4 Stan Capital Tour

Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 Sightseeing around Almaty includes visiting:

- Panfilov Park. The name of the Panfilov Park comes after the heroes of Panfilov. There is a big monument in commemoration of the heroic actions made by 28 Almaty Soldiers who died in 1941 near Moscow.

- Zenkov Cathedral. Zenkov Wooden constructed Cathedral is one of the eight unique wooden buildings in the world. It is one of the few buildings to survive the 1911 earthquake, despite the fact it is built entirely of wood and constructed without nails;

- National Musical Instruments Museum. In the Museum of Musical Instruments, one can find various national musical instruments, the oldest of which is of the XVII century.

- Medeu, the World's largest speed skating rink known as Medeo. At the end of the gorge there is a ski resort Shymbulak, situated at an altitude of 2.200 m above sea level. It is one of Central Asia's top skiing spots where one can take a cable car funicular to Shymbulak Ski resort.

Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

08:00 Transfer to the airport.

11:10 Departure flight Almaty - Dushanbe by KC 131.

12:00 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, the guide and driver meet with a sign “ANUR TOUR”.

Dushanbe as the capital of  Tajikistan, is a comparingly modern city that was founded in 1925 from Dushanbe village ("Dushanbe" means "Monday", deviated from Dushanbe bazaar, an important trade center of the region). Today Dushanbe is the largest city in Tajikistan, famous for its hospitality and colorful bazaars.

Start Dushanbe sightseeing tour visiting:

- Tajik National Museum of Antiquities with the biggest Buddha in Nirvana. National Museum consists of 22 large and small exhibition halls — departments of nature, antiquity and the Middle Ages, modern history, fine and applied arts. The exposition area of the National Museum of Tajikistan is rather large.

- The State flag square in the center of Dushanbe and Tajik flagpole that entered the Guinness Book of Records as the Highest Flagpole. It is still considered one of the highest in the world. The height of the flagpole is 165 meters, area 1800 m², width 30 meters, and length 60 meters.

- The main square of Dushanbe. The Monument of Ismoili Somoni-the forefather of Tajik Nation located in the main square. A 40-meter-high monument was built in honor of Ismaili Saman-Khuda, founder of the Samanid dynasty in the VIII-IX century.

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

Transfer to the hotel.

Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

08:00 Transfer to border Jartepa (240 km, about 5 hrs) photo-stop en-route.

- Iskanderkullake (130 km ~ 3 hours), a real pearl of Fan mountains (located at an altitude of 2 100 meters above sea level). There’re a lot of legends, interesting stories about the lake and our guide will tell you all of them. 

-The Sarazm museum (UNESCO World Heritage).

Transfer to border Jartepa. Border crossing usually takes 30 min- 1 hr.

16:30 Meet the driver at Uzbekistan part of the border. Transfer to Samarkand.

Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 Meet the guide and driver at the hotel's lobby. 

Start sightseeing program in Samarkand (6 hours):

– Gur Emir Mausoleum – a burial vault of Timur the Great and his descendants decorated with gold ornaments and considered as one of the most significant places in the world;

– Continue to the famous Registan Square – the heart of Samarkand and a real masterpiece of Central Asian medieval architecture consists of three grandiose buildings: Ulughbek Madrassa, Madrassa Sherdor, and Madrassa Tilla Kori.

– Bibi Khanim Mosque – the biggest medieval building in the city which was one of the most magnificent mosques in the Islamic world in 15th Century;

– Shahi Zinda Necropolis – unique complex of Mausoleums  formed by standing on both sides of the cenotaph (an imaginary grave) belonging to the Muslim person named Saint Abbas ibn-Kussam;

– Samarkand bazaar – Siyab.

16:30 Transfer to the railway station in Samarkand.

17:30 Departure for Tashkent by high-speed train "Afrosiyob".

19:44 Arrival in Tashkent. 

Come out of the terminal and meet the driver.

Transfer to the hotel. 
Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. 

09:00 Meet the guide and driver at the hotel's lobby. 

Start sightseeing tour of Tashkent (5-6 hrs) visiting old and new parts of the city:

- Amir Timur Square, founded in 1882 and originally called Konstantinovsky Square, was renamed on August 31, 1994, after the Amir Timur to honor the cultural and historical contribution of the great conqueror.

- Theater Square with the Opera House: State Academic Theater of Uzbekistan named after Alisher Navoi built in 1947 is one of the best opera theaters in the world that performs both classical and national repertoires. 

- Independence Square, the main square of Uzbekistan reflects the past, present, and future of the country. There are fountains standing for the life energy of Uzbek people, the Cabinet and the Senate, the “Eternal flame" in honor of soldiers who died during the Second World War.
- Earthquake Memorial, the composition is devoted to the tragic date of the earthquake in Tashkent on April 26, 1966, and is erected in the approximate place of the earthquake epicenter. Residents still come to the monument to honor those people who took a part in the reconstruction of Tashkent.

- Khast Imam Square – a religious center of the city consisting of the Barakkhan madrasah; Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum and the library of Islamic Literature with the Holy Koran Book of the VII century (original Quran Othman). Khast Imam is one of the most significant spiritual centers in Central Asia and attracts pilgrims and visitors all over the world.

- Chorsu bazaar – the ancient bazaar of Tashkent. “Chorsu” means “four water”, symbolically meaning the conjunction of four major parts of the old city in the bazaar where people come for trades. The bazaar beautiful blue dome, built in traditional style after the Tashkent earthquake, is often depicted in postcards and international magazines and became one of the major sights of interest both for locals and guests – one can see oriental tiled bazaar from different souvenir shops with ceramics, handicraft works, carpets and jewelry, the whole pavilion full of delirious fruits to the finest textiles and colorful fabrics.

- Tashkent Metro (the first line was launched in 1977) with beautiful train stations each decorated in thematic style with traditional ornaments and special lightning.

Transfer to Tashkent International Airport.
The evening departure flight from Tashkent.

End of the tour.