Uzbekistan: Itinerary Options with a Guide or Independent Travel - Uzbekistan

НА: Uzbekistan: Itinerary Options with a Guide or Independent Travel

Christopher Hare — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 10:57:06 +0000

In Khiva, beautiful lighting has been installed throughout the old city (Itchan-Kala). The lighting is turned on at sunset. In Samarkand, the Registan is beautifully illuminated. In Bukhara, the lighting is more modest, but at the Ark Fortress, you can negotiate with the local guards to go up to the wall, which offers a view of the illuminated evening Bukhara. They approach and offer, and from there, it depends on your bargaining skills.

НА: Uzbekistan: Itinerary Options with a Guide or Independent Travel

medikamentoz20 — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 10:56:06 +0000

I would appreciate your help in choosing evening tour routes in Tashkent, Bukhara, Samarkand, and Khiva. Which streets and landmarks are beautifully illuminated, and perhaps there are musical fountains as well?

НА: Uzbekistan: Itinerary Options with a Guide or Independent Travel

Joseph Holdsworth — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 10:18:29 +0000

It depends on why you're going to Shahrisabz and which guide you'll have. I've seen Samarkand multiple times, but I went to Shahrisabz for work and didn't expect to see anything impressive there (to be honest, I wasn't particularly moved by Samarkand either, except for a couple of monuments). However, the road through the Kitab Pass and the Gissar Nature Reserve was absolutely breathtaking! And even though we’ve visited Chimgan, Beldersay, and have gone up to the mountains near Tashkent several times—so mountain landscapes aren't new to me—the Gissar Mountains are different. They’re just... otherworldly. And really amazing. The views on the road in Chimgan aren't like that, and the feeling there is different too. You simply can’t compare them. As for Shahrisabz... if I hadn't met that guide, I wouldn’t have been able to say anything about its monuments.

P.S. I’ve listed different names in the text. If you're planning a trip, google them, check out the views, and decide if it’s something you’re interested in.

НА: Uzbekistan: Itinerary Options with a Guide or Independent Travel

Benjamin Webster — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 10:17:10 +0000

@holdsworthjoseph29 Yes, I agree with you: a good guide is very important. That's why I started this thread in the first place. But here, unfortunately, you can't always predict it. We considered going to Shahrisabz, but the majority of reviews here weren't exactly glowing, and we were running out of time, so we decided not to go. Although we probably should have—it felt like we were just short of experiencing that natural beauty, which might have been compensated for by the beautiful road through the pass.

НА: Uzbekistan: Itinerary Options with a Guide or Independent Travel

Joseph Holdsworth — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 10:14:45 +0000

If you're planning an independent trip through Uzbekistan, don't miss Shahrisabz. It's located not far from Samarkand, just a couple of hours' drive through the stunning Gissar Nature Reserve. The air is incredible, and the high-mountain landscapes are breathtaking. There's not much to see in Shahrisabz itself, but I was particularly impressed by the remnants of the Ak-Saray, the residence of Timur. I found it even more impressive than the Bibi-Khanym Mosque in Samarkand. It's more authentic, more ancient—still untouched by restoration or the fresh whitewashing that often strips ancient buildings of their spirit.

I was also incredibly lucky to meet an unexpected guide—an artist selling paintings at the entrance to Ak-Saray. He turned out to be a graduate of the Institute of Arts, and his thesis was devoted to the restoration of Ak-Saray. This young man had recreated a three-dimensional, hand-painted model of the palace out of paper! He spoke about the ruins in such a way that ancient scenes seemed to come to life before my eyes, the stunning colors of the mosaic in the baths danced in my mind, and he showed me the differences between the layers of the palace... Listening to him was an experience in itself—and then we returned to Samarkand, driving back through the beautiful mountain pass.

You can also visit the Plateau of the Demons, a mystical place not far from Samarkand.

НА: Uzbekistan: Itinerary Options with a Guide or Independent Travel

Jacob Lloyd — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 10:13:38 +0000

For those who is still planning their trip , I'd like to share how it turned out for us in the end. We were also undecided about whether to spend one day in Samarkand and two days in Bukhara, or the other way around. We decided to figure it out on the spot.

We arrived early in the morning in Samarkand and went straight to the hotel, where we rested a little until 9 AM. (The hotel called us the day before our departure to confirm everything and offered to meet us and check us in early for a symbolic fee)))) We agreed to this.

Since we were staying right by the walls of the Guri Emir Mausoleum, we immediately went to explore it, then walked along the "tourist trail." We were very tired after the overnight flight and didn't make it to the Ulugh Beg Observatory. But we saw quite a lot. Looking back, I think I would do it differently now. I would visit the Guri Emir Mausoleum and then take a taxi to the farthest point, gradually working my way back towards the hotel. It would have been a bit easier. Instead, we walked from the Guri Emir Mausoleum, saw the Rukhabad Mausoleum, Registan Square, Bibi-Khanum Mosque, wandered through the market, had lunch, and after exploring the Shah-i-Zinda complex and Hazrat Khizr Mosque, we started heading back towards the hotel. We didn't have the strength to continue to the observatory and other sites. By the time we were on our way back, it was already dark, and we stopped to admire the illuminated Registan Square.

