HIGHLIGHTS OF UZBEKISTAN KAZAKHSTAN AND KYRGYZSTAN TOUR

You will arrive to Tashkent and our driver will be welcoming and transferring you to the hotel where you will have a possibility to eat and have a short rest.

After the rest we start with the city tour of Tashkent. The first attraction will be the Hazrati Imam religious complex. You will visit the 16th-century mausoleum of Kaffal Ash Shashi, Barakchan Madrasah, which is now an art workshop center in Tilla Sheikh Mosque. The main point will be Medrese Muyi Mubarak, where you can see the real Holy Quran Book of Chalif Osman from the 7th century and many other Koran books in other languages. The visit to the complex ends with a visit to the Hazrati Imam Mosque.

 Your next destination will be Chorsu Bazaar – the largest bazaar in Tashkent, where you can enjoy an oriental atmosphere with the smell of spices and fresh fruits. Not far from the bazaar you can visit the Madrasah Kukeldasch, which if one of the still active madrasas in Tashkent. In the Museum of Applied Arts, you can get to know the Uzbek art, customs, and traditions. At the end of the tour we visit Independence Square and Amir Timur Square. 

Overnight stay in the Hotel

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We will leave the hotel early in the morning to catch the train to Bukhara. 

After arrival, you will start your tours outside the city. The first attraction to visit is one of the main pilgrimage sites in Bukhara, the Bahauddin Nakschbandi complex. This complex consists of several mausoleums, but the core of the complex is the tomb of a holy mentor, the founder of the Nakschbaniya Brotherhood in Sufism, Bahauddin Nakschbandi.

We then continue to the former summer residence of the last emirs of Bukhara – Sitorai Mohi Chosa. The visits end at the Chor Minor madrassah, founded in the early 19th century by a Turkmen merchant. The rest of the time is at your disposal for your own discoveries. 

Overnight in the Hotel

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After breakfast in a traditional-style hotel, we drive to Bukhara Old Town’s first attraction and start sightseeing beginning with a visit to the mausoleum of Ismail Samani, the founder of the Samanid dynasty in the 9th century. Next to the mausoleum is the Tschaschma Ayub with “holy water” near the the oriental bazaar. We continue to Bolo Hauz Mosque or “40 Pillar” Mosque from the 18th century.

Before the lunch break, we visit Bukhara Emir Palace. After the tea break on the terrace, we continue to the Poi Kalon complex with the Karachanid-era minaret Kalon, the Kalon mosque and the Miri Arab madrasah, which has been in operation since the 16th century. The Ulugbek and Abdulazizchan madrassahs let you get even more impressions with their beauty. Along the way, you can see the old trading vaults and hammam. 

At the end of the day we arrive to the Lyabi Hauz complex with three old beautiful buildings. It is Bukhara’s most popular place not only for tourists but also for locals. Visiting the old Jewish synagogue and dolls workshop are recommended. 

Overnight in the Hotel

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After the breakfast we head towards Samarkand and stop on the way in the city of Shahrisabs, the hometown of Tamerlane. In Shahrisabs the sights worth seeing are the ruins of Tamerlane’s former palace Ak-Sarai (White Palace) and the mausoleums by his sons and relatives.

You might also like the mountain landscape towards the east. After the sightseeing, we continue to Samarkand (around 100 km). The rest of the time in Samarkand is at your own disposal. Accommodation in the Hotel.

Overnight in the Hotel

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After breakfast, we start our Samarkand city tour from the mausoleum of Amir Timur (or Tamerlane), where he and his family members are buried. We continue to the famous Registan Square with three medresses from the 15th and 17th centuries which is really the landmark of Samarkand. Registan was the historical main square of Samarkand and is still the center of the city.

We continue by visits to the Bibi Khanum Mosque from Timur’s reign with the bazaar and the Shah i Zinda necropolis, where the 10th century mausoleum of Kussam ibn Abbas is buried, together with other mausoleums from Timur’s and Ulugbek’s Reign. We then drive to the Ulugbek observatory, which was the first observatory in the Orient. 

Overnight in the Hotel

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After breakfast, we visit Prophet Doniyor’s Mausoleum, Afrasiab History Museum and Meros Paper Factory in Konigil that has been famous for its paper production for a long time. The paper here is made from mulberry branches. 

In the afternoon we start our drive to Tashkent and will arrive in the evening. 

Overnight in the Hotel

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After breakfast check-out from the hotel and proceed visiting modern part of Tashkent – walking along Independence square to Theatre one, Amir Timur Square. Departure to international airport to get flight to Bishkek.

Arrival to Bishkek at 16.00. Transfer to hotel. 

Dinner and overnight in Hotel. 

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Breakfast. City tour in Bishkek with visiting main sights of the city including Ala-Too main square, Oak Park, Victory Square Transfer to Chon-Kemin Nature Park. 

The Chon-Kemin River flows from the Kungey Ala-Too and Iliysky Ala-Too ranges to the Chu River. From its headwaters in the mountains to the edge of the Boom Gorge, the Chon-Kemin River flows a total of 116 km, through a forested gorge and seven lakes. Much of the area around the Chon-Kemin River is protected by the Chon-Kemin State Nature National Park, which protects a total of 5000 hectares. This park was created in 1997 to protect the unique species of flora and fauna in the area, including the Tolai hare, pheasant, and fir trees. The river basin is rich in habitat and biological diversity, and has been left practically untouched.

