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
Meals: B / – / D

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
Meals: B / – / D

After a 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. 

Meals: B / – / D 

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
Meals: B / – / D 

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. 

Meals: B / – / D

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. 

Meals: B / – / D

The morning will start with a transport to the airport and a farewell to the local tour guide and driver. The flight will then take off towards Almaty where another guide and driver will be waiting.

The day will continue with a city tour. We visit the Panfilov Park – named after the 28 heroes who died of freedom and independence in the country. Zenkov Cathedral – the oldest building in the city, built entirely of wood, without metal nails and a memorial complex for World War II with an eternal flame. We then continue to Independence Square with three main symbols of Kazakhstan and an obelisk which is dedicated to independence.

Afterwards we drive to the Kok-Tobe hill, where you can enjoy an unforgettable panorama of Almaty from a viewpoint. At the foot of the highest television tower in Kazakhstan, you can take a walk along the winding paths of Kok-Tobe Park, where you can also find the famous Beatles monument.

Dinner in the local restaurant.
Overnight at the hotel. Meals: B / – / D

After breakfast, we drive to the village of Basshi, which is close to the Altyn-Emel National Park. The park was founded in 1996, with the aim of preserving the unique natural complex, archaeological, historical and cultural monuments, rare and endangered animal and plant species. 

After arriving in Basshi we drive to the “Singing Dunes” which is a spectacular 150-meter high sand dune between two rocky mountain ranges. There are only a few of these lonely sand dunes in the world. People say that when the air is dry enough; Wind blowing through the grains of sand emits a sound that resembles organ music. The legend of the singing dune tells that the dream of the person who manages to climb the top of the dune will come true, but if the traveler loses the way, the person is instead a greater sinner.

Dinner and overnight at the guest house. 
Meals: B / – / D 

Breakfast in the guest house. Transfer to the Charyn Canyon which s an amazing creation of nature that has existed for millions of years. In Charyn we will see very different geomorphological formations between the steep mountain slopes with heights of 150 to 300 meters. Numerous gorges form an extensive network of sights like the “Red Castle Valley” that has been created by wind and water over a long period of time. The valley is full of stone towers and other fantastic shapes made of sediments. We will walk in the along the canyon to the Charyn River and then continue to Kyrgyzstan. We drive across the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border “Karkyra” east from Issyk Kul. 

Dinner and overnight in a yurt camp (4-person accommodation in a yurt with a private toilet and shower in front of each yurt)

Description of the hike in Charyn Canyon (only one way): 
Starting altitude: 1133 m
Length of the hike: 2,66 km
Pass altitude: no pass
Climbing uphill: 8,26 m, downhill: 227 m
Arrival altitude: 915 m (at the Charyn river)

You come back with the same way. 
Meals: B / – / D 
Altitude during the day: 650 m in Basshi, 2220 m in Karkyra

After breakfast in the yurt camp, we take a leisurely hike in the valley. In the afternoon we drive to the city of Karakol, where we take a city tour including a visit to the Dungan Mosque, built between 1907 and 1910 by a Chinese architect and 20 artisans. It was constructed entirely of wood without a single nail. The Dungans came to Karakol as refugees from China in 1877 and founded a small community here. Later we visit the Russian Orthodox Church. This Holy Trinity Cathedral is a fine example of a Russian Orthodox Church that served as a Soviet dance hall and school during World War II. Dinner is with a local family (Kyrgyz, Uyghur, Dungan or Uzbek) in Karakol. 

Overnight at hotel
Meals: B / – / D
Altitude during the day: 2220 m in Karkyra, 1700 m in Karakol.

After breakfast we drive to the Jeti-Oguz Gorge. On the way we visit the famous rocks of the Jeti-Oguz. Jety-Oguz (translated from Kyrgyz as “seven bulls”) has gotten its name from a chain of weathered red rocks, which is reminiscent of bulls lying on the ground. Another local landmark is the “Broken Heart” rock, which is often in the background of the photographs of young love.

