|
FROM
ASHGABAT TO TASHKENT
A
World Heritage Sites Tour of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan & Tajikistan |
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Central
Asia's best treasures in culture and heritage are most evident
in the two states of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Between
these two states there are UNESCO recognized seven World
Heritage sites. Our 13 days From Ashgabat to Tashkent tour
has been so designed to cover the best in these countries
including all the seven world heritage sites. The nostalgia
that one gets from just hearing names of civilization epochs
like Merv, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and Shakhri-sabz takes
us back to the times of the Arabian Nights. Walking through
the narrow lanes of these places gets us right to where it
actually took place.
|
Tour
Summary
|
Map |
Day
|
Place
|
|
01
|
Ashgabat
(TURKMENISTAN) |
|
02
|
Ashgabat |
| 03 |
Ashgabat/Merv
/Ashgabat
|
|
04
|
Ashgabat
/ Tashauz / Khiva (UZBEKISTAN) |
|
05
|
Khiva |
|
06
|
Khiva/Bukhara |
|
07
|
Bukhara |
|
08
|
Bukhara/Gijduvan/Samarkand
(SILK ROAD TOUR) |
|
09
|
Samarkand |
|
10
|
Samarkand
|
|
11
|
Samarkand/Penjikent/Samarkand |
|
12
|
Samarkand / Tashkent |
|
13
|
Tashkent/Home |
|
|
 |
UNESCO
World Heritage Sites Visited
This tour has been tailored to include the following World
Heritage Sites |
|
World Heritage Sites in Uzbekistan covered on this
tour |
|
Itchan Kala (1990) |
Itchan
Kala is the inner town, protected by brick walls about
10 metres high, of the old Khiva oasis, which was the
last resting place of caravaneers before crossing the
desert to Iran. |
| Historic
Centre of Bukhara (1993) |
Situated
on The Silk Road, Bukhara is more than two thousand years
old. It is the most complete example of a medieval city
in Central Asia, with an urban fabric that has remained
largely intact. The monuments of interest include the
Ismail Samani's famous tomb, a masterpiece of 10th-century
Moslem architecture, and a number of 17th-century madrasas. |
| Historic
Centre of Shakhrisyabz (2000) |
The
historic centre of Shakhrisyabz contains a collection
of exceptional monuments and ancient quarters which bear
witness to the centuries of its history, and particularly
to the period of its apogee, under the empire of Timur,
in the 15th century. |
| Samarkand
- Crossroads of Cultures (2001) |
The
historic town of Samarkand is a crossroad and melting
pot of the world's cultures. Founded in the 7th century
BC as ancient Afrasiab, Samarkand had its most significant
development in the Timurid period from the 14th to the
15th centuries. The major monuments include the Registan
Mosque and madrasahs, Bibi-Khanum Mosque, the Shakhi-Zinda
compound and the Gur-Emir ensemble, as well as Ulugh-Beg's
Observatory. |
| World
Heritage Sites in Turkmenistan covered on this tour |
|
State Historical and Cultural Park "Ancient Merv" (1999) |
Merv
is the oldest and most completely preserved of the oasis
cities along the Silk Route in Central Asia. The remains
in this wide oasis span four thousand years of human history
and a number of monuments are visible, particularly from
the last two millennia. |
| Kunya-Urgench
(2005) |
Kunya-Urgench
is situated in northwestern Turkmenistan, on the south side
of the Amu Daria River. Urgench was the capital of the Khorezm
region, part of the Achaemenid Empire. The old town contains
a series of monuments mainly from the 11th to 16th centuries,
including a mosque, the gates of a caravanserai, fortresses,
mausoleums and a minaret. The monuments testify to outstanding
achievements in architecture and craftsmanship whose influence
reached Iran and Afghanistan, and later the architecture
of the Mogul Empire of 16th-century India. |
| Detailed
Itinerary |
Day 1 Saturday:
Arrive Ashgabat (TURKMENISTAN)
Khush Gelinis – welcome to Turkmenistan! This evening
you are scheduled to arrive Ashgabat. Once clearing through
Customs & Immigration, you will be met at the exit gate
for the transfer to the hotel. Check in starts from 1400 hrs.
Overnight: Nisa Hotel, Ashgabat (3 nights) (D)
Day 2 Sunday: Ashgabat
Full day sightseeing tour of the capital city of Turkmenistan – we
shall visit the Talkuchka Sunday Bazaar, also known as the
Turkmen’s Carpet Bazaar then the famous archaeological
site of Nisa, which served as the winter capital of the Parthian
rulers. Next visit is the National Museum of History & Ethnography.