The road will go along the Chui valley. On the way a visit to Burana Tower (XI c), that is a place on the Great Silk Road. After arrival lunch in the mountain’s guesthouse. Walking about 2-3 hours round trip to the panorama view point. For extra cost possible to have the horse ride. 

Dinner and overnight in the guest house.  

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After breakfast transfer to the southern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake. 

On the way you will visit Skazka Canyon. The canyon was named due to its bizarre rocky landscape, which for many years has been transformed by wind into fabulous sculptures and formations. Some formations in “Skazka” have been named for their similarity to well-known objects. For example, one set of ridges in the canyon is named “The Chinese Wall” due to its similarity to the Great Wall of China. Different rocks have amazing colors, the rocky statues not only have unusual shapes, but also magical colors.

On the way we will visit Yurt production in the village Kyzyl-Tuu, here the local master will show the process of yurt making, the master will tell about the process and we will build a yurt together with him.

Optionally on the way you will have: 

• Eagle hunting, the eagle hunter will show us the ancient skills of hunting. 

Arrival to the yurt camp located on the shore of the lake. 

Dinner and accommodation in yurt camp. 

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Breakfast at the yurt camp in Tamga. Transfer about 1.5 hours to the start point of the trek in Svetlaya Polyana Gorge. The start point of the trek is about 1900 m above sea level. Trek to Jet-Oguz gorge for about 4-5 hours. The highest point during the trek is 2380 m on the pass Jety-Oguz. 

Meet with the driver after the trek and transfer to Karakol for about 1 hour. A city tour with visiting Russian Orthodox Church and Muslim Mosque in Dungan Style. Accommodation in a hotel. Traditional dinner in the Uighur family. 

Overnight in the hotel. 

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After breakfast transfer to Shatty village. Kyrgyz Kazakh border crossing. We drive to the first Köl-Sai lake. National park arrangements. Kolsay is a name for a cascade of three lakes in Kungey Alatau Ridge. The lakes are dark blue in colour and filled with pure glacial water. The area is a part of Kolsay Koldery National Park Visit the First Kolsay Lake (“Saty”). All three lakes are located in the same valley but at different altitudes. The first lake is at a height of about 1800m a.s.l. It looks like a “stretched mirror” along the gorge and is approximately 2 km in length (80m deep). The second lake also known as “Mynzhylgy” is at a height of 2000m above sea level, and the last one (Third Lake) is located at 2500m. A well-marked trail leads up from the first to the second lake; it winds along the spruce forest and follows the river.

There are a lot of shrubs under the canopy: various kinds of rose, cotoneaster with red and brown berries, red and black honeysuckle, currant of Meyer and raspberries. Blackberries, strawberries and bramble are often found in the riverside. By the steep slopes, the river flows as a series of small waterfalls: in such places, the rocks along the stream are covered with moss. Here you have a chance to see the famous blue bird. On sunny days the forest is full of twittering of various birds like nutcrackers, and grouse birds – a rapid predator Sparrow hawk hunts them. 

In the evening or in very bad weather a real owner of this place appears – a bear. The 8-kilometre path leads to the second lake, located at a height of 2000m a.s.l. It has a diamond shape with small elongated bay, at the confluence of river Kolsayka. Sheer cliffs on three sides surround the lake and almost all the slopes are covered with deep spruce forest interspersed with ash trees. There are good places for tent camping on the north coast. After the walk in the first lake dinner. 

Overnight stay in the guest house in the village.

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After breakfast transfer to Charyn Canyon. Excursion to Charyn Canyon. The Charyn Canyon is located in the Charyn National Park. The Canyon itself is approximately 150 km long and in places up to 300 meters deep. One area of particular interest, is an area of 2km called the Valley of Castles, due to the pillars and rock formations forming imposing, almost manmade structures. Hiking on the site for about 2 hours. 

Lunch as a picnic. Transport stays in the parking lot. We take our picnic and go for a walk to the river bank of Charyn. Picnic on the shore. After the picnic, we come back to our car (about 2 km). PM. Transfer to Basshi village in Altyn-Emel National Park. 

Dinner and overnight stay in the guesthouse.

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After breakfast drive about 40 km toward Singing Dunes. you will have an excursion to the singing dunes and walk there for 2 hours. Altyn Emel National Park, 250 km north of Almaty, has been dealt a good hand of weird geology spread around its large steppe territory. The most unusual are the 4 dunes, which don’t move despite very strong winds. They also produce a deep humming noise, like a plane flying overhead, when you slide down from the top. Transfer to Almaty. On the way, we will drive by Kapchigay Reservoir. Check-in in the hotel.

Your sightseeing evening program will include the main sights of the city: Panfilov Park, Zenkov Wooden Cathedral, Memorial of Glory and Eternal Flame. The tour will proceed to the Kok-Tobe hill where the tallest TV tower in the world is located. In Kok-Tobe Park, there is a great observation area for enjoying the view of Almaty. The tour will end with a short ride from the top of the hill to the centre of the city by the famous Almaty cableway.  Dinner in the local restaurant. 

Overnight in the hotel.

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Breakfast. Transfer to the airport. Flight. 

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