CENTRAL
ASIA WITH IRAN
Duration: 22 days/21 nights
Route: Almaty-Bishkek-Issyk
Kul-Taraz-Chimkent-Tashkent-Ferghana-Rishtan
– Kokand – Ferghana
– Margilan – Kuva
– Andijan – Ferghana
- Tashkent-Samarkand-Penjikent-Samarkand-Shakhrisabz-Bukhara-Mary-Serakhs-Mashad-Tehran-Shiraz-Isfahan-Tehran |
| 1
day. Tehran-Almaty |
| P.M.
Arrival to Almaty. Accommodation
at hotel. |
| 2
day. Almaty- Bishkek |
Breakfast. Short city tour includes:
• National Museum
• Bazaar
Drive to Bishkek.
Sightseeing incl:
• Kirgiz National House |
| 3
day. Bishkek-Issyk Kul |
Breakfast.
Drive to Issyk Kul lake.
On the way SS of:
• Burana Tower
• Ak Bishim ruins
Arrival and accommodation at
hotel.
Lunch at local kyrgyz family
house. SS on Issyk Kul lake.
• Cholpon Ata Rock Paintings
site Museum
|
| 4
day. Issyk Kul-Bishkek - Taraz
|
Breakfast.
Drive to Taraz via Bishkek.
Crossing the Kyrgyz –
Kazakh border.
Arrival and accommodation at
hotel.
|
| 5
day. Taraz-Chimkent- Tashkent
|
Breakfast.
Transfer to Tashkent via Chimkent
by coach on the way SS of:
• Battle of Taraz riverside
• Aishabibi Mausoleum
Lunch on the way in Chimkent.
Transfer to Kazakh – Uzbek
border. Change bus and guide.
|
| 6
day. Tashkent – Ferghana
- Rishtan – Kokand - Ferghana
|
 Breakfast.
Transfer to airport. Flight
to Ferghana by HY- 1021 at 07:50.
Arrival at 09:10. Drive to Rishtan.
SS incl:
• Pottery Center
Drive to Kokand. Sightseeing
incl:
• Khudoyar Khan Palace
• Djuma Mosque
• Modari Khan
• Mausoleum Dakhma Shokhon
Back to Ferghana.
|
| 7
day. Ferghana- Margilan- Kuva-Andijan-Ferghana
|
Breakfast.
Drive to Margilan. SS incl:
• Margilan Bazaar
Drive to Kuva. SS incl:
• Buddhist Fortress
Drive to Andijan. SS incl:
• Juma Mosque & Madrassah
• Regional Museum
• Babur Literary Museum
Back to Ferghana.
|
| 10
day. Ferghana – Tashkent
|
 Breakfast.
Flight to Tashkent by HY 1402
at 11:55.Arrival to Tashkent
at 13:10.
Sightseeing in Tashkent incl:
• Amir Temur Square –
central park with the statue
of Amir Temur on the horseback
and so called “Broadway”.
• Navoi Theatre –
this is one of the building
in Tashkent which has its own
personality. Planning and construction
is started in 1940 and Japanese
prisoners of war completed construction
in 1947.
• Japanese cemetery -
After World War II Japanese
prisoners were deported to Central
Asia through Siberia. Most of
them returned to Japan after
several years and 79 of them
who died are resting in this
cemetery
|
| 11
day. Tashkent - Samarkand |
 Breakfast.
Drive to Samarkand.
Sightseeing incl:
• Bazaar
• Bibi Khanum mosque (XIVc)
built by Timur to be biggest
mosque at time. Architect, craftsmen
& painters built in 5 years.
• Afrasiab Hill –
is a place of hill-fort Afrasiab,
named after legendary king of
Turan. Behind defensive ramparts
with corridors, arrow slits
built of unbaked brick, waterproof
reeds and anti-seismic juniper,
lived Sogdians. From 6th c.
BC city faced lots of invasion
and renewals until 1220 AD,
when it was totally destroyed
by Chingiz Khan.
• Afrasiab Museum –
each hall of the museum contains
exhibits of some certain period
of history of Afrasiab. There
is also a hall with remarkable
ancient wall paintings special
lightening.
• Registan Square (XV–XVIIc)
official center of Timur Empire,
cosist of grandious madrasahs
of Ulugbek, Sher Dor & Tillya
Kari.
|
| 12
day. Samarkand - Penjikent |
 Breakfast.
Drive to Uzbek – Tadjik
border for 1 day sightseeing
in Penjikent:
• Museum of Rudaki –
As Penjikent is a birthplace
of Abu Abdallah Rudaki, considered
by many to be the father of
Persian Poetry.
• Bazaar
Lunch at local Tea-House.
• Ancient Penjikent -
ruins of old Sogdian town founded
in 5th century and abandoned
in th 8th century by arabs.
Foundations of houses, a citadel
with a couple of Zoroastrian
fire temples and city bazaar
are visible in the excavated
ruins.
Back to Samarkand.
|
| 13
day. Samarkand – Shakhrisabz
- Bukhara |
Breakfast.
