Uzbekistan travel and tourism. Navruz trip-Asian spring 2018 | Novotours Travel Agency, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

MainToursTours with fixed datesNavruz – Asian spring holiday 2018

Navruz – Asian spring holiday 2018

Information
Countries	Uzbekistan
Duration	7 days / 6 nights
Route	Tashkent – Samarkand – Bukhara – Gijduvan – Bukhara – Tashkent
Transport type	Train and sedan car /bus

Route map

Tour programm

Arrival in Tashkent by international flight, passing border and passport control (about 1 hour). Meeting, welcoming tourists, transfer to hotel and check-in is after 14:00.

City tour along the old part of city:
Architectural complex “Khazret-Imam” incl. necropolis of imam Abu Bakr Muhammad al-Kaffal Shashi who was one of the first Muslim imams and a famous divine and poet (16^th c), “Barak-khan Medressa” – built by Suyunidj-khan – the first ruler of the Uzbek dynasty of the Sheibanid’s (16^th c), “Tellya Sheikh Medressa” also called “Khast Imom Mosque”, where Osman Quran – the world’s oldest is kept (19^th c), “Juma Mosque” (15-19^th cc) and bazaar “Chorsu”.

City tour along the modern part of city:
Square of the Navoi Grand Opera and Ballet Theater, “Independence square” – the main square of the city, Amir Timur Square, “Monument of Courage” (1976 y.) – the epicenter of the Tashkent earthquake of 1966 year. Visiting of Applied Arts museum.

Overnight is in Tashkent.

Breakfast is in the hotel.
07:00 – Transfer to the train station.
08:00 – Departure to Samarkand by high speed train “Afrosiоb” (350 km).
10:08 – Arrival in Samarkand. Meeting at the train station, transfer and accommodation in the hotel.

City tour along Samarkand:
The architectural complex Shahi-Zinda (Alive king) – necropolis on the slope of the Afrosiab hill is connected with Kusam ibn Abbas – the cousin of Prophet Muhammad (11-15th c). Gur Emir Mausoleum – Tamerlan’s tomb (14-15th c.) that was built for Temur’s grandson Muhammad-Sultan and the tombs of three other Temurids – sons of Temur – Miranshah and Shahruh and his grandson Ulugbek, Ruhabad Mausoleum (“House of Spirit”)(external visit) – the legend says that under the dome there is a box with seven hairs of Prophet Muhammad (14th c.), Registan Square (“A sandy place”) – the major square of Samarkand: Ulugbeg Madrassah – Sheikh Khodja Akhrar and poet Djami were among outstanding graduates of the Madrassah (15th c.), Sher-Dor Madrassah (“Having tigers”) (17th c.), Tillya-Kari Madrassah (“Coated by gold”) – the rich gilding on the dome, walls and mihrab surpassed all other famous buildings in Central Asia (17th c.). Cathedral mosque Bibi-Khanym that was named after the oldest wife of Tamerlan (14th c.) and world famous Samarkand bazaar – “Siyob”.

Overnight is in Samarkand.

Breakfast is in the hotel.

Visit to the place of celebration of the national festival “Navruz”.

“Navruz” in Persian means “new day”, or “a new day of the new year”, to be precise. This day is celebrated on March 21st, which is on the day of vernal equinox, and it symbolizes the beginning of a calendar year.

As any celebration of the new year day, Navruz is, first of all, a merry festival. But unlike European New Year Day, Navruz is celebrated in the daytime.

Various and plentiful meal is the height of the festival, which is held in the hope of the coming profitable and bumper-crop year. On the day of the festival different national dishes are served up: pilov (meat dish with rice), shurpa (vegetable soup), boiled mutton or beef, kuk-samsa (patty with greens) and sweet nishalda (dessert made of eggs whisked with sugar). But the culmination of the holiday is sumalak – a ritual meal, which citizens of our republic can taste once a year, whereas the guests, very likely, can do it once in their life. Sumalak is made from flour and wheat sprouts, which are the symbols of eternal life. It is notable that sumalak-making process is accompanied by women’s singing of special short verses, dancing, joking and telling stories.

These days in many cities and villages of Uzbekistan colorful festivals and cheerful celebrations of the spring holiday Navruz are held. During the trip, tourists can get a chance to take part in crowded folk festivals and bustling street fairs; feel the true spirit and atmosphere of the Eastern holiday; try a variety of delicious national dishes, which are specially prepared only during the celebration of Navruz; will be able to watch competitions in the national Uzbek sport of Kurash, during which the palvans (wrestlers) will fight with each other for valuable prizes. An integral part of the spring holiday is also the conduct of cock and ram’s fights and traditional Uzbek games, such as chillak, kupkari, tug of war and others. On street squares, street acrobats and circus performers often perform. If guests are lucky enough to get to these festive events, they can watch the wonders of the sleight of street rope-walkers (darvozov), the services of clowns and strongmen.

Overnight is in Samarkand.

Breakfast is in the hotel.
08:45 – Transfer to the train station.
09:43 – Departure to Bukhara by high speed train “Afrosiоb” (280 km).
11:17 – Arrival in Bukhara. Meeting at the train station, transfer and accommodation in the hotel.

