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Day 1
Tashkent
Meeting and assistance on arrival Transfer to hotel. Check in. Morning rest at leisure 12:00 - Lunch at local café in the old town where you will have an opportunity to observe and take part in a master class of an Uzbek national dish – “Lagman” (lagman is a dish that is very common in Central Asia, and China, While the basic recipe has perhaps hundreds of local variations, this simple and filling dish always consists of noodles floating in broth or soaked in a savory sauce with vegetables and often features meat, spices, and various savory sauces as well) 13:00 - sightseeing tour to the old town: visit Tashkent's main tourist attractions: Khazrati Imam Complex including Barakhan madrassah, Tilla Shaykh mosque, Muyi Muborak madrassah, tomb of Kaffal Shashi, Namozgah mosque. EXCLUSIVE - Tea ceremony with sweeties and pastry at national house of Akbar and Alisher Rakhimov – famous family of ceramists in Uzbekistan.
You will have an opportunity to have a lecture about history of ceramics and see the unique collection of their exclusive works. It will be possible to see the master class show of ceramic production. 20:00 - Dinner at local restaurant “Sim-Sim” where you will be able to taste the dishes of our national delicious Uzbek cuisine.
Overnight at hotel
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Day 2
Tashkent
Urgench HY 1051 07:00/08:40 – Khiva 30 km
Khiva is the museum under the open sky. In the inner city Ichan Kala no transport, whole day will be just walking tour: Visit Ichan Kala, Kalta Minor, Kunya Ark, Madrassah Rakhimkhon, Mausoleum of Pakhlavan Makhmud. Enjoy view of whole ancient Khiva, Friday mosque and Tashauli Palace/harem. 13:00 - Lunch at national house of Zaynab.
Zaynab and her family will arrange for you master class of a national uzbek dish “manti”. This isn’t a dish you make every day or even every weekend. This is a dish for special occasions. Manti dumplings archetypically consist of a spiced meat mixture, usually lamb or ground beef, in a dough wrapper, either boiled or steamed. Later we will arrange silk dying demonstration at UNESCO Silk work shop handled by usto Madrahim in Ichan Kala. Here you will have an opportunity to see the master class of carpet weaving and to weave some pieces on your own.
19:00 Dinner at Art Khoresm local restaurant with glorious show performance in national style with khorezmian dancing and music.
Overnight at hotel
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Day 3
Khiva
Bukhara – 470 km
See desert flora and fauna: unique saksaul trees and other desert vegetation, different kind mammals. Stop at Amudarya river bank. Lunch boxes We will make several stops on the way. 19:00 - arrival to Bukhara transfer to Hotel. Check in.
19:30 Dinner at national house of Akbar. Akhbar House, sited in the 19th century building, is located in the old Jewish Quarter, The owner boasts a unique collection of ancient Uzbek national costumes, unrivalled in the whole neighborhood. Stepping over Akhbar House threshold, feels like entering Aladin's cave. Walls of this house comprise the elements of a unique ancient décor of the19 century.
Overnight: Hotel Atlas/ Hotel New Moon 2-3*or similar
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Day 4
Bukhara
A place where the very soul of Central Asia lies mirrored in a piala of steaming green tea. Visit Madrassah Nadirkhon Devanbegi, Khanaga, Mogaki Attari mosque, Poi Kalon minaret and mosque. Later see Madrassahs Aziz Khan and Ulugbek. 13:00 - Lunch at local restaurant Afternoon after lunch visit Ark Fortress, Balakhauz mosque, mausoleum of Ismail Samanid, Chashma Ayub. We will walk through the surviving Jewish part of the old city, then stroll around the ancient domes (they are the Taki-Zargaron (jewelers’ dome), the Taki-Tilpak-Furushan (headwear merchants’ dome), the Taki-Sarrafan (shroffs’ (money-changers) dome) which have interesting shops featuring new and old pieces of art, from hand-made shoes to local-style ceramics, unique silverware and traditional metallic embroidery still being done in small madrasas. 20:00 Dinner at national house of Rakhmon. Here you will see a unique collection of ancient Susanne, master class will be held by Susanne masters.
Today you will also take part in a cooking of a delicious national dish – “domlama”. Pieces of fat slightly salted mutton are put into cauldron, and are topped with layers of halves of quince, sliced pumpkin, the whole peeled potato, small head of cabbage cut into several sections, the whole carrot, paprika, dill, basil and parsley. All this is covered with slices of fat mutton and then is stewed in its own juice. Unusual aroma and gentle consistence of vegetables in combination with meat will leave nobody indifferent.
Overnight: Hotel Atlas/ Hotel New Moon 2-3*or similar
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Day 05
Bukhara
Samarkand - 270 km
09:00 - visit the Sitora-i-Mokhikhosa, the summer residence of the former emir of Bukhara where you can see unique mixture of traditional Russian style of architecture harmoniously mixed with local oriental traditions. Famous thrown white hall decorated with carved alabaster resembles halls in Petergof Palace in the suburb of St Petersburg. It has a selective Suzani collection, as well as other artifacts. We will continue with Craft/textile viewing at Tim Abdullahan Madrassah, where you will have an opportunity to view the process of silk weaving.
13:00 Lunch at Tim Abdullahan Madrassah. After lunch we are heading for Samarkand. On arrival transfer to hotel. 19:00 Dinner in the national house of Sallakhiddin, (the house is more then 140 years old) Here you will be able to see the unique traditional folk performance with famous “shash-makom” singers.