Drive to Bukhara via Shakhrisabz.
Sightseeing of Shakhrisabz incl:
• Ak Saray (white Palace)
– Timur’s summer
palace.
Lunch at local family. Drive
to Bukhara. Arrival.
|
| 14
day. Bukhara |
 Breakfast.
Full day SS of:
• ARK Fortress (VI –
XIX c) – in middle ages
it was a whole town with the
emirs house, with wives, mosques
mint place, government institutes,
store rooms, a prison and a
square for public executions:
• Bolo Khauz Mosque (1712)
Mosque Near the Pool.
• Samanid’s mausoleum
(IX – X c) – it
was the first building in Central
Asia constructed from backed
bricks in the shape of a cube
covered by a dome with unrepeatable
geometrical brickwork design
– a masterpiece of world
architecture
• Poikalon (XII –
XVI c) architectural ensemble
in the center of old Bukhara
– includes the cathedral
mosque “Masjidi Kalon”,
“Miri Arab” madrasah
and the highest minaret (46
m) at that time in the Orient
• Trading Domes consists
of three trading centers: Tok-i-Zargaron
(1570) – Jeweler’s
Bazaar, Tok-i-Tilpak Furushon
– Cap Maker’s Bazaar,
Tok-i-Sarrafon – Moneychanger’s
Bazaar.
• Nadir Devon Begi madrassah
• Mir Arab Madrassah
• Chashma Ayub Mausoleum
– the original construction
dates from the 12th century
rule of Karakhanid Arslan Khan,
the earliest surviving dome
was raised by Amir Temur in
1380 over the existing tomb
chamber.
• Lyabi – Haus (XVI
– XVII c) – a complex
with Nodir – Devon Begi
madrasahs big pool surrounded
by trees
• Sitorai Mohi –
Khosa (XIX c) – amir’s
country residence – constructed
in a tight combination of local
and European traditions in the
countryside near Bukhara. The
halls of the palace are richly
decorated with carpets &
paintings.
Dinner and folklore at Nadir
Dewon Begi Madrassah
|
| 15
day. Bukhara - Mary |
Breakfast.
Drive to Mary via Farab border.
Crossing Uzbek – Turkmen
border in Farab.
Change bus and guide.
|
| 16
day. Mary -Merv |
Breakfast.
Drive to Merv for sightseeing:
• Merv ‘pearl of
east’ one of oldest inhabited
cites Central Asia. It was rebuilt
over the centuries spread more
than 100 sq km. Merv is site
of no less than five cities
from different periods, each
built beside last. Sultan Sanjar
mausoleum impresses with size
& solidity, Gayir Kala has
an area of 360 ha, har regular
planning, right contour of walls
and for gates one to each part
of the world.
|
| 17
day. Mary – Sarahs - Mashad
- Tehran |
Breakfast.
Drive to Mashad. Crossing the
border in Sarahs about 12:30.
Lunch in Sarahs.
Arrival to Mashad.
Transfer to airport. Flight
to Teheran by EP 790 at 20:15-22:15
|
| 18
day. Tehran - Shiraz |
 Breakfast.
Fly to Shiraz by IR-427 at 10:30
Arrival at 11:55. Accommodation
at hotel.
Sightseeing incl:
• Saadi and Hafez mausoleum.
• Nashil Al Mosque
• Eram garden
|
| 19
day. Shiraz – Persepolis
– Isfahan |
 Breakfast.
Transfer to Persepolis.
SS includes:
• Persepolis – the
center of the great Persian
Empire, ceremonial capital of
the Achaemenians and the showpiece
of Achaemenian art, Persepolis
(Capital of Persia, in Greek)
is a historic site in Fars Province,
60 km to the northeast of Shiraz
by road, for which the Iranians
have got their own name. Persepolis
was a place for great feasts
and gathering, most notably
for celebrating Iranian new
year “Navruz”, untill
it was burnt to the ground by
Alexander of Macedonia in 330
BC.
Back to Shiraz en route sightseeing
incl:
• Naqsh -e Rostam
• Naqsh -e Rajab
• Tomb and Palace of Cyrus
in Pasargade
Transfer to airport for flight
Shiraz-Isfahan by IR-328 at
20:50-22:00
|
| 20
day. Isfahan |
 Breakfast.
Sightseeing in Isfahan:
• Imam Square and Mosque
• Shaikh Lotfollah Mosque
• Ali Qapu Palace
• Bazaar- e Gheysariye
• Si-o-se pol Bridge
• Juma mosque
After dinner night view of
Imam Square and Bridges.
|
| 20
day, Tue. Isfahan - Tehran |
Breakfast.
Sightseeing of Isfahan incl:
• Vank Cathedral
• Chehel Sotun Palace
Flight to Teheran by IR-252
at 21:15. Arrival . Accommodation.
|
| 21
day, Wed. Tehran - Tokyo |
 Breakfast.
Sightseeing of Tehran:
• Archeology Museum
• Jewel Museum
Lunch with Abu Gooshut.
• Saadabad Palace
Flight out of Tehran.
|
