In the morning transfer to the railway station. Transfer by high-speed train Afrosiyob to Samarkand. 2 hours journey. Arrival in Samarkand. Transfer to the hotel.

The whole day dedicated to visiting the capital of the empire of Timur the (Tamerlame) with its twenty-five century history. Samarkand is the same age as Babylon, Athens and Rome. Located in the oasis of the Zarafshan River, in the heart of the Central Asian region, it is one of the oldest cities in the world. Founded in the 5th century BC, it was piously subjugated by the Persians; conquered by Alexander the Great who, according to legend, married Roxana right here, and said of Samarkand “Everything I have heard about this city is true, except for the fact that it is more beautiful than I could have imagined”; plundered by the Mongol hordes of Gensis Khan. It was Tamerlane who rebuilt it and enriched it with palaces so splendid that it gained immortal fame. In 2001 UNESCO included the city in the list of World Heritage Sites. Samarkand is a true “threshold of paradise”, it bears a magical and somewhat mysterious name, an invitation to travel for artists and dreamers, it has retained its blue glass-enamelled domes, its brightly colored walls and mausoleums which constitute the treasure of Central Asian architecture. The visit begins from the Gur-Emir mausoleum (15th century) – which means “the tomb of the Emir” where Tamerlane and his followers are buried. The mausoleum was built by order of Tamerlane for his nephew Mukhammad Sultan, who in practice was supposed to be his successor, who died prematurely in 1403. Registan Square , “Royal Square”, is the symbol of Samarkand (14th – 17th century) , the largest square limited on three sides by imposing madrassas built over two centuries: Ulug Beg, Sher -Dor the “madrassa of the Lions” and Tilya-Kori , decorated with dazzling majolica that testifies to the evolution of architecture of the Temurids. We continue with the Bibi-Kanym mosque (15th century), the largest of its time in Central Asia, which Tamerlane

dedicated to his favorite wife using the loot after having sacked the city of Delhi India. Nearby is the bustling oriental bazaar Siab .

Lunch in a restaurant (Optional)

In the afternoon the visits continue with the necropolis of the nobles Shahi Zinda , which means of the “living king”, the ancient funerary monument of the dynasty of Tamerlane, the most important complex of the Islamic Middle Ages that has survived to us where it is very probable that there is the tomb of Caliph Qusam Ibn Abbas, cousin of the prophet Muhammad, around whose tomb the cemetery complex was formed over the centuries . The complex extends on the Afrosyab hill where Maracanda stood and currently around 20 buildings of high artistic value are visible decorated with glazed ceramic tiles with a predominance of blue that cover the entire walls; the remains of the medieval observatory of the famous astronomer, grandson of Tamerlane – Ulugbek built between 1428 and 1429 on the acropolis of Samarkand and destroyed by religious fanatics in 1449, today it is possible to visit the underground rooms that escaped the devastating fury of religious fanaticism.

Dinner in a traditional house.(Optional)

 A friendly meeting with members of the Uzbek family and participation in the preparation of the chief Uzbek dish-Plov.

Overnight at the Hotel in Samarkand