Overnight at hotel
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Day 06
Samarkand
09:00 – we start our sightseeing tour in Samarkand: Visit Registan Square which was for many centuries the heart of Samarkand. See the three beautiful madrassahs: the Ulug-Bek Madrasah built in the fifteenth century; the Tillya-Kori Madrasah built in the seventeenth century; the Sher-Dor Madrasah, also built in the seventeenth century.
See the grandest structure of Amir Temur’s times the chief Friday Mosque called Bibi-Khanum, and Silk Road bazaar 13:00 - Lunch at a local restaurant “Registan”, where you will enjoy a unique oriental atmosphere. Afternoon visit Gur Emir - mausoleum of Great Tamerlane and Shahi Zinda necropolis. Later visit the oriental textile workshop "Aiesha” of Valentine Romanenko. Here you will see a short fashion parade of traditional national costumes. You will see original, hand fashioned, Silk Road creations from storied Samarkand. 19:30 - Dinner at a nice and cozy local restaurant “Old city”
Overnight at hotel
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Day 07
Samarkand
Tashkent (Afrosiyob train 17.00 - 19.30)
You will have a visit with an opportunity to learn about the processes involved in the age-old carpet weaving tradition in the carpet factory “Hurdjum” Later visit the paper-making workshop located in the Konigil village near Samarkand. For a long time Samarkand is famous as a center of a high-quality paper manufacture. In the workshop of a talented master you will see, how the rind of the mulberry tree turns into the paper. 13:00 - Lunch at a national Samarkand house Here we will arrange specially for you an exclusive master class of a famous Uzbek dish – “pilof”.
It is the main national Uzbek dish. Usually pilaf for celebrations is cooked with mutton and rice, adding large quantities of carrots and onion and also spices. Each ingredient of the pilaf has its own symbolic assignment, and celebration pilaf has the ritual meaning associated with ancient traditions. The pilaf is cooked according to ancient recipes and has many variations. For the wedding ceremony that plays a great role in the Uzbek national traditions, a special wedding pilaf is prepared. Each area has their own secrets of preparing that dish which create its unique taste and fragrance.
Usually pilaf is served on a big flat dish. According to tradition, pilaf is eaten with the hands from a common dish; however, today more and more often, especially in towns, one can see that pilaf is eaten with spoons and sometimes with forks. As a rule, pilaf is served with national flat bread. 16:15 – transfer to the railway station to take train to Tashkent. On arrival transfer to hotel. 20:00 Dinner at a nice local restaurant.
Overnight at hotel
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Day 08
Tashkent
Kokand - Fergana – 398km
You will have opportunity to carve yourself some ready made designs on the walnut pieces of wood. 13:00 - Lunch at local café en route in Kokand. 14:00 - excursion to the major sights in Kokand: Khudayar Khan Palace, Jommi Mosque, Narbutabey and Dasturkhanchi Madrassah, Royal Cemetery and Khaidarov Workshop (museum of Kokand woodcraft). On arrival to Fergana transfer to hotel. Check in. 19:30 - Dinner at a nice local restaurant in Fergana.
Overnight at hotel
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Day 09
Fergana valley
Rishtan is known today as a city of the foremen, one of the largest in Central Asia centers of manufacture of unique glazed ceramic. Rishtan artisans have become famous all over the world for their ceramics production technology. Their distinctive blue and green work shines in the sun, and every third family in Rishtan produces pottery. All works are unique. You will visit the creative workshop of Rustam Usmanov, a famous master of blue ceramics in Rishtan Town.
The mastery of his beautiful paintings and the richness of their pattern themes give a unique, hard-to-reproduce character to each of his works. They are some of the best pieces of Uzbekistan's decorative art. Here you will have an opportunity to see the master class of ceramic production and to create some pieces on your own. 13:00 - Lunch at Rustam Usmanov’s house. 14:00 – transfer to Margilan (located 12 km from Fergana) to see whole process of hand made silk production at famous Yodgorlik factory. Locating in south-east of Fergana Valley, Margilan is considered to be one of the ancient cities in Uzbekistan and Central Asia, as well as a big centre of international trade.
The caravan routes connected Europe with the East Asia via Margilan. From time immemorial, population of Margilan was busy with manufacturing beautiful silk fabrics making thus Margilan city well-known all over the world. Return to Fergana. 19:00 - Dinner at nice local restaurant in Fergana.
Overnight at hotel
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Day 10
Fergana
Tashkent HY1402 09:50 – 11:05
Early morning transfer to the airport for flight to Tashkent. 11:30 - transfer to hotel. Short rest at hotel. 12:00 - lunch at nice local restaurant 13:00 – visit the Museum of Applied Arts, in the Russian Turkestan governor’s old mansion: over 7,000 pieces of traditional folk art: ceramic, glass and porcelain, handmade and machine embroidery, national fabrics and costumes, carpets, varnished miniatures, jewellery starting from the first half of 19th century;
Later excursion to Mustakillik (Independence) Square in the heart of Tashkent and famous Tashkent Metro (underground) decorated with local marble and granite like an underground palaces, visit Amir Temur squire. 20:00 - Farewell dinner at nice cozy restaurant with the glass of local wine.
Overnight at hotel
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Day 11
Tashkent
Departure
Morning transfer to the airport for departure flight