There is a rich collection from the Neolithic sites along the
slopes of Kopet Dag mountain ranges. The Bronze age period
is highlighted by finds from Murghab river and from the sites
of Margiana. The highlight of the museum is the remarkable
collection of ivory rythons from Nisa. A vase collected from
the main stupa structure in Merve is believed have contained
body relics of an important Buddhist monk. The other galleries
are dedicated to the ethnic collection from famous Turkmen
jewelry to costumes of various Turkmen tribes. There is also
a big collection of the bridal decorations for the horses.
Our next stop is the city mosque and the Presidential Square.
(B, D)
Day 3 Monday: Ashgabat/Merve/Asghabat
Travel to one of the ancient archaeological sites of Merve
by taking flights in/out of Mary town. We shall have a detailed
visit of Merve by visiting Gaiyur Kala, Erk Kala and Sultan
Kala. We shall also see the impressive mausoleum of Sultan
Sanjar one of the powerful Khorezmian ruler. The archaeological
site of Merve often mentioned as Margiana by classical writers
is a rich city, which was part of the Achaemenian empire in
6th century BC, the city was invaded by the Macedonians under
Alexander the Great and passed through successive rulers till
it was invaded by the Arabs in 8th century AD serving as part
of a springboard for their invasion of Central Asia. In the
Islamic era it was known as the ‘Mother of the cities’,
which flourished as an important town on the Great Silk Road
running to Parthia. It was invaded by the Mongols in 13th century
who depopulated the city by mercilessly killing more than a
million souls. The archaeological museum of Mary is situated
in the town and was selected to house the finds from the archaeological
sites. There is a fairly large collection of Bronze age sites
of Gonur Tepe and the artifacts found are comparable with the
Sialk and Baluch sites of the same age. There is also ethnic
section dedicated to the local tribes. (B, Snack, D)
Day 4 Tuesday: Ashgabat/Tashauz/Khiva (UZBEKISTAN – Flight
and drive)
Morning transfer to the airport for the flight to Tashauz.
Meet & drive to Khiva via Kunya Urgench, this was the capital
of once powerful Khorezmia, which was flourished under the
Achaemenid rule in 6th century BC. Then was wrested away from
the last of the Persian rulers the Sasanids by the invading
armies of the Arabs. Later powerful Turkic tribes who were
converted to Islam took reins of the Kingdom and under whose
rule the city flourished when great scholars of the Muslim
attended the court of Khorezmshahs. A powerful and merciless
invasion of the Mongolid hordes put an end to the ruling dynasty.
Overnight: Hotel Asia, Khiva (2 nights) (B, Snack, D)
Day 5 Wednesday: Khiva
Today we explore the World Heritage Site at Khiva, a city where
time has stood still. Our visit starts with the main site of
Ichan Kala followed by Kalta Minor, the Kunya Ark, the Rakhimkhon
Madrassah, the Mausoleum of Pakhlavan Makhmud, the Friday Mosque
and the Tashauli Palace and Harem. To complete the feeling,
we climb the Khodja Minaret to take in the amazing fairy tale
panorama. (B, D)
Day 6 Thursday: Khiva/Bukhara (Drive)
Our drive to Bukhara is through the arid setting of the Kyzyl
Kum Desert. Along the way we stop for some refreshments and
see how humans have survived over the centuries in this barren
landscape. Prior to arrival in Bukhara, a visit will be made
to Sitora-i-Mokhikhosa, the Summer Residence of the former
Emirs of Bukhara.
Overnight: Hotel Zargaron Hotel, Bukhara (2 nights) (B, D)
Day 7 Friday: Bukhara
One of the grandest of Uzbek centers, Bukhara is an open museum
with many mosques, madrassahs and a grand minaret. We spend
the day visiting some of the finest examples of Islamic Architecture
in the world, where exquisite tile and mosaic work complements
the beautiful brick-work; no wonder the city is a World Heritage
Site. Our visit includes the Lab-e-Khauz Complex with the Nadirkhon
Devanbegi Madrassah, the Mogak Attari Mosque and the Poi Kalon
Minaret. We also visit the Madrassahs of Aziz Khan and the
Ulugbek Ark Fortress, the residence cum army headquarters of
the Bukharan Emirs that houses an interesting collection of
objects from those days and the Mausoleum of Ismail Samanid,
which features some of the best 10th century brickwork, with
a marked Persian influence. (B, D)
Day 8 Saturday: Bukhara/Gijduvan/Samarkand (Drive)
This morning we start off with our visit to a local family
ceramic factory in Gijduvan then continue onto visit the World
Heritage Site of Shakhrisabz, home town of Tamerlane. This
historic centre contains a collection of exceptional monuments
and ancient quarters, which bear witness to centuries worth
of history, and particularly to the period of its climax in
the 15th century under the empire of Tamerlane.
