7-Day Village to Village Hiking Tour in the Nuratau Mountains

Overview

Day by day itinerary

1. 1Bukhara-Sentob⌄

   Meet our driver at 9:00 at the designated meeting point to commence the journey to Sentob village. You will arrive by lunchtime and settle into your homestay. Spend the afternoon exploring the village to admire local sights, observe the traditional building styles, and engage with the villagers as they go about their daily activities. Enjoy leisure time with your homestay hosts in the afternoon. Please note that this day allows for independent exploration of the village, with the guided tour scheduled to begin the following day.

   Meals: Lunch · Dinner

   Overnight: Rahima's homestay

2. 2Sentob⌄

   After breakfast, meet your mountain guide to begin your hiking tour. The trek to Kadvan Valley takes about 7.5-8 hours round trip, covering 15 miles. Along the way, you'll pass an old fortress and visit a site with ancient Arabic script. Continue hiking to a small waterfall where you can cool off in one of the natural swimming pools. Enjoy a picnic along the route before returning to Sentob via the same path.

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

   Overnight: Rahima's homestay

3. 3Sentob⌄

   After breakfast, meet your mountain guide to begin your hiking tour to Mount Fazilman. The round trip hike, covering 22 km, takes approximately 10 hours. First, trek up the Chavaksoy Valley to Guzbin, a distance of 8.3 km taking about 3.5 hours. After reaching the mountain pass near Peak Gaukum, continue across the plateau to Lake Fazilman, which is another 2.8 km and about 1 hour of hiking. Enjoy a picnic and rest at the small lake before returning to Sentob via an alternate route.

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

   Overnight: Rahima's homestay

4. 4Sentob-Hayat⌄

   After breakfast, depart from Sentob and head towards the next mountain village, Hayat, passing by Lake Aydarkul. Travel through the expansive Kyzyl-Kum steppes until you reach the lake. Take some time to observe birdlife, swim, or simply enjoy a leisurely walk along the lake's shores before continuing your journey to Hayat village. Upon arrival, you'll have a free afternoon to explore the village at your own pace.

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

   Overnight: Shodmon's homestay

5. 5Hayat - Uhum⌄

   In the morning, meet your mountain guide to begin your 12 km, 5-hour hike to the village of Uhum. Along the way, explore ancient irrigation channels and a petroglyph site. You'll also have the chance to meet locals engaged in their daily activities. In the village, women still spin, weave carpets, and make kurpacha mattresses. Spend the night at Ulugbek’s homestay.

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

   Overnight: Ulug'bek's homestay

6. 6Uhum - Asraf⌄

   At 09:00 , pack up and start a guided hike from Uhum to Asraf village, a journey of 11 km that takes about 4.5 hours. Your luggage will be transported by donkeys. Along the way, visit the community watermill and the ruins of a Mongol fortress. Arrive at Aslon’s homestay(or similar) in Asraf by lunchtime and settle into your rooms. In the afternoon, you can explore the village, observing the locals as they go about their daily chores, or assist the family in preparing the traditional dish Plov using homegrown vegetables and mountain spices.

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

   Overnight: Aslon's homestay

7. 7Asraf - Samarkand⌄

   In the morning enjoy a leisurely hike from Asraf to Eski Forish, a nearby village in the Nuratau Mountains. The round trip spans 11 km and takes about 5 hours. Along the way, explore the ruins of an ancient observation point. After returning to Asraf for lunch, depart for Samarkand.

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch