The Magic Carpet Tour - 7 days

• Your odyssey begins in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, a city that has been a cultural melting pot for over 2,000 years. Upon arrival at Islam Karimov International Airport, you’ll be greeted by our driver, who will take you to your cozy Uzbek hotel.

• Depending on your arrival time, you can relax at the hotel or start exploring the city, one of the Silk Road’s commercial hubs, with a guided tour.

• Tashkent awaits you with its bustling Chorsu Bazaar, the heart of local commerce, where you can lose yourself among stalls filled with spices, fruits, crafts, and textiles.

• You’ll visit the Hazrati Imam complex, an architectural ensemble that includes the Baroqxon Madrasa, Hazrati Imam Mosque, Moʻyi Muborak Madrasa, which houses the famous Usman Quran, one of the oldest copies in the world, and the Qaffol Shoshiy Mausoleum.

• In the evening, you’ll enjoy dinner at a local restaurant, sampling local delights like plov (pilaf), Uzbekistan’s national dish.

• After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll depart for Samarkand, a mythical city that has been a center of power and culture since antiquity. The approximately 4-hour journey offers a constantly-changing scenery, from green plains to the rolling hills that herald the approach of Samarkand, the city of The Thousand and One Nights.

• Upon arrival at around 1:30 PM, you’ll check into a cozy hotel and you will have time to take lunch.

• With your guide, the first stop will be the Ulugh Beg Observatory, built in the 15th century under the Timurid Empire and considered one of the most advanced observatories of its time.

• Next, you’ll head to Shah-i-Zinda, a necropolis extending with a series of tombs and mausoleums dating from the 11th to the 19th century, adorned with turquoise and blue ceramic tiles, and belonging to elite figures. This UNESCO-recognized site is a place of great devotion and beauty, housing over 20 ritual monuments.

• The evening concludes with dinner at a typical restaurant, where you can savor local dishes like shashlik, an iconic dish of Uzbek cuisine, in a setting full of history.

• After breakfast, your third day takes you to explore the heart of Samarkand, starting with the impressive Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum, the tomb of the great conqueror Tamerlane, also known as King Timur.

• Then, you’ll head to Samarkand’s crown jewel and center of the Timurid Renaissance: Registan Square, also UNESCO-protected. This majestic ensemble of three madrasas (Islamic universities): Ulugh Beg, Sher-Dor, and Tilya-Kori, symbolizes the city’s power and grandeur. The complex also includes the Shaybanids Mausoleum and, to the northeast, the Chorsu, the ancient bazaar with its impressive dome.

• Your next stop will be the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, built in honor of Tamerlane’s favorite wife. Its size and design are a testament to the height of the Timurid empire. Construction began in the late 14th century and was completed in the early 15th century.

• Then, you’ll stroll through the alleys of the Siyob Bazaar, Samarkand’s largest market, where you can buy local products like dried fruits, spices, and textiles.

• In the afternoon, you’ll visit the Konigil Meros paper factory in Konigil, where you’ll learn about the traditional process of paper making using ancient techniques dating back to the time of Tamerlane.

• In the evening, another delightful dinner awaits at a local restaurant, where you can enjoy more Uzbek dishes, such as lagman.

• After breakfast, you’ll set out on a roughly 4-hour journey to Bukhara, a trip that will allow you to witness the full splendor of Uzbekistan’s landscape. As you travel through lands that were once part of the Timurid Empire, you’ll feel as though you are journeying through time, crossing deserts and plains that have witnessed centuries of history.

• You’ll stop for lunch before arriving at your hotel in Bukhara around 3 PM.

• The rest of the afternoon will be yours to explore the center of Bukhara, one of the oldest cities in Central Asia, with its labyrinth of cobblestone streets leading you to discover ancient bazaars, old madrasas, and mosques that evoke the grandeur of times past.

• You’ll close out the night with dinner at a traditional restaurant, where you can savor the rich local cuisine, famous for its diversity and flavor, with typical dishes like samsa.

• You’ll start with a visit to the Samanid Mausoleum, a masterpiece of 10th-century Islamic architecture, known for its elegant brick design.

• Next, you’ll visit the Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum, also known as the “Spring of Job,” a sacred site dating back to the 12th century.

• You’ll continue to the Bolo Haouz Mosque, famous for its exceptional carved wooden iwan. The mosque was built in the 18th century and is now registered by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

• After that, you’ll explore the famous Ark of Bukhara, a fortress that served as the residence of the emirs and was the center of power from the 5th century until 1920.

• Here, you’ll take a break to have lunch.

• In the afternoon, you’ll visit the spectacular Po-i-Kalyan complex, the most notable in Bukhara and one of the greatest examples of Islamic architecture in the region, a testimony to the past splendor of the place,

• You’ll explore the Bukhara Photo Gallery, the most captivating photo gallery in Uzbekistan, located in the iconic Olimjon caravanserai.

• You’ll end the afternoon strolling through the bazaars of the trade domes: Toqi Telpak Furushon, Tim Abdulla Khan, Toqi Sarrofon Bazaar, and Zargaron.

• The evening will culminate with dinner at a typical restaurant, where you can savor local dishes like halva, a traditional sweet of the local cuisine.

• After breakfast, on your second day in Bukhara, you’ll explore some of the city’s lesser-known gems. You’ll visit Chor Minor, a curious monument with four towers which was once part of a madrasah, built by Khalif Niyaz-kul, a wealthy Bukhara resident of Turkmen origin in 1807. The monument is protected as a cultural heritage site and is also part of the Historic Center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• Then, you’ll head to the Bahoutdin Naqshband Architectural Complex on the outskirts of the city, an important pilgrimage site for Sufis, where the tomb of the founder of the Naqshbandi order, Bahaouddin Naqshbandi, is located. This is another 14th-century monument declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• You’ll stroll through the gardens surrounding the Summer Palace of the Bukhara emirs, Sitora-i Mokhi Khosa, a luxurious complex dating from the 19th century where the emirs used to escape the city’s heat. 

• You’ll take a break from exploration to have lunch.

• In the afternoon, 13 kilometers from Bukhara, you’ll visit the Chor-Bakr complex, a necropolis that houses the tomb of Abu-Bakr-Said (970-971 AD), one of the four descendants of the Prophet Muhammad. Certainly a place of great reverence for Muslims, the complex includes the necropolis of family tombs and enclosed courtyards with walls.

• You’ll end the day with dinner at a typical city restaurant, tasting local delicacies such as achik-chuchuk.

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• After a delicious breakfast, you’ll travel to the train station, where a modern and comfortable experience aboard the Afrasiab, Uzbekistan’s most advanced high-speed train, awaits you.
• And so, your “The Magic Carpet” tour comes to an end. The Afrasiab will transport you back to Tashkent through the landscapes you’ve explored over the past few days, allowing you to soak in the beautiful scenery of this stunning country one last time.

This 7-day journey through Uzbekistan has been more than just a tour; it has been a trip on a “Magic Carpet” ride, allowing you to “fly” over the landscapes, cultures, and stories of a country that is a true treasure in the heart of Central Asia. With S&P Travel, you’ve not only seen breathtaking monuments and landscapes, but have also felt the warmth and hospitality of a people with centuries of experience in welcoming travelers. We hope the memories of “The Magic Carpet” stay with you forever, and that in the future, you decide to return to discover even more wonders of this fascinating country. Until then, may your future adventures be as magical and memorable as this has been!