Detailed itinerary

Day 1
You arrive in Tashkent, we meet you at the airport and take to one of local comfortable hotels. Then, you have a full day tour of Tashkent, a city with two thousand years of history. You visit the old part of Tashkent and its medieval Kafal Shashi Mausoleum and Barak-khan Madrassah. You take a quick overlook of the modern city's most spectacular buildings, the complex of Oliy Majlis, People's Friendship Palace etc. Then you attend the Museum of Applied Arts. Lunch can be organized in a private house with genuine Uzbek cuisine and traditional atmosphere. Right after lunch you will attend the Uzbek Art Gallery and Abul Kosim Madrassah where professional Uzbek artisans display their handicrafts and refined paintings. In the Madrassah, you enjoy a show demonstrating some of Uzbek traditions. In the evening you will be invited to the Opera and Ballet Theatre to watch Swans Lake or other ballet performance. Accommodation in Tashkent.

Day 2
Drive to Nurata region, to one of the rural guesthouses. You will stay in a clay house, with its hosts, doing together the daily activities such as cooking meals, making carpets or fabrics in a traditional manner. Dinner is organized outside, and you can enjoy beautiful sunsets, views of the Nurata Range, lush mountain valleys and fresh air.

Day 3
On this day, you move along the Nurata Range to the west, to reach a steppe ranch, where traditional Yurts are located. The host will do the Yurt for your arrival, and you will lead a life of a Nomad for at least one day. Nearby is the Aydar Kul Lake, where you can fish, boat and swim. The dinner is organized in the open, meals are cooked on a campfire, and you enjoy peaceful setting of the desert and listen to the Kazakh songs of a traditional singer 'akyn'.

Day 4
Drive to Samarkand (289 km, 4 hours). PM you have an excursion in the Museum of History possessing a huge collection of exhibits and a fine art gallery. Accommodation in Samarkand.

Day 5
The whole day is devoted to Samarkand's attractions. You visit the Observatory of Ulugbek, Afrosiab Museum, Bibi Khanum mosque, Shahi Zindah and city bazaar. After lunch you continue with the three famous Madrassah at Registan Square. Workshops in the Madrassah offer a variety of locally made handicrafts, of which musical instruments and carpets are made with exquisite taste. The artisans will tell you about Uzbek musical instruments and play charming old melodies. Then you visit Guri Amir, the mausoleum of Tamerlane, and a nice gallery of modern Uzbek paintings. One of the day's highlights is the beautiful evening show in the Sher Dor Madrassah, when its ancient walls get red at sunset rays and pigeons watch the performance. Overnight in Samarkand.

Day 6
Drive (270 km, 4 hours) to Bukhara, a shining star of the Orient. About 50 km before reaching Bukhara, you visit the famous center of traditional ceramics in Gijduvan, where prominent people like Prince of Wales, Charles, Mrs. Hillary Clinton and other celebrities used to come and buy Uzbek ceramics. Upon arrival in Bukhara you have free time. In the evening, you will be a guest in the Nadir Divan Begi Madrassah, where nice music and local dances are combined with a European-style fashion show, performed by the top Bukhara models, and a delicious dinner. Accommodation in Bukhara.

Day 7
While in Bukhara, you visit the old city, Ark fortress, Bolo Hauz mosque, Ismail Samani mausoleum, Chashma Ayub, Kalyan minaret, Trading Domes with all kinds of handicrafts, carpets and jewelry being sold there. You take pleasure of a lunch arranged in the comfortable setting of a private house in the old part of Bukhara. After lunch, you visit Maggoki Attori mosque, Lyabi Hauz square, Kukeldash Madrassah, Nadir Divan Begi Madrassah, and the Indian style Chor Minor of 19th century. Flight to Tashkent and flight home.

Note: Air fares Bukhara - Tashkent (about US$60) is not included.