Afterwards we drive to the starting point of a hike. The hike takes about 4-5 hours, over the pass of 2800 m. The altitude difference during the hike is 750 m. On this hike, you will understand why Kyrgyzstan is called the Switzerland of Central Asia. At the end of the hike, we meet our driver and drive to Tamga. Dinner and overnight in a yurt camp in Tamga (4-person accommodation in a yurt with a private toilet and shower in front of each yurt). 

Meals: B / – / D
Altitude during the day: 1700 m in Karakol, 1670 m in Tamga, Issyk-Kul

Description of the hike from Svetlaya Polyana to the Jety-Oguz gorge:
Starting altitude: 2338 m

• Length of the hike: 8,58 km
• Pass altitude: 2804 m
• Climbing uphill: 524 m, downhill: 619 m
• Arrival altitude: 2242 m

Important for this day!!! If it is Sunday, we will visit the animal market before breakfast, which is one of Karakol’s highlights. The locals come to the market and sell or buy cattle. If you want to experience something authentic in Kyrgyzstan, then the market must be visited.

After breakfast transfer to Kochkor. We also stop in Kyzyl-Tuu, where the local masters produce the wooden parts of the yurts. A local craftsman will show us how he makes Yurt wooden parts by hand. After arrival in Kochkor we check in at the guesthouse and have rest until dinner. 

Meals: B / – / D
Altitude during the day: 1670 at Issyk-Kul Lake, 1800 m in Kochkor

After breakfast we visit a women’s corporation dealing with felt carpets. You will have the opportunity to purchase a felt carpet of felt. The craftsmen show us how they make the felt carpet using the old nomadic methods. Then we drive to Song-Köl Lake. It is a mountain lake at an altitude of 3016 meters above sea level. The nomads still spend their summers on the jailoo (pasture) with their sheep, horses and cows. Lunch at the Yurt Camp. Accommodation in Yurt (Yurt is the traditional home of nomadic shepherds). After washing, you can taste kymyz (fermented mare’s milk) and see how the shepherd’s wife prepares bread and cheese.

After arriving at the Yurt Camp at Song-Kul Lake (4 people in a yurt with a European private toilet and a shower cabin for every 2 yurts) we have a bread baking show, namely a Kyrgyz bread called “Boorsok”. If you feel like it, you can join the process. Dinner with the freshly baked bread and overnight in the yurt camp. 

Meals: B / – / D
Altitude during the day: 1800 m in Kochkor, 3030 m at Song-Kul Lake

After breakfast we have a free day in Son-Kul. It is a popular place for the locals who come here every summer with their families and cattle. You can go hiking in the mountains for 5-6 hours, meet local shepherds and observe the shepherd’s way of life: taste bread and kumyz (the national Kyrgyz drink made from mare’s milk). A guide will join you for hiking trips and visiting nomads.

There are various options for hiking on the Song-Köl but no special hiking routes. You can go for a walk yourself and spend 1 to 6 hours. If you go for a walk all day, we organise packed lunch and you don’t need to come back for lunch. If you like to ride a day, we will organise it for you (additional cost). For riding, we organise a local rider as the escort. Overnight and dinner in the yurt camp. 

Meals: B / L / D
Altitude during the day: 3016 m at Son-Kul lake.

After breakfast we have transfer to Bishkek. On the way, we visit the old town of Balasagun. The city was founded in the 9th century by Karachanid Khaganate. Islam was spread in Kyrgyzstan by the Karachanid Khaganate. We visit the partly restored Burana Tower. Its construction is dated to the 10th to the 11th century. The original height of the tower was not less than 40 m, but the upper part was destroyed by an earthquake. Now the height is 21,7 meters. 

We continue our drive to Bishkek. Upon arrival in Bishkek, check-in at the hotel. Dinner in the local restaurant.

Overnight at the hotel. 
Meals: B / – / D

After breakfast, we visit the authentic “Osh Bazar”, where the local Kyrgyz people do their shopping. In the afternoon we have a city tour through Bishkek visiting all the major sights. Dinner in the local restaurant accompanied by a folklore show.

Overnight at the hotel. 
Meals: B / – / D 

Transfer to the Manas airport. Meals: B / – / –