We had the "Around the World" app on our phone, which offers a free audio tour of Samarkand. It's very convenient. There are two options—follow a set route or a "free" tour. With GPS enabled, the app detects your location and starts speaking about the place you're at. I also had the Guide Uz app, but I didn't like it. It's better to print information from the internet and read it on-site.

The next day, the weather worsened, and it started raining, so we decided to leave Samarkand for Bukhara by train, which departs at 12 PM. In the morning, we visited the Aksaray Mausoleum in the rain and then left for Bukhara. But in the end, we still didn’t have enough time for Samarkand. I think it’s better to leave on the evening train, which arrives in Bukhara around 1:30 AM. Then, you can just sleep in a bit longer in the morning. Bukhara is more compact, and it's easier to walk around there.

In the evening of our arrival in Bukhara (by the time we arrived and checked in, it was already 5 PM), it was also raining. We only managed to visit Chor Minor (which was near our hotel, as we stayed near Lyabi-Hauz) and take a walk around Lyabi-Hauz.

The next morning, we took a taxi and visited three countryside sites: the Bahauddin Naqshbandi Complex, the Sitorai-Mohi-Khosa Palace, and the Chor-Bakr Necropolis. After lunch, we got out of the taxi near the Samanid Mausoleum. This took us half a day, though we weren't in a rush and took our time exploring everything. In the remaining time, we were able to see almost everything planned for Bukhara. But honestly, it was a bit too much. It would be better to split it up. However, we had plans for the following day that later changed, so we didn’t have to rush on the first day.

The next day, when our plans were canceled, we again walked around Bukhara, but since we'd already seen almost everything the day before, this day felt a bit empty. The weather was still chilly, so options like going to the lake weren’t really appealing.

So, in the end, we didn’t have enough time for Samarkand, but we had more than enough for Bukhara. On the evening of the second day, we took the night train to Tashkent, but unfortunately, we didn’t manage to see much there because of a heavy downpour. I guess Tashkent will have to wait for another time.

By the way, it was cheaper to buy train tickets locally. But we traveled at a time when buying tickets wasn’t a problem. Perhaps it’s more difficult during the high season, but I’m not sure.

НА: Uzbekistan: Itinerary Options with a Guide or Independent Travel

Hartley Woolf — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 10:10:12 +0000

There are many things to see in Bukhara:

Ark – an ancient citadel, the lower layers of the construction date back to around the 7th-4th centuries BC.
Mausoleum of the Samanids – a dynastic tomb of the Samanid dynasty. Built in 892 AD. The oldest Islamic monument of Islamic architecture.
Kalyan Minaret – a famous minaret. Built in 1127 AD.
Zindan – the ancient prison of the khanate.
Magoki-Attori Mosque – the first mosque in Bukhara. Before the Arabs arrived, this building served as a moon temple.
Ulugh Beg Madrasah.
Modari Khan Madrasah.
Mir-i-Arab Madrasah.
Abdullah Khan Madrasah.
Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasah.
If desired, the Chor Bakr Necropolis – a famous necropolis.
The summer palace of Mohei Khosa – it’s just a must-see.
The ancient covered bazaars.
Chor Minor Madrasah – an unusual madrasah with four distinctive minarets, each of which features architectural elements from different religions.
The ancient men's baths.
Bolo Haouz.
Noghay Caravanserai. And so on.

НА: Uzbekistan: Itinerary Options with a Guide or Independent Travel

Jacob Lloyd — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 10:08:26 +0000

We’re also planning to follow a similar route at the same time. And we also had one big question—1 day in Samarkand and 2 in Bukhara, or the other way around?))))

Hartley, thank you very much for your post. Could we ask you to share your thoughts on what’s worth seeing in Bukhara? We’ve also started leaning towards leaving Samarkand for Bukhara by train in the afternoon.

НА: Uzbekistan: Itinerary Options with a Guide or Independent Travel

Hartley Woolf — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 10:06:03 +0000

It’s better to spend 1 day in Samarkand and 2 days in Bukhara.

In Samarkand, there are about 18 major historical buildings and structures, of which you should definitely see at least the following, ranked by importance:

Registan – The triumvirate of the Tilla-Kari, Ulugh Beg, and Sher-Dor madrasahs.
Gur-e-Amir – The tomb of Timur.
Shah-i-Zinda ensemble – The ancient necropolis.
Bibi-Khanym Mosque – One of the largest mosques in Asia, built by Timur’s wife.
Ulugh Beg Observatory.
Aksaray Mausoleum, etc.

In Bukhara, there are about 40 major buildings and structures, and at least 20 of them must be visited. If you’d like, I can write a list. And definitely make sure to visit the women’s bathhouse. :)

In Samarkand, the buildings are located along the main street, which is about 7 km long. In Bukhara and Khiva, the main buildings and structures are mostly situated close to each other, except for the country palace of the Khan.

In Khiva, there are over 44.

In Bukhara and Khiva, you will step back in time. It feels as though time has stopped there.

In Khorezm, I recommend seeing the ancient remains of fortresses and settlements that are over 2,000 years old.

НА: Uzbekistan: Itinerary Options with a Guide or Independent Travel

Wing Lee — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 10:05:14 +0000

For the first time one day was enough for me in Samarkand