Central Asia Explorer

Fly to Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Fly overnight to Tashkent. (N)

Meal basis: As per itinerary – B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner, N: No meals

Tashkent

Arrive and transfer to the Miran International International Hotel (immediate occupancy) for 1 night. Afternoon tour of the old city including Applied Arts Museum and Kukeldash madrasa. Optional visit to a ceramic workshop. (N)

Samarkand

Drive to Samarkand and take a city tour including Registan Square and Gur Emir Mausoleum. Stay at Emirkhan Hotel for 2 nights. (B)

Samarkand

Full-day tour of Samarkand including visits to the Ulugbek observatory, Shah-i-Zinda necropolis and Afrosiab Museum. See the ancient process of silk paper production and visit a silk carpet factory. (B, D)

Bukhara

Travel to Bukhara and visit the silk market, the Jewish Quarter, Poi-Kalyan complex, the surviving trade domes and Lyab-i-Hauz complex, once the city’s principal source of water. Sample a range of herbal teas in a family-owned teahouse in the old part of the city. Stay 2 nights at Malika Bukhara. (B, D)

Bukhara

Continue your tour of Bukhara, including visits to Chor Minor mosque, the summer residence of the last Emir of Bukhara, Chashmai Ayub and the Ark fortress, built in the fifth century AD. (B)

Tashkent

Morning at leisure. This afternoon take the Afrosiyob train to Tashkent and transfer to the Miran International Hotel for 1 night. (B)

Fly to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Fly to Bishkek via Almaty and transfer to the Plaza Hotel for 2 nights. Optional evening meal with folklore concert (additional cost). (B)

Ala Archa National Park • Bishkek

Drive south to Ala Archa National Park, which offers a range of walking options from gentle strolls to more strenuous hikes. Return to Bishkek for a city tour. (B)

Burana Tower • Issyk-Kul lake

Visit the Burana Tower and its surrounding ruins, an important trading post on the Silk Road. See the Bronze Age petroglyphs at Cholpon-Ata. Optional 1-hour lake cruise (additional cost). Overnight at Karven Issyk-Kul Hotel. (B, D)

Karakol

Drive to Karakol and visit the museum dedicated to the Russian explorer Nikolai Przewalsky. Also visit the colourful Dungan Mosque and the Holy Trinity Cathedral. Stay 2 nights at Hotel Amir. (B)

Djety-Oguz

Learn about the nomadic way of life in Kyrgyzstan, beginning with a walk in Djety-Oguz gorge, with its impressive red rock formations and spruce forests. Join a golden eagle hunting show, which showcases the birds and this ancient tradition. This evening, join a Uighur family to learn how to cook traditional dishes. (B)

Bokonbaevo • Bishkek

Short walk at Fairy Tale canyon then continue to Bokonbaevo village. Visit a local handicraft centre before driving to Bishkek and staying overnight at Plaza Hotel. Optional cooking demonstration of boorsok (Kyrgyz bread) with a local family (additional cost). (B)

Fly home

Transfer to Bishkek airport and fly home. (B)

Meal basis: As per itinerary – B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner, N: No meals.