Day 1
Depart USA on overnight flight.

Day 2
In flight; arrival in Europe and transfer to flights to Ashkhabad.

Day 3 ~ Ashkhabad
You will arrive early morning in the Ashkhabad airport and we will meet and transfer you to your hotel. After some sleep and breakfast we will start our tour to explore this exiting and ever changing city. We will see the Arch of Neutrality (erected in 1998 to celebrate Turkmenistan's endorsement of a policy of political neutrality; the top of the structure, reached by glass elevator, has a great view of the city); Independence Square, surrounded by extravagant palaces and ministry buildings, and the National Museum with its fine collection of historic artifacts and relics as well as some fabulous textiles, national treasures.

Day 4 ~ Ashkhabad
Today we will start our day with Carpet Museum of Turkmenistan where we will see the biggest carpet in the world, which is included in Guinness Book of Records, and to learn about the history of famous Turkmen carpet weaving. In the afternoon we drive to Nohur mountain village, a magnificently located oasis in Kelet Vally whose inhabitants claim ancestry from Alexander the Great's army. Here we will see the textiles they make to sell in markets and to learn about their daily life. We will have dinner and overnight in local family house.

Day 5 ~ Ashkhabad
This morning we will leave Ashkhabad to visit Bahar's home silk workshop. Bahar is a very proud Nohurian who was born there. Mrs. Bahar has three old fashioned weaving looms in her house to make local silk scarves and textiles for national dresses. Our next stop will be Maya's craft house where a very talented artist is making a series of Turkmen costumes, carpets and all kinds of different crafts.

Day 6 ~ Ashkhabad
We will spend most of the day visiting Tolkuchka Market, a world-famous and maybe the world's largest market, certainly largest in all Central Asia. It is the most interesting market you ever would visit, definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience; it is one of the "1,000 places you have to see before you die" list. It is a market of 70 hectares and as there is no way you could see it in one day, we will return there again tomorrow. In the afternoon we visit Ashkhabad carpet weaving factory to learn about different weaving techniques and see how carpets are woven on vertical and horizontal looms.

Day 7 ~ Ashkhabad
Today we will return to Tolkuchka Market again to see the displays of Turkmenistan's real source of arts and crafts; it is a feast for your eyes. The color and beauty of different people, carpets, kilims, felts, hats, belts, Kaftans, jewelries are breathtaking and overwhelming...and there are other interesting things to see such as camels are loaded or unloaded to/from trucks by cranes! In the afternoon we will visit Russian or Gulistan Bazaar, a fascinating place for fruits, vegetables, nuts, flowers, people-watching, etc.

Day 8 ~ Bukhara (Uzbekistan)
This morning we take an early morning flight to Turkmenabad and transfer to the Uzbekistan border. After border formalities we will be met and transferred to our hotel in Bukhara to rest before dinner. Bukhara is an historic holy city, and much of the old city center is an architectural preserve of ancient buildings.

Day 9 ~ Bukhara
Bukhara is a center for local artisans, and we will be able to watch many at work on a variety of handicrafts at the Bukhara Artisan Development Centre. We visit some of the local markets and colourful bazaars. We will spend the day visiting several Bukhara markets where the Karavan Saray (Trade Domes) is the heart of "Suzanna" production and gold embroidery. Other markets as well offering wide selections of Suzanna embroidery, other forms of textiles, clothing plus numerous shops of jewelry, carpets, costumes. Suzanna means "needle work" in Tadjik language.

Day 10 ~ Bukhara
This day is dedicated interesting sites and specialized workshops to learn other crafts of the area. We will be able to visit some of Bukhara's old buildings including caravansaries, medressas, as well as the complex of Kalon Minaret with its magnificently tiled medressa and Kalon Mosque. In the afternoon we will visit the Gijduvan ceramic workshop. This evening we have the pleasure of dining in a former caravansary and to be entertained by Bukhara's local musicians and dancers in local costumes.

