UZBEKISTAN The Golden Road to Samarkand

11 days | £3750 per person with flights | 24 May - 3 June 2025

Art and architecture of Central Asia

Tales of the Silk Road have enticed and beguiled the west for centuries, and images of the ‘mysterious east’, numinous, exotic and dangerously seductive, lingered on in the western imagination long after the overland trade route had disintegrated. Even today, the six central Asian ‘-stans’ are a poorly-understood region well off the European radar, and Uzbekistan is the ‘-stan’ nonpareil, being bordered by the other five. But Uzbekistan’s geographical and political isolation, for better or worse, has slowed the inroads of modernity, and here the glories of the Silk Road have withstood the sands of time.

After flying to Tashkent, the tour proper begins in the walled city of Khiva, a figurative and literal oasis of majolica and glazed brick that owed its wealth (and notoriety) to the vast slave market at its spectacular East Gate. From Khiva we continue to ‘the Dome of Islam’, Bukhara, to wonder at its 150-foot high Kalyan minaret, the magnificent Balyand mosque, and the Lyab-i Hauz architectural complex of Sufi boarding-houses and madrassahs. Our third major stop is Samarkand, Tamerlane’s capital, which he endowed with many spectacular buildings, including the vast Bibi-Khanym mosque and his own solemn mauseoleum, where visitors may find themselves recalling the words of the English poet James Elroy Flecker:

"Sweet to ride forth at evening from the wells / When shadows pass gigantic on the sand / And softly through the silence beat the bells / Along the Golden Road to Samarkand."



Day to day Itinerary

Day 1

Morning flight from London to Tashkent via Istanbul.



Day 2 - Khiva

We arrive in Tashkent in the early hours of the morning and transfer to our four-star hotel for some rest. After breakfast, transfer to airport for our flight to Urgench (a packed lunch will be provided). From Urgench it is a short drive to Khiva for the first of two nights at the Malika Khiva hotel. After an introductory talk, we enjoy our first group dinner together.



Day 3 - KHIVA

The whole day is spent exploring the old walled city of Khiva, capital of Khorezm from the 16^th-20^th century and now a UNESCO heritage site and open-air museum. One of the most remote of the Silk Road cities, Khiva enjoyed an artistic renaissance in the 19^th century – its buildings glisten with colourful glazed tiles and its carved woodwork is second to none. Our morning visits include the Kunya Ark (old fortress), original residence of the Khiva Khans, and several madrassahs (theological colleges) some of which now house museum collections. We walk to the north gate and continue to the beautifully decorated Tash Hauli (stone palace) with public reception area and private harem quarters for the khan’s four wives. In the afternoon, after an independent lunch, we focus on the central district of town, the mausoleum of Pahlavan Mahmoud, a popular local saint, the magnificent Friday (Juma) Mosque, its prayer hall a forest of carved wooden pillars and the Islam Khoja complex. We also have the opportunity to visit the east gate, once the location of Khiva’s notorious slave market.



Day 4 - Bukhara

After breakfast we leave Khiva on a day of travel and drive across the Kizil Kum (red sand) desert to Bukhara for the first of four nights. Stopping for lunch en route, the journey will offer us a sight of the great Amu Darya or Oxus River. On arrival in Bukhara in the late afternoon, we check in to our hotel.



Day 5 - Bukhara

Today we begin our exploration of Bukhara, once Transioxana’s foremost centre of Islamic art and scholarship. Although Genghis Khan razed it to the ground, the city was rebuilt under the Timurids and experienced a renaissance under the Uzbeks in the 16^th century. Our morning visits include an exquisite brick mausoleum of the Persian Samanid dynasty (10^th century), the idiosyncratic Chasma Ayub shrine built over a spring connected with the Prophet Job and the Bolo Hauz mosque. This is followed by a visit to the the Balyand neighbourhood mosque, a jewel of 16^th century architecture and the traditional Bukharan mansion of Faizullah Khodjaev, first president of the Uzbek SSR,. In the afternoon we visit Chor Minar, a curious gatehouse with four towers on the outskirts of the old city. We then stroll through the city streets and see the Magokki Attori, the Kalon (great) mosque and its adjacent minaret, left standing by Genghis Khan, and several madrassahs, as well as traditional Bukharan bazaars housed in characteristic trading domes. Another site of interest is the lovely architectural ensemble around the Lyab i-Hauz pool, fed by the waters of the ‘Royal Canal’ which still runs through the city. Independent lunch.



Day 6 -  Bukhara

In the morning, we continue our tour of Bukhara with visits to the Emir’s Summer palace, built in 1911, the imposing Ark (fortress) of the Bukhara emirs with its neighbouring Zindan (prison) containing the notorious ‘Bug Pit’ from which few escaped alive. The afternoon is free for shopping, further exploration or some relaxation.  Independent lunch, included evening meal.



Day 7 - Samarkand

After breakfast we drive to Shahr-i-Sabz, birthplace of Tamerlaine, where the conqueror built his Aq Serai, an enormous palace of which only part of an imposing and beautifully decorated arched portal remains. Here also are the Dorus Siadat and Dorut Tilovat complexes, the family burial ground, where two of Tamerlaine’s sons and other kinsmen are buried and where his grandson, Ulug Beg, built the Kok Gumbaz mosque with its sparkling blue dome. After lunch we drive by car over the lovely Takhtakaracha mountain pass to Samarkand where we spend the next three nights.



