Uzbekistan, Tashkent

Radiant Cities of Uzbekistan

You will receive a warm welcome at Tashkent Airport, after which you will be transferred to your hotel.

A tour of the capital, which lies at the historic crossroads of the Silk Road and the Golden Ponytail Road, marks the beginning of the trip.

Places of interest include: The Museum of Applied Arts, housed in the former residence of Prince Polovtsev; the vibrant Chorsu Bazaar; and the unique metro system of Central Asia.

You will then have a free evening before an overnight stay at the hotel.

Take the train to Samarkand, the 'Pearl of the Orient' and a mythical city with a history stretching back more than 4,000 years.

Once the capital of Tamerlane's empire in the 14th century, it remains one of the jewels of the Silk Road.

Key visits include: Registan Square and its stunning madrasas; the Bibi Khanum Mosque; the Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis; the Gur-Emir Mausoleum (Tamerlane's tomb); and the Ulugh Beg Observatory.

In the evening: A sound and light show on Registan Square.

Dinner is not included. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Today, we will take a trip to the birthplace of Tamerlane. We will drive to Shakhrisabz, also known as 'the green city', where Tamerlane was born and which was a major cultural centre in the 14th and 15th centuries.

Visits include: The Ak Saray Palace ruins, the Kok Guymbaz Mosque with its blue dome, and the Gumbazi Seidan Mausoleum.

We will return to Samarkand at the end of the day. You will then have a free evening and an overnight stay at the hotel.

Enjoy a cross-border excursion to Pendjikent, the birthplace of the Persian poet Rudaki.

Visits include: The Rudaki Museum, the ruins of the Sogdian city (5th–8th centuries) and the Sarazm site, which is listed by UNESCO and has a history spanning 5,500 years.

A traditional lunch is included.

Return to Samarkand in the late afternoon. Enjoy an evening at leisure and an overnight stay at the hotel.

Train to the holy city. Transfer by train to Bukhara.

Check in to your hotel, then head to Labi Khouz Square for your first visit.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

Immerse yourself in an ocean of turquoise domes.

Spend a full day in one of the oldest cities in Central Asia, which was a religious and intellectual centre under the Samanids in the 10th century.

Key visits include: Ark Citadel, the Ismail Samani Mausoleum, the Kalian Mosque with its imposing minaret, the Ulug Beg Madrasah, the Tok Sarrafon and Tok Telpakfurushon old markets, the Chor Minor Madrasah and the Liabi Khaouz Complex.

In the evening: A folk show at the Nodir Divan Begiun Madrasah.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

A day dedicated to exploring the surroundings of Bukhara.

Visits include: The Bahouvuddin Naqshbandi pilgrimage site, the summer residence of the last emirs and the Usto Davron craft centre.

The afternoon is free to stroll around the city.

In the evening, enjoy a classical music concert at the Madrakhim madrasah.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

Crossing the Red Desert of the Kyzyl Kum: A long day's drive through arid steppe and former kolkhozes. Spectacular views of the blue ribbon of the Amu Darya winding through the desert.

Arrive in Khiva in the late afternoon. Take a first stroll through the narrow streets of this preserved museum city.

Enjoy an evening at leisure before an overnight stay at the hotel.

The museum city with pink clay ramparts: Spend a full day in the most isolated oasis on the Silk Road, which has remained intact. It was the home of Al-Khawarizmi (the father of logarithms) and is close to Avicenna.

Visits: The Kalta Minor Minaret with its blue ceramics, the Djuma Mosque with its 218 wooden columns, the Tach Khaouli Palace with its harem and the Kounia Ark ramparts.

Enjoy an evening at leisure. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Morning transfer to Tashkent Airport (TAS) and return flight.