The Silk Road of Uzbekistan

Arrive in Tashkent, the fusion city of Uzbekistan. For those arriving on time today our Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 1pm for the welcome meeting and to take us on the afternoon sightseeing tour. We head out to explore Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, which has been on this site for over 2000 years. Our sightseeing tour includes various points of interest around the city, like the Independence Square, Old City and the Earthquake Monument. We also take a ride for 2-3 stops on the Tashkent Metro, which boasts some ornately decorated stations. The tour ends in Timur Square, just opposite from our hotel. If you would like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport (TAS), which is 20 minutes' from the hotel. For those arriving on flights in the early hours of this morning, we'll arrange for your hotel room to be available immediately upon your arrival. For anyone wishing to arrive before today and recharge before the tours starts, please contact us to book additional nights accommodation. Please note that if you wish to join the afternoon sightseeing tour today, you must arrive at the hotel by 1pm. If you are booking your own flights, we recommend giving yourself at least 75 minutes' to clear the airport. From the airport to the hotel is around 20 minutes' drive, so therefore the latest your flight can arrive is 10.30am. Stay: Hotel Panarams by Radisson Individuals (Comfortable)

We rise early this morning for our flight to Urgench. A further 40-minute bus journey will take us to the remarkable ancient city of Khiva, which will be our base for the next two nights.

The early history of this area is sketchy. We do know that, by the time the Arabs arrived in the 8th century, Khiva was one of three important cities which dominated the region. The city's strategic location on the Volga branch of the Silk Route made it a much sought-after imperial asset, with the British and Russians vying for sovereignty throughout the 19th century as part of the 'Great Game'. In 1873, it fell to the Russians as both Samarkand and Bokhara had already done. A 1970s Soviet conservation programme restored much of the city, turning it into what is effectively an open air museum.

On this afternoon's walking tour, we may well feel like we are stepping into a scene from the film 'Arabian Nights' as we explore the majestic Old Citadel. This 12th century fortress dominated the city before a palace, harem, barracks and mosques were constructed. Stay: Hotel Musa Tura (Comfortable) (B)

Today has been left free to explore the mosques, tombs, palaces, madrassahs, mausoleumns, craft workshops, city walls and museums of this well-preserved city, which has hardly changed since ancient times. This evening, you may choose to explore a bit more of the city after dark, when magical moonlit silhouettes make it even more spectacular. There is also the option to take a half day trip to the desert castles of Toprak Qala and Ayaz Qala, part of UNESCO's Golden Ring of Ancient Khorezm, located in the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan Stay: Hotel Musa Tura (Comfortable) (B)

Today's drive to the fabled city of Bokhara will take up the day, but is broken up with stops as we cross the Oxus (Amu-Darya) River and travel through the expansive plains of the Kizilkum Desert. . As home to the famous Islamic poets, Firdausa and Rudaki, Bokhara is considered by some to be the 'Bastion of Islam'. The town retains much of its Uzbek character and has more than 140 unique monuments. We will take a short stroll to picturesque Lyabi Khauz, a water-filled stone pool flanked by chaikhanas (tea houses), cafes and restaurants, popular with newlyweds taking wedding photographs. Stay: Royal Bukhara Hotel (Comfortable) (B)

Today's day of sightseeing starts off by bus before we continue on foot. Highlights include the Bolo Khauz mosque, the Samanid mausoleum (a place of pilgrimage where the founder of the Samanid dynasty is buried)the 9th century Magoki Attar mosque and the Poi Kalyan complex (a simple square frsamed by some spectacular buildings - the Mir-i-Arab Madrassah, the Kalyon Juma mosque and the majestice 11th century Kalyon ~Minar, one of the few buildings in the city to pre-date Genghis Khan's invasion), from where we will see the Kalyan minaret. We also visit the Ark - a massive citadel which was used as a fortress from the 5th century until its fall to the Russians in 1920. Today it houses several small museums connected with Bokhara's history. Bokhara was the site of the imprisonment for two British soldiers during 'The Great Game' - an epic battle fought between Victorian Britain and Tsarist Russia across the vastness of Central Asia.

