A short tour to elder Tajik cities - Penjikent & Khujand, two places that are older that most of Uzbekistan cities, places that saw Alexander the Great, Sogdianians and living Silk Road golden age.
You will see the ruins of old Penjikent, Sarazm Important bird area, Timur Malik's fortress and many other sights of Tajikistan.
Welcome to Central Asia!
Meet the driver at the hotel in Samarkand.
08:00 Transfer to border post Jartepa. Border crossing usually takes 30 min-1 hr.
Meet the guide and driver at Tajikistan part of the border.
Transfer to Marguzor, the famous seven lakes - seven wonderful water mirrors full of mountain riverside drops. Each lake looks different whenever the sun changes its position. Colors may vary from deep blue to indie color ripple. Most of them are cold to swim even in summer. These lakes belong to Fann Mountains system.
On the western edge of the Fan Mountains in the valley of the river Shing there are seven lakes, six of them are dammed origin, besides the lake Hazorchashma. Lakes are called Marguzor, but each lake has its own name: Nezhigon, Soybean, Gushor, Nofin, Hurdak, Marguzor, Hazorchashma. The difference in level between the upper and lower lake is 692 meters. Easy hike at the lakes.
Transfer to Penjikent. Start sightseeing tour in Penjikent visiting:
-The Sarazm Important Bird Area (UNESCO World Heritage) lies downstream of the city on the tugay-vegetated floodplain of the river.
- The archaeological site of the ruins of old Penjikent - a walled inter-city (2500-years ago) that was a Sogdian trading city on the Silk Road.
Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel.
Start sightseeing tour in Penjikent visiting:
-The Sarazm Important Bird Area (UNESCO World Heritage) lies downstream of the city on the tugay-vegetated floodplain of the river.
- The archaeological site of the ruins of old Penjikent - a walled inter-city (2500-years ago) that was a Sogdian trading city on the Silk Road.
Transfer to Khujand via Istaravshan town, 78 km southwest from Khujand.
Istaravshan is one of the most ancient cities of Tajikistan (more than 2500 years). Ancient name Cyropolis founded by Cyrus the Great in 544 BC as a boarding fort of the Achaemenid Empire.Overview sightseeing in Istaravshan visiting:
- Mazori Sharif mausoleum;
- Kog Gumbaz madrasa (16th century);
- Kuhi Mug, the ruins of the ancient fortress.
Arrival in Khujand, check-in the hotel.
Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel.
09:00 Start sightseeing tour in Khujand:
- Khujand, the second-largest city and one of the oldest cities in Tajikistan, the furthest point Alexander the Great reached in Central Asia, so the city was named Alexandria Eschate (Alexandria the Furthest).
- Pushkin square with Kamoli Khudjandi Square;
- Timur Malik’s fortress and Sugd museum;
- Muslihiddin memorial complex;
- Panjshanbe bazaar (The name Panjshanbe comes from Persian language meaning “Thursday”) is one of the oldest markets in Tajikistan;
- Arbob Palace received 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 border Oybek.
15:00 Border crossing usually takes 30 min - 1 hr.
16:00 Meet the driver at Uzbekistan part of the border. Transfer to Tashkent.
Arrival in the hotel in Tashkent.
Resting time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.
Accommodation:
| Almaty |
|
Standart:
Renion Residence
,
Astana International
,
Kazakhstan
,
Kazzhol
|
| Tashkent |
|
Standart:
Uzbekistan
,
Lotte City Hotel
,
Ramada Tashkent
,
International Hotel
|
- Check-in 14.00, check-out time 11.00. No early check-in/ late check-out is included unless indicated;
- Please note that the tour price does not include seasonal VAT 15 %, VAT can be added to the basic tour price.
- Please note that the drivers do not speak English or can speak only basic English;
- All the changes in the basic itinerary, the timing for transfers depending on the international flight departure/arrival time are to be discussed and pre-agreed;
- Please note that the train trip/s can be replaced for transfer/s by car depending on train tickets availability and trains schedule;
- After the date of publication, any changes in the hotels, air/train ticket prices, tax increase, and exchange rate fluctuation may influence the tour prices;
- Anur Tour is not responsible for the force majeure occasions (weather conditions during the tour, repairing-reconstructing works at some parts of roads, government restrictions).
