3-stans tour in Central Asia: 17 days

Flight to Dushanbe.

Arrival in Dushanbe International Airport.

Migration formalities usually take 20 min to 60 min: visa/passport control and baggage claim. 

Come out of the terminal and meet the driver and guide holding a sign “ANUR TOUR” or with your name on it.

Transfer to the hotel to drop off the bags. Standard check-in (14:00).

Start Dushanbe sightseeing tour visiting:

- Tajik National Museum of Antiquities with the biggest Buddha in Nirvana.

The Museum consists of 22 exhibition halls with departments of nature, antiquity and the Middle Ages, modern history, fine and applied arts.

- Tajik flagpole-one of  the World tallest flagpoles (165-meter flagpole);

- Main square of Dushanbe. The Monument of Ismoili Somoni - the forefather of Tajik Nation located in the main square. A 40-meter-high monument built to the memory of Ismaili Saman-Khuda, founder of the Samanid dynasty;

- Mehrgon Bazaar - one of the biggest markets of Dushanbe;

- Gissar Fortress- the remains of the Bukhara Emirate Beck’s palace. Its thick walls once guarded a pool, garden, and palace, while the fortress itself opposed a noisy market and caravanserai. The place was famous for its center of commerce during the Silk Road. You will also be able to visit the Old Madrassa (Madrasai Kuhna) of the 16-17th century with a museum inside, the new Madrassa of the 17-18th  century as well as Caravan Saray.

Transfer to the hotel.

Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 Transfer to Khujand (300 km - 5 hours). 

Khujand was the furthest point Alexander the Great reached in Central Asia, the city was named Alexandria Eschate (Alexandria the Farthest), the city became one of the important trade centers of the Great Silk Road.

Start of the excursion program: 

- Pushkin square with Kamoli Khudjandi Square;

- Timur Malik’s fortress and Sugd museum;

- Muslihiddin memorial complex;

- Panjshanbe bazaar (Khujand’s central market that has many stores offering different kind of goods and services. The name Panjshanbe comes from Persian language meaning “Thursday”. Panjshanbe is considered as one of the oldest markets in Tajikistan. The Silk Road which passes Khujand city, had always made Panjshanbe to be crowded with traders and tourists).

- Arbob Palace (Arbob palace had its particular significance in 1992, when it was the place for the meeting of the Tajik Soviet ministers which officially declared independence from the Soviet Union. Also, it was the site where the Tajik flag was chosen).

Transfer to the hotel.

Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel. 

Breakfast in the hotel.

09:00 Transfer to border "Patar Andarxan" (135 km - 2 hours). Border crossing takes about 30 min-1 hr,

Meet the driver at Uzbekistan side of the border.

Transfer to Kokand and meet the guide.

Kokand (mentioned as Khavakand or Kokan derived from a tribal name) is an ancient city that due to favorable location was one of the convenient fortified points of caravan routes in the Great Silk Road.

Nowadays, Kokand is a modern town at the crossroads of Tashkent, Fergana valley to Andijan and the other route to Khujand (Tajikistan) and is considered as one of the most important pre-border points.

Start sightseeing tour around Kokand visiting:

- Khudoyar-Khan Palace of 19th century is listed in the world heritage of UNESCO, at present days houses Kokand Regional History Museum that exibits a unique collection of more than 3000 artefacts from ancient, khanate and tsarist periods of the region.

- Norbut-Biy Madrassah, the largest madrassa in Kokand. The madrassa was built in XVIII century by captured architects as well as the famous Bukharian architect Usto Muhammed Salih Kasim, so the design and construction  is quite typical to some monuments of XVIII Century in  Bukhara.

- Modari Khan Mausoleum (Modari-khan means "Mother of Khan”)  was built in 1825 by order of the widow of Umarkhan,  famous poetess Nodira to honor the tomb of her mother-in-law. Since then the mausoleum became the family mausoleum where most of the female members of khan family were buried.

- Rishton (50 km west of Fergana) famous all over the world for its pottery that is decorated according to ancient tradition that is more than 800 years. Masters hand down their trade secrets from father to son. The unique red clay ceramic masterpieces are decorated with naturally made ultramarine, turquoise and azure ornaments known as blue glaze "ishkor",

- Workshop of the famous potter Rustam Umarov where visitors are welcome to observe the finest Rishtan ceramics in wonderful hand made and painted tea sets and lagans and beautifully decorated jugs and vases.

Transfer to Fergana.

Resting time in the evening. Overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 Meet the guide at the lobby.

Continue sightseeing in Fergana valley:

- Fergana is a relatively young city that was founded as a strategic fortified point in Turkestan in 1876 during tsarist period of the region. The town was initially called as New Margilan, further in soviet period renamed as Fergona in 1924. Nowadays, Fergana is a flourishing beautiful town and despite its young history became the central point of Fergana valley.

- Visit Ahmad Al-Fargoni monumental complex ;

- Continue to Margilan. Margilan (“Marg” from Persian green grass, “lon”- “place“) was inhabited settlement in Fergana valley since IV-III Centuries BC, the town was well known for its crafts and finest silk fabrics from the Great Silk Road period  up to now.

