Tour from Tashkent across the cities of Uzbekistan.

“may came home with a smooth round stone as small as a world and as large as alone” 

E.E. Cummings.

Short description of route of tour from Tashkent to Khiva:

Tashkent - Samarkand - Bukhara - Khiva - Tashkent.

Distance of the route: 1075 km.
Season: all the year round.
The best time for an excursion: April - September.
Tour duration: 10 days, 9 nights.

The detailed program of tour day after day on the ancient cities of Uzbekistan:

Tour on ancient monuments of Uzbekistan.

Day 1. Tashkent.
Arrival in Tashkent, meeting at the airport, transfer to hotel, accommodation. Free time, overnight.
Day 2. Tashkent.
Breakfast. Visit of the Old city, is the religious center of Tashkent here - the Hast-Imam complex. Among unique exhibits of old Tashkent, the well-known Koran of the Caliph Osman (VIIth century) an initial source of the sacred book of Islam is stored here. Visit in the architectural and cultural Hast-Imam complex, madrasah Barack khan, Tillya-Sheikh mosque, the mausoleum Abu Bakr Kaffal Shashi, Islamic institute of a name of the Imam of al Bukhari.
Transfer the oldest market of the city - Chorsu, walk on a market. Lunch. After visit and sightseeing of the Old city, a trip by the Tashkent subway to the central part of Tashkent. In 1973 construction of the Tashkent subway began. Since 1977 the subway - only, at that time, in Central Asia works in the capital, Today the subway has three lines - Chilanzar, Uzbekistan and Yunusabad, 29 stations.
Total length of lines makes 35 km.
Visit of the areas of Amir Timur and Liberty, museum of applied art. Walk on the areas. In the museum the unique exhibits telling about history of decorative art of Uzbekistan are presented. Here exhibits of work of masters of woodcarving and stamping, jewelers and masters of gold sewing. After the excursion transfer for dinner. Return to hotel and overnight.
Day 3. Tashkent.
Breakfast. Visit of the park of Alisher Navoi and madrasah Abdul Kassim where settles down the center of handicraftsmen, here it is possible to buy souvenirs with woodcarving, a tiny list on caskets and on silk paper. Visit of madrasah Kukeldash old madrasah in Tashkent, visit of the mosque of Zhuma, the third largest Friday mosque in Uzbekistan. Visit of a monument "Courage", National cohesion Square of the people, the Broadway - the avenue of artists.
Visit of a monument Amir to Timur in the city park of Amir Timur, a memorial of "Memory of the victims of repressions". Visit of the Center of pilaf, in the Center of pilaf five masters, and also several assistants who cook pilaf work.
Pilaf is cooked by 11 o'clock. In Uzbekistan pilaf can be eaten during a lunch. Pilaf begins to be cooked with morning in the yard of the Center of pilaf in five enormous pig-iron cauldrons coppers (coppers contain 50 kilograms of rice everyone) on firewood. A sightseeing tour across Tashkent. Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 4. Tashkent – Samarkand (283 km).
Breakfast. After a breakfast transfer to the railway station. Departure at 08:00 by train “Afrosiab” to Samarkand. Arrival to the railway station of Samarkand at 10:08, a meeting at the station. The beginning an excursion across Samarkand. Visit: Ulugbek observatory, Doniyor Paygambar (prophet Daniil) mausoleum (XIV, the beginning of the XXth century), the museum of history of the town at the ancient settlement Afrosiab (VIIIth century BC), the mosque Hazrati Hyzr (XIXth century), the mausoleum Shakhi-Zinda complex (the XI - XV century). A lunch and a dinner in local cafes or restaurants, overnight.
Day 5. Samarkand.
Breakfast. Visit: the mausoleum Gur-Emir (the XVth century), ensemble of monuments on the square Registan from Ulugbek madrasah (the XVth century), Cher Dor madrasah and Tillya-Kari (the XVIIth century), the mausoleum Rukhabad ("Monastery of Spirit") (the XIV - XV century) - the sheikh's tomb Burkhan ad-Din Sagardzhi (the head of Muslims in Beijing) buried according to its will in Samarkand. Visit of the mosque by Bibi-Hanum (XVth century, Siab market. A lunch and a dinner in local cafes or restaurants. Overnight.
Day 6. Samarkand - Bukhara (267 km).
Breakfast. Transfer to Bukhara. Arrival in Bukhara, transfer to hotel, accommodation, the lunch. After the lunch visit of architectural monuments of Bukhara: an architectural complex of Lyabi Khouse, the mausoleum and madrasah Nodir Divan Begi (XVIth century), madrasah Kukeldash (XVth century), a monument Khodga Nasreddin, Tim Abdullakhana (XVIth century), the covered market which was used for trade of expensive silk fabrics.
Visit of the mosque of Magokki Attori (XIIth century), this mosque it is constructed on the place of the pagan temple of fire worshippers, it is one of 3 monuments in Bukhara which escaped after Genghis Khan invasion. Visit of madrasah of Ulugbek (XVth century), this madrasah is constructed by Tamerlan grandson, on an entrance to madrasah there is an inscription the Arab ligature belonging to the prophet Muhammad: "Aspiration to knowledge - a duty of each Muslim and Muslim".
