Uzbekistan Tours
No doubts that Uzbekistan as a tourist destination is one of the most popular in Central Asia. It seems like obscure to visit it, but it is becoming more and more visited by lots of tourists each year. Well-preserved architecture from the Golden Age of Islam religion is what makes it so popular. The history of the country goes back to the 1 millennia BC when world-known dynasties of Sogdia, Bactria and Khorezm grew and flourished. The famous cities from the ancient times are Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Shakrisabz, Margilan, Karshi, Tashkent and many others.
During your tours in Uzbekistan today you can feel the atmosphere of dreamy medieval deserts, stretched with a row of camels loaded with precious goods, making over stops in busy cities. Mix of cultures and people resulted in a big variety of customs and traditions preserved nowadays that you can observe during our tours. You can learn crafts of how to make paper, silk carpets and pottery like many centuries ago by making visits workshops in towns. You can taste the most famous pilaf in Central Asian region prepared on fire with meat, rice, carrots and dried fruits. You can participate in different cultural events and enjoy different shows and master classes.
Thus, Uzbekistan is a country that must be visited if you come to Central Asia. Also, we are ready to extend your tour to Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan and build up a wonderful Silk Road Tour. Come and enjoy Central Asia with us!
Travel with No Regrets
Itinerary title: Travel with No Regrets
Days of tour: 7 days
Day 1: Almaty
Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met by our driver. He will take you to Almaty, the old capital city of Kazakhstan. On the day of arrival, you will get acquainted with the sights of the city. The first place we are going to visit is Almaty Museum, one of the oldest of Almaty parks - Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen, where one of the most beautiful wooden building in the world - Zenkov Cathedral is located. Next point of interest is a popular place for townspeople - the Green Bazaar, where it is impossible to refrain from shopping. After that you will have lunch and start the second part of your tour in Kazakhstan going to Medeu Gorge. It is well known skating rink in the world. You will have some time for walking, taking mountain-view pictures and breathing the fresh pine-tree air. Then we will take a cable car and go to Shymbulak ski resort area. On the continuation will be Kok-Tobe hill, where the tallest TV tower in the world is located. There it is possible to stroll along the winding paths of the park, admire the magnificent panorama of the city from the special observation deck. The tour ends with the short ride from the top of the hill to the center of the city by the famous Almaty cableway. You will spend the night in the train going from Almaty to Taraz.
Day 2: Almaty – Taraz – Sairam – Shymkent
Upon arrival at the railway station you will be met by your driver and he will take you to Taraz. You will have a sightseeing tour of the city which includes visits of History Museum, Karakhan and Dautbek Mausoleum, Tekturmas Historical Complex, Akyrtas antient palace complex. Taraz is an ancient city and at the same time very modern. After driving 160 kilometers we will come to Sairam district of Shymkent region. Sayram or ancient Ispijab, the only city in Kazakhstan, mentioned in "Avesta", the Zoroastrian holy book, was located in the Aksu and Sayramsu interfluves, at the crossroads of major caravan routes, thus witnessing a fast-paced history of the Great Silk Road. Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, the great enlightener of XII century was born this place. We will also visit the monument of his father and mother, Ibrahim-Ata and Karashash-Ana. At the end of the tour we will come to the hotel in Shymkent.
Day 3: Shymkent – Otrar Settlement – Turkestan – Shymkent
Today in the morning we will drive to Otrar Settlement which is 220 kilometers far from Shymkent. There we will visit Arystan-Bab Mausoleum, archaeological site of the ancient settlement of Otrar. After driving 70 kilometers, we will get to famous Turkestan. There we will have a sightseeing at "Azret-Sultan" historical and architectural complex, Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. Turkestan was founded around 500 AD at the crossroads of caravan routes from Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva in northern Kazakhstan. The city was known as the spiritual and political center of the Turkic-speaking people in the XVI-XVIII centuries, and was the capital of the Kazakh Khanate. After getting acquainted with this historical place, we will drive back to Shymkent city. There you will spend the night in the hotel.
Day 4: Shymkent – Aksu-Zhabagly Reserve – Shymkent
In the morning we will transfer to to Aksu-Zhabagly Reserve. The Aksu-Zhabagly Reserve is one of oldest and largest in the territory of Central Asia. Having visited it you will get familiar with rare species of fauna and flora, which cannot be found in the other places. The Reserve total area is 131,934 ha. It is rather old; it was set up on 14 July 1926. Today the Reserve is under protection of the State and law. The central place in the Aksu-Zhabagly Reserve is occupied by the Aksu canyon with depth of about 1800m. The Aksu canyon is not only a part of natural reserve but also a Paleontological сamp with ancient petroglyphic drawings. The basic high-altitude zones are represented here: semi-deserts substitute dry motley grass of steppes, luxurious plots of meadows give way to thickets of creeping juniper. Patchwork of colorful alpine flowers adorns the base of rigorous peaks with dazzling snow and bluish tongues of glaciers. The reserve is a rich treasury of rare, endangered and endemic species of animals and plants. It is home for argali and ibex, deer and roe deer, lynx and snow leopards, wolves, foxes, bears, porcupines and ermines. Bearded vultures, griffons and golden eagles are flying high in the sky... After spending wonderful time in the reserve, we will return to Shymkent to the hotel.
Day 5: Shymkent
The third largest city in the country – Shymkent is in the south of Kazakhstan. This is one of the largest industrial and commercial centers of the Republic. The city since ancient times ran along one of the branches of the Great Silk Road along with the most famous cities of medieval Kazakhstan and Central Asia: Otrar, Turkestan, Syganak, Sauran, and others. During the tour we will visit such places as Walk of Fame, Monument "Jer Ana", Ordabasy Square, Park “20th Anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan”, Obelisk of Glory, Eternal Fire to the Fallen in WWII, Dendropark. Also, you will have an opportunity to spend excellent time in historical museum, on pedestrian street ‘Arbat”. At the end of the tour the transfer will take you to the hotel.
Day 6: Shymkent – Almaty – Issyk – Almaty
Today you will have a flight from Shymkent to Almaty. After arrival at the airport, you will meet with the driver and he will take to Issyk Lake. The tour route is in very beautiful Issyk gorge which lies along the Kuldja tract. The trade caravans were travelling here hundreds of years ago. On the route to Issyk Lake, you will visit the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “ISSYK”. Here you will see the expositions dedicated to the history and culture of the Saka period, including a copy of Golden Man and golden items. Next destination will be Issyk Lake. The name of the lake is translated as “Hot lake”. It is located in the valley with the same name at an altitude of 1756 meters above sea level. The lake was formed about 10,000 years ago due to colossal landslide, resulted in formation of the natural dam of 300 meters in height. In addition, at the lake you will have a picnic and time for recreation at nature. Afterwards we will return back to Almaty and you will stay in the hotel to spend the night there.
Day 7: Flight
Today is the last day of your tour named “Travel with No Regrets”. In the morning you will have breakfast in the hotel and then check-out. The transfer will take you to the airport.