Silk Road Journey Through Uzbekistan

7 October 2022

14 days from £3,735pp

Uzbekistan is on many a textile lover’s bucket list. Situated on the Silk Road, one of the world’s most important historical trading routes linking China to the Mediterranean, Uzbekistan offers a collection of culture and a fascinating textile history.

Hand-sewing workshops with our expert, kit included
City tours of Tashkent, Kokand, Margilan, Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand as well as excursions along the way
Folk Show at Madrassah Nadir Divan-Begi
Embroidery workshop at Alisher Nazrullayev’s house

Silk Road Journey through Uzbekistan

On this tour we’ll visit the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Khiva, Bhukara and Samarkand as we pass along the route of the Silk Road. We’ll see examples of local craftsmanship in embroidery, ikat fabrics, carpets and silks and enjoy an embroidery workshop with a local expert as well as two hand-stitching workshops with our expert. There’ll be plenty of opportunity for some retail therapy too, as we enjoy the sights, sounds and aromas of the markets and bazaars throughout our journey.

DAY 1: London – Tashkent
Meet our expert and your Arena Travel Tour Manager at London Heathrow airport for your overnight flight to Tashkent. Tashkent is the capital and largest city in Uzbekistan.
DAY 2: Tashkent
We will be met by our local guide and transfer to our hotel. After some time to freshen up, we’ll enjoy a tour of Tashkent. Highlights will include:
- Applied Art Museum; home to over 7,000 examples of embroidery, skull caps, jewellery and other examples of craftsmanship from the beginning of the 19th century to the present day
- Khazrati Imam Architectural Complex; over 20 craftsmen sell their handmade products here, where we’ll find everything from ikat fabrics to jewellery, woodcarving to pottery
- Chorsu Bazaar; for many centuries Chorsu Bazaar was one of the busiest bazaars in central Asia. The location hasn’t changed, but the old buildings have been replaced by new ones where locals shop for spices, vegetables, dried fruit, traditional and modern fashions and carpets. In the clothing section we’ll see Kurpacha, a traditional central Asian thick cotton wool blanket or mattress, Chapan robes, Khan-atlas, a silk fabric with a bright colour palette, and Tubeteika skull caps.
Dinner and overnight in Tashkent at the Wyndham hotel.
DAY 3: Kokand
This morning we’ll travel to Kokand, one of the ancient cities of Uzbekistan, and crossroads of two of the main ancient trade routes into the Fergana Valley.

On arrival we’ll enjoy a city tour. Highlights will include:
- Khudayar Khan Palace; built in 1871, is staggeringly grand. Originally consisting of seven courtyards and 119 rooms, sadly only 2 of the courtyards and 19 rooms have survived.
- Juma Mosque
- Dahmai Shahon Mausoleum
Our tour will continue to Dangara, where we’ll visit a wood carver’s workshop and Rishtan, one of the oldest and most famous centres of ceramics in Uzbekistan.

Dinner and overnight in Khiva at Asmald Palace.
DAY 4: Margilan
We start the day with an excursion to Margilan, which, by the end of the 9th Century was already an important stop on the Silk Road. We’ll enjoy a tour of the city including:
- Said Ahmad Khoja Madrassah, which is now home to a number of craftsmen producing handmade carpets and silk
- Yodgorlik Silk Factory; where we’ll see the production process of silk with traditional Ikat patterns. The factory was established in 1972 and today the staff number around 450 people, most of them women. Every month the factory produces up to 6000 metres of fabric, including pure silk and half-silk fabric.
This afternoon we’ll enjoy a hand-sewing workshop with our expert at the hotel.

Dinner and overnight in Khiva at Asmald Palace.
DAY 5: Tashkent
This morning we return to Tashkent, where we’ll continue our city tour, including:
- Amir Temur Square; the true heart of the city
- Independence Square; the largest square in Tashkent, more like a park than a square, with several monuments and fountains and filled with trees and flowerbeds
- Alisher Navoi Theatre; one of the leading centres of performing arts in Central Asia
- Akbar Rahimov’s Pottery School, where we’ll see how the products are made and enjoy tea and oriental sweets. The school began in the mid 20th Century and is now run by the founder’s son and grandson.
Dinner and overnight in Tashkent at the Wyndham hotel.
DAY 6: Khiva
We fly to Urgench this morning and continue by road to Khiva. Khiva was the first site in Uzbekistan to be inscribed in the World Heritage List. Our city tour today will include:
- Kalta Minor; a large blue tower in the central city square
- Madrassah of Amin Khan; now a hotel
- Madrasah of Muhammad Rahim-khan; now a museum of literature and history
- Kunya Ark (old fortress)
- Juma Mosque
- Pakhlavan Mahmud Mausoleum; shrine of Khiva’s patron saint and the holiest site in Khiva. The interior displays an array of Khiva’s famed woodcarving, ceramic painted decoration, metalwork and inlay craft traditions.
- Islam Khoja Minaret and Madrassah; the smallest madrassah in Khiva but the highest minaret at 57 metres.
- Tash Hauli Palace
- Madrassah of Allakuli Khan; now a restaurant
We'll also visit the USDP (United National Development Programme) workshops for the development of local handicrafts. Here we’ll see tie-dyeing, carpet making, and wood carving. We’ll also visit a silk carpet workshop which is under UNESCO sponsorship. The workshop produces high-quality silk carpets and embroidered textiles using ancient designed from the Timurid dynasty taken from floor tiles and doors in the city.

