Nature and culture in Central Asia (15 Days)

Today, after breakfast, drive about an hour to Burana Tower (old minaret) near Tokmok City. The minaret was built in Balasagun city, it was one of the capitals of the Karakhanid state in the 11-12th century AD. You can also see a collection of balbals, these are ancient Turkish tombstones.
Today you enter the nomadic life at Son Kul Lake. Here the Kyrgyz still live in traditional simplicity. You can hike, spend time with friendly Kyrgyz families, and try fresh airan (yogurt) and kumys (national drink made from fermented mare's milk). And here, too, there is the opportunity to see how a mare is being milked. Dinner and overnight in a yurt camp.

After breakfast you can go for a hike at Lake Son Kul.
Option: It is possible to organize a show for our guests - yurt construction. You can not only watch, but also take part in it.
Option: it is possible to organize horse riding games. Horses have always played an important role in the life of the Kyrgyz people. They were used as true helpers in daily life and as thoroughbred racing drivers in their free time. Festivals with horse games (Ulak Tartysh, Kyz Kuumai, Tyiyn Enmei, etc) take place all year round. Lunch, dinner and overnight in a yurt camp.

Today you drive to Kochkor, where you can learn how local women embroider and weave magnificent carpets, making so-called “shyrdaks” from felt according to an old tradition. We will also visit a handicraft museum and a shop with you, where you can buy various masterpieces - huge felt-silk blankets, Christmas tree decorations, and much more. Lunch at a local eatery. In the afternoon drive to Karakol town, which is located in the east of Issyk Kul Lake at the foot of the most beautiful Tien Shan Mountains.
Karakol has the typical appearance of a Russian colonial town. Upon arrival in Karakol, accommodation in a hotel / guest house.

City tour in Karakol. You will visit the main attractions in this city. An original sight in Karakol is the Chinese mosque, which looks like a Buddhist temple. The Russian Orthodox Trinity Church is also made entirely of wood. Excursion to Djety Ogus gorge where you will see a group of red rocks. The rock mountains ancient rock carvings. According to legend, they were seven wild oxen that devastated the land and were turned to stone as a punishment.
After hiking in the gorge, drive to Dshuuku Gorge. Afterwards you drive back to Karakol. Overnight in a hotel in Karakol.

After breakfast, drive along the north side of Issyk Kul Lake to Chon Ak Suu (Grigorievskoe) gorge, where you can go for a hike. On the way, make a quick stop at the museum dedicated to explorer N. M. Przevalskij, who has been the most famous explorer in Central Asia. You continue your journey around Issyk Kul Lake. In summer the water temperature reaches 25-28 degrees Celsius (warmer than the air). It is a nice feeling to bathe and swim in the lake and at the same time look at the snow-capped mountains of the Tien Shan. Hike in the Tschon Ak Suu gorge. Overnight in a hotel on the lake shore.

Today you visit the place Cholpon Ata. The name means "keeper of the morning star"; this is what the Kyrgyz call the protective spirit of their sheep. In the mountains north of the town there are rock carvings - petroglyphs (so-called “rock garden”), probably from the Scythians and Usuni civilizations (9-8 centuries BC to 3-4 centuries AD), which you also visit. The area with the stone carvings lies at the foot of the Kungey Alatoo mountain range and offers a beautiful view of the lake. In the afternoon you drive back to Bishkek. Lunch will be served at a local eatery on the way. Nowadays, in different places along the gorge, the protective wall is laid out against the rock debris. Upon arrival in Bishkek, accommodation in a hotel.

Flight in the morning at 6.45 am with Uzbekistan Airline to Tashkent. Arrival in Tashkent at 07.05. Your guide will be waiting for you. Breakfast in town. You can devote your first day in Uzbekistan to the sights of the multifaceted capital. You will visit the Khasti Imam Square with the beautiful Barak Khan Medrese, the Tilla Sheikh Mosque and the Kaffal Shashi mausoleum made of simple brickwork. Here you can take a look at the Koran handwritten by the third Caliph Osman (644-656). Continue with a visit to the huge Chorsu Bazaar, whose oriental smells and spices will transport you into the fairy tales of 1001 nights. In the afternoon you will continue your exploration tour in the modern part of the city and visit the Independence Square, Amir Timur Square. Transfer to the airport. Overnight at hotel.

In the morning take the express train to Samarkand. Arrival in Samarkand. Reception by the guide at the train station. Capital of Tamerlane, the great city of the ancient Sogdiana, lies at the crossroads of the most important trade routes from China, Siberia, Persia and the west. This step alone is an essential point in the journey to understanding the power of the Khan dynasty at that time. Be amazed by these amazing shades of blue over sights such as the famous Bibikhanum Mosque, the Gur-Emir (tomb of the ruler Timur and his descendants) or the famous Registan Square (XV century XVII) that are never indifferent to any traveler. In the afternoon it continues with other sights of the city. Dinner in the restaurant. Overnight at hotel.

Today you will visit the Shahi Zinda necropolis, the old paper factory and the Ulugbek observatory (15th century), which tells the fascinating story of the little son Tamerlane, and have free time to stroll in the oriental bazaar. Overnight at hotel.

Today we drive via Schakhrisabs (former Kesch), the hometown of Tamerlan to Bukhara. We visit a large white palace ("Ak-Saray" XIV century) in Shakhrisabs. The remains of a number of unique mosaics make an impression. Then visit Kok Gumbazi Mosque (Blue Dome) (XV century), Mausoleum Gumbazi Sayyidon and unforgettable Mosque of Hazrati Imam - a memory of the magnificent city. Arrival in Bukhara. Dinner in the restaurant. Overnight at hotel.

You will discover this city as "the pearl of the desert". It is a city along the Silk Road. The city is a true home of Islam in Central Asia that flourished for many centuries. The city is home to hundreds of Islamic schools and crafts of carpets and decorations. During the tour you will visit Minaret Choir, Poyi-Kalon Ensemble, the Koran Schools of Ulugbek and Abdulazizkhan, Samanid Mausoleum, Ark Fortress, Lyabi House Ensemble and many monuments of medieval centuries. Overnight in Bukhara.

As you drive through the Kyzylkum Desert, you will discover that the seemingly wasteland also has a lot to offer. You will drive along the Amu Darya River, the life-giving stream of Central Asia. In addition, your guide will use the time to tell you interesting facts about the country and its people. So you can look forward to a varied journey. We arrive in the city in the late afternoon, overnight in Khiva.

Today you explore one of the best preserved cities on the Silk Road. The former capital of the Khiva Khanates from the 17th century has retained the fairytale atmosphere of an ancient, oriental city to this day. You will visit the old town of Khiva-Dschuma Mosque, Medrese Muhammad Amin Chan, Citadel Kochna Ark, Pachlovon-Machmud-Mausoleum, Alakuli Chan-Medrese and others. Flight to Tashkent. Arrival to the city. Overnight at hotel.

Transfer to the airport in Tashkent. Here we say goodbye to the group. We have unforgettable memories. Flight home.