Expert opinion
Pluses
- New Year’s dinner: a festive dinner with a programme on day 2 in Samarkand is part of the price.
- One move only: the only transfer between cities is the high-speed train from Samarkand to Bukhara on day 3, with two nights in each city.
- Mostly included: guided excursions with entrance tickets, the train ticket, private transfers and tourist fees are covered.
Minuses
- Winter cold: in December and January daytime highs in Samarkand and Bukhara are about 7–9 °C, and the programme is mostly walking outdoors.
- Meals extra: lunches and dinners are paid separately, except the New Year’s dinner.
- Book early: bookings close 21 days before the tour, and passport copies are needed to confirm.
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
- Light
Walking: Light: day 1 is an evening walk, day 2 has three sites in Samarkand (Gur-Emir, Bibi-Khanym, Shah-i-Zinda), day 4 is the Bukhara old town at an unhurried pace, day 5 is shopping and departure. No hikes or climbs.
A typical day
Day 2 in Samarkand: Gur-Emir, Bibi-Khanym and Shah-i-Zinda — mosaics, domes and the stories behind them. In the evening comes the New Year’s dinner with a festive programme, where you see in the New Year.
What the price includes
What is included
- 2 nights at Hotel Savitsky, Samarkand (or similar), with breakfast
- 2 nights at Hotel Wyndham, Bukhara (or similar), with breakfast
- Taxes and tourist fees
- Festive New Year’s dinner
- Guided excursions with entrance tickets
- Train ticket Samarkand — Bukhara
- Private transfers
Not included
- International flights
- Lunches and dinners (except the New Year’s dinner)
- Photo and video fees at the sites
Extra cost on site
- Photo and video fees at the sites
Good for
- Couples and families celebrating New Year
- Travellers who want a festive but calm trip
Maybe not for you if
- Those who can’t travel 29 December – 2 January
Questions about this tour
What are the dates and group size?
Arrival on 30 December and departure on 3 January, for groups of 2 to 10 people.
Which hotels are used?
Hotel Savitsky in Samarkand and Hotel Wyndham in Bukhara (or similar), 2 nights each, with breakfast.
Which meals are included?
Breakfasts and the festive New Year’s dinner. Other lunches and dinners are paid separately.
How do we travel between cities?
The train ticket from Samarkand to Bukhara and private transfers are included; international flights are not.
How much does it cost, and how late can I book?
$800 per person in a double/twin room or $1,046 in a single room. Bookings are accepted no later than 21 days before the tour, and passport copies are needed to confirm.
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Arrival, departure, transfers
Programme and details
Day-by-day route, prices and terms
New Year Journey
New Year — in Samarkand
Five days to see in the New Year beside the Did you know? The Registan's sun-carrying lion went on a banknote The Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619–1636) is named for the big cats with the sun on their backs on its portal. The image appeared on the reverse of Uzbekistan's 200-som note of 1997. Read more →, then spend the first days of January in quiet, warm Bukhara.
Samarkand · Bukhara
Arrival 30 Dec — departure 3 Jan
Hotels Savitsky · Wyndham
Route
Samarkand → Bukhara
A short route with no daily transfers. First Samarkand and New Year’s night among its domes, then Bukhara — more intimate, unhurried and made for walking once the celebration is over.
| Days | City | What’s inside |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Samarkand | Registan, Did you know? Timur's tombstone went to Persia and came back The dark-green jade slab on Timur's grave in Gur-e-Amir was carried off by Nader Shah in 1740. It broke, and on his advisers' urging he sent it back to Samarkand. Read more →, Did you know? Why Shah-i-Zinda means 'the Living King' The necropolis grew around the shrine of Qutham ibn Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. Legend says he did not die in battle but went down a deep well to a garden of paradise, where he lives on. Read more → and the festive evening |
| 3–5 | Bukhara | Lyabi-Hauz, the Ark, Kalyan, trading domes and departure |
Programme
Day by day
Click a day to expand the description.
Day 1 · Samarkand (30 Dec)
Meeting at the airport, transfer and hotel check-in. After some rest — a first walk through the city: the Registan lit up in the evening, warm tea and the feeling that the celebration has already begun.
Day 2 · Samarkand. New Year’s night (31 Dec)
Gur-Emir, The great mosque Amir Timur ordered after his Indian campaign of 1398–1399, one of the largest of its time. Read more → and Shah-i-Zinda — mosaics, domes and stories that don’t fit into a single tour.
Evening: a New Year’s dinner with a festive programme. We see in the New Year in Samarkand — a city that sounds like an event in itself.
Day 3 · Samarkand — Bukhara (1 Jan)
In the morning — the Samarkand's main bazaar, right next to Bibi-Khanym: Samarkand bread, dried fruit, nuts and halva. Read more → for flatbread, halva and dried fruit. Then the high-speed train to Bukhara.
Evening: Lyabi-Hauz — the lights of the teahouses, old mulberry trees and a city that doesn’t fall silent after midnight, it just speaks more softly.
Day 4 · Bukhara (2 Jan)
The Ark fortress, the Kalyan minaret, the Samanid Mausoleum, madrasahs and trading domes. There’s no need to rush from site to site here: Bukhara reveals itself in between — in narrow passages, at workshop doors and over a cup of tea.
Day 5 · Bukhara (3 Jan)
Breakfast and time for last purchases: ceramics, spices, Bukhara embroidery. Transfer to the airport and departure.
Price
Price per person for the whole tour
| Occupancy | Price per person |
|---|---|
| Double / Twin room | $800 |
| Single room | $1046 |
Single supplement — +$246. Group size: 2 to 10 people.
Booking
How to book the tour
- Send your request to hello@aroundca.com — we reply within 24 hours.
- Bookings are accepted no later than 21 days before the tour date.
- Passport copies are required to confirm a booking.
Cancellation policy
Cancellation charges
| Cancellation notice | Charge |
|---|---|
| 14 or more days before the tour | 20% |
| 7–13 days before the tour | 50% |
| 0–6 days before the tour | 100% |
Where others see one option — we see ten. AroundCA — MICE & Travel
