8-day Tour to Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan on the Silk Road

8-day tour to Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan on the Silk Road, will open up the most popular tourist destinations of two countries that were major stopovers of the Great Silk Road. You will visit ancient cities of Bukhara, Samarkand, capitals full of contrasts Tashkent and Baku and interesting sights around Baku - Gobustan, Absheron and Khinalug.

Tour itinerary:

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Day 1: Tashkent – arrival

Arrive in Tashkent. You will be met by Advantour driver and transferred to the hotel (check in is at noon).
Guided sightseeing in the capital of Uzbekistan, the biggest city in Central Asia. You will start with exploring the Old City. Visit Khast-Imam Complex where the world famous Quran, holy book, of Caliph Uthman has been preserved. The complex consists of Barak-Khan Madrasah, Tillya Sheykh Mosque, Saint Abu Bakr Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum and the Islamic Institute of Imam al-Bukhari. Continue to Chorsu Bazaar. Then take a ride on Tashkent Metro to the city center to visit Applied Arts Museum and walk through Navoi Theater to Amir Timur Square where you will end Tashkent city tour. Overnight at the hotel.
Duration of sightseeing tour: 5-6 hours

Day 2: Tashkent – Bukhara

Morning transfer to the train station. Take the high-speed Afrosiyob

train to Bukhara. You will depart at 07:30 and arrive at 11:17 (3 h 47 m, 605 km).
Upon arrival you will be transferred to the hotel to leave luggage. Take a walking sightseeing tour with a guide in historic center of Bukhara enlisted by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Visit Lyabi-Khauz Ensemble, Magoki-Attori Mosque, trade domes, Ulugbek and Abdulazizkhan madrasahs, Kalyan Minaret, Kalyan Mosque and Miri-Arab Madrasah, legendary Ark Fortress, Bolo-Khauz Mosque, Chor-Minor Madrasah, Ismail Samani and Chashma-Ayub mausoleums. Overnight at the hotel.
Duration of sightseeing tour: 6-7 hours

Day 3: Bukhara – Samarkand

Continue guided sightseeing tour. Drive out of the city to Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa – the summer residence of Bukhara’s last emir, and visit the Mausoleum of Bakhouddin Naqshbandi. In the afternoon depart to Samarkand (4 h, 280 km). Stop on the way at the 11th century Rabat-i-Malik Caravanserai. Arrive in Samarkand late in the afternoon, check in to the hotel.
Duration of sightseeing tour: 2-3 hours

Day 4: Samarkand – Tashkent

Meet your guide and driver at the hotel lobby and start sightseeing. Visit spectacular Registan Square, remains of Bibi-Khanum Mosque, Siyob Bazaar, Ulugbek Observatory, Shakhi-Zinda Necropolis and Gur-Emir Mausoleum – the mausoleum of Amir Timur. At 16:00 transfer to the railway station to take the high-speed Afrosiyob train departing to Tashkent. You will depart at 17:00 and arrive at 19:10 (2h 10 m, 300 km). Overnight at the hotel.
Duration of sightseeing tour: 6-7 hours

Day 5: Tashkent – Baku

Transfer to Tashkent International Airport for morning flight to Baku. Arrival in Baku. You will be met by our driver and transferred to the hotel (check-in at noon).
Meet your guide to start sightseeing tour in Baku. Visit Martyrs' Lane, called ‘Shehidler Khiyabany’ among locals. When you walk through Martyrs' Lane, you will find a beautiful view overlooking Baku’s coastline. Continue touring new Baku and exploring architecture of 19-20th centuries: Nizami Street, Fountain Square, Nizami Ganjavi monument. Pay a visit to Azerbaijan History National Museum and move to the old part of the city – Icheri Sheher, the old part of the city. Visit Maiden Tower, Shirvanshahs’ Palace, Caravanserai, and market square with numerous art studios and souvenir stalls. Overnight at the hotel.
Duration of sightseeing tour: 5-6 hours

Day 6: Baku – Absheron Peninsula – Gobustan – Baku

Today you will visit the area of the Greater Baku and Absheron Peninsula. Start with Gobustan National Park. Pay a visit to the Petroglyphs Museum to see rocks carved as far back as 10000 BC. If the weather allows, continue to mud volcanoes in Gobustan Reserve (change of vehicle to smaller cars). Gobustan is home to almost half of world’s mud volcanoes. Later drive to Ateshgah – temple of fire worshippers located in Surakhany village. Zoroastrians from India travelled thousands of kilometers to Ateshgah to worship fire coming out of the earth. Continue to Yanardag Mountain, where natural gas has been burning for millenia. Return to Baku. Overnight at the hotel.
Duration of sightseeing tour: 7-8 hours

Day 7: Baku – Khinalug – Baku

Morning departure to the northern part of Azerbaijan – Quba region. Visit one of most ancient settlements in the country – Khinalug (3-4 h, 210 km). People have been continuously living in Khinalug for more than 5,000 years. The road to lies through picturesque mountain pass at an altitude of 2,000 m. Return to Baku. On the way back, stop in Quba and visit Sakina Khanum Mosque, medieval bath hammam, and carpet workshop. Overnight in Baku.
Duration of sightseeing tour: 10-11 hours

Day 8: Baku – departure

Check-out from the hotel till noon. Free time until transfer to Baku International Airport. End of Tour to Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan on the Silk Road.

Inclusions
Exclusions

All transfers by sedan type car;
Accommodation based on double/twin room sharing, breakfasts included;
Sightseeing tour program in each city with local guides;
Entrance tickets to sights as per itinerary;
Economy class ticket for flight Tashkent-Baku;
Business/Economy-class ticket for trains Tashkent-Bukhara, Samarkand-Tashkent as per option (on rare occasions when the high-speed train is unavailable, we will replace this with the most-comfortable class of regular train);
Azerbaijan tourist e-visa;
Visa support letter for Uzbekistan visa.