HIGHLIGHTS: TOUR INCLUDES: +44 (0)

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1 +44 (0) An in-depth journey through one of Central Asia s most fascinating destinations, this comprehensive trip provides an unforgettable insight into the history, culture and natural majesty of Uzbekistan. Beginning in Tashkent, you ll take in Silk Road cities and desert castles, travel to the shores of the Aral Sea and hike through the beautiful Nurata Mountains. A journey to remote Nukus will introduce you to one of the world s finest collections of Soviet avant-garde artwork, before visiting the shores of the Aral Sea and the desert castles that lie along the road to Ayaz Kala, where you will spend the night at a traditional yurt camp. The adventure will also take in the iconic Silk Road cities of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand, as well as the beautiful landscapes of the Nurata Nature Reserve, where you will trek and spend some time experiencing the wildlife and rural life of the Nurata Mountains. HIGHLIGHTS: Enjoy one of the best collections of Russian art in the world Stay in family-run guesthouses in the heart of the Nurata Mountains and learn about rural life Experience a yurt in the desert See the architectural achievements of Tamerlane Imagine the original size of the Shakrisabz Palace TOUR INCLUDES: 9 nights four star traditional hotels, 3 nights guesthouses, 1 night yurt camp 13 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners 1 internal flight Private guided sightseeing Private driver and vehicle Entrance fees included as per itinerary Private guided transfers to and from all airports *Please note the prices shown are per person and based on two persons sharing a twin or double room

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3 ITINERARY DAY 1: TASHKENT - NUKUS Arrive in Tashkent and transfer to your hotel. After a short rest you will head out on an afternoon city tour. Your tour will take you to the old city and the Khast-Imam Square home to mausoleums and madrassahs as well as Tashkent's largest mosque and the Muyie Mubarak library, which features the world's oldest Quran. Move on to the main square of Amir Timur complete with the national hero's statue, the Museum of Applied Arts and the bustling bazaar. In the evening take a short flight to Nukus where you will settle into your hotel for the night. DAY 2: NUKUS Spend today in the city visiting the main highlight of Nukus, the Igor Savitsky Museum. The museum hosts one of the world's finest collections of Soviet avantgarde art from the 20s and 30s, which only escaped from Stalin's efforts to destroy all art of this period due to its remote location, along with folk art and Russian icons. The city also offers a museum of local natural history, clothes and jewellery. (B) DAY 3: NUKUS - MOYNAK - NUKUS The diverting of the Amu-Darya River to the cotton fields of the surrounding area has had a disastrous impact on the Aral Sea. Learn more about the ecological and environmental implications of this as you spend the day visiting the town of Moynak, once a thriving port that was located on the edge of the sea and is now a desert town located more than 150km from the sea's shores. The only reminders of the once thriving fishing industry are the rusting hulks of ships and an ancient fishing plant. Return to Nukus in the afternoon. (B, L) DAY 4: NUKUS - AYAZ KALA Today you will head out in to the desert to visit the desert castles, dating from 2300BC and in various states of ruin. A small amount of uphill scrambling is necessary to get up to the castles, once there you can admire the mud brick structures and the views out across the desert. This evening you will stay in a yurt camp which lies at the foot of Ayaz Kala, one of the most impressive of the desert castles. (B, D) DAY 5: AYAZ KALA - KHIVA This morning drive south to the walled city of Khiva, the Ichen Kala or old city is surrounded by thick walls up to 1500 years old and is home to an array of palaces, mosques, madrassahs and winding alleyways dating mainly from medieval times. A tour around the old city will take in the main palaces and madrassahs and also give you the chance to see some traditional weaving and silk making in the ancient houses. (B)

4 DAY 6: KHIVA - BUKHARA Either fly or drive to the ancient city of Bukhara. The drive is long, around 7 hours on a road which is under construction, but it does give you a chance to see even more of the Uzbek countryside. The flight, if available, is in the evening so you will have a free day in Khiva to wander further through the alleyways or perhaps sit in a café outside a madrassah to enjoy some tea or a Turkish coffee. Bukhara was a major staging point on the Silk Road, defended by a citadel that has stood in one form or another ever since. Bukhara now has more than 150 monuments and with its narrow alleyways and bustling bazaars, Bukhara is the quintessential Silk Road city. (B) DAY 7: BUKHARA On your full day guided tour of Bukhara, you will visit the most important sites of this fabulous city. See the massive Ark Citadel as well as the Zindan Prison, in which two British officers were kept during the "Great Game" in the 19th century, before being executed in the Registan Square. Other sites include the Bolo-Khauz Mosque with its beautiful carved wooden pillars, Kalyan Square with its great minaret, from the top of which used to be thrown the town's criminals, and the delightful Ismael Samani Mausoleum dating from the 10th century. As you wander the narrow streets of the old town you will come across other mosques and mausoleums and perhaps pause to visit the 11th trading domes, which are now home to handicraft sellers. (B) DAY 8: BUKHARA - NURATA MOUNTAINS This morning you head from the Silk Road cities towards the Nurata Nature Reserve. Your drive will take you from the main road up in to the mountains, passing through many small towns until you reach the village of your guesthouse. This afternoon you may like to spend some time at the guesthouse and get to know the family or take a walk through the village, visit the local mosque and meet some of the villagers before having dinner with the family. (B, L, D) DAY 9: NURATA MOUNTAINS Today you will set out to explore the Nurata Mountains area with your local guide, with the option of enjoying a variety of activities, from watching and having a go at some of the local handicrafts, to helping bake the bread in the traditional ovens, or heading out into the mountains. There are some wonderful trekking routes you can take of varying lengths and gradients, taking you up mountains or between villages, stopping at ruins of fortresses and even offering you the chance to explore the shores of Lake Aydur which lies a short drive away, where you can relax and swim, and soak up your beautiful surroundings. (B, L, D)

