Kyrgyzstan – Tajikistan (+ Pamir) – Uzbekistan

Itinerary

Day 1. Bishkek
Arrive in Bishkek, transfer to the hotel, check-in at standard time (12:00 – 14:00). Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2. Bishkek – Ala Archa – Bishkek
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Ala Archa National Park (40km). It is popular place for picnics, hikes, rock climbing and alpinism with 20 glaciers in the territory. The total area of the park is 200 km2. You can go for a walk on the paved road along the river or hike up to the mountains to get a spectacular view of the gorge. If you are in a reasonable state of health you can hike up to the waterfall (3.75 km – 2.5-3 h one way).
Drive back to Bishkek. After lunch we will have sightseeing tour of Bishkek: the Monument of Kyrgyz National hero Manas, main Ala Too square, Kurmanjan Datka Monument, Opera and Ballet theatre and Oak Park. A sightseeing tour of Bishkek comes to an end at Victory Square.
Overnight at the hotel.

Day 3. Bishkek – Osh
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to airport for flight to Osh.
Osh is Kyrgyzstan’s southern capital, and one of the oldest cities in the country. With a history estimated to stretch back 3000 years, Osh has long been a central city in the Fergana Valley. Osh has also been historically significant in many different eras. Upon arrival visit famous Sulaiman Mount and Asian bazaar. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 4. Osh – Achik Tash Base Camp
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Achik Tash alpinist base camp (5h). We will drive along stunning Pamir mountains and stay at the bottom of Lenin Peak. Dinner and overnight in tents.

Day 5. Achik Tash Base Camp – Murghab
Breakfast. Transfer to Kyrgyz-Tajik Border (3h). Lunch (lunch-boxes). Crossing formalities. Meet your Tajik driver and guide, drive to Murghab (7h).
The landscapes on the Murghab Plateau are stark, quite barren, but you’ll stop along the way at picturesque Karakul (the saltiest lake in Tajikistan) and will drive over the Ak Baital mountain pass, the second highest motorable pass in the world. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 6. Murghab – Bulunkul
Breakfast at the hotel. Short walk through local bazaar in Murghab.
Depart to Bulunkul (3h), en route visit Ak-Balik (Holy Lake), Yashikul and Bulunkul Lakes. Overnight at the guesthouse.

Day 7. Bulunkul – Langar (6h)
Breakfast at the guesthouse. Early departure to Wakhan Corridor by crossing the Khargush Pass. In Langar, where you will stay for night, you can walk around the village, stop to see ancient shrines which reflect the local fusion of Islamic and Zoroastrian beliefs. You might also want to hike uphill to view the impressive collection of over 6,000 petroglyphs and to gaze in awe at the panorama of the Hindu Kush mountain range. Overnight at the guesthouse.

Day 8. Langar – Ishkashim
Breakfast at the guesthouse. Today you will drive through the Wakhan Corridor to Ishkahsim (6h), a small town which is divided between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. En route you will visit Vrang to see a Buddhist Stupa (a reminder that Buddhism once flourished in the Wakhan), the museum of Sufi mystic, astronomer, and musician Mubarak Kadamm and his solar calendar in Yamg. There will be two additional stops, one at the Yamchun Fortress and the other at the Bibi Fatima hot spring, which is very famous among the locals. Overnight at the guesthouse.

Day 9. Ishkashim – Khorog
Breakfast at the guesthouse. Drive along the banks of the Amu Darya (Oxus River), the physical border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan, to Khorog (5h), the capital of Gorno-Badakhshan (GBAO). Khorog is a lively town with a young, engaging population. You can visit the bustling bazaar or the botanical gardens, which are the second highest in the world. The rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 10. Khorog – Kalai Khumb
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Kalai Khumb (6h) – also known as Darvaz, “the gateway” – last destination in the Pamir. Afghanistan is remarkably close as you drive along, and you will be able to see quite clearly the Afghan villages across the river. Overnight at the guesthouse.

Day 11. Kalai Khumb – Dushanbe
Breakfast at the guesthouse. The final drive is a long but generally fairly comfortable 370 km to Dushanbe (8-9h). We will take the southern road via Kulob (stop for lunch) and will pass the impressive Nurek Reservoir and dam. In the afternoon – check-in at hotel and hosted for the dinner with guide at luxury Tajik restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 12. Dushanbe – Iskanderkul Lake
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Iskanderkul Lake in Saratog Village. Lunch in Sarvoda. Spend the day at the lake, visit local waterfall. Overnight at the guesthouse.

