Mysteries of the Ancient East — Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan — 10 Days
PLACEHOLDER CONTENT — replace with the confirmed itinerary, hotel list and exact pricing tiers.
An extended version of “Mysterious Turkmenistan”: Samarkand and Gijduvan added before the border crossing, for travelers who want to see more of Uzbekistan before entering closed-off Turkmenistan.
Route
Samarkand → Gijduvan → Bukhara → Mary → Ancient Merv → Ashgabat → Darvaza gas crater → Khiva → Urgench.
Day by day
- Arrival in Samarkand, check-in, free evening.
- Samarkand: Registan Square, Gur-Emir mausoleum, Bibi-Khanym mosque, Shah-i-Zinda ensemble.
- Drive to Gijduvan — masterclass with the ceramicists. On to Bukhara in the evening.
- Bukhara: Samanid mausoleum, Ark fortress, Poi-Kalyan ensemble, Lyab-i Hauz.
- Cross the Uzbek-Turkmen border, drive to Mary via Turkmenabat.
- Ancient Merv — Erk-Kala citadel, the mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar. Drive to Ashgabat.
- Ashgabat: the Arch of Neutrality, the Nisa archaeological site. In the evening, on to the Darvaza crater, overnight in a yurt camp.
- Cross the Turkmen-Uzbek border, drive to Khiva.
- Khiva: Ichan-Kala, Kunya-Ark fortress, Tash-Khauli palace.
- Transfer to Urgench airport, departure.
Included (placeholder — confirm before publishing)
- Comfortable transport in both countries
- Guide in each country, entrance tickets per itinerary
- Breakfasts, yurt-camp dinner at Darvaza
- Turkmenistan visa support
Not included
- International flights
- Turkmenistan visa and migration fee (paid at the border)
- Insurance, tips
Replace with confirmed hotel categories, guaranteed departure dates and the final price (single supplement to be added).