THE DREAM OF THE AZURE DOMES - UZBEKISTAN'S SILK ROAD CITIES with two tour leaders (Danish speaking and English speaking)
Departure 14.th - 21.th September and 07.th - 14.th October 2022
Dates 14.09 - 21.09.2022 and 07.10 - 14.10.2022 (8 days)
Type Roundtrip in train and comfortable vehicles (bus) with A/C. Easy days excursion - walking & driving Tourleader Two tourleaders: 1 Danish speaking and 1 English speaking + local guides.
Price From 1.950 USD pr person (from anywhere in Europa) pr. person in shared DBL room. Discount for children and students (until age of 24)
Sngl-room 150 USD
Deposit 525 USD pr. person
Visa Information at booking. Ingen visum for de fleste nationaliteter, herunder danskere
Vaccination Yes, COVID-19 (alternatively valid PCR-test)
Keywords: sunshine · easy day hikes in the Silk Road cities · beautiful ceramic & textiles · fresh and wonderful fruits · Silk Road hospitality · exotic bazars · adventure · delicious food · relaxation & comfort · Silk Road · hospitality · Azure domes · informal travelling · two expert tour leaders · Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand
TOURDESCRIPTION
Uzbekistan offers the modern-day traveler a journey back to a time when Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand, were once major trade centers on the lucrative Great Silk Road route. Tempting bazaars, sparkling azure domes, images of golden desert landscapes, and monuments heralding the religious glory are brought back to life. Uzbekistan still holds onto the vestiges of this glorious past. Its main ancient cities have been visited for centuries by heavily loaded camels and traders. We follow their track to the legendary cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent intertwined with their own unique modern-day atmosphere. Beautiful azure domes, thousand-year-old mosques, harem rooms and a colorful tangle of the most beautiful mosaics await everywhere. We dive into the myths and history here, where the realms of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Timur Lenk arose, sparkled and burst. On the trip through Uzbekistan, we travel comfortably through pristine landscapes in the desert and mountains along the Silk Road route, which used to be the main thoroughfare of world civilization, where not only goods but also science, ideas and religion were exchanged. The adventure is still alive!
Active travel! On this trip, a little hiking is included, and it is a prerequisite that you are in generally good physical shape and can move on your own. The trip is not suitable for people who have difficulty walking due uneven terrain.
Climate Distinctive desert climate, which will feel warm and comfortable.
Visa. Visas are required for some nationalities upon entry into Uzbekistan. Information will be given prior departure by Sovietistan Travel. Please send a clear color copy of your passport (personal information page), a passport photo and a completed visa form to Sovietistan Travel as soon as possible - and no later than 60 days before departure. The visa form will be sent to you once you have booked the trip. Please also note that your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the duration of the stay, and there must be at least 2 blank pages in the passport.
Transport. The transport is mainly provided by A/C tourist buses with the necessary necessities. There are stretches (Tashkent - Bukhara) covered by train, and it is included in the program.
Border formalities. Border crossings in Central Asia are a story in themselves. However, the cumbersome bureaucracy is far less than before, and in most places you get away with it without problems. Sovietistan Travel will inform in advance. Prior departure Sovietistan Travel will send you plenty of information: What to bring, information of Uzbekistan, food, culture, people, health advises (vaccination) etc
Hand on heart. About traveling in Central Asia.
Central Asia is an exciting and for many unknown destination. Tourism is not widespread in large parts of the area and the majority of the population speaks only the local language and Russian. Not everything takes place in the same way as at home and one must expect that changes may occur to the program during the trip. Sovietistan Travel and its partners will of course try to minimize the extent of these changes, but should they occur, take it as part of the experience.
Accomodation. There is a big difference in the hotel standard in the different countries in Central Asia. In short, the standard on this journey is comfortable on 3***-level. Sovietistan Travel strives to always find the most suitable hotels in terms of price, standard and location. However, this is not a trip with an emphasis on hotel comfort, but more on the exciting experiences that all Central Asian countries have in abundance.
General conditions. A safe travel experience. We want you to feel safe as an Sovietistan Travel traveler, from the moment you book your trip until you return home with a lot of good experiences - even in a world with coronavirus. That is why we have made a number of measures to minimize the risk of infection, while at the same time giving you all the travel experiences you dream of. All tour guides are certified in the WHO guidelines for infection control. Extra high demands on our partners in relation to cleaning. We inform all our travel participants about travel insurance and minimization of infection.
The requirements of the journey for physical ability. As a general rule, all travel participants must be self-sufficient. At the same time, we must emphasize that our travels are generally not suitable for people with walking difficulties. Even on bus and train journeys, there will often be a need to go to and from sights. On many of our cultural trips, just a day's total visit to sights, etc. will easily exceed 5 kilometers of walking.
Travel insurance – mandatory. All participants in Sovietistan Travel must take out travel insurance that at least covers the costs of medical treatment and repatriation. As most public health insurance can no longer be used as travel insurance, it is a prerequisite for participation in our travels that you have taken out a travel insurance. We recommend that the insurance also includes a luggage cover in the event of damage or loss of luggage.
Sovietistan Travel's tour leaders and local guides. On Sovietistan Travel's group trips, the trip will always be led by two tour leaders (might be one if the group size is less than 15 participants, who will either meet the group at the airport before departure or on arrival at the destination.
Gratuity. On our travels you come into contact with everyday life and its customs. There may be conditions you do not like or are not used to, such as the custom of tipping. In many countries, the gratuity system is more organized than we Europeans are used to, and there is an expectation that local guides and drivers will receive a certain amount of gratuity during the journey, as the salary in the service industry is often adjusted accordingly. We indicate an amount in our travel program so that you can take this into account from home. The price of the trip does not include gratuity, as it is an individual matter, and the gratuity system is part of the culture you choose to visit, and which you should therefore respect. For the sake of good order, we must emphasize that gratuity is, of course, voluntary.