Dinner and overnight at Erkin Palace, Khiva.
DAY 7: Bukhara
Today we drive to Bukhara, through the Kyzylkum desert, the fifteenth largest desert in the world. The journey will take 7-8 hours in total, but we’ll stop on route for comfort stops, photo opportunities etc. A picnic lunch is included today.

Located on the Silk Road, Bukhara is rich in historical sites and is Uzbekistan’s fifth largest city. The historic centre is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Dinner and overnight in Basilic (May) or Sasha & Son (October)
DAY 8: Bukhara
Our tour of Bukhara will include:

This evening we’ll dine at Akbar House, located in the historical Jewish quarter, where we’ll see a demonstration of cooking plov, a rice pilaf with meat, carrots, onions and spices.

Overnight in Bukhara.
- Bukhara Artisan Development Centre
- Colourful local markets where the caravanserai (trade domes) and former madrassahs offer splendid embroidery work, textiles, clothing, jewellery, carpets, costumes, spices and other Silk Road treasures
- Chor Minor; an historic gatehouse for a now destroyed madrassah
- Poi Kalyan complex; an Islamic religious complex centred around the Kalan minaret, which dominates the historic centre of the city
- Ulugbek Madrasah; today the museum of history of the restoration of the architectural monuments in Bukhara
- Abdulaziz Khan Madrassah; now the museum of woodcarving
- Silk Market
- Lyabi-Hauz complex; the area surrounding one of the few remaining hauz (pond) in the city, which served as a source of water. The ponds were notorious for spreading disease and were mostly filled in during the 1920s and 1930s. The Lyabi-Hauz complex survived because it is the centre piece of a magnificent architectural ensemble
- Bobokul’s workshop; where we’ll see the traditional way of producing and colouring silk
Dinner and overnight in Basilic (May) or Sasha & Son (October)
DAY 9: Gijduvan and Bukhara

This morning we’ll take an excursion to Gijduvan. From ancient times Gijduvan was known as a centre for handicrafts due to its proximity to the Silk Road. Caravans on the Silk Road stayed here overnight before continuing to India and China. Here we’ll take part in an embroidery workshop at Alisher Nazrullayev’s house.

This afternoon we’ll enjoy a hand-sewing workshop with our expert at the hotel.

Dinner and overnight in Basilic (May) or Sasha & Son (October)
DAY 10: Bukhara

Today is dedicated to learning about local suzani embroidery. The name is taken from the Persian word suzan, meaning needle. We’ll visit the house of Toshev Rakhmon Buranovich, a local master in this style of embroidery. We’ll also visit the gold embroidery factory in Bukhara; whose products include carpets, curtains, chapans (quilted dressing gowns), head dresses, caskets, handbags, purses and shoes.

In the afternoon we’ll take an excursion to Sitori-I-Mokhi Khosa, the summer residence of the last emir of Bukhara. We’ll see the last emir’s collection of gifts, Chinese porcelain, Russian cut glass and crystal vases, as well as his rich collection of local suzani embroidery.

Dinner and overnight in Basilic (May) or Sasha & Son (October)
DAY 11: Shakhrisabz and Samarkand
Today we travel to Samarkand via Shakhrisabz, Tamerlane’s home town. Tamerlane was the ferocious and terrifying founder of the Timurid empire of central Asia, eventually ruling much of Europe and Asia. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll see the ruins of Timur’s summer palace Ak Saray (White Palace). Probably Tamerlane’s most ambitious project; all that is now left are parts of the gigantic, 40 metres high, entrance covered with gorgeous blue, white and gold mosaics. We’ll have the chance to learn about the famous Shakhrisabz suzani, which is very famous throughout Uzbekistan for its special design and colour. We’ll also visit Yulduz Opa’s textile market with a local expert.

Samarkand is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia. The city prospered from its location on the Silk Road between China and the Mediterranean and in the 14th century became the capital of the empire of Tamerlane.