Day 8 - Samarkand

A full day exploring Samarkand, capital of Tamerlaine, who used the vast resources of his far-flung empire to endow the city with splendid monuments. In the morning we drive to the ancient deserted site of Afrosiab on the outskirts of Samarkand, location of the city until 1220AD when it was destroyed by Genghis Khan and never resettled. Finds from excavation of the vast site are housed in the excellent Afrosiab History Museum and include fascinating 7^th-century murals depicting a royal procession and the ruler receiving foreign envoys. We continue to the huge Bibi Khanum mosque, built by Tamerlaine for his favourite wife. In the afternoon we see the famous Registan, the city’s main square. Redesigned by Ulug Beg, Tamerlaine’s scholar and astronomer grandson and framed by three brilliantly ornamented madrassahs, it is one of the loveliest architectural ensembles anywhere. Close to our hotel is the magnificent Gur Emir mausoleum, commissioned by Tamerlaine for his favourite grandson Mohammad Sultan, who died young, and where the conqueror himself and his immediate descendants are also buried beneath the loveliest of all Timurid bulbous blue domes. 



Day 9 - Samarkand

We drive to the outskirts of the city where Ulug Beg built an observatory without equal in east or west. It was destroyed by religious fanatics in the 15^th century but in 1908 Russian archaeologists rediscovered part of the enormous sextant.

 On the southern slope of the ancient site of Afrosiab is the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, an extraordinary collection of mausolea, mainly of Timurid princesses, which boast exquisitely decorated majolica facades. Within the cemetery is the holy shrine of Qussum ibn Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Mohammad, who came to Transoxiana to convert the people to Islam but was beheaded by fanatical Zoroastrians while at prayer. Local worshippers still come to pay their respects. The afternoon is free for further exploration and shopping.



Day 10 - Tashkent

This morning, we drive from Samarkand back to Tashkent for our final night, crossing en route the Syr Darya or Jaxartes River. After lunch in Tashkent, we have a coach tour of the city, stopping to visit the Earthquake memorial, and take a short walk through the old town where we also see the Osman Koran, claimed to be the world’s oldest, housed in a new annexe to the rebuilt Tellya Sheikh mosque. In the evening, we enjoy a farewell dinner together in a local restaurant.



Day 11

An early transfer by private coach to Tashkent airport for a flight back to London via Istanbul.



LOTTE City Hotel Tashkent Palace

LOTTE City Hotel Tashkent Palace, built in 1958, has been designated as Uzbekistan`s cultural heritage. It is an appealing hotel with classical appearance, located at the centre of Uzbekistan. The hotel underwent complete renovation in October 2013. 

Malika, Khiva

Just 50 meters away from the West Gate of the Ichon Qala lies the Hotel Malika. Comfortable and simple rooms, paired with the traditional ambience and occasional musical performances allow for a pleasant stay.

Minorai Kalon, Bukhara

The boutique Minorai Kalon hotel in Bukhara offers a ideal base for exploring Bukhara, just a stone's throw from the Kalon Minaret. Rooms are equipped with air conditioning and safes.

Mövenpick, Samarkand

The Movenpick Hotel in Samarkand is a prestigious hotel that beautifully blends modern luxury with the rich historical heritage of the city. With its strategic location near renowned historical sites such as Registan Square, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, and the Shah-i-Zinda complex, guests can effortlessly immerse themselves in the fascinating history and architectural wonders of Samarkand.

With Flights: £3750

No Flights: £3300

Single Supp: £569

Deposit: £550

Departure Dates:

24 May - 3 June 2025

Duration:

10 nights / 11 days

Your Holiday Includes:

• Scheduled international flights (Economy class) from London  to Tashkent, domestic flight from Tashkent to Urgench. 
• Private coach transfers and  excursions
• Ten nights’ bed and breakfast in locally 4* rated hotels
• All dinners and lunches apart from two independent lunches marked in the itinerary
• Guided visits to monuments and museums listed in the programme
• Services of the lecturer and a tour manager 
• Detailed programme and study notes 
• All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters 

Guest Lecturer

Sue Rollin

Sue Rollin specialises in the ancient and Islamic Middle East, India and the Mediterranean. An archaeologist, historian and linguist by training, Sue lectures for the Arts society and the V&A and has led Study Tours in Spain, Sicily, Morocco, the Middle East, Central Asia and India. Sue speaks Spanish, Italian, French and German. She is co-author of two travel guides: the Blue Guide to Jordan and Istanbul: A Traveller’s Guide.

Travel Information
The price does not include extras at the hotels or travel insurance.



Please note that Art Pursuits use hotels of character featuring a variety of rooms & styles.

Stamina

Please note that some of our tours can involve a fair amount of walking, sometimes across uneven ground. Please contact us if you would like more information.

Hotels

Please note that the listed hotels are subject to change based on the availability provided by our local agent. For further information, please contact the office or email us at abroad@artpursuits.com.