Supplement for single room. The prices quoted on our travels are based on 2 people traveling together and living in a shared double room. For our guests traveling alone, there will be a supplement for single room. The surcharge is a reflection of the price level we as a tour operator are met with when we buy rooms and cabins from our subcontractors. A single room will always be relatively more expensive per. person than a double room. This is a condition that has been in place in the travel industry for many years and is thus considered customary. The supplement will always appear on our material.
Passport. Please note that your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after returning from the destination. This requirement applies to all our travels, regardless of whether individual countries may require shorter validity. That we as a tour operator make this 6-month validity requirement is to avoid situations where a country's validity requirement may be changed from booking the trip until departure. If you have to travel with children who are not your own (eg grandchildren), or if you and your children do not have the same last name, some countries may deny you entry. It may therefore be necessary to bring a birth and name certificate or a birth and baptism certificate in English and a signed declaration allowing the minor to travel in the company of a named adult. Also remember to check the rules for the validity of the documents - ie. when they must be issued in relation to the departure date, how they must be stamped, etc.
Seating in the bus. When traveling by plane, transport to the destination usually takes place by bus. Here you can not reserve a fixed seat on the bus, nor is it possible to buy a specific seat before the start of the journey. It is of course possible to arrange shifts during the journey, so that everyone in turn will sit in front as well as in the back of the bus.
Seating in the aircraft. We must point out that it is the airline that is sovereignly responsible for the distribution of seats in the aircraft.
Catering on board the aircraft. On most of our trips we use scheduled flights. Most Central Asian companies serve water, juice, coffee or tea for free. On the long overseas routes, food is usually included, and with a few companies also beverages. On flights, special diets such as diabetic or vegetarian food must be ordered no later than 45 days before departure. Note that some airlines require payment for special diets. We always pass on requests for special diets on the flight to the airline, but can not guarantee it.
As a starting point, we do not have the opportunity to offer special diets on our trips, as many of our trips include shared meals, where the menu is determined and ordered in advance. One must therefore expect to eat the same food as the others
participants in the journey. We are happy to note and pass on requests for special diets or information about allergies, but we unfortunately do not have the opportunity to guarantee that you can be served special meals, or that special consideration can be given to allergies
Reservations / changes
We reserve the right to make changes to the program. Sovietistan Travel and our local partners always strive to run the trip carefully according to the program, but due to the sights' opening hours or practical circumstances, it may be necessary to complete the route in a different order than stated. In addition, program items may be deleted due to force majeure situations such as weather conditions, road conditions or delayed flights.
Finally, we must point out that our travels is continuously revised and improved based on the feedback we receive after each trip. Revision of the trip might therefore result in changes in the program from the time it was purchased until the departure takes place. Before departure, all participants will receive the latest updated program, which intends to serve the customers' best and ensure the most smooth running of the trip.
The trip is sold as a whole "package", and it will not be possible to refund the parts of the package that may. not used.
© Sovietistan Travel/MWAndersen, 21012022. All rights reserved
Uzbekistan - The Dream of the azure domes
14.th September – 21.th September 2022 or 07.th October – 14.th October 2022
Price per person (in shared double-room): 1.950 USD/PAX.
Deposit: 525 USD/PAX. The final balance is due 150 days prior to departure)
Single room: 150 USD/PAX
PRICE INFORMATION
Price include:
Sovietistan Travels’ rates include all accommodations; all meals, activities and excursions as described in the itinerary; from Tashkent to Tashkent; services of two Sovietistan Travel leaders and local guides throughout the itinerary; airport transfers; permits and entrance fees.
● International flight ticket home (any European destination) - Tashkent - home (Economy Class - usually with Turkish Airlines)
● Accomodation in Uzbekistan; 3*** hotels
● BLD in Uzbekistan (except D day 4 in Bukhara)
● Transport in bus with A/C according program in Uzbekistan
● Train ticket Tashkent - Bukhara and Samarkand - Tashkent, Uzbekistan
● Necessary permits for Restricted Area sites
● Administration from Sovietistan Travel
● Visa support, e.g. Letter of Invitation (LOI)
Price does not include:
Costs not included in the price of your Sovietistan Travel include travel to and from the start and end point of trip; travel insurance (mandatory); airport departure taxes; excess baggage fees; items of a personal nature (phone calls, laundry, souvenirs, etc.); and independent travel arrangements pre- or post-trip.
● Beverage during the tour and at meals in restaurants and cafes
● Arrangements not mentioned in the program
● Tips for local guides and drivers (calculate approx. USD 50, - per traveler)
● Passport and Visa fees. Visa to Uzbekistan (if needed)
● Sickness cancellation insurance 6% of the trip price
● Luggage handling at accommodations
● Single room supplement
● Photo and video fees for attractions visited
● Everything not mentioned under "Price includes"
Payments & Terms
525 USD will confirm your place on the tour. The final balance is due 150 days prior to departure. All prices are quoted in U.S. dollars and must be paid in U.S. dollars or otherwise agreed with Sovietistan Travel. Per person pricing is based on double occupancy. The solo rate is paid by participants who specifically request single accommodations and is subject to availability. If you are traveling alone and wish to share accommodations, we will try to match you with a roommate of the same gender. However, if a roommate is not available, the published solo rate will be charged. Please note that solo accommodations are limited and cannot always be guaranteed throughout.