After lunch city tour along Bukhara (walking tour along the old town):
“Khanaka and madrassah of Nadir Divan-Beghi” – a massive rectangular structure that was a place for the refuge and meditation of Sufis (17th c.), “Kukeldash Madrassah” (16th c.) – one of the biggest Bukhara madrassah, “Lyabi-Hauz” ensemble – the largest artificial reservoir of medieval Bukhara – is very popular among tourists (14-17th cc.),

Complex “Poi Kalon” (“Beneath the Great”): “Kalyan Minaret” – the main symbol of sacred Bukhara that symbolized authority and power of spiritual governors. (12th c.), “Kalyan Mosque“- its area of 130×80 m surpasses Bibi-Khanym mosque in Samarkand, “Miri Arab Madrassah” – active madrassah is one of the most esteemed spiritual Islamic universities (16th c.), “Taki Zargaron” – the dome of jewelers (15-16th cc.), “Ulugbeg Madrassah” – one of the 3 madrassahs constructed by grandson of Tamerlan – Ulugbeg (15th c.), “Abdulaziz-khan Madrassah” – a traditional madrassah with 2 floors of hudjras and a mosque on the central axis ( mid. of 17th c.), “Tim of Abdullah-Khan madrassah” (1588-1590 yy.), atlas shops.

Overnight is in Bukhara.

Breakfast is in the hotel.
Departure to Gijduvan (46 km from Bukhara).

Visit the museum of ceramics in Gijduvan, where hereditary master ceramists Abdullo and Alisher Narzullaevy work together with students and families. The museum complex includes a museum of ceramics, an exhibition hall, a ceramic workshop and a traditional building.

In Uzbekistan there are several famous ancient centers for the production of ceramics, each of which is peculiar and different in style. It’s presented the main ones of them in the museum.

Lunch is in the house of the ceramist, during which you can taste the menu of Gijduvan cuisine.

Master-class of preparation of the national Uzbek dish “kovurma-lagman”. Demonstration of baking national Uzbek bread “cake”.

If desired, guests can try and knead and bake a cake in tandyr (clay oven) .

In the ceramic workshop one can see the process of making traditional ceramic dishes – hand-molded on pottery circles, painting, an old way of making glaze with the help of a mill rotated by a donkey, finally, with firing, which is made in traditional ovens – humidons. Guests can participate in this process themselves.

Also, during the visit to the workshop, at the request of the guests, the female part of the group can get acquainted and take part in the process of applying the traditional Uzbek make-up: drawing osma on the eyebrows, see how Uzbek girls and women have been doing it for many years for better growth and denser brow .

Traditionally, with the arrival of spring, the female population planted sprouts of the osma, and with the appearance of the first leaves the girls gathered at the canal and drew each other on the eyebrows, talking and singing the songs. It’s continued throughout the warm season. The osma gives the eyebrows a thick dark greenish color, and if applied regularly, the greenish shade disappears, and the eyebrows become black and thick.

Return to Bukhara.
Overnight is in Bukhara.

Breakfast is in the hotel.

Continuation of the city tour along Bukhara (walking tour along the old town):
“Magoki-Attari Mosque” – the most ancient mosque in Bukhara (12th c.) is considered a masterpiece of Bukhara architecture. “Mausoleum of the Samanids” – the most ancient brick building in Central Asia, a masterpiece of world architecture (9-10th c.). The mausoleum of Chashma Ayub that belongs to esteemed “places of trace” left by saints (14th c.). – the legend says that once the bible prophet Job (Ayub) visited this place. Museum of Imam Al Bukhari. “Bolo-Houz Mosque” – the only monument of medieval Bukhara (beg. of 20th c.), “Ark fortress” is the center of Bukhara statehood (4th c. BC), silk carpet shops and visit of Jewish quarter.

14:30 – Transfer to the train station.
15:52 – Departure to Tashkent by high speed train “Afrosiоb” (592 km).
19:40 – Arrival in Tashkent. Meeting at the train station, transfer and accommodation in the hotel.
Overnight is in Tashkent.

Breakfast is the hotel.
Check out the hotel till 12:00.
Transfer to airport.
Departure from Tashkent by international flight.

Tour cost per 1 pax:

Quantity of tourists	Double/Twin or triple accommodation
2	4 843 000 UZS
3	4 762 000 UZS
4	4 192 000 UZS
5	3 858 000 UZS
6	3 630 000 UZS
8	3 655 000 UZS
9	3 516 000 UZS
12	3 655 000 UZS
14	3 492 000 UZS
16	3 370 000 UZS
18	3 264 000 UZS
20	3 191 000 UZS
25	3 053 000 UZS
30	2 955 000 UZS
Supplement for single accommodation	806 000 UZS

The tour price includes

Accommodation at the following or similar hotels as per program:
– in Tashkent: “Uzbekistan” (4*) or similar (2 nights);
– in Samarkand: “Malika Classic” (3*) or similar (2 nights);
– in Bukhara: “Fatima” (3*) or similar (2 nights);
Meals –breakfasts – 6 and lunch – 1 on Day 5;
Transport services throughout program:
-for up to 2 pax on comfortable sedan car (up to 3 seats) with A/C;
-for 3-6 pax on comfortable microbus (up to 10 seats) with A/C;
-for 8-10 pax on comfortable microbus (up to 17 seats) with A/C;
-for 12-30 pax on comfortable bus (up to 43 seats) with A/C;
English speaking local guides for excursion in Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva;
Entrance fees for all excursion objects in program;
Train tickets Tashkent-Samarkand, Samarkand-Bukhara and Bukhara-Tashkent (economy class);
Visa support for Uzbekistan.

The tour price doesn't include:

International air-tickets;
Charge for consular fee at the Embassy of Uzbekistan;
Meals: lunch and dinners;
Charges for entries with photo- & video cameras;
Any personal expenses;
Tips for guides and drivers.

Note: the program may change at booking time.

Tours over Central Asia and the Great Silk Road / Tours with fixed dates in Uzbekistan