After breakfast, transfer to Urgench Airport to catch the domestic flight to Bukhara (9:20 am – 10:10 am). Transfer to the old town of Bukhara.
Bukhara was a key trading post on the Silk Road. This UNESCO-listed city has numerous zigzagged backstreets, bustling bazaars, and historical monuments. The city is also known as Bukhara Sharif, which translates as “Holy Bukhara”, because of its hundreds of mosques and mausoleums. The city has seen various dynasties battling for influence as it has always stood as a center of trade, culture, and scholarship. Similar to Khiva, Bukhara’s Old City is quite small and compact, and so can be comfortably explored on foot.
Today we will visit the Ismail Somoni Mausoleum, which was built in the 10th century and is the oldest surviving monument in Central Asia. More than 16 styles of decorative brickwork adorn the face of this cubic memorial. The Chashma Ayub Mausoleum is a pilgrimage site for locals, who believe the site was visited by the Prophet Job. We will then visit the Bolo Hauz Mosque, which functions as Bukhara’s central mosque. Across from the mosque is the Ark citadel. This is the original fortress of Bukhara and likely dates back 2,000 years or more. After lunch, we will visit the Poi Kalon, the complex at the heart of the city which includes the Kalon Mosque and Minaret, and also the Mir-i-Arab Madrassah. These buildings surround an open plaza teeming with local merchants selling handicrafts.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel Amelia 3* or similar