The path from your desires to reality
OUZBEKISTAN
Discover Uzbekistan with your family Program 12 days / 10 nights
The trip to Uzbekistan is a great adventure not only for adults, but also for children
Here is a formula proposed by our partner that everyone will love!
Discovery of historical sites at an adapted pace Meetings with the locals in full conviviality, varied activities bringing together the whole family and responding to everyone's sensitivities, moments of relaxation by the lakes, a light horseback ride in the mountains and of course a professional guide who takes care of everyone!
STRONG POINTS :
• Tashkent: discovery of the splendid metro, the first in Central Asia through its most beautiful stations, each decorated with ceramics, mosaics and glass.
• Khiva: Step onto the Okcheikbobo terrace in Khiva at sunset and swoon in awe.
• Bukhara: dinner on the terrace to enjoy a panoramic view of the old town.
• Village of Asraf: back to basics in the small village of Asraf far from the noisy cities without Internet/Wi-Fi connection and in the most serene nature.
• Samarkand: visit to the oldest tissue paper factory, made from the bark of the mulberry tree and located in the heart of the Silk Road.
•Participate to master craftsman classesrecognized etprofessional for the whole family, allowing you to better understand the craft traditions of Uzbekistan!
Day 1.
Paris - Tashkent (flight) Flight to Tashkent on regular Uzbekistan Airways flights.
Dinner + night on board.
Day 2
Tashkent Color of the day:
Arrival at Tashkent airport, welcome by the French-speaking guide, transfer and drop-off of luggage at the hotel.
Breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Provision of rooms to refresh and rest.
Free discovery of the capital of Uzbekistan with its large avenues and green spaces. Opportunity to walk freely and take the pulse of this megalopolis which has kept an exotic atmosphere with its open-air markets and parks.
Lunch break.
First discovery of the Uzbek capital with Khast-i-Imam Square, the religious center of Tashkent:
• the Barak Khan madrasa and mausoleum.
• the mausoleum of al-Kaffal Shashi.
• the Friday mosque and the Moyie Mubarek madrasa which houses its ancient Quran of Ousman.
• the Tchorsou bazaar, the largest market in Uzbekistan. Dinner in town. Accommodation at the hotel.
Dinner in town. Hotel accommodation
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Do not miss: Discovery of the splendid metro of Tashkent, the first metro in Central Asia through its most beautiful stations, each decorated with ceramics, mosaics and glass.
Day 3.
Tashkent–Urgench–Khiva (flight) Color of the day:
Travel between time behind the walls of the fortress: tranquility and peace, sunset and romance!
Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to Tashkent airport: 07:25 flight to Urgench - Arrival at 08:55 in Urgench and transfer to hotel in Khiva to drop off luggage.
Transfer to the hotel in Khiva to drop off the luggage. The rooms are available from 2 p.m.
Discover the inner city of Khiva, or Itchan-Kala.
included :
• the Moukhammad Amin Khan medersa.
• the Kalta minaret.
• the Koukhna Ark fortress which includes the Juma mosque, the Throne Room and the Chancellery.
• Medersa Mohammed Rakhim - the poet khan, known under the pseudonym of Ferouz.
Lunch break.
Afternoon, continue sightseeing of Khiva:
• the discovery of Tach Khaouli, or the “Palace of Stone” and its Harem.
• Allakouli Khan medersa and caravanserai.
• the Friday mosque with its 218 carved wooden columns.
• the Islam Khodja medersa and its tallest minaret in the city.
• the Pakhlavon Makhmoud mausoleum.
• the Sayid Alaouddin mausoleum.
Authentic visit: At the end of the day, excursion to a wood carving workshop to discover famous traditional items: furniture, columns, book racks, canes, etc.
Return to hotel, time for rest.
Dinner in town.
Accommodation at the hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Don't Miss: Try Khiva's specialty – shivitoshi, spaghetti with greens sauce.
Day 4
Khiva - Bukhara (450 km ~ 8-9h drive) Color of the day:
The Great Desert Caravan Route Breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
Early in the morning en route direction Bukhara passing the red sands of the Kizil-Koum desert.
On the road stop near the rice field to discover the agriculture of the Khorezmians.
Continuation of the road crossing the arid steppe with its herds of Astrakhan sheep, then discovery of the Amu-Daria river, a real blue snake in the desert...
Stop near the Amudarya River.
Break lunch.
Afternoon continuation of road towards Bukhara, arrival at the end of the afternoon, transfer and lodging with the hotel.
Dinner in town.
In the evening, free stroll in the old city of Bukhara. Accommodation at the hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Not to be missed: watching the sunrise over the ancient citadel Itchan-Kala, on the wall of the fortress fortified by half-towers in the two-storey terrace - aivan, known as "Akshah Bobo "
Day 5
Bukhara Color of the day:
The city of masterpiece of Muslim architecture! Discover the old town of Bukhara, the most secret of caravan cities with its narrow streets and monuments that conquer the hearts of visitors.
Full day dedicated to the visit of the old city of Bukhara:
• the Po-i-Kalyan complex, the domes of moneychangers and hatters, the domes of jewelers
• the Magok-i-Attari mosque, one of the oldest in the city on the site of an ancient Zoroastrian temple.
Lunch break:
Afternoon continuation of visits:
• the whole of Liabi-Khaouz
• the citadel of Ark, fortress of the sovereigns
• the Bolo-Khaouz mosque with its twenty pillars
• the mausoleum of Ismail Samani, one of the oldest monuments in the city and nearby,
• the Chachma Ayyub mausoleum. Return to the hotel.
