MARATHONS
TOUR OVERVIEW
Samarkand Marathon – a race in the footsteps of the Caravaneers,
9 days/8 nights.
First organized as Samarkand half-marathon in 2019, it has become the Samarkand marathon since 2022. Samarkand marathon is a race organized annually on the first weekend of November in the mythical city of Samarkand.
If you want to participate in this event, feel free to contact us by e-mail. Our team will then take care of every detail, from booking your room in a conveniently located hotel to registering you for Samarkand International Marathon.
You will also be able to explore other cities on the Silk Road such as Bukhara the noble, Khiva the mysterious before you leave Uzbekistan.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Participation to Samarkand marathon, the first sport and charity event in Uzbekistan
Immersion in the historical culture of the Silk Road in Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva
Tasting of local bakery and traditional Uzbek cuisine
Meeting with the Uzbek population during your adventure
ITINERARY
Flight to Tashkent from the airport of your choice. Dinner and night on board the plane.
Welcome to Uzbekistan! Meeting with your guide and transfer to the hotel to have a small rest after the international trip. After a late breakfast, you will make a check out and start to explore the country’s capital.
On the program for the first day: a visit to the old Chorsu market (11th century), a walking in Tashkent metro, famous for its richly decorated subway stations, a visit to the theater square and many others.
At the end of the day, you will reach the railway station to take the TGV to Samarkand. Arrival after 2 hours 10 minutes, dinner and overnight in Samarkand.
You will be invited to a preparation exercise in the morning in the presence of Samarkand Running team members and we will go for a run through the city (about 4-5 km).
After breakfast at the hotel, it will be time to pick up your race numbers at the marathon reception. Your next day of travel will be dedicated to discovering the wonders of the city of the Silk Road.
The sublime mausoleum of the Timurids built at the beginning of the 15th century, the grandiose place of Reghistan as well as the mosque of Bibi Khanum will be your cultural discoveries of the day. After dinner, night walking in town to take part in the marathon concert.
Night at the hotel.
Samarkand Marathon Day. Early in the morning you will reach the starting place with several thousand runners coming not only from Uzbekistan, but also from different countries of the world.
The itinerary of your marathon will take place through the streets of the mythical city and will take you past in front of the grandiose sites of Samarkand. (The detailed information of the marathon will be communicated to you by our agency).
After having achieved your race and received the marathon medals and also participating in the closing ceremony, you will return to the hotel for lunch and rest for a while. At the end of the afternoon, you will visit the necropolis of Shakhi Zinda, composed of more than 20 historical mausoleums.
You will go directly to the restaurant where a festive dinner will be waiting for you and where a folk concert will take place. Night at the hotel.
You will be transferred in the morning to Samarkand International Airport to take the return flight. We wish you an excellent trip!
PS. This tailor-made marathon tour is given as an example and can be modified or customized to your wishes. For more details and information, please contact our agency.
EXTENSIONS
For those who would like to stay a few more days and discover the other cities of the Silk Road, we offer a tailor-made extension from Samarkand. Example of a tailor-made and customizable extension:
After breakfast, you will take the train to Bukhara and arrive for lunch. After checking into a charming hotel in the heart of the old quarter of the city, you will make your first discoveries.
The Tchor Minor madrasa (former 19th century coranic school) hidden behind the old quarter will start the beginning of your tours. As you walk through the commercial alleys of the old town, you will see handicrafts made in Bukhara. Dinner at a craftsman’s traditional house and overnight at the hotel.
Get ready to discover a city described as the place of life and conviviality in the heart of the Silk Road. On the day’s program, visit the Samanid mausoleum built towards the end of the 8th century.
Then you will have a free moment at the local market of Bukhara to see not only local products, but also to meet Uzbeks. The Ark citadel, royal residence of the city, and many other sites will your today’s sightseeing’s.
At the end of the day, you will taste Bukhara spice tea in one of the local tea houses. Dinner in town and overnight at the hotel.
In the morning, departure by train to Khiva, a city located in the northwest of the country. This trip lasting about 6 hours will cross the Kyzylkoum desert (red sand desert).
It occupies a large part of the Uzbek territory and offers a beauty of desert landscapes. Upon arrival, you will check into a charming hotel inside the historic fortress. Your first walks will allow you to discover the visits of the next day. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Your whole day will be dedicated to the discovery of the inner city of Khiva, Ichan Kala, surrounded by imposing walls and a real open-air museum-city restored by Unesco.
The silhouettes of its minarets, dominating the terraces of clay houses, and the mighty walls of its fortress give Khiva the exotic image of a feudal city in the Asian center of the famous Silk Road.
The visit to the key monuments of the mysterious city and the possibility of climbing the defense bastion will be the main activities of the day. Dinner in a former Koranic school with a magnificent view of one of the city’s minarets. Night at the hotel.
You will be transferred in the morning to Urgench International Airport to take the return flight. We wish you an excellent trip!
PS. This tailor-made marathon tour is given as an example and can be modified or customized to your wishes. For more details and information, please contact our agency.
