From Historical Origins to the Nature Splendour

So close and at the same time so different these two countries with can be. Magnificent minarets, huge stone squares, majority of magnetic bewitching monuments and sculptures of antiquity in Uzbekistan are replaced in Kyrgyzstan by amazing mountain landscapes of majority of waterfalls, rivers and lakes that are pure like a pearl on the sea bottom.
At the same time warm climate, and great hospitality and delicious copious food bounds these two countries to create marvelous colour and invite you to really unbelievable traveling in the Central Asia Countries. And unique features of the settled and nomad cultures revealing in national customs, traditions and handicraft will astonish even the most experienced travelers.

Day 1:  Moscow-Tashkent (air)
PM Arrival in Tashkent by HY-604 at 16:50. Meeting with the guide and flight to Bukhara by HY-1327 at 19:10-20:55. Arrival and accommodation in hotel.
Dinner at local restaurant.
Accommodation in the hotel.

Day 2: Bukhara

• AM Breakfast at hotel. Full day SS of:  ARK Fortress (VI – XIX c) – in middle ages it was a big town with the emirs house, with wives, mosques mint place, government institutes, store rooms, a prison and a square for public executions:
• Bolo Khauz Mosque (1712) Mosque Near the Pool.
• Chashma Ayub Mausoleum – the original construction dates from the 12th century, reign of Karakhanid Arslan Khan, the earliest surviving dome was built by Amir Temur in 1380 over the existing tomb chamber.
• Samanid’s mausoleum (IX – X c) – it was the first building in Central Asia constructed from backed bricks in the shape of a cube covered by a dome with unrepeatable geometrical brickwork design – a masterpiece of world architecture

PM. Lunch at local restaurant.

• Lyabi – Haus (XVI – XVII c) – a complex with Nodir – Devon Begi  madrasahs big pool surrounded by trees
• Trading Domes consist of three trading centers: Tok-i-Zargaron (1570) – Jeweler’s Bazaar, Tok-i-Tilpak Furushon – Cap Maker’s Bazaar, Tok-i-Sarrafon – Money-exchanger’s Bazaar.
•  Magoki Attori – in 937 the four-pillared mosque was burned down to the ground in a city-wide fire and in the 12th century the mosque was half-way reconstructed, and now the focus of the mosque, the original southern portal remains.
• Poikalon (XII – XVI c) architectural ensemble in the center of old Bukhara – includes the cathedral mosque “Masjidi  Kalon”, “Miri Arab” madrasah and the highest minaret (46 m) in the Orient in old times.

Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

Day 3: Bukhara –Shakhrisabz-Samarkand (290+170 km)

AM Breakfast. Transfer to Samarkand via Shakhrisabz. Arrival.
PM Lunch at local house. After lunch SS of:

• Kuk Gumbaz Mosque and Dorus Tilovat Complex – (1437) this big Friday Mosque was built by Ulugbek  in honour of his father Shakhrukh
• Gumbazi Seydon – (Dome of Sseyids) finished by Ulugbek in 1438 as a mausoleum for his own descendants.
• Doru Saodat Complex – The complex was built in 1392 by Timur and means the seat of power and might.
• Hazrat Imam Mosque dated of the 14th century.
• Ak Saray (white Palace) – Timur’s summer palace.

Transfer to Samarkand.
Arrival and SS of:

• Registan Square (XV–XVIIc) the official center of Timur’s Empire, consists of grandiose madrasahs of Ulugbek, Sher Dor & Tillya Kari.
• Gur Amir Mausoleum (XV c) Timurids dynastic burial crypt. A unique monument of architecture with blue ribbed tessellated dome

Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

Day 4: Samarkand-Tashkent(320km)

AM Breakfast.

• Bibi Khanum mosque (XIVc) built by Timur to be the biggest mosque of the time. Architects, craftsmen & painters were buildings it for 5 years.
• Bazaar(closed on Sundays)

PM Lunch at hotel.

• Ulugbek’s Observatory (XV c) the 1st Oriental observatory with 30m sextant built by Ulugbek to make exact astronomical catalogue
• Shahi Zinda mausoleum (XIV–XV c) ‘Town of the Dead’ a complex of more than 20 unique buildings of different ages.

Transfer to railway station for train “Registan” at 17:00-2:50.
Boxed-dinner at the train. Arrival. accommodation in  hotel.
Accommodation at the hotel.

Day 5: Tashkent-Kokand-Rishtan-Fergana(350+100km)

AM Breakfast. Transfer to Fergana. On the way to Kokand visit of:

• Khudoyar Khan Palace (XIX c.) – the Palace of the last khan Khudoyar. The Palace with 7 courtyards & 113 rooms, was completed in 1873, three years prior to tsar’’ troops arrived.
• Djuma mosque (XIX c.) – The city’s Friday mosque reopened in 1989 after decades of neglect & today accommodate up to 10,000 worshippers.

PM Lunch at the local restaurant. Continue driving. Visiting of:

• Rishtan pottery center — famous potters and ceramic products of this region are coming from Rishtan. They are also well known all over the Central Asia. In local ceramic art there is a special style, named Rishtan style.

Arrival in Fergana.
Dinner and accommodation in the hotel.

Day 6:  Fergana-Andijan-Osh(95km)

AM Breakfast. Transfer to Osh border. On the way visiting of:

•  Bubur Memorial Museum

PM Lunch is at local restaurant in Andijan. Crossing Uzbek — Kyrgyz border. Transfer to Osh, accommodation in Guest House.

