Combined Tour: Uzbekistan & Southern Kyrgyzstan

International flight to Manas Airport, Bishkek (Turkish Airlines or similar).

Arrival at Urgench Airport. Welcome by our French-speaking Kyrgyz guide Nuraly, his Uzbek counterpart and our driver. Departure for Khiva (30 km / 40 min), the mysterious blue-faience city hidden in the Kyzylkum (Red Sands) desert on the Amu-Darya River. Hotel check-in. Currency exchange in the city. We begin our visit of the museum-city of Khiva, once a major Central Asian slave market — exploring the inner walled city of Itchan-Kala with its 19th-century monuments: the Pakhlavan-Mahmoud and Sayid Alauddin mausoleums, Tash-Khauli Palace, Juma Mosque, the Kalta-Minor minaret. Welcome dinner in a traditional restaurant.

Departure for Ayaz-Kala, a pre-Islamic citadel from the 3rd–2nd century BCE (Kushan empire era) — the first city of the fire-worshippers, hidden in the Red Sands. Then we discover the remains of Khorezm’s first capital, Toprak-Kala («Earthen Fortress»), built in the 1st century BCE and abandoned in the 6th century. Picnic lunch in the desert. Return to Khiva for the evening — golden hour walk along the city walls.

Early departure for Bukhara: we cross the Kyzylkum desert (the world’s 16th largest, prized today for its gas and gold) and the Amu-Darya river again. Picnic lunch at a local choy-khona (tea-house). Roadside stops to admire the desert landscape. Late afternoon arrival in Bukhara, Uzbekistan’s most complete medieval Islamic city. Evening at leisure around the Lyab-i Hauz pool.

A full day exploring Bukhara, a city of mosques, madrasas and pilgrimage. Visits include: the Ismail Samani Mausoleum, masterpiece of world architecture; Chashma-Ayub spring; the Bolo-Hauz Mosque; the Ark Citadel — once residence of the Bukharan emirs; the Kalon ensemble (Kalon Minaret, Kalon Mosque and the working Mir-i-Arab Madrasa). End at the Lyab-i Hauz tea-houses for dinner.

Morning walk to the Lyab-i Hauz ensemble (Nadir Divan-Begi and Kukeldash madrasas), the Magoki-Attari mosque (Bukhara’s oldest), and Chor-Minor with its four turquoise turrets. Afternoon visits to the trade domes (Toqi-Zargaron, Toqi-Telpak-Furushon, Toqi-Sarrafon) and a master craftsman’s workshop. Optional folk show in the evening.

Morning departure for Samarkand, the great crossroads on the Silk Road which reached its peak under Tamerlane (14th c.) and his grandson Ulugh Beg. En route we visit the Karakhanid minaret and the ruins of the Rabat-i Malik caravanserai. Stop in the village of Khartang for the Imam Al-Bukhari mausoleum (subject to access). Late afternoon arrival in Samarkand.

Discovery of the city, rich in masterpieces of 16th–17th century Islamic art. Visits to: the Registan square framed by three monumental madrasas; the Gur-e-Amir mausoleum (Tamerlane’s tomb); the Bibi-Khanym mosque, once the largest in the Islamic world; the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis with its corridor of tile-clad mausoleums; the Siab Bazaar for produce, spices and bread.

Morning continuation in Samarkand: the Khazret-Khizr mosque; the Afrasiab archaeological site and museum (7th-century frescoes); a paper-making workshop using the 4th-century method; the remains of Ulugh Beg’s 15th-century observatory; the Khoja Doniyor (St Daniel) shrine, sacred to all three Abrahamic religions. Afternoon transfer to the station for the high-speed train to Tashkent (2h). Hotel check-in.

Discovery of Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, rebuilt after several earthquakes — today a major cultural and scientific centre. Walk in the old town, visit to the Khast-Imam square — spiritual heart of Central Asian Islam, with its 18th-century library housing the world’s oldest Quran (the Uthman Quran, 7th c.). Continue to the Chorsu Bazaar, Kukeldash madrasa, and the Soviet-modernist metro stations.

Flight from Tashkent to Fergana (≈1h) and visit to the city: Mustakillik pedestrian street, Al-Fergani park and the former Skobelev tsarist residence. Continue to Margilan (15 km / 30 min), famous for its colourful market and silk production — visit to the Yodgorlik silk factory to see the full traditional silk-making process. Afternoon in Rishtan, ceramic capital of Uzbekistan, for a master class with a local potter. Return to Fergana for the night.

This morning we leave Osh on the highway connecting the south of the country with the Tian Shan ranges of the north-east. Stop in Uzgen to visit its market mixing Kyrgyz and Uzbek traders — and the 11th-century Uzgen minaret. Then we drive to Lake Toktogul. The route, cutting across deep mountain valleys, is one of the most scenic in Kyrgyzstan. Late afternoon arrival on the lake shore.

Drive towards the Suusamyr valley, crossing the Ala-Bel Pass (3,184 m). After Uzbekistan’s architectural treasures, we are greeted by the herds and majestic peaks of the Tian Shan rising over 7,000 m. Two-hour walk in the Suusamyr Valley with beautiful mountain views. Evening homestay with a local family.

Quiet morning in the Suusamyr Valley — the light is beautiful here. Late-morning departure for an afternoon arrival in Bishkek. Brief visit to the main sights of the Kyrgyz capital at 800 m altitude.

Morning departure with luggage. Visit to the Osh Bazaar in Bishkek for last-minute shopping of Kyrgyz specialties. We then head to Ala-Archa (45 km / 1h), dropping our bags at Nuraly’s house on the way. Around 4-hour hike with picnic lunch in this mountain valley, gaining altitude to about 2,200 m. Return to Nuraly’s home for a final farewell evening.

Transfer to Manas Airport, Bishkek. International return flight (Turkish Airlines or similar).

• The itinerary may be modified due to weather conditions or unforeseen events.
• Altitudes given are approximate.