o The unforgettable celebration of Navruz – The Spring Feast and beginning of the New Year in Central Asia Navruz (New Day) is the most cherished public holiday, the Central Asian New Year that falls on March 21 in Uzbekistan. During this two-day festival of spring renewal, singing, dancing, the making of special dishes, wrestling by burly “Palvans” and the reciting of epic poetry by wandering “Bakshi” minstrels are highlights. While Islam has had a strong influence on The Uzbek people so do a number of older religious traditions including Zoroastrianism. Navruz has its origins in a festival celebrating the spring equinox, which Zoroaster rededicated to Asha Vahistra and fire. The Great Silk Road oases of Uzbekistan are more accessible now than ever before in their histories. You journey will begin in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. A bus will take you along the Golden Road to Samarkand where you will celebrate Navruz. Here at the junction of ancient caravan routes, the colossal blue domes of Tamerlane’s imperial capital dwarf the modern Uzbek city. The drive from Samarkand to Bukhara will be broken by a visit to Shakhrisabz, the birthplace of Tamerlane. This is a wonderfully picturesque journey through steppe country dotted with small villages. Bukhara, reputed to be the holiest place in Central Asia, provides a gentle contrast to glittering Samarkand with the muted khakis of its mud walled, old city and its compact layout. Then it is onward to Khiva, the most complete, and most heavily restored of all the Great Silk Road cities. Taking a short flight from Urgench to Tashkent, we will return to the capital’s lesser-known gems. For your second itinerary we offer an additional 2-day trip by plane to the Ferghana Valley – known as the Pearl of Uzbekistan. Spring in the Ferghana Valley is the most beautiful season, and on the way you can see the blossoming apricot fields. City tour will include visits to Margilan and Kokand and the pottery shops and work shops of the famous Rishtan factory. Itinerary 1: Tashkent – Samarkand – Shakhrisabz – Bukhara – Khiva – Urgench – Tashkent Duration: 8 days, 7 nights Dates of tour: March 18-25, 2011 Group size: max 14 persons, min 4 person Day 1 (Fri, March 18): Tashkent Early arrival in Tashkent. Accommodation in hotel. Excursion. Overnight in Tashkent. Day 2 (Sat, March 19): Tashkent – Samarkand Morning transfer Tashkent – Samarkand. Accommodation in hotel. Sightseeing program. Participation in the Navruz celebration (Oriental New Year, which is celebrated on 21st of March) in Mahallya (local community) including preparation of the traditional foods “Sumalyak”” and “Khalisa”, feast, experience local custom, traditions and celebration of Navruz with local people. Overnight in Samarkand. Day 3 (Sun, March 20): Samarkand – Shahrizabs – Bukhara Morning transfer to Bukhara via Shahrizabs. Excursion in Shahrizabs. Arrival to Bukhara and accommodation in the hotel. Overnight in Bukhara. Day 4 (Mon, March 21): Bukhara Sightseeing program in Bukhara. Overnight in Bukhara. Day 5 (Tue, March 22): Bukhara Continuation of sightseeing program. Dinner with folklore concert. Overnight in Bukhara. Day 6 (Wed, March 23): Bukhara – Khiva Morning transfer Bukhara – Khiva. Overnight in Khiva. Day 7 (Thu, March 24): Khiva – Urgench – Tashkent Sightseeing program in Khiva. Evening flight Urgench – Tashkent. Night in Tashkent. Day 8 (Fri, March 25): Tashkent Transfer to Tashkent Airport for morning flight to next destination, good bye to the wonderful land, back to monotony with the intention of returning. Group: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 Price: 1077 / 675 / 655 / 583 / 540 / 511 / 490 / 475 Single supplement: 91 City – Hotel Tashkent – Uzbekistan Samarkand – Grand Samarkand Bukhara – Lyabi House Khiva – Arkanchi Price includes o Double accommodation as per the list provided; o Breakfast in the hotels; o All transfers by private air-conditioned car or minibus; o Porter charges at airports; o Airfare Urgench-Tashkent; o Entrance fees for the museums, monuments and handicrafts workshops during the tour; o Dinner with folklore concert in Bukhara; o