This afternoon we plan to visit the summer palace of the Emirs of Bokhara, which is known as the 'Palace of Moon-like Stars'. Here, we will see the famous White Hall, which took 30 architects two years to construct. Finally, we will take in the Char Minar Mosque - the impressive entrance to a now-demolished madrassah, and wander the backstreets of the old town maybe stopping off at a 'chaikhana', a local tea house. Stay: Royal Bukhara Hotel (Comfortable) (B)

Today has been left free for you to spend as you wish. You may wish to explore the Taqi-Sarrafon market - one of the four domed bazaars in Bokhara. Used as a money exchange during the height of the Silk Road, it is now home to plenty of souvenir shops. Stay: Royal Bukhara Hotel (Comfortable) (B)

This morning, we will drive a short distance to Gijduvan - a town celebrated for its crafts and trade since the 10th century. Here, we will visit the famous ceramic centre. Our next stop is Karmana, where we plan to visit the 10th century Mir-Said Bakhram Mausoleum. Heading off the main highway, we continue our journey north across the desert to Nurata. Famous for its sacred Chashma Spring, the town attracts visitors from across the Islamic World. According to legend, this healing spring, containing gold, silver and bromide, was formed by a meteorite hitting the ground. Whilst in Nurata, we plan to have lunch in a local house and see the remains of Alexander the Great's Karazy Fortress, affording excellent views of the desert landscape.

This afternoon, we head to our overnight base in the desert and o n the journey we may see camels wandering through the desert as well as sheep herds. Once we arrive and settle in we have the opportunity to go on a short optional camel ride, or simply relax and take in the remote surroundings. In the early evening we climb the sand dunes to watch the sunset then after dinner, sit around the campfire listening to a local Kazakh musician

Tonight's desert camp accommodation is in yurts, typical of those used by the nomadic people of Central Asia. Yurts are circular dwelling structures made from felt and insulated with sheepskins, traditionally made to be portable. Stay: Kyzyl-Kum Safari Yurt Camping (Simple) (B/L/D)

We spend this morning driving to Samarkand, through plenty of small towns and past cotton fields, giving a glimpse into rural life in Uzbekistan. Stormed by Alexander the Great and reduced to ashes by Genghis Khan, Samarkand was nevertheless transformed into the most glittering city in Transoxiana by Tamerlane, who made it his capital in the 14th century. Even today, the monumental scale of the buildings overwhelms visitors. This afternoon, we will visit Registan, a majestic square framed on three sides by huge blue tiled madrassahs. We will also visit the Gur Emir, the gold-ceilinged tomb of Tamerlane himself. Stay: Hotel Minor (Comfortable) (B)

This morning's sightseeing takes us to the Shah-i-Zinda - a beautifully-tiled necropolis of tombs, mosques and mausoleums belonging to Tamerlane's family, friends and the prophet Mohammad's cousin. We will also visit the Ulug-Beg Observatory, considered to have been one of the finest observatories in the Islamic World. It was here that Ulug-Beg, the great medieval astronomer, built his gigantic sextant which enabled him to calculate the length of a year to within just 10 seconds. We see the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, once the largest in Central Asia; it was built by Tamerlane with loot from Indian campaigns and named after his favourite Mongolian wife.

This afternoon has been left free to explore more of the city at your own pace. You may choose to visit ancient Afrosiab - the original site of the town in north east Samarkand, dating back to the late Stone Age. Stay: Hotel Minor (Comfortable) (B)

Today, there is more free time for further exploration. Later this afternoon, we transfer to the train station for our modern high speed train back to Tashkent. Arriving just after 7pm, we will have time to enjoy our last evening of the tour. Stay: Hotel Panarams by Radisson Individuals (Comfortable) (B)

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Tashkent.

There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Tashkent at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport (TAS), which is 20 minutes drive from the hotel. (B)