Tour Tashkent-Nukus-Kungrat-Sudochye-Aral Sea-Muynak-Khiva-Bukhara-Samarkand-Tashkent for 10 days

A full day is dedicated to a sightseeing tour in Tashkent. Today you will visit Independence Square, which is the main square of the country and was erected as a symbol of victory over fascism in World War II. Then you will have a chance to walk along the local Broadway, a walking street between Independence Square and Amir Timur Square. Furthermore, you can take a ride on the famous Tashkent metro, among the most beautiful subways in the world. The first line was opened in 1977. Then you will visit the old part of the city, which includes Chorsu Bazaar, Kukaldash Madrasah, and the Hast Imam complex, which consists of several madrasahs, mosques, and mausoleums. The highlight of its exhibits is the Othman Quran, which is the world’s oldest Quran copy, dating back to the 8th century. The Quran belonged to Othman Ibn Affan, the Third Caliph (of the four righteous Caliphs who succeeded the prophet Muhammad). Othman was killed by non-Muslims in the 8th century. His blood spread over the Quran that you can still see on its pages. Night is in a hotel.

In the morning, you will have a flight to Nukus. Today you will have a full-day city tour of this city. First, you will visit the Museum of Savitsky, which exhibits the masterpieces of forbidden art. The Museum collects 20th century Russian avant-garde paintings, including works by Sokolov, Komarovskiy, and the Amaravella group. The curator of the Karakalpakstan state museum of art collected the artworks in the 1960s. He purchased banned works by persecuted Soviet artists, sometimes free. He carefully preserved and finally exhibited them in this remote central Asian art house. After that, we drive outside of Nukus to see Mizdakhan necropolis, which used to be an ancient city centuries ago. Archaeological findings confirm that the area was continuously captured from the 4th century BC until about the 14th century AD. You can also visit a 2200-year-old Zoroastrian ancient monument known as Chilpyk. Night is in a hotel.

Today you will have a long drive to the Aral Sea. Nine hours’ drive will take you through the following routes: Nukus-Kungrad-Plato Ustyurt-Sudochye Lake-Aral Sea. On the way, we will stop at Gaur-Kala Fortress ("fortress of the infidels"), built around the fourth century B.C. The fortress's walls, which exceed ten meters in height, are surrounded by strongholds that have been preserved to this day. Today, it is impossible to say for sure what kind of buildings they were. You will arrive at the Aral Sea a little bit before dusk. The driver will pitch a camp until you explore the surroundings. Enjoy your open-air dinner. Overnight is in tents.

You can shoot some great photos early in the morning at dawn. After breakfast, you will visit the picturesque canyons of Ustyurt and drive towards Muinak through the dried bottom of the sea. The town of Muynak is one of the striking examples of the ecological disaster in the region. It was once the largest Karakalpakstan port and the Aral Sea center for fishing. On arrival in Muinak, visit the graveyard of a ship on the ex-shore of the Aral Sea and the town museum. After visiting, drive to Nukus. Overnight is at the hotel.

Morning transfer to Khiva (220 km). Today you will have a wonderful sightseeing tour in the oldest city in Uzbekistan. It will be inside of Ichan-Qala, the inner city of Khiva rounded with strong walls. Centuries old, sound buildings, palaces, mosques, madrasahs, mausoleums, minarets, caravan-sarais, and bathhouses transformed Ichan-Qala into a unique city-monument. Ichan-Qala consists of over 400 traditional dwelling houses and about 60 architectural monuments. In 1969, Ichan-Qala was designated a historical and architectural conservation area. The most remarkable sites in it are the Kunya-Ark fortress, dating back to the 17th century, found by Muhammad Arang Khan, the Kalta Minor minaret and the Tash Khouvli palace, an incredible sample of Khorezm architectural mastership of the 1830s. Night is in a hotel.

Early in the morning, we will transfer to the fascinating city of Bukhara. With more than 140 architectural monuments, Bukhara is a "town museum" dating back to the middle Ages. The city consists of narrow streets, green parks and gardens, and historical and architectural monuments that belong to different epochs but are located very close to each other. The road from Khiva to Bukhara goes through the famous Kizilkum desert. On the way, we will enjoy the view of the Amu Darya River, the deepest river in Central Asia, formed by the confluence of the Panj and Vakhsh in Tajikistan and flowing into the Aral Sea. Upon arrival in Bukhara, you will have free time. Night is in a hotel.

Today you will have a full-day city tour of this fascinating city. At first, you will visit the most ancient citadel in Bukhara, dating back to the 4th century, named Citadel Ark, which served as a palace for several dynasties of the Bukhara Empire. Then you will see the Samanids' mausoleum, a real masterpiece of architecture of the 9th–10th century. Then the tour continues to Chashma Ayub, meaning Job's well, and Bolo-Hauz mosque, also known as the mosque of forty columns, built in honor of Bukhara governor Abu-Fayud Khan. Then you have a chance to walk along the shopping domes and visit one of the most famous madrasahs in Bukhara called Nodir Divan Begi, which is also a part of the Lyabi House Ensemble, the famous central sightseeing of Bukhara.  Transfer to Samarkand is by train.  Night is in a hotel.

Samarkand is situated in the valley of the river Zerafshan. It is the second largest city in Uzbekistan and is of the same age as the cities of Babylon and Rome. Today you will visit its most outstanding sights, such as Registan Square, Shakhi-Zindeh, Mausoleum of Guri Emir and Bibi Khanum Mosque. Registan Square, a complex of three fascinating Madrasahs dating back to the 15th and 17th centuries, is the main highlight of Samarkand and no one can stop admiring its beauty and majesty. The architectural complex of Shakhi-Zindeh represents a large collection of mausoleums dating back to the 11th–15th centuries, being a part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After his successful campaign in India, Bibi Khanum Mosque was built in honor of her favorite, Tamerlane’s wife. Evening train to Tashkent. Overnight is at the hotel.

A full day is dedicated to a sightseeing tour in Tashkent. First, you will visit Courage Monument, which is a memorial complex erected in honor of the elimination of the consequences of the Tashkent earthquake. Then the tour continues to the Zangi Ota memorial complex. According to legend, Zangi-Oota was a shepherd and was distinguished for his wisdom and good deeds. Today, you can also visit the State Museum of Timurid History, which houses 3,000 different items from the Timurid period, such as jewelry, musical instruments, weapons, various coins, paintings, documents, historical manuscripts, and clothing. The city tour will be completed by visiting the State Museum of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan, consisting of fine examples of glasses and national clothing, hand and machine embroidery, skullcaps, national fabrics, carpets, and woodcarving. Night is in a hotel.

Transfer to airport and flight.