Dinner in town. Accommodation at the hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Good idea 1: Visit Poi-Kalyan square in the evening to admire the view from the high minaret between the madrasa and the mosque.
Good idea 2: Possibility to rent bicycles on the place of Lyabi Khaouz.
Day 6
You can continue visiting monuments outside Bukhara:
• the Tchor Minor medersa, or “four minarets”, hidden in the alleys of the old quarters of the city.
• the Bahaouddin Nakchbandi necropolis, the city's holiest site.
• the summer residence of the emirs of Bukhara, Sitora-i-Mokhi Khossa, which was the secondary residence of the last emirs of Bukhara.
• the house-museum of Faïzoulla Khodjaev, a wealthy merchant who offered a rich collection of traditional Bukhariot clothes, directly to the city of Bukhara.
Break lunch:
Authentic activity: during the visit to the workshop-museum of a famous puppet maker Iskandar KHAKIMOV, the whole family will not only have the opportunity to see how the papier-mâché puppets are made, but also to take part in the processes and even make a small staging with characters from Uzbek tales.
Afternoon: free time for your discovery of the city.
Proposed visit to Chavkat BOLTAEV, the professional photographer, exhibiting his works ingallery in the heart of the city, or the Bukhariot miniaturist Davron TOCHEV: exhibition of puppet dolls, miniatures, watercolors, etc.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Do not miss: Walk in the Jewish quarter with the discovery of old houses, sometimes abandoned, sometimes transformed into restaurants + visit of the synagogue where you will meet rare representatives of this ethnic group.
Day 7.
Bukhara – Guizhdouvan – Lake Aydarkoul – Village of Asraf (300 km ~ 5h drive)
Color of the day:Immerse yourself in the hospitality of the Uzbek family. Departure towards the village of Asraf, on the way stop at Guijdouvan to visit the workshop of the master ceramist Abdullo NURULLAEV.
Excursion to the Ceramics Museum and the pottery workshop, then discovery of the traditional embroidery in silk thread practiced by the women of the family.
• Authentic activity: “The pottery and ceramics courseto enrich your pottery knowledge. You pass a course supervised by the master of ceramics and follow all the working procedures using the threads of Abdullo Narzullaev.
Traditional lunch in a guest house of the NURULLAYEV family.
Continuation of the route for the village of Asraf via Lake Aydarkoul. On arrival, walk around the lake, possible encounters with fishermen and swimming (depending on the weather).
Arrival in the village of Asraf, welcome by the Uzbek family and installation with the locals.
Dinner and night in the guest house.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8.
Village of Asraf in the morning, light hike (2-3 hours) in the state reserve located in the Nouratin Mountains.
Along the way you will see five small villages in the region.
In the reserve you will explore the flora and fauna of the region, part of which is threatened with extinction because of theWarming climatique.
Return to Asraf. Lunch at the inhabitant with the family of Mr. Rakhmadjon.
In the afternoon you can take a small tour of the village and visit the Uzbek family to see their traditional way of life and discover the culture of the Uzbek family.
• Authentic activity: You will then learn how to prepare Uzbek breads and the evening dish.
• Dinner and night in the guest house.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Good idea: Compose a small Franco-Uzbek vocabulary before leaving. Google Translator will help you with this. The locals will be pleasantly surprised if you say a few Uzbek words to them.
Day 9.
Village of Asraf – Samarkand Color of the day:
The contrast of the grandeur and richness of the colors of the monuments.
Departure at 8am in the morning towards Samarkand.
Arrival 12H00 to Samarkand and transfer to hotel to drop off luggage.
Lunch break.
Full day devoted to exploring the city: • the famous Place Réghistan, the unique set of three medersas: Tilia-Kari, Shirdor, Oulough Beg.
• visit with Gur Emir mausoleum. Dinner time. Accommodation at the hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Don't miss: Experience Samarkand 'by-night' when all the monuments are illuminated. The locals go there as a couple, with their children or their friends to have fun in a magical atmosphere.
Day 10.
Samarkand. Continuation of the discoveries of Samarkand:
•the Shakh-i-Zinda necropolis, a real pearl of the architecture of Samarkand,
• the Afrosiab museum,
• the Ouloug Beg observatory, the first observatory in the Orient.
Lunch break.
Afternoon continuation of visits with:
• the silk rug manufacturing workshop allowing you to observe all the stages of rug manufacturing: from uncocking and dyeing of silk threads (always from raw materials plant origin) to hand weaving.
• the tissue paper manufacturing workshop where you will have the opportunity to take part in an introduction to the production of mulberry paper or “marble paper”
. Dinner time. Accommodation at the hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Good idea: Try sending a letter to your friends written on tissue paper to share the story of the making after your return.
Day 11.
Samarkand – Tashkent (train journey) Continuation of the discoveries of Samarkand with:
• the Bibi Khanoum mosque, the largest mosque in Central Asia
• the picturesque Siab bazaar: noises, colors and smells.
Lunch break:
Afternoon: free time for personal visits. Transfer to the station and departure by train to Tashkent.
Arrival in Tashkent.
Dinner time. Accommodation at the hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12.
Tashkent – Paris (flight).
Transfer to Tashkent airport (2 hours in advance), flight to Paris on Uzbekistan Airways flight.
Meals included: Breakfast