Khujand Day Tour from Tashkent
Description
Khujand is one of the ancient cities in Central Asia: The age of the city is about 2500 years old . City was found by Cyrus- an Achaemenid emperor and was occupied by Alexander the Great rebuilt , strengthened it and named it: Alexandia furthest. During the centuries the city had very important position on the silk road trade: Connected Samarkand with Fergana Valley and China. Taking tour to Khujand you will enjoy visiting the noisy and vibrant oriental bazaar "Paishanba" - the largest market in all of Tajikistan. You will be fascinated by the quiet streets, the variety of delicious fruits and the hospitality of the locals, ruins of fortresses, architectural monuments of XVI centuries.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Panjshanbe Covered Market is one of Khujand's famous attractions. Panjshanbe means Thursday. In Dushanbe they traded on Mondays, and in Khujand on Thursdays. The Panjshanbe bazaar is located in the very center of Khujand and in front of it is the mausoleum of Sheikh Muslihiddin. The bazaar consists of the main pavilion and many shops, tents, and shops adjacent to it. It is always very noisy here, as not only residents of the city come for shopping, but also guests from nearby villages. The main feature of the Panjshanbe market is its unique architecture and decor. The construction of the pavilion was carried out in the middle of the twentieth century and was completed in 1964. The bazaar building combines elements of oriental and the Stalinist empire, and the decoration is harmoniously performed using the Soviet and Eastern styles.
Throughout the history of Khujand, in the centre of the city was its fortress. For 2500 years, the Khujand fortress expanded with the city, was destroyed by the conquerors, rebuilt again. After archaeological excavations, it was found that the first fortress was erected in the VI-V centuries BC, and consisted of an embankment rampart gradually converted into thick walls of raw clay. Moreover, in addition to the fortress, there was a city wall covering 20 hectares. During the heyday of the Great Silk Road, the Khujand fortress was rebuilt, as well as the city wall. However, the city grew even more, and was divided into three parts: the citadel, rabad and shahristan. At that time, the Khujand fortress was considered one of the most important city in Central Asia. However, the fortress was destroyed by Genghis Khan's army. In 1219-1220. In 1999, part of the eastern wall of the Khujan fortress, dating back to the 8th-10th centuries, was restored.
In 1999, part of the eastern wall of the Khujan fortress, dating back to the 8th-10th centuries, was restored and built the Museum of History and Local Lore of Archeology and Fortification adjoined it. This museum contains household items, ceramics and tools found at the excavation site of the fortress. In total, the museum’s fund contains 1,200 exhibits, most of which are available to visitors.
This large memorial ensemble, located in the historical part of the city, was erected on the grave of Muslihiddin Khujandi - the ruler of the city of Khujand and poet who lived in the XII century. Sheikh Muslihiddin was a holy miracle worker. At first he was buried in the village of Unji (a suburb of Khujand), but his admirers moved the sheikh's ashes to the city and erected a mausoleum on this site. It was in the 12th century. Then the mausoleum was a small burial chamber of burnt bricks, decorated with terracotta. This tomb was destroyed during the Mongol invasion. In the XIV century, the mausoleum was rebuilt again. Today the Sheikh Muslikhiddin Mausoleum is an architectural ensemble consisting of a mosque, a minaret of the 19th century (height over 20 m) and sheikh Muslikhiddin's mausoleum.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(46)
My husband and I like to visit new countries. On our holiday to four of the Stan-countries, we decided to do a day trip to Khujand Tadsjikistan from Tasjkent. As Norwegian citizens we do not need a visa to these countries so the border crossing back and forth were easy. Just a little waiting on the way back to Usbekistan due to many people at the border. On this tour all the logistics went very well. We got picked up at the hotel in time at 0730 am. The drive to the border took exactly two hours. The border crossing took 20 min. On the other side the Tadsjik guide Shaxram and the driver waited for us. The drive to the city of Khujand took one hour. The logistics on the way back also went well. We left Khujand at approximately 3.30 pm. The driver in Usbekistan was very kind and polite and he was a clever driver. He waited for us at the border when we came back in the afternoon. During the drive we discussed fotball, as Norway just had beaten Brazil in the World Cup. But it was sad that his English was limited. The guide in Tadsjikistan was fluent in English and very knowledgeable. We visited all the places on the list and the Orthodox Church. The lunch was in a nice restaurant and we had a delicious pilaf dish with rice and meat. The drive from the border back to Tashkent took longer than in the morning due to the rush hour. We were back in the hotel at approximately 0745 pm. We truly can recommend this tour if you are interested in history and politics. We could ask a lot of questions to Shaxram and he could answer all of them. His driver was clever and drove us safely around in Khujand.
