, and a stunning view of the Cholpon-Ata bay of Issyk-Kul Lake. We also visit the Cholpon-Ata Museum of History, which has a wide collection of national embroidery. We proceed to Karakol, admiring the lake and mountains along the way. Karakol has an old Russian style, with many buildings from Tsar time, and was formerly known as Prjevalsk, in honor of the famous Russian explorer of Asia, Nikolai Prjevalski. His grave is located on the shore of Issyk-Kul Lake. We visit Prjevalsk Museum, followed by dinner with Uighur or Dungan families to sample traditional cuisine and lagman-show, watch and participate in the Lagman cooking process.

Accommodation: Hotel Green Yard 3* (or similar)

✓ Breakfast  ✓ Dinner

Day 15: Karakol Town, Karakol City Tour, Russian Style Houses, Issyk-Kul Lake, Ala-Tua Mountain Ranges & Yurt Camp

A visit to Karakol town will take you back in time to Tsarist Russia. Our two-hour city tour includes a look at old Russian style houses (1870-1910), the Russian Orthodox Church (1886) and the Dungan Mosque (1899), built without nails out of wood. We then transfer to Jeti-Oguz gorge, where you can take in the stunning red sandstone rock formations and the local pastures used by shepherds to graze their flocks of sheep and herds of horses. We continue along the southern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake, situated in a hollow surrounded by snow-capped peaks of the Terskei and Kungei Ala-Tau Mountain ranges at an altitude of 1600m. This lake is 180km in length, 60km wide and 700m deep, with 134 streams and rivers flowing into it but not out, due to underwater tectonic activity. We stay in a yurt camp today, with optional horseback riding available (paid directly). Later, we take classes in the famous Kyrgyz bread baking – Boorsok.

Accommodation: Yurt Camp (or similar)

✓ Breakfast  ✓ Dinner

Day 16: Falconry Farm, Bishkek Transfer & Folklore Show

In the morning, we will show you a traditional form of falconry found throughout Central Asia – hunting with eagles. This plays a key role in the nomadic lifestyle and is used not only for competitions and shows, but in everyday life for local people. After this, we will continue to Bishkek for a folklore show in the evening during dinner. Artists will showcase traditional musical instruments and techniques of playing.

Accommodation: Hotel Garden 4* (or similar)

✓ Breakfast  ✓ Dinner

Day 17: Departure Flight

If you have pre-arranged a driver, make sure to check out of your hotel and meet them in the lobby to be transferred to the airport in time for your departure flight. Please note that standard hotel check-out times apply.

✓ Breakfast