• Suleiman Maintain

Dinner is at the local restaurant.
Day 7:  Osh – Bishkek (air)

AM Breakfast. Visiting of:

• Old Market

PM Lunch in the Kyrgyz Family.
Transfer to the airport for flight to Bishkek by AU-12 at 18:15-19:15pm
Dinner and accommodation are at the hotel.

Day 8: Bishkek – Suusamyr valley — Kyzyl-Oi (200km)

AM Breakfast. Transfer to to Suusamyr valley via “Ala-Bel” pass (3340 meters above sea level). Visiting of Memorial of national hero Kojomkul in Suusamyr village.

PM Lunch on the way.

Dinner and accommodation in the Kyrgyz family in Kyzyl-Oi.

 

Day 9:  Kyzyl-Oi – Son-Kul lake (140km)

AM Breakfast. Transfer to Son-Kul Lake. On the way visiting of:

• Kara-Keche gorge

PM Lunch is in the Kyrgyz family at Son-Kul Lake.

• Son-Kul Lake — The scene that greets you in Son Kul is amazing. The wide, brilliant, steel colored expanse of the lake appears majestic, quiet and transparent, looking like a huge bowl of pure mountain air surrounded by hills. Water and sky seem to meet and merge there. Visiting shepherds yurts, walking in the neighborhoods, ascending to one of nearby hills- form here we can see beautiful lake panorama. Here travelers have also horse riding opportunity

Dinner and accommodation in the Yurt camp on Son-Kul Lake.

Day 10: Son-Kul – Kochkor village (160km)

AM Breakfast. It is possible horse riding and other good time spending also available at the Son-Kul Lake.

PM Lunch is in Kyrgyz family.
Transfer to Kochkor village.

•  Kochkor village serves as a hub for the surrounding Kochkor village. Here live hospitable and affable people, experienced in agriculture and traditional Kyrgyz crafts. Felt carpet making display and handicrafts shop.

Accommodation and dinner in the Kyrgyz family also.

 

Day 11: Kochkor village to South Beach of Issyk-Kul Lake    (Tamga)(80km)

AM Breakfast.

• Issyk-Kul Lake occupies central part of the valley formed by the circle of the Terskey and Kungey Ala-Too mountain ranges. Issyk-Kul Lake is the largest in the Tien-Shan Mountains (6,236 sq. km.) and has a maximum depth of 703 m. The altitude of the lake is 1608 m. above the sea level. Issyk-Kul Lake is unique for dozens of rivers and streams flow into it, yet none flow out.

PM  Lunch is on the way.

• Light hiking to the Tamga Tash

Dinner and overnight in the Yurt camp in Tamga.

Day 12: Tamga – Karakol (110km)

AM Breakfast. Transfer from Tamga to Karakol. On the way visiting of:

• Jetty – Oguz – the extraordinary Valley of Seven Bulls famous for its unusually bright, red sandstone rock formations. Some of the valley’s most remarkable landmarks include the Broken Heart (a crimson, heart-shaped precipice), the dragon’ s lair (spectacular, deep sandy canyon) and, of course, the Seven Bulls themselves (a row of crags dominating the Jetty-Oguz Valley).

PM Lunch in the local restaurant in Karakol.
In Karakol city visiting of:

• The Dungan mosque was built in 1907, it is the place of worship of Buddists from all Central Asia. It was built from the wood without a single nail over a century ago and takes after the buddist pagoda style.
•  Century Church
• Memorial of N.M. Przhevalsky

Dinner and accommodation in the Guest House

Day 13:  Karakol – Bishkek(400km)

AM Breakfast.

Transfer from Karakol to Bishkek along the north shore of Issyk-Kul Lake. On the way, visiting of:

• Cholpon-Ata Petroglyphs – Cholpon-Ata Rock paintings museum – close to the town there is a huge field of stones, many of them are with pictures scratched or picked into their south-facing surfaces. They apparently date from about 500 BC to the 1^st century AD. The stones with petroglyphs are those with green inventory numbers painted on them.

PM  Lunch in the Kyrgyz family near the town of Tokmok. Visiting of:

•  Burana Tower located in the center of ancient town – Balasagun. The tower is 24,6 miters high (original height was 45 miters). Territory of the museum covers 36 hectares including central ruins of the town.There are stone statues – gravestones of nomadic Turks dated of the 6^th  to 10^th  centuries, petroglyphs dated of the 2^nd  century B.C. to the 10^th century A.D., stone agricultural implements, epigraphy monuments

Accommodation is in the hotel. Dinner is at local restaurant in Bishkek.

Day 14:  Bishkek  — rest day

AM Breakfast. Sightseeing program in Bishkek city. Visit of:

• The White House – a palace made of white marble is a residence of Kyrgyz government, including president’s office and the republic parliament. Behind the White House there is Panfilov park with rides and arcades – the best place for the rest.
• Kyrgyz national museum to represent Kyrgyz history, culture and arts.
• Freedom Avenue – the widest and greenest avenue in the SNG cities with the century-old oaks on both sides.

PM  Lunch at local restaurant
Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Day 15: Bishkek  – Moscow (Flight)
AM. Breakfast. Transfer to the airport. Flight to Moscow by SU-180 on 28 JULY FRU SVO 0630 0905.