- Said-Ahmad Hodji Madrassah where craftsmen produce original silk carpets,

- Silk factory Yodgorlik where visitors are welcome to observe the process of silk manufacture with traditional decoration “ikat”.

Transfer to Andijan to visit

- Bobur Literary museum with unique collection of literary works of Zahiriddin Muhammad Bobur, an outstanding  ruler and the founder of Mogol Empire,

- Art and Literature Museum,

- Memorial park complex on the Bog-I Shamol named after Zahiriddin Muhammad Bobur is one of the most beautiful places in Andijan, popular among the locals and the visitors of the city.

Resting time in the evening. Overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 Transfer to the Uzbek- Kyrgyz border  Dostyk (ETA 09:00)

Border crossing formalities (40 min- 1, 5 hrs depending on the customs formalities and tourist flow). Meet the guide and driver.

Transfer to Osh, Osh  is the oldest city in Kyrgyzstan,  for sightseeing tour visiting

- Suleiman Mountain. Suleiman Too (Suleiman is the prophet Solomon -Suleyman in Quran, “Too “is “mountain”. The museum is the only UNESCO sight of the whole mountain with many sacred places in caves and paths. It is quite unusual – the museum with rare artifacts is located in the largest cave of the mountain. Besides, there are several caves, rocks and niches each with its name. The locals and pilgrims believe every spot of the mountain is sacred and come here to follow the rituals and pray for better life and good health; couples come pray to be blessed with a child. It is believed that every spot of the mountain is sacred. There is a watching platform with beautiful panoramic views to the city and surroundings.

- Osh Bazaar, a colorful bazaar with more than 2000 years history, plays an important role in the Great Silk Road as a major landmark. Nowadays, along the visitors may take a walk around and enjoy shopping in the shops of national clothes, embroidery, handicrafts and souvenirs.

-  Main Square with Lenin statue. Kyrgyz people are very respectful to the history of Soviet period and kept the monument to Lenin in main cities as the country major developments were made during soviet time.

Transfer to the hotel.

Resting time in the evening. Overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to Osh (1 hours - 60 km). 

15:40 Transfer to the Osh local airport. 

16:45 Flight Osh - Bishkek.

17:25 Arrival in Bishkek.

Come out of the terminal and meet the driver holding a sign with your name on it.

Transfer to the hotel.

Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

09.00 Start Bishkek sightseeing tour visiting:

- Oak Park, the city center. It is known also as Dubovy Park - today it is one of the favorite places among locals and tourists in Bishkek. 

- Ala-Too Square is the central square in Bishkek. It serves as a place for state events and celebrations. Philharmonic hall – situated at the top of Rose Alley.

- Statue of Manas (Manas is a legendary Kyrgyz hero and the classic centerpiece of Kyrgyz literature).

- Victory Square where one can see the Victory monument, a memorial was completed in 1984. Usually, the main festival events are held in Bishkek at the eternal flame, on Victory Square with the guard of honor, forces of Kyrgyz garrison and a military band.

- State History Museum is a perfect display of the Kyrgyz people and the history of the country of Kyrgyzstan.

- Visit the colorful central bazaar and TSUM (Department Store). 

Transfer to the Issyk-Kyl lake (~ 2 hours, 260 km) en-route visiting

-En-route stop at Burana Tower (11th-century minaret) and an open-air museum of Balbans (stone warriors), which marks the original site of the Karakhanid town, Balasagun;

- Issyk-Kyl lake is one of the most wonderful lakes in the world, located in the north-eastern part of the Kyrgyz Republic. Issyk Kul is translated as “Hot Lake” and is considered as one of "the pearls of Central Asia". Due to the salty water, Lake Issyk Kul possesses curative qualities. There are many activities that entertain people on the beach: windsurfing, scooters, aqua parks, parachutes and rides on boats and ships. In winter there are also spots of alpinism where people enjoy incredible landscapes.

Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 Transfer to Karakol en-route visiting

- Ancient stone inscriptions (dating back to 800 B.C.). These petroglyphs were made more than 2 000 years ago by shamans. They depict wolves, long-horned ibex, goats, horses, snow leopards, sacrifices and some hunting scenes.

Arrival in Karakol, start light sightseeing tour visiting

- The wooden Russian-orthodox church;

- Dungan mosque is one of the most famous places in Karakol town. The most interesting thing is that it is built without a single metal nail. More than 100 years ago there was a Chinese master who lived in this town. Dungans are people from China who had Muslim religion. The construction was made of bricks and wood and decorated with various ornaments.

- Museum of N.M. Przewalski (Russian explorer of Asian continent).

Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 Transfer to Jeti Oguz gorge.

- Jeti Oguz gorge is famous for its red rocks formations that have the name Seven Bulls – Jeti Oguz. One can see there the Broken Heart Mountain, one of the most popular places among locals and visitors. By request, light hiking tour to go on a top of a mountain (20 minutes) to see a panorama view of the gorge.

- Continue to Bokonbaevo village, to stop for a local eagle-hunting show. The eagles are fed to hunt hares and foxes (a traditional way of nomadic hunting). After excursion transfer to Bishkek.

Arrival in Bishkek in the afternoon.

Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel,

Transfer to Manas International Airport.

Morning departure flight from Bishkek.

End of the tour.