Fergana Valley Tour
Description
Uncover the artistry of Uzbekistan on a Fergana Valley tour from Tashkent. Famous for silk and ceramics, the valley is a hub of traditional crafts. Start with hotel pickup and a drive across the Kamchik Mountain Pass to Kokand. Visit the workshop of Rustam Usmanov, a renowned ceramicist whose pieces are shown worldwide. Watch pottery being made and explore his vibrant collection. Continue to Margilan, the center of Uzbekistan’s silk industry. After browsing the local bazaar, tour the Yodgorlik Silk Factory, the last place still producing silk entirely by hand. See each stage of production and admire colorful ikat fabrics woven with centuries-old methods. After a full day of culture and craftsmanship, return to Tashkent with hotel drop-off included. This tour is ideal for travelers seeking authentic traditions and living heritage.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Kokand city, located in the western part of the Fergana Valley, is one of the most ancient cities of Uzbekistan. You will visit Khudoyar-Khan Palace, Jami Mosque and Norbut-biy Madrasah
Rishtan - Glazed Ceramics located 50 km in west of Fergana, there is a village of Rishtan, whose residents are known for their pottery. From historical sources we know that even 800 years ago talented craftsmen produced pottery in Rishtan. Rishtan pottery differs with richness of decor, which is dominated by blue. You will visit to the house of a well-known ceramic master, Rustam Usmanov, whose works are exhibited on world exhibitions. At pottery master’s you will visit the workshop, see the process of pottery creation and see collection of local ceramics.
If you’ve been travelling along the Silk Road seeking answers to where in fact this highly touted fabric comes from, Margilon and its Yodgorlik Silk Factory, should be your ground zero. Uzbekistan is the world’s third-largest silk producer, and Margilon is the traditional centre of the industry. Much of the silk you see for sale in Samarkand and Bukhara is in fact made in factories here. Have a walk on traditional market and continue to Yodgorlik Silk factory to see the production process of silk with traditional Ikat patterns (closed on Sundays).
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up all travelers from their hotels in Tashkent
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Tour will be performed by AC sedan car. We pick up travelers from their hotel in the early morning and drive to Margilon, the road takes 4 hours and lies through Kamchik Mountain Pass. In the afternoon, we transfer to Tashkent, in the evening you will be transferred to your hotel.
Reviews(17)
Very professional and organized. The driver was great. The guide was phenomenal. He was pleasant and knowledgeable.
This tour is long and concludes with a five hour drive back to Tashkent, so be prepared. But the tour itself is very good. You get to see the main sites of Kokand and travel into the Ferghana Valley. The visits to the workshops in Rishitan and Margilan are very interesting (be prepared to shop). The landscape is beautiful, so the large amount of time spent in the car is more interesting that one might expect. Dress comfortably, you will be doing a lot of riding in the car.
Our guide Ulug Beg was very passionate about the history and culture of his country, particularly about the Fergana Valley, which is a bidden gem. It’s a long drive but it’s really worth it. Thank you so much, Ulug Beg!
The train trip was great but Fergana is a tourist trap, we saw no original workshops and overall not worth the effort. lots of driving to underwhelming places . sadly not we expected.
I live and work in Tashkent and wanted to get out of the city for a change. I saw the Fergana Valley trip and liked the sound, but I didn't want to do the ceramics. I asked about a tailor made trip just to Kokand and they organised a driver and local guide. It was a long journey, but very nice to see the scenery enroute over the mountain pass. Also interesting to drive through some non-touristic towns. The local guide was knowledgeable and friendly, and there was just enough to see before the journey back to Tashkent.
We have enjoyed the trip. This a great opportunity to see historical places. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. The only critique is the price. You may order the same tour locally significantly cheaper.
Amazing views and a super helpful and supportive driver. An amazing part of Uzbekistan to visit. A long day, but well worth it.
Nice experience, crossing the mountain range to get to the Fergana valley is certainly impactful and the driver Ali was exceptional in terms of friendliness and helpfulness. We were able to visit the silk factory and witness its processing using traditional and modern methods, enriched by a free explanation in English. Also interesting is a visit to a small producer of ceramics worked entirely by hand, if you are lucky and find the grand master he will even let you work the clay on the wheel. Finally we visited some local mandrasas with some small shops inside that sell traditional and completely handcrafted clothing and accessories of remarkable workmanship. In all these places you can buy at attractive prices. In conclusion, I recommend this tour to complete an Uzbek experience.
The day was long, a lot of driving; from Tashkent to Kokand we got to drive over the Kamchik pass, over a wonderful mountain road. The visit to kokand was interesting even if the city could retain only few of the historical places. The guide was knowledgeable. However driving additional hours to margilan and rishtan to simply enter two silk and pottery shops/workshops felt unnecessary, almost a loss of time. Nothing against the particular places visited, but now worth two extra hour on the road for the 20min visits that could have probably been taken place elsewhere. In hindsight, getting the train to kokand and back would have been a better option.
Not worth the money. I wonder what we paid for that much. I get it's a lot of driving but for what. Seeing 2 shops which could have been visited anywhere else in the county too
