Expert opinion
Pluses
- New Year dinner included: On 31 December there is a festive dinner with a New Year programme, national cuisine and music, and it is in the price.
- Two cities in four days: Bukhara (The fortress-residence of the rulers of Bukhara on a high artificial hill: the oldest structure in the city. Read more →, Did you know? Diggers went 13 m down and never found its base The Kalyan Minaret of 1127 rises about 46 m, and an excavation reached 13 m without finding the bottom of its foundations. Genghis Khan reportedly ordered it spared. Read more →, A 9th–10th-century family tomb of the Samanid dynasty, one of the oldest surviving monuments of Islamic architecture in Central Asia, built entirely of patterned brick. Read more →) and Samarkand (Samarkand's main square, framed by three madrasahs: Ulugh Beg (15th century), Sher-Dor and Tilya-Kori (both 17th century). Read more →, The mausoleum of Amir Timur and his descendants, early 15th century, with a ribbed turquoise dome and a gilded interior. Read more →, A street of mausoleums on the edge of old Samarkand, built from the 11th to the 19th century, most of them under Timur and his descendants. Known for its glazed tilework. Read more →) in 4 days and 3 nights.
- Logistics in the price: All transfers, the Bukhara–Samarkand train ticket, entrance tickets and local guides on excursion days are included.
Minuses
- Winter cold: In Bukhara it is about 7–8 °C by day and down to −2 °C at night in December and January, and Samarkand is similar, while the sights are visited outdoors.
- Meals extra: Meals other than the New Year's dinner are not included.
- Flights not included: You fly into Bukhara and out of Samarkand on your own; the flights are not in the price.
AroundCA numbers
How we counted
By the AroundCA programme: we count only what is written in the day-by-day programme of this tour. If the programme gives no figure, we show nothing.
- Hotel changes
- 1
- Walking
- Medium
Walking: Medium: about four sights a day on foot with a guide, for example on day 2 the Ark, Kalyan minaret, Samanid Mausoleum and trading domes, and on day 4 Gur-Emir, Bibi-Khanym, Shah-i-Zinda and the Siab bazaar. There are no climbs or treks in the programme.
A typical day
Day 4, Samarkand: Gur-Emir, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Shah-i-Zinda and the Siab bazaar, where you can buy hot flatbread, halva and gifts. Then a transfer to Samarkand airport and departure.
What the price includes
What is included
- Accommodation per the programme in Bukhara and Samarkand
- All transfers on the route
- Train ticket Bukhara–Samarkand
- Entrance tickets per the programme
- Local guides on excursion days
- Drinking water
- New Year's dinner on 31 December
- Accommodation per the programme: Makon (Bukhara), Grand Samarkand (Samarkand)
Not included
- Flights to Bukhara and from Samarkand
- Meals, except the New Year's dinner
- Tour leader, on request
- Personal expenses, tips, insurance
Good for
- Travellers with only a few days off over New Year
- Couples and friends who want a festive dinner in a historic city
- First-timers who want Bukhara and Samarkand in one trip
Maybe not for you if
- Those with flexible dates — the tour runs only 30 December – 2 January
- Travellers who also want Khiva — see the 8-day New Year in Uzbekistan tour
Questions about this tour
What is included?
Everything that is and isn’t included, and what you pay on site, is in one list: What the price includes
Are meals included?
Only the New Year's dinner; other meals are paid separately.
How do I get there and back?
You fly into Bukhara and out of Samarkand; these flights are not included.
Can I have a room to myself?
Yes, a single room is available with a supplement.
Is there a tour leader for the whole trip?
Local guides lead the excursions; an accompanying tour leader is available on request at extra cost.
Didn’t find your answer? Ask about this tour →
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Tick what you’d like to add — it goes into your request, and the manager confirms the final price.
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Arrival, departure, transfers
Programme and details
Day-by-day route, prices and terms
New Year Journey · fixed-date tour
New Year — in Bukhara
Four days: Bukhara for the festive night, Samarkand for the final note.
Bukhara · Samarkand
Arrival 30 December
Departure 2 January
Route
Bukhara → Samarkand
A route for anyone who wants a compact New Year break with two different characters. Bukhara gathers warmth and comfort for the festive evening; Samarkand closes the trip with scale and colour.
| Days | City | What’s inside |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Bukhara | Did you know? Bukhara's ponds were once its water supply Pools like Lyabi-Hauz, dug around 1620 and 46 × 36 m, were the city's main source of water. Most were filled in during the 1920s–30s because they spread disease; Lyabi-Hauz survived. Read more →, the Ark, Kalyan and the New Year celebration |
| 3–4 | Samarkand | Registan, Gur-Emir, Shah-i-Zinda and departure |
Programme
Day by day
Click a day to expand the description.
Day 1 · Bukhara
Meeting at the airport, transfer and check-in.
Evening: a walk around Lyabi-Hauz — teahouses, lights on the water and a first meeting with a city that doesn’t try to impress, it simply stays in your memory.
Day 2 · Bukhara. New Year’s night
A tour of Bukhara: the Ark fortress, the Kalyan minaret, the Samanid Mausoleum and the old trading domes.
Evening: a festive dinner with a New Year programme, national cuisine and music. We see in the New Year where even the stone keeps the stories of caravans.
Day 3 · Bukhara — Samarkand
Transfer to Samarkand on the high-speed train. After check-in — the Registan: three madrasahs, a vast square and mosaics that shift shade with every step.
The evening stays free — for a walk, rest, or a return to the square after sunset.
Day 4 · Samarkand
Gur-Emir, The great mosque Amir Timur ordered after his Indian campaign of 1398–1399, one of the largest of its time. Read more →, Shah-i-Zinda and the Siab bazaar. Here you can buy hot flatbread, halva and gifts to take home.
Transfer to Samarkand airport and departure.
Price
Price per person for the whole tour
| Occupancy | Price per person |
|---|---|
| Double / Twin room | $773 |
| Single room | $871 |
Fixed-date tour: 30 December – 2 January. Single supplement — +$98.
Where others see one option — we see ten. AroundCA — MICE & Travel
