Navruz in Samarkand and Bukhara Tour

Navruz is one of the most ancient holidays celebrated in the East. It is celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox (21st of March) as one of the most beloved and joyous of holidays. According to the Oriental calendar, this day marks the beginning of a new year; the name of the holiday is translated from Persian as "new day". For the local people, Navruz means more than just a holiday. It is believed that the brighter and merrier the Navruz celebration is, the more generous will nature be to people that year - which is the reason that people dance and celebrate the feast of spring  in every city of Uzbekistan. 
Preparation for the feast begins several days before the holiday. People gather to help each other in cleaning their houses and the city streets. But most important preparation is the cooking of sumalak - a traditional festive dish made of wheat, flour and oil. Preparation of sumalak takes more than 10 hours and is usually accompanied by singing, dancing and laughter to entertain the cooks. The dish is then shared with neighbours. 
On the 21st of March, the cheerful sounds of national instruments invite everyone to central squares and parks. There people organize fairs, featuring works of national crafts and national cuisine, give performances and hold competitions. All this reflects the distinctiveness of the local culture, the devotion to ancient traditions, where national values are strongly preserved. 
With the Navruz in Samarkand and Bukhara Tour, guests have an opportunity to share this heartfelt celebration together with the people of Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent and at the same time visit the architectural and cultural monuments of these ancient cities. In this tour, the cost of accommodation in local hotels is included, providing a comfortable but inexpensive trip. 

Each day of the tour will have a special highlight for guests to participate in the Navruz celebration. So, during the tour guests will:

- Take part in preparation for Navruz celebration together with a local family

- See the process and participate in the preparation of a national festive dish sumalak in a national house

- Participate in the celebration of one of the most important holidays of Uzbekistan - Navruz, in the heart of Samarkand - the Registan Square, together with the citizens of the city

- Take a trip to a family-owned bakery to see how the famous national bread non is prepared

- Have dinner and watch a folklore performance within the walls of a madrasah built in 1622-1623

- See Bukharian masters of gold embroidery at work and visit a museum-shop of their work.

Note: The beginning and ending of the tour is provided in accordance with Uzbekistan Airways flights from and to Frankfurt, Paris, Rome, Istanbul and Moscow (arrival flights 19 March, evening and departure flights 26 March, early morning). The tour organisers would gladly make amendments to the tour to correspond to flight schedules from the guests' destinations upon request. 

Day 1 - Arrival in Tashkent, 19 March

- Arrival in Tashkent

- Accommodation at hotel

- Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 2 - Tashkent - Samarkand, 20 March

- Breakfast at the hotel

- Departure to Samarkand (320 km)

- Arrival in Samarkand and accommodation at the hotel

 - Beginning of the city tour with visiting of: Bibi-Khanim Mosque (14^th-15^th century), the biggest mosque in Central Asia; Shahi Zinda necropolis - an ensemble of mausoleums dating to the 11th to 15th centuries.

- Lunch

- Continuation of the tour with visiting of Afrosiab - one of the biggest remnants of an ancient human settlement in the world

- Transportation to a national house, where bustling preparations for the next day's celebration would be underway. At the national house, guests will have dinner and taste plov, somsa and other national delicacies prepared by the owner of the house

- After dinner, guests will join the women of the house to watch and assist them in the preparation of a traditional festive dish - sumalak. Following old traditions, the cooking will be accompanied by dancing, singing, jokes and stories.

- Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 3 - Samarkand, 21 March

- Breakfast at the hotel

- Beginning of the festive day. Transfer to the main scene of the Navruz celebration in Samarkand - the majestic Registan Square, surrounded by three grand madrasahs. During the celebration, the square is filled with the sounds of national instruments - karnay and surnay, rich national performances and fairs. Here, guests will have an opportunity to take part in the celebration, taste the whole variety of festive dishes like sumalak, khalisa and experience unique local traditions. Guests will also take a tour around Ulugbek Madrasah (15th century), Sherdor Madrasah (17^th century), Tillya-Kari Madrasah (17^th century); and the tomb of the Timurids, the Gur-Emir Mausoleum (15^th century)

- Lunch

- After lunch, guests will be taken to the house of local bread makers to witness and participate in the preparation of the famous national round bread non, baked in special earthen ovens - tandir.

- Afternoon tour to Khzreti Khizr Mosque and Ulugbek Observatory (15^th century), visit to the mausoleum of the biblical prophet Daniel.

- Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 4 - Samarkand - Shakhrisabz - Bukhara, 22 March

- Breakfast at the hotel

- Departure to Bukhara (280 km) with a stop in Shakhrisabz 

- In Shakhrisabz, guests will have a tour around the city with visits to: Ak-Saray Palace (14th century), Kok-Gumbaz Grand Mosque (15th century), Gumbazi Saidan ensemble (14th - 15th centuries), Jahangir Mausoleum (14th century), and visit the city bazaar

- Lunch at a national house

- Continuation of journey to Bukhara

- Arrival in Bukhara

- Walk along the lanes of ancient Bukhara

- Overnight stay at the hotel. 

 Day 5 - Bukhara, 23 March

- Breakfast at the hotel

- Full day sightseeing tour: Poi Kalyan Ensemble consisting of Kalyan Minaret (1127), Kalyan Mosque (16 century) and the Miri Arab Madrasah (16^th century); trading dome Toki Zargaron (the pavilion of jewellery) (16^th century); Ulugbek Madrasah (1417) and Abdullah Khan Madrasah (1652); Toki-Tilpak Furushon (dome of hatters)

- Lunch

- In the afternoon: Lyabi-Khauz ensemble, one of the most famous places which consists of Nadir-Divanbegi Madrasah (1622), Kukeldash Madrasah and Khanaka Nadir-Divanbegi (1620), one of the most visited places of Bukhara - Magoki Attoron Mosque (12th - 16th century); the Trade Dome Center dating to the 16th century Toki-Sarafon (dome of merchants); Chor Minor ensemble 

- In the evening, guests will be taken to Nadir-Divanbeghi Madrasah, where guests will have dinner prepared according to special Bukharian secret recipes. The highlight of the evening is a folklore performance with local dances and national costumes. 

- Overnight stay at the hotel.

 Day 6 - Bukhara, 24 March

- Breakfast at the hotel

- Continuation of the tour with visits to: Arq Citadel (17th - 20th century); Bolo-Khauz Mosque (1712); the Pearl of the Orient - the Ismail Samani Mausoleum (9th - 10th century); Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum (14th - 17th century) associated with the name of Prophet Job; bazaar

 - Lunch

- Visit to the Bukhara Factory of gold embroidery, where guests will see local masters at work, creating hand-made works of art such as carpets, miniatures and clothes, adorned with fascinating gold embroidery. Guests will also visit the factory's museum-shop, where they would be able to buy souvenirs produced at the factory. 

- Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 7 - Bukhara - Tashkent, 5 March

- Breakfast at the hotel

- Departure to Tashkent by plane

- Accommodation at the hotel 

- Lunch

- Tour around Tashkent: Independence Square; Khast Imam Ensemble including Barakhan Madrasah (16^th century), Djuma mosque and the Kaffol Shoshiy Mausoleum (16^th century); Kukeldash Madrasah.

- Overnight stay at the hotel.

 Day 8 - Departure from Tashkent, 26 March

- Breakfast at the hotel

- Transfer to the airport and departure.