Day 11 ~ Samarkand
This morning we start for the Silk Road city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan's most glorious city, passing the villages and colorful markets filled with produce and products. Because these village markets are off the tourist paths, the people are fascinated with visitors, a rare sight there. We are able to interact with them in a natural way giving a real feel of the countryside. One of the highlights of this trip is to visit the villages where the famous Suzanna (stitchery) is handmade and seen all over Uzbekistan and beyond its borders. It is a joy for the eyes to see how the families work together to create these incredible images which they have taken over from previous generations, adding their own designs.

Day 12 ~ Samarkand
We start our day visiting Bukhara Silk Carpet Factory which is run by a family producing pure silk carpets. This Samarkand Silk Carpet Workshop makes dreams from all over the world come true. Here they produce hand-knotted silk carpets of the most varied styles, all in hand-dyed Uzbek silk, just as they were made hundreds of years ago. We will tour of the workshop and see the fascinating carpet producing process; we will witness the different stages the silk yarns go through before they reflect their beauty as part of a one-of-a-kind memory from Samarkand. Then we will continue our exploration here by visiting the Registan Square with its three Madrassah, where for centuries students studied the Law of God as well as secular subjects. You will see the sumptuous Tillya Kari Mosque, all covered in gold, and the Ulugbek and Sherdor Madrassah. We will also visit the impressive tomb of Tamerlane with beautiful tile work.

Day 13 ~ Samarkand
We visit one of the most vibrant, colorful markets in Uzbekistan to absorb all kinds of local flavor. This is followed by Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the mosque of Tamerlane's favorite wife, the largest and most beautiful mosque in Uzbekistan. The next stop will be National Museum of Samarkand which has a fine collection of textiles and pottery. Finally we will visit one of the most famous fashion workshops in Uzbekistan, representing high quality, unusual clothing.

Day 14 ~ Fergana
This morning we will take a flight from Samarkand to Tashkent and drive to Fergana. Once we arrive in Fergana we will be transferred to our hotel for some rest and then begin our sightseeing with intriguing local markets.

Day 15 ~ Fergana
Our two-day tour includes a visit to the city of Margilan, known for its handmade ikat silk production. Here we will learn the complete process, following the process of ikat to the final product. This is demonstrated by a sample silk warp, designed with burnt coal markings on the warp, wrapped tightly with threads, dyed, dried, rewrapped in other parts, again, dyed, dried, until the warp has been colored completely following the stipulated colors. This total process takes many days, and is illustrated by walking through the different parts of the workshop. This 360 yard warp is then transferred to a loom to weave approximately 18 inch wide material.

Day 16 ~ Fergana
We may have the opportunity to visit local villages and markets where farmers display and sell the silk moth cocoons. A visit to Rishtan, a village known for its traditional ceramics, is also scheduled. One of the famous local artisans - Mr. Rustam Usmanov - will lead you on a tour of his workshop and show how a piece of clay becomes a piece of art in his hands.

Day 17 ~ Tashkent
Before we leave for Tashkent, we will first stop in Kokand to visit the late 19th Century palace of the last Kahn. Approaching the city of Fergana, we stop at a large colorful local market with a wide variety of vegetables, foods, breads with colorful people selling and buying all kinds of products. Then we will view the ancient and picturesque Fergana Valley, drive through the magnificent Pamir Alay Mountain Range and its breathtaking 7,000 foot passes to Tashkent.

Day 18 ~ Tashkent
We will begin our exploration with a visit to the Museum of Applied Arts, which contains a large collection of Suzanna and other textiles of Uzbekistan. Other items there include ceramics, jewelry and musical instruments. The museum is in a wealthy tsarist diplomat-built mid-19th Century incorporating carved plaster decorations and painted wooden walls both inside and out, a feast of brilliant color. Included in the day is visiting the handicraft center at the Khan Madresa.

Day 19 ~ Tashkent
This morning we will be transferred to Tashkent airport for our trip home.