From Tashkent to Samarkand on the high-speed train 'Afrosiyob'

What to expect

Timing
07:28 - independent departure on the high-speed train to Samarkand (tickets included in the price)
09:36 - meeting with the guide upon arrival
10:00–17:00 - car tour of the city with stops at the attractions
17:00 - transfer to the station
17:37 - train departure
19:47 - return to Tashkent

Program

• Registan - the heart of Samarkand and its main square with three madrasahs from the 15th-17th centuries: Ulugh Beg, Tilya-Kori, Sher-Dor. We will explore them all and talk about who studied here and when.
• Bibi-Khanym Mosque, supposedly built in honor of Tamerlane's beloved wife. You will learn why the main architect of the mosque was reluctant to finish the work on it.
• Khazrati Khizr Mosque - one of the oldest surviving mosques in Central Asia.
• Shah-i-Zinda Mausoleum: an ensemble of ancient Samarkand nobility tombs consisting of 11 beautiful mausoleums. Some of them are open for visitors.
• Hodja Daniyar Mausoleum, the tomb of the biblical prophet Daniel. We will unravel why Tamerlane decided to send part of the saint's remains to Samarkand.
• Gur-Emir Mausoleum - the royal burial vault where Tamerlane himself and his sons and grandsons, the Timurids, are buried. You will hear the legend that connects this place to the beginning of war.
• Ulugh Beg's Observatory: astonishingly, the 15th-century building itself is a well-designed instrument for observing celestial bodies. You will learn the originality and uniqueness of this structure.

🍽 At midday, we will stop for a lunch at a restaurant and taste authentic Samarkand plov, which differs from traditional Tashkent plov - and discuss what makes it different.