We loved our trip to Khujand from Tashkent. The pick up from our hotel was seamless. The car was clean and comfortable and Daniel, was a really good and safe driver. Once we crossed the border to Tajikistan our guide, Shahrom, found us and took us to our new driver, who was also great. Shahrom showed us around the city and taught us so much about Tajik culture and history. We had an amazing time learning, exploring and meeting friendly faces.
The journey started when the driver picked us up from our hotel in Tashkent at 7:30 a.m. By 10:00 a.m., we had arrived at the border between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The border-crossing process was smooth and took only 15 minutes. Once we entered Tajikistan, we were greeted by our tour guide, who arrived with his car to drive us around the city. It took about an hour to drive from the border to the city of Khujand. Our tour guide was very kind and knowledgeable, with an excellent understanding of the region’s history. Since it was a private tour, we were able to decide what we wanted to do and visit. We spent about four hours in Khujand before deciding to head back to the border. We reached the border at 4:00 p.m. and crossed back into Uzbekistan in another smooth 15 minutes. Finally, we arrived back at our hotel in Tashkent by 7:00 p.m. It was a wonderful trip, and I truly appreciated the hospitality of our tour guide. The people were kind and courteous. Two things to note: First, bring a Visa ATM card to withdraw cash. In Khujand, many establishments do not accept Visa credit cards. Secondly, don’t let the taxi drivers touting at the Uzbekistan or Tajikistan borders ruin your overall experience. This happens in many countries, and the borders are safe.
We completed a 12 day guided tour in Uzbekistan and thought it was good idea to take a day tour to khjand from Tashkent. It ended up a bad trip. First, there is really nothing new to see in Khujand. And secondly, the time spent on the road is too long. Thirdly, this day tour is way over priced based on living standard in these two countries. However, the tour guide and the drivers on both countries are friendly and helpful. I would not recommend to is trip to my friends.
I met my guide Hussein at the border. He was very polite and knowledgeable. Gave me a good overview about the history of Tajikistan and then details about Khujand. I had a lovely day. Luckily it was also Nowruz so I could observe some celebrations. He took me to a restaurant where I had a very tasty green salad. I still think about it. We finished the day with typical market. All together I can recommend the tour. Thanks Hussein.
Two important things; 1. It is a long ride from Tashkent on decent, but not good roads. We had a nice car and the driver kept the speed down on the way there. 2. Despite specifically stating admissions are included In the trip description, they are not. This matters because you have to change money at the border for this day trip. Credit cards were not accepted for admissions. The tour operators will not reimburse those admission fees. The drivers spoke no English but the guide, Hussein, was very good and knowledgeable. We did enjoy our trip.
A day trip to another country, crossing the border on foot and going through 8 (?) passport checks and an excellent guide to tell us about Tajikistan and Khujand . Hussein was an excellent guide - knowledgeable and helpful. Make sure you organise your visa for Tajikistan in good time for your trip!
The driving was safe-ish, and the border crossing well prepared. We were able to cross both ways with hardly any waiting, no visa and no cost (Norwegian passports). :-) The guide spoke a lot and was an experience in himself. He hardly understood any of our English but it somehow worked out, and we undertood most of what he said. Entrance fees are not included (even if it says so). You need some local currency for entrance and lunch. ATMs are available but the places mentioned didn't take Visa. All in all we had a great day!
Tour went generally smooth. Note that there you will be pick-up in your hotel and that ypu will cross the border. Your khujand tour guide will be waiting at the Tajikistan side if the border. Our tour guide Sha is good in history and have a lot of interesting stories to share.
A driver dropped me off at the border of Tajikistan close to Tashkent. I walked through the border and met my guild from Tajikistan, Hussein. He was very knowledgeable and informative. It was a great experience.