English-, Spanish-, German-, Russian-speaking tour guide; o Mineral water during the transfers. Price does NOT include o International Airfare; o Insurance; o Additional services in the hotels; o Camera/Video fees; o Any additional trips. Recommended additional options upon your discretion at leisure time (at extra fee): Our additional offers are designed in order to provide more choice to our customers and achieve their total satisfaction. We guarantee that after choosing our different additional services you would feel that your enhancement of wonderful experiences. Contact our tour operator or your tour guide so that we may be able to plane great experience in advance. Khiva: – Khorezmian folklore concert US$ 45 per concert. Bukhara: – Wine tasting in the charming Caravansarai Nughai (US$ 10 p/person); – Beer tasting in the beer production factory “AZIA” (US$ 10 p/person); – A visit to an old Bozori Kord Hammam – Oriental spa (Hammam) for men and women (from US$ 3 to 15 p/person); – We offer a few options for dinner: 1. Dinner in Madarihon Medressa with violin concert (US$ 10 p/person); 2. Dinner in Nodir Divan Begim Medressa with folklore show (US$ 13 p/person); 3. Traditional Uzbek dinner in Doston House (US$ 8 p/person); – Splendid herbal teas in “Silk Road Spices” tea house (US$ 3 p/person); – Fayzulla Hodjaev house-museum, where you can see the daily life of a Bukhara merchant at the beg.of the 20th c (US$ 2 p/person). On the way from Bukhara to Samarkand: – A visit to Vabkent minaret – one of the highest in Uzbekistan – 39 m (12th c.) (free); – A visit to creative workshop of Abdullo Narzullayev in Gizhduvan Town (free); – A visit to Rabat-i-Malik – an old caravanserai on Silk Road (12th c.) (free). Samarkand: – An unforgettable performance in The Theatre of Historical Costume El Merosi (we need to check in advance if this performance is available on the date of your visit) (US$ 10 p/person for groups only or upon concert availability on a certain date); – There is an option to see the magical light show on “Registan” square (order should be completed beforehand) (US$ 40 for show, up to 40 persons); – Visit to an old water mill in a Samarkand suburb (US$ 15 p/person); – Interesting options to see the processing of and purchase souvenir: 1. Famous Silk carpet factory (visit free); 2. Small Silk Processing factory Aiesha (27 US$ for 2 persons, for groups more than 2 persons visit free). Tashkent: – A visit to the famous Alisher Navoi Opera & Ballet Theatre (US$ 5 p/person); – 1 hour tour of the “Tashkent Metro” – one of most beautiful in the world (US$ 3 p/person); – Dinner in Uzbek national house (US$ 8 p/person). Important notes!!! – Please note that the first and the last days of above itinerary are made-up in accordance with flight schedule of Uzbekistan Airways (evening-arrival and morning-departure times) from the following cities: Almaty, Astana, Baku, Bishkek, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Kiev, Milan, Moscow, New York, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Osaka, Riga, Rome, St Petersburg, Sharjah, Tokyo and Tel-Aviv. In case of inconvenience of the flight schedule please refer here… (early arrival or later departure will involve extra costs for accommodation and additional excursions); – We do recommend to purchase a lunch box in one of Khiva cafes to feel comfortable on the way from Khiva to Bukhara; – Prices in the rate grid starting from 1 pax up to 9 pax do not include Single supplement; – *In case of Deluxe accommodation option please note, that the hotel Khoresm Palace (the only 4 star hotel in Khoresm region) locates in Urgench city, 35 km from Khiva; – The vegetarian cuisine is not widely spread in Uzbekistan. If you require vegetarian we can recommend the most appropriate places; – Group rates (10 and more pax) are available upon request. We hope you like the programs and assure you that we are absolutely open to any suggestions to increase the range of our services for the complete satisfaction of our clients and are happy to meet your special requirements.
You may book by mailing to [email protected] at http://www.uzbektraveller.com