Overnight: Hotel Shedor, Samarkand (4 nights) (B, D)
Day 9 Sunday: Samarkand
The historic town of Samarkand is a crossroad and melting pot
of the world's cultures and has been declared a World Heritage
Site recently. Founded in the 7th century BC as ancient Afrosiab,
Samarkand had its most significant development in the Timurid
period from the 14th to the 15th centuries. We start our day
with visit to the Urgut Market, which is known in this region.
Next stop is the Afrosiab Museum, located on the site of ancient
Afrosiab and the Historical Museum of Uzbek Culture & Art,
with the wooden coffin of Tamerlane and a large copy of the
Koran. We culminate the day with a visit to the Ulugbek’s
Obervatory & Gur Emir, the mausoleum of Tamerlane. (B,
D)
Day 10 Monday: Samarkand
We save the best for last. Our tour today takes us to the major
monuments and includes the Registan Mosque and the adjoining
madrassas, Bibi-Khanum Mosque, the Shakhi-
Zinda compound. (B,
D)
Day 11 Tuesday: Samarkand/Penjikent/Samarkand
Today we make an attempt at crossing into TAJIKISTAN. The border
crossing is subject to rules that keep on changing, one of
the notorious features of daily life in Central Asia. Our objective
is to the see the site of the ancient city of Sogdiana at Penjikent.
Should the border crossing not be possible then we return to
Samarkand for a free day. (B, D)
Day 12 Wednesday: Samarkand/Tashkent (Drive)
Early morning depart for Tashkent. Upon arrival check in at
the hotel then head out immediately to visit the old part of
the city, the Kafelsashi Mausoleum, the Barak Khana, the Tila
Shaikh Mosque and Archives, Kukeldesh Madrassah, the History
Museum of Uzbekistan and the Navoi Theatre. The evening is
free, with an opportunity to see a local opera or ballet (optional).
Overnight: Hotel Dedeman, Tashkent (1 night) (B, D)
Day 13 Thursday: Depart Tashkent
Our tour comes to an end as it is our time to bid farewell
with “Sau Bolinizder”, as you are transferred to
the airport for your flight out. Check out time is by 1100
hrs. (B) |
|
B
= Breakfast
|
L
= Lunch
|
D
= Dinner
|
|
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|
Departure Dates |
|
2008
Apr 19, May 24, Jun 07, Jul 26, Aug 16, Sep 20, Oct 25
|
| Prices |
| Departure |
Tour
Price US$ / CA$ |
Single
Sup US$ / CA$ |
| 2008 |
3940 |
415 |
| Tour
Price Includes |
Tour
Price Does Not Include: |
•
Accommodation as mentioned or similar, including hotel taxes
• Meal Plan as mentioned (B=Breakfast, Snack, D=Dinner)
• All sightseeing and transfers
• Services of local English speaking guide
• Entrance fees to museums and sites included in the itinerary
• Visa Support as required |
•
International Airfare / Departure Taxes
• Travel Insurances
• Visa Fees
• Drinks / Beverages with meals
• Tips / Gratuities to Drivers & Guides |
| Domestic
/ Regional Airfare INCLUDED in Tour Price |
| Ashgabat
/ Tashauz and Tashkent / Khiva. |
| Estimated
International Airfare(not
included in tour price) |
| East
Coast |
US $ / CA $
1800 |
| West
Coast |
US $ / CA $
2000 |
| Please
note:
This tour operates with a minimum of 02
and a maximum of 15
participants. |
| Other
Dates / Customized Itinerary / Languages |
In addition to our set programs we are also pleased
to offer customized tours.
Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your
individual needs.
Customized tours can be conducted in English, French,
German, Spanish or Italian. Each departure is conducted
in the designated language only. |
| Contact
Information |
|
|
Fax:
+1-604-264-7774
|
| 206–8678
Greenall Ave |
Phone:
+1-604-264-7378 |
| Burnaby
B.C., Canada |
Toll
Free (US & Canada): 1-800-663-0844 |
| V5J
3M6 |
Email:
bestway@bestway.com |
|
30
years in small group journeys
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Site
updated April 04, 2008
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