Visit of madrasah of Abdullazizkhan (XVIIth century), caravanserais of Bukhara, mosque Kalon (XVIth century). Visit of the operating madrasah the Mir-i-Arab (XVIth century), in madrasah the head of the Russian Muslims Ravil Gaynuddin and the former president of Chechnya Ahmad Kadyrov studied. Visit of a minaret Kalyan - a symbol of Bukhara (death tower), on one of legends, dumped from a minaret adulteresses and freethinking bukharets. Visit of trade domes (XVIth century): Toki Saraffon, Toki Telpak Furushon, Toki Zargaron where local handicraftsmen (jewelers, ceramists, potters, handicraftsmen) sell the products.
A lunch in local cafe. After a lunch continuation of an excursion, visit of an architectural complex Registan - fortresses of the Arc - a grandiose citadel, the habitat of governors of Bukhara, a stronghold of the power and power (the Ist century BC - XIXth century), Bolo-House mosques (XVIIIth century), Shukhov towers, the square Registan. Visit to mosque Chor Minor. At will bathing in the Central Asian bath of the XVIth century "Homomi Bozori Kord". A lunch and a dinner at local restaurants and overnight.
Day 7. Bukhara (41 km).
Breakfast. Trip to the country visit of a majestic necropolis of Bakhauddin Nakshbandi (12 km) - the place of burial of the Sufi mystic of the award "Nakshbandiya" Saint Bakhauddin Nakshbandi esteemed in all
uslim world. Visit of Sitora-Mocha Khosa (16 km) - the summer palace of the last emir of Bukhara (XIXth century).
Transfer and visit to a necropolis Chor-Bakr (X - XVI century) which is in the settlement of Sumitan in the West in the suburb of Bukhara - the "city of shadows" serving as the family residence to spiritual leaders of the award "Nakshbandiya". A lunch in teahouse “Chor-Bakr”.
Return to Bukhara. Visit of the mausoleum Chashma Ayoub (XII - XVI century), in the mausoleum is a source of holy water and the small museum. Visit of the most ancient monument in Uzbekistan - the mausoleum Samanid’s (Xth century), a family tomb of a dynasty Samanid’s. The monument is recognized as a pearl of architecture of Central Asia.
Visit of the house of the rich Bukhara merchant belonging to the first President of the Bukhara People's Republic - to Fayzullo Hodzhayev. Demonstration old times of the Bukhara clothes. A dinner at local restaurant and overnight.
Day 8. Bukhara - Khiva (454 km).
Breakfast. Transfer: Bukhara - town of Gazli - Kyzyl Kum Desert - settlement of Uch-Uchak (269 km). Transfer to Khiva through the Kyzyl Kum Desert. A stop at the settlement of Uch-Uchak, a picnic lunch-boxes.
Further transfer: settlement of Uch-Uchak - town of Tortkul - town of Beruni - town of Urgench - town of Khiva (185 km). Arrival in Khiva, transfer to hotel, accommodation, dinner. Evening walk on ancient monuments, overnight.
Day 9. Khiva.
Breakfast. An excursion across Khiva - "The museum under the open sky". Visit: fortress Ichan-Kala (VIII - XIX century), Pakhlavon Mahmoud mausoleum (XVIII - XIX century) - the main cult center Ichan-Kala, is constructed in honor of the patron saint of Khiva, the poet, the philosopher, the doctor and the invincible fighter Pakhlavan Mahmoud, a minaret and the mosque Khodja Islam (the beginning of the XXth century) - the highest minaret (57 meters with the base) and the smallest madrasah in Khiva. A lunch at local restaurant.
Continuation of an excursion across Khiva, visit of a complex of Allakulikhan, madrasah, Tim (the covered market) and a caravanserai (XVIIIth century), madrasah Hurdzhum (XVIIth century), madrasah Abdullah of Khan (XIXth century), the palace Tash-Khauli (19th century) - the palace of the khan with throne and judicial halls and a harem, Zhuma the mosque and a minaret (the XII - XX century) - a roof of the mosque support 212 carved columns, thanks to unique construction this most cool place in Khiva, with magnificent acoustics, minaret Height - 32, 5 meters.
Visit of the mausoleum Said Alauddina (XIVth century), madrasah Mahomed Amin of Khan (XIXth century) - the biggest medieval madrasah of Khiva, a minaret Kalta Minor (XIXth century) - the highest minaret in the Muslim world which height had to reach 70 meters remained not complete at the height of 26 meters, a citadel of the Kunya Ark (XIXth century) - internal fortress with office buildings, a powder workshop, the courthouse and the mosque, madrasah of Shirgazi of the khan (XVIIIth century). Dinner and overnight.
Day 10. Khiva - Urgench - Tashkent.
Breakfast. Transfer to the airport in Urgench (30 km), arrival in the airport, a departure to Tashkent. Arrival in Tashkent, a meeting at the airport, transfer to hotel, accommodation, rest, free time. In the evening transfer to the airport, a departure from Tashkent.

Note:
Author program of Alexander Petrov. Copying and introduction -  from the sanction of the author  petrovsra@mail.ru

Alexander Petrov
photos.