Dinner and overnight at Dilimah Premium Luxury, Samarkand.
DAY 12: Konigil and Samarkand
Our full day in Samarkand includes:
- Registan Square; the centrepiece of the city. There are three madrassahs framing the square, Madrassah Ulugbek, Madrassah Sher-Dor and Madrassah Tillya-Kori.
- Happy Bird Handicraft Centre, where we can meet with local artists and shop for souvenirs
- Meros silk paper mill, restored by well-known masters the Mukhtarov brothers. Thanks to their efforts an ancient tradition based on old Samarkand technologies has been revived. The production process is manual, and we’ll be able to observe this during our visit. The area surrounding the mill is very picturesque, with shady trees, the Siab river and a small tea house serving delicious pilaf and fruits.
- We’ll continue to the Hudjum silk carpet factory. We’ll observe the process of carpet manufacturing. Mostly young girls are employed in the factory, creating amazing carpets of the most vivid and varied colours. The factory uses organic dyes including walnut, pomegranate, indigo and madder
- Gur Emir Mausoleum, tomb of Tamerlane, his sons and grandsons
Dinner and overnight at Dilimah Premium Luxury, Samarkand.
DAY 13: Samarkand
We start the day with an excursion to Urgut bazaar, one of the few remaining traditional bazaars where people from the countryside sell their homemade produce.

On our return to Samarkand we’ll visit:
- the former family home of Avraham Kalantarov, a wealthy Jewish merchant. The building now houses a museum.
- El Merosi theatre of historical costumes, where we’ll see costumes from different historical periods
- Aisha textile workshop; famous for the manufacture of natural silk fabrics under the leadership of Valentina Romanenko. A large variety of products are presented here including contemporary works decorated with hand-embroidery, ancient costumes, traditional Uzbek suzani, suits made of silk for evening dress and business meetings.
Dinner and overnight at Dilimah Premium Luxury, Samarkand.
DAY 14: Samarkand
During our final morning in Samarkand we’ll visit:
- Fine Art Museum of Samarkand; housing a fine collection of textiles
- Ulugbek Observatory
- Afrasiab Museum; dedicated to the history of the city
- Shakhi Zinda necropolis; the burial place of royal persons and nobles
In the afternoon we’ll return to Tashkent for dinner and overnight at the Wyndham hotel.
DAY 15: Samarkand – London

Time to say farewell to Uzbekistan as we travel to the airport for our return flight

Important Note: This tour involves some long coach journeys of up to 8 hours. A good degree of mobility is required due to the amount of walking involved on some of the visits.

Included in our package:

Return flights from London to Tashkent with 1 piece of hold luggage
Airport transfers
Local travel by air and train, as per the itinerary
13 nights in good quality accommodation on a half board basis with porterage
1 lunch
Complementary bottled water during long transfers
Travel by air-conditioned coach including tips
Sightseeing, entrance fees and workshops as described
The company and expertise of our expert
2 half-day hand sewing workshops with our expert, kit included
Local English-speaking guide to accompany the tour throughout
Services of an Arena Travel Tour Manager
Map of Uzbekistan
Tourist tax

April 2022 and October 2022 - Karin Hellaby, May 2022 - Pat Archibald

Karin Hellaby

Karin Hellaby is an internationally known quilt teacher and author of 11 quilting books and numerous patterns. She is a regular teacher at the Houston International Quilt Show and has also been invited to teach at quilting symposiums in New Zealand, Dubai, Paducah and the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in Oregon.

Her teaching travels have taken her all over North America, the Middle East and several European countries. Her style is very much multi technique always finding ways to make patchwork simple, quick and fun to learn. Karin started Quilters Haven in 1993. It became one of the largest quilt shops in the UK and she sold it in 2016. This has given her more time to teach and travel, especially in SE Asia where two of her sons are based.

Pat Archibald

Pat is a UK textile artist and tutor based in Edinburgh. Her fascination for fabric began in her childhood when she discovered her grandmother’s scrap bag bursting at the seams with exotic fabrics and by the age of 11, she had created her first piece of patchwork. Throughout her creative career, Pat has exhibited her work worldwide, won some wonderful awards and even established Scotland’s first dedicated patchwork and quilting shop.

Pat loves to travel both around her home country as well as further afield. As her own horizons grow literally, then so too do the experiences that she can then express in her quilt making. She feels that each collection of quilts has its own unique identity and captures the essence of her view of the country or city.

Fly from London Heathrow

Return flights from London Heathrow are included in our package on our specific arrival and departure dates plus one item of checked in luggage, per person.

Transfers will also be included on our specific arrival and departure dates to take you to your holiday destination. If you choose to arrive or depart on a different day, there may be an additional supplement charged to cover your transfer costs.

Meet us at our hotel

If you would like to make your own travel arrangements, you can meet us at our hotel. This package will not include flights or transfers. Please contact our friendly Holiday Advisors who will be happy to help, assist with travel information and advise you of our ‘meet us there’ holiday discounts.

Dates:

7th October 2022: 15 days

Prices:

All prices listed below are per person

Twin/double share: from £3735
Double room for sole use: from £4230
Non-crafter discount: £75
Deposit: £500

Our 'Stitch Together' Programme

Our ‘Stitch Together' Programme helps our guests with the costs of a single occupancy room. If you are a single traveller but would be willing to share a room with a fellow crafter, please let us know and we will get in touch if anyone else joins the programme for the same tour.

Your Accommodation

Each tour will stay at a selection of the below hotels.