Through the length and breadth of Uzbekistan

Late evening arrive in Tashkent. Transfer to hotel. Check in.

We begin in this capital city, where you are first introduced to the charming culture of Uzbekistan. City sightseeing in Tashkent will include a visit to the Museum of Applied Arts and the State Art Museum to see embroideries and other fine crafts, visit Abdul Khasim Medrassah with its hujra cells used as metalwork craft workshops to produce jewellery and other goods.

After lunch we'll visit the exciting Chor-Su market to see cradles, hand-made musical instruments, and fruit and vegetable market.

After breakfast we fly to Nukus, the capital city of Karakalpakstan (autonomous republic within Uzbekistan). After checking into our hotel we have lunch at a local restaurant followed by a visit to the Museum named after its founder Igor Savitskiy which has the richest collection of Russian Avant-garde paintings and also a part of it introduces us to the history and ethnography of Karakalpak people.

In the evening a short walk through the center of Nukus will take us to a restaurant where we have dinner.

Overnight in Nukus.

After breakfast we pack our lunchboxes and depart by road to the former pride of Karakalpakstan, a port town and center of canning industry – Muynak (200 km). A visit to the local museum and former seashore with the ships' graveyard will detail the history of this town and Aral Sea disaster.

After picnic lunch we return to Nukus visiting Mizdakhan complex on the way. Mizdakhan necropolis, ancient cemetery, located next to the remains of the Gyaur-Kala fortress, is one of the oldest and most visited pilgrimage sites of Karakalpakstan.

Overnight in Nukus.

After breakfast we'll leave Nukus to visit Chilpyk, Toprak-Kala and Kizil-Kala on our way to Khiva, the great oasis on the old caravan route.

Lunch at the hotel upon arrival.

The rest of the day we'll do some walking sightseeing of old Khiva.

Traditional dinner and overnight in Khiva.

After breakfast we'll continue sightseeing of Khiva, the most intact and remote city of Central Asia. Experience the richness of this museum city that houses the most homogenous collection of architecture in the Islamic world.

After breakfast we'll continue our drive east through Kizil Kum desert (Red Sands) to holy Bukhara making stops for taking photos of the great Oxus (Amudarya river) and the sand dunes in the desert.

Lunch at one of few roadside cafes (lunchboxes). Continue afternoon drive on to Bukhara and arrive in Bukhara early evening.

Dinner and folk program in an old Medrassah.

After breakfast we'll start full day walking tour of Bukhara to include a visit to the 2000 year-old Fortress Ark where Emirs once lived. Visit Poi-Kalon, or "Pedestal of the Great", the heart and focal point of all Bukhara then continue to the Ismail Samani Mausoleum, dating from the early 10th century and to Chashma Ayub - the Spring of Job, where according to the old Testament, Job caused water to gush from the desert.

After lunch in a local teahouse or restaurant, continue sightseeing to Magoki - Attori mosque, dating from the 12th century, Medrasahs of Ulug Bek and Abdul-Asis Khan. You will also see Lyabi-Khaus otherwise known as The Shore of the Pool, an architectural complex consisting of the 16th century medrassah and a mosque and the nearby dome covered markets.

After breakfast you're invited to visit the most important sites situated outside of Bukhara. We'll start with a pilgrimage to the Memorial Complex of Khoja Bakhouddin Naqshbandi which is one of the most important Sufi shrines (8 km east of the city).

After the tour of the complex we'll drive to the Sitorai Mohi Hosa (5 km north of the city), the former summer residence of the last ruler, it has beautiful stucco plaster interior decorations, huge banquet halls, and a large collection of costumes, silver and Ming china. You will see Bukharan textiles' exhibition situated in the building of the former Harem of the last emir.

Then we continue south-west of the city towards the Turkmen border to pay a visit to Chor-Bakr necropolis and architectural complex of the 16th century followed by lunch at a restaurant in a nearby village. We return to Bukhara where you have some free time to explore old Bukhara.

Today we continue to trace Great Silk Route as we depart to Samarkand. The Royal Road will take us to this legendary city in 5 hours. Stop on the way at Caravanserai Rabat-i-Malik dating back to 11th century.

Arrive in Samarkand in time for lunch, which we have at Konigil village in the outskirts of Samarkand. Lunch is served by a family who set up a watermill here for the Paper Making Workshop. After lunch we'll have a tour of this place and explore traditional way of making famous Samarkand paper from mulberry.

In the afternoon we check into hotel.

Overnight in Samarkand.

This morning, visit the great central square of Samarkand, the Reghistan. Continue to Gur-Emir, where Tamerlane is buried, to Bibi-Khanum Mosque and also visit the nearby Siob market.

After lunch visit Shaki -Zinda ensemble of the Mausoleums. This unusual necropolis has monuments of the 14th and 15th centuries, reflecting the development of the monumental art and architecture of the Timurid dynasty.

Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight in Samarkand.

After breakfast we'll drive on to Tashkent.

Upon arrival in Tashkent we'll visit the private studio with museum & workshop of Akbar Rakhimov, a local potter and one of the finest ceramic artists in the country.

Departure home.