5 DAY 10: NURATA MOUNTAINS Saying goodbye to your host family you will set off by foot through the Nurata Mountains on a fantastic hike with your guide, enjoying a picnic lunch en route, as you make your way to your rural guesthouse where you will settle for the night. (B, L, D) DAY 11: NURATA MOUNTAINS - SAMARKAND Leaving the villages and mountains behind you will return to the cultural sights of the Silk Road as you reach the grandest city of them all, Samarkand. This wide avenued city is home to some of Tamalane's finest pieces of architecture which you can spend the next few days exploring. On the journey to Samarkand you will stop in Shakrisabz, birthplace of the great leader, where you can see the remains of what was once a major city in Central Asia. (B) DAY 12: SAMARKAND Your sightseeing of the city will take you to all the most important sights, including the tomb of Tamalane, also known as Amir Timur, as well as Registan Square, bordered on three sides with immense madrassahs all intricately decorated and hiding a wealth of rooms and courtyards behind their grand facades. You will also visit the mosque of Bibi Khanum, once the largest in Central Asia but unfortunately unable to withstand the earthquakes suffered in the area. Also make a stop at the large city bazaar. Home to endless piles of spices, sweets, dried fruits, vegetables and bread, the bazaar is a noisy and colourful place that is definitely worth a visit. (B) DAY 13: SAMARKAND Enjoying a free day in Samarkand, there are still plenty of sites of interest, including the Ulug Beg Observatory or the museum of Afrosiyab, home to Sogdian relics. The city also has an array of wide boulevards and long parks built by the Soviets, surrounded by early 20th century houses and larger late-soviet concrete structures, making it a wonderful city to explore on foot at a leisurely pace. (B) DAY 14: SAMARKAND - TASHKENT This morning you will drive back to Tashkent in time for your return flight. (B)

6 ACCOMMODATION BUKHARA MINZIFA HOTEL The Minzifa is a small stylish guesthouse located in the old town. Built in traditional Uzbek style around a central courtyard, this friendly, charming hotel features the most refined Bukharan. When entering the hotel notice the ancient wooden gates adorned by openwork carving. Throughout the building you ll see the old decorative method of ganch carving by famous craftsmen dynasties of Uzbekistan. All of the twelve rooms are individually decorated and have modern private bathrooms and air-conditioning. The hotel offers personal service and a delicious breakfast is served each morning. A recommended choice when staying in Bukhara. KHIVA ORIENT STAR HOTEL Contained inside the 19th century Mukhamed Aminkhan Madrassah, the Orient Star enjoys a faultless location within the walls of Ichan Qala, the medieval citadel in the heart of Khiva. Only a short walk from the city's mosques, madrassas, palaces and hammams, the building used to be the biggest operational madrassah of the city and held up to 250 students. The traditional building now features sixty simply decorated but comfortable and clean en suite rooms. Once cells of the students who studied here, each room is a historical and architectural adventure. The restaurant and bar, situated in another madrasah next to the hotel, offers Uzbek meals and local wine. NUKUS JIPEK JOLY HOTEL Signifying Silk Road in Uzbek, the Jipek Joly is a small simple hotel, easily accessible from the airport. The five rooms are decorated in traditional Karakalpak style with local fabrics and wooden beds and each features a sitting area and television. There is a courtyard patio for outdoor sitting where an Uzbek or European breakfast is served as well as other meals on request. Only a five minute walk away is the Nukus Amphitheatre and walk a little further to reach quaint bazaars, perfect for souvenir shopping. NURATA NURATA GUESTHOUSE The Nurata Guesthouse Association comprises of seven guesthouses across five villages in the Nurata mountains. At the guesthouse you will live with the family and be able to observe and join in with their daily lives as well as exploring the area on foot or by donkey. The guesthouses are very simple with bedrooms decorated with rugs and featuring kurpacha mattresses. In the winter the guesthouses are heated with hot coals and in the summer it is possible to sleep outside. Outdoor bathroom facilities include showers, western flush toilets and running water. Home cooked meals are taken with the family, the ingredients mainly coming from the guesthouse s own vegetable gardens and animals.

7 SAMARKAND MALIKA PRIME HOTEL The Malika Prime Hotel enjoys one of the best locations in Samarkand, just by the Gur Emir Mausoleum and within walking distance of Registan Square. Built in traditional style, this charming hotel is an ideal place to stay in Samarkand. The marble entrance and stairs lead up to a huge terrace which serves as a summer restaurant and bar where you can enjoy a drink and magnificent views of the blue domes of Samarkand. There is also an air-conditioned restaurant downstairs. The twenty two en suite rooms are quite small but spotlessly clean, with wooden floors and air-conditioning. TASHKENT MIRAN INTERNATIONAL HOTEL Miran International Hotel is a five star hotel located close to the airport in Tashkent and is only a fifteen minute walk from Amir Temur Square. The hotel provides one hundred and forty extremely spacious well-appointed rooms, equipped with luxurious bath robes and slippers. The award winning hotel offers an extensive variety of cuisines from traditional to European and Oriental, all served with Uzbek hospitality. The Lounge bar is ideal for unwinding at the end of the day with a cocktail and live jazz music after a soak in the indoor pool and Jacuzzi. Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel Ltd Tel +44 (0) info@wildfrontierstravel.com Website wildfrontierstravel.com