Nomadic Experiences, Hidden Lakes, and Central Asian Cities: 7 Days in Uzbekistan & Tajikistan

Nomadic Experiences, Hidden Lakes, and Central Asian Cities: 7 Days in Uzbekistan & Tajikistan

7 days

$1,500~ /per person (based on double occupancy)

• Price
  What's Included

  • Hotel accommodation (with breakfast included)
  • Domestic train tickets
  • Private car
  • Japanese through guide
  • Entrance fees for listed tourist spots

• 

  Price
  What's not included

  • International flight tickets
  • Meals not listed
  • Tips for drivers and guides
  • Other personal expenses such as phone calls, souvenirs, and laundry

Recommended travel points

Itinerary details

• Day 1

  

  Arrival in Tashkent

  After arriving at Tashkent Airport, proceed to the international arrivals exit.
  Your guide, holding a nameplate, will be waiting for you just outside the barrier.
  
  The same guide will accompany you throughout your Central Asian journey, from start to finish.
  
  You will be transferred to your hotel by private car, and after check-in, you are free to spend your time as you wish.
  
  
  Breakfast: - Lunch: - Dinner: -
  Accommodation: Tashkent

• Day 2

  

  Tashkent → Samarkand

  After breakfast at the hotel, you will be taken by private car to Tashkent Station.
  You will take an express train to Samarkand.
  
  You will spend the day fully enjoying the ancient 'Blue City' of Samarkand.
  Founded during the Timurid Empire, Registan Square—which means "place of sand"—was registered as a World Heritage Site in 2001. It is a must-see spot featuring three madrasahs: Ulugh Beg Madrasah, Sher-Dor Madrasah, and Tilya-Kori Mosque Madrasah.
  Other highlights include the beautifully decorated royal tomb, Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum; the massive Bibi-Khanym Mosque, named after Timur’s beloved wife and meaning "first lady" or "the most important princess"; Siyob Bazaar, Samarkand’s grand market said to boast over 2,000 years of history; the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, where mausoleums and mosques with exquisite tiles and intricate mosaics stand in a row, preserving the atmosphere of the past; and the Ulugh Beg Observatory, where, despite the loss of its main structures, precise astronomical observations were conducted with accuracy nearly matching today’s standards.
  
  
  Breakfast: Included Lunch: - Dinner: -
  Accommodation: Samarkand

• Day 3

  

  Panjikent

  Early in the morning, head to the Tajikistan border by private vehicle.
  After passport control and baggage inspection, you will tour the Seven Lakes by private vehicle in Tajikistan. Located in the mountainous area outside Penjikent, these Seven Lakes are a popular tourist attraction.
  Amidst the rocky mountains, beautiful blue and green lakes spread out, allowing you to experience the wonders of nature.
  
  After visiting the lakes, you will head to the city of Penjikent, which was once a town of the ancient Sogdiana civilization.
  Before the spread of Islam in Central Asia, people lived and prospered here in the 5th century; today, the old city remains as ruins.
  After strolling through a town that still retains the atmosphere of Central Asia, you will return to Samarkand.
  
  Note: During snowy seasons, it may not be possible to visit the Seven Lakes.
  
  Breakfast: Light / Lunch: Not included / Dinner: Not included
  Accommodation: Samarkand
  

• Day 4

  

  Nurata Nomad Experience

  After breakfast at the hotel, you will head to Nurata by private vehicle.
  
  Nurata, which is said to have existed as a city since ancient Greek times, is also known as a Muslim pilgrimage site.
  There are ancient irrigation channels, built long ago and still in use today.
  In Nurata, you will have lunch at a Suzani shop specializing in traditional Suzani embroidery.
  
  Afterwards, you will head to Lake Aydarkul, a popular spot in Uzbekistan for swimming.
  After traveling along semi-desert roads, you will stroll around the beautiful Lake Aydarkul, which appears suddenly in the landscape.
  You will then head to an accommodation facility where you can experience staying in a nomadic portable dwelling, a "yurt."
  You can spend a relaxing evening under a sky full of stars.
  
  Breakfast: Included Lunch: - Dinner: -
  Accommodation: Near Nurata　

• Day 5

  

  Nurata → Bukhara

  After breakfast, you will leave the nomadic tent and head to Bukhara (Buxoro), a city that has flourished as a political and cultural center since ancient Islamic times.
  
  On the way, you will stop by a pottery workshop in the town of Gijduvan, known for its ceramics featuring deep yellows and rich greens. The vividly colored pottery is a delight to behold.
  
  You will arrive in Bukhara in the early afternoon.
  With your guide, you will visit must-see spots in Bukhara, including the Nadir Divan-Begi with its beautiful mosaic-patterned gate; the exotic Taqi Bazaar; the Ulugh Beg Madrasah, the oldest surviving madrasah in Central Asia; the Ark Fortress, the former residence of Bukhara Khans built around the 4th century BC; the Mir-i-Arab Madrasah, renowned for its outstanding beauty since the 16th century; and the Kalyan Minaret and Kalyan Mosque, symbols of Bukhara’s old city, with the minaret standing 46.5 meters tall.
  
  Breakfast: Included Lunch: - Dinner: -
  Accommodation: Bukhara

• Day 6

  

  Bukhara to Tashkent

  After breakfast at the hotel, you will visit the sights in Bukhara that you were unable to see on the first day.
  
  You will be able to fully enjoy the exotic city of Bukhara, including its Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  
  In the afternoon, you will be transferred by private vehicle to Bukhara Station, then travel to Tashkent by express train.
  
  Upon arrival at Tashkent Station in the evening, you will be transferred to your hotel by private vehicle.
  
  
  Breakfast: Included Lunch: - Dinner: -
  Accommodation: Tashkent

• Day 7

  

  Tashkent → Return to Japan

  After breakfast at the hotel, check out.
  You will tour Tashkent by private vehicle.
  You will enjoy the capital city of Tashkent by visiting the Navoi Theater (officially the Alisher Navoi State Academic Grand Theater), known for being built by Japanese prisoners of war, touring the Plov Center where you can try 'plov,' Central Asia's version of pilaf, and riding the subway.
  
  You will depart for Japan from Tashkent Airport.
  
  Breakfast: Included Lunch: - Dinner: -
  Accommodation:

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