Day 13. Iskanderkul Lake – Noffin Village – Penjikent
Breakfast at the guesthouse. In the morning, drive to Shing valley (80 km) to see the 7 lakes. First lake name is Mijgon, 2nd – Soya, 3rd – Husher, 4th – Noffin, 5th – Khurdak, 6th – Marguzor, 7th – Hazorchashma. We will have a lunch at the guesthouse in village Noffin and then drive to Penjikent. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 14. Penjikent – Istaravshan – Khujand
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to ancient city of Istarafshan. Visit the remains of Istarafshan’s hill fortress, and complexes of Sari Mazor and Hazrati Shoh. In the afternoon arrive in Khujand. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 15. Khujand – Tashkent
Breakfast at the hotel. Short city tour in Khujand: Shaikh Muslihiddin Mosque, Payshanba Bazaar, and then transfer to the border. Crossing formalities. Meet your Uzbek driver, transfer to Tashkent. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 16. Tashkent
Breakfast at the hotel. Start guided tour in Tashkent – 2200 years old capital city of Uzbekistan.
We will start from the Old City: Khast Imam Ensemble – a religious center of the city consisting of Barakkhan Madrasah, Tillya Shaykh Mosque, Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum and the library of Islamic Literature with original Uthman’s Quran of the VIII century.
Explore traditional Chor-Su Bazaar – oldest in Tashkent where you can buy souvenirs, watch Uzbek bread baking process in traditional oven, taste some local food.
Visiting modern part of Tashkent: Applied Arts Museum where one can see Uzbek fabrics, Bukhara and Khiva carpets, “Suzani” embroidery, metal and wooden items adorned with ornate Arabic lettering, oriental jewelry, and ceramics. Continue to Mustakillik Square – symbol of Uzbek capital and popular place for people. We will use Tashkent subway to get to Amir Temur Square – the heart of the city, established on the intersection of two ancient trade roads, with many modern buildings. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 17. Tashkent – Urgench – Khiva
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to domestic airport for morning flight Tashkent-Urgench. Arrive in Urgench, transfer to the hotel in Khiva. Leaving luggage and starting city tour.
Today we will explore ancient inner town Ichan Kala (UNESCO World Heritage site, XIV-XX CC) – big open air museum consisting of Muhammad Amin Khan Madrassah, Kalta Minor Minaret, Kunya Ark, Muhamad Rahim Khan Madrassah, Juma Mosque of X century, Tash Hauli – main palace of Khiva rulers, Islam Khodja Minaret and Madrassah, Shirgazi Khan Madrassah, Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 18. Khiva – Bukhara
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Bukhara through Kyzylkum Desert (7-8 hours). Stop at Amudarya River bank. Lunch in a local café. Arrive in Bukhara, free time. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 19. Bukhara
Breakfast at the hotel. Today we will see Ark Fortress – residence of Bukhara khans (except Wed), Samanids Mausoleum – Shrine of Ismail Samani and other members of the Samanid Dynasty, Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum – Saint Job’s well.
Continue to Poi-Kalyan complex with Kalyan Minaret through orient bazaars with trade domes, Ulugbek Madrassah, Abdulazizkhan Madrassah. Visiting Lyabi Hauz complex consisting of Kukeldash Madrassah, Magoki Attori Mosque now used as a carpet museum, Nadir Divan-begi Madrassah and Nadir Divan-begi Khanaka. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 20. Bukhara – Samarkand
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive outside Bukhara for sightseeing: Sitorai Mokhi Khosa – summer residence of the last Emir of Bukhara, Baghautdin Nakhshbandi Mausoleum – center of Sufism and most important pilgrimage site.
Drive to Samarkand (4h). Overnight at the hotel.

Day 21. Samarkand
Breakfast at the hotel. We will start sightseeing from Gur Emir Mausoleum (tomb of Tamerlane), continue with iconic Registan Square (which means “desert” in Persian) and three madrassahs (religious study centers) surrounding the square: Ulughbek Madrassah, Sher-Dor Madrassah, and Tillya-Kari Madrassah – covered with gold.
Visit to Shakhi Zinda Necropolis – ensemble including mausoleums and other ritual buildings of IX-XIV and XIX CC, Ulughbek Observatory, built in XV century by Timurid ruler and astronomer, Bibi Khanym Mosque – built by Amir Timur for his favorite wife in XV century. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 22. Samarkand – Tashkent
Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out. Continue sightseeing in Samarkand: ancient settlement and museum of Afrosiab, and Tombstone of Saint Daniyar. The prophet Daniyar (Daniel) is revered by three world religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam, and mausoleum is still a pilgrimage place for the followers of all three Abrahamic religions.
Drive to Konigil village to visit Samarkand Paper Mill “Meros”, where you can see the process of making famous Samarkand paper by ancient technology.
Transfer to the train station for the evening train to Tashkent. Pick up, transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 23. Departure from Tashkent
Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out by 12:00 noon. Transfer to the airport.