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Uzbekistan - Great Cities of the Silk Road

14 days from $7,380

Departing: March 2027 - September 2027

Visit the UNESCO-listed sites of Bukhara and Samarkand

On this tour, we explore the sites and cities of the Silk Road, which once ran all the way from China to Europe, with Uzbekistan right at its heart. The steppes, deserts, mountains and gleaming blue-tiled cities tell a story of trade and conquest. Join us on the road to Khiva, Bukhara and fabulous Samarkand; cities built to dazzle the travellers who have passed by for thousands of years. For centuries, this is where not only goods, but knowledge, ideas and cultures crossed from East to West. Travel in the footsteps of those ancient caravans, from grassy plain to desert, voyaging from city to city, crossing Uzbekistan on an unforgettable journey.

Included

Explore the palaces of Khiva & Savitsky Art Museum, with entrance fees included
All other visits as outlined in the itinerary
Expert Guide Lecturer & professional Tour Manager
4 nights at the Wyndham Tashkent, Tashkent, 1 night at the Pana, Nukus, 3 nights at the Asia Khiva, Khiva, 3 nights at the Sahid Zarafshan, Bukhara & 2 nights at the East Star, Samarkand
13 breakfasts, 12 lunches & 12 dinners
Tea or coffee with dinner
Private air-conditioned coach travel
Field notes, taxes & gratuities for local staff

Highlights

Visit UNESCO World Heritage sites of Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and Shakhrisyabz
See the many ornate palaces in the city of Khiva
Observe avant-garde art at the renowned Savitsky Art Museum
Enter the magnificent Bibi-Khanym Mosque

Dr Katie Campbell

Katie is a Research Fellow in Archaeology at King’s College, Cambridge, specialising in medieval Central Asian cities. She holds a doctorate from Oxford on the Mongol Conquest and has over a decade’s fieldwork experience across Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia.

Tour Itinerary

Arrive into Tashkent and meet your Expert Guide Lecturer and fellow travellers at your hotel on the morning of day two.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 1 Barakhan Madrasah

We arrive in Tashkent, the modern capital of Uzbekistan and a city of ancient origins, and transfer to our hotel. Due to the early hour of our arrival, there is time to rest and catch up on sleep before lunch. In the afternoon, we visit the Museum of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan, housed in the beautifully crafted and decorated residence of a former diplomat. We also take a walk in Independence Square and view the Monument of Courage. This evening, we enjoy a welcome meal together.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 2 Tamerlane Monument

We drive to the ancient settlement of Shahrukhiyah, the first large city of the Tashkent oases, situated on the Great Silk Road through Yaksart but now hidden beneath a green and verdant mound. At first glance, the site seems similar in appearance to British hill forts but on closer inspection, the internal layout of the town can be discerned, and the scale of this extensive medieval entrepôt becomes apparent. In the afternoon, we return to Tashkent for a walking tour. The great earthquake of 1966 devastated most of the old city and much of Tashkent was rebuilt as a model Soviet city with wide boulevards and cutting-edge architecture, but there are remnants of its medieval past in ‘eski shakhar’ or old city. We visit Chorsu Bazaar, the spiritual heart of Tashkent, and Hast Imam Square which includes the Tellya Sheik Mosque.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3 Hast Imam Square

This morning, we fly west to Nukus, located in the Karakalpakstan Republic. This area of Uzbekistan is the most remote and much of the semi-autonomous republic is desert, surrounding the increasingly desiccated Aral Sea. Its capital, Nukus, is the administrative heart of the region. On arrival, we make our way to Gyaur Kala, the ‘Fortress of Infidels’, a settlement established at the time of the First Persian Empire. Its surviving mud brick walls and towers are indicative of Zoroastrian inhabitants. After lunch, we continue to the medieval city of Mizdakhan, site of Uzbekistan’s oldest necropolis, first founded some 2,000 years ago. Still a place of pilgrimage and mysticism, the legends surrounding this settlement include that of the ‘World Clock’, a building that is said to shed just one brick a year. According to legend, when the last brick falls, the end of the world begins.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 Mizdakhan

Our day starts at the world-renowned Savitsky Art Museum, which hosts the world’s second largest collection of Russian avant-garde art that hangs alongside that of Socialist Realism. There are also archaeological and ethnographic objects on display. Next, we travel south along the Amu River to the remote ruined tepe of Chilpik Dakhma, a Zoroastrian ‘Tower of Silence’ used in funerary sky burial rituals until the Arab invasion of the 7th century AD. Our final destination for the day is Khiva, an important Silk Road city, famous for its role as a slave trading post.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 Zoroastrian Tower of Silence

We begin with an excursion to the mighty fortresses of Ayaz Kala. Dramatically situated on a hilltop overlooking the Kyzylkum Desert, and erected to protect local inhabitants against nomadic attacks, these ancient strongholds were largely destroyed at the time of the Arab invasions. We continue to the abandoned city of Toprak Kala, a complex built by the slave-owning Khorezm, with an extended line of crumbling walls that is visible for miles around. Built in the 3rd century AD, its remains include the residences of Khorezm governors, workshops, which formerly manufactured bows, and a palace with three imposing towers.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 Ayaz Kala in Karakalpakstan

Today we step into a world of Arabian Nights, spending a whole day exploring Khiva on foot to enjoy its narrow alleys, graceful minarets and thriving markets. Although it was virtually destroyed by Genghis Khan, much of it what was subsequently rebuilt is impressive. The first of Uzbekistan’s sites to achieve World Heritage status, the city still boasts its original defensive walls and gates, as well as a wealth of ornate mosques and mausoleums.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We take a long drive through the vast Karakum Desert, a rugged plain of sand ridges and dunes connected with salt marshes and takyrs. The climate here is very severe and temperatures can reach 50°С in the summer and as low as -30°С in winter. We make a brief stop at the widest expanse of the Amu Darya (River Oxus) to see how its waters have been diverted by the Soviets, causing the Aral Sea to dramatically recede. We arrive at Bukhara in the mid-afternoon, allowing time to visit the Chashma Ayub mausoleums and the Bolo Khauz Mosque before checking into our next hotel.

Please note: if we are delayed en route and arrive in Bukhara later than expected, we will visit these sites instead on day 10 after our visit to Paykent.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Omar Khayyam Bukhara

Day 8 Bolo Khauz Mosque

Today is dedicated to Bukhara, the great oasis city of central Asia. Bukhara is unique not only because of its architectural masterpieces (of which there are plenty), but also because of its accessibly; you can wander freely from a modern hotel into a madrasaha or from a local restaurant into the local quarters of courtyard houses. Formerly part of the Persian Empire, the city was seized by the Samanids in 903 AD and went on to become a significant centre for intellectualism in the Islamic world. As part of our tour, we visit the Po-i-Kalyan religious complex, an impressive collection of sacred buildings, so transcendent that not even Ghengis Khan could not bring himself to destroy it. Tonight, we enjoy a traditional folk show before having dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Omar Khayyam Bukhara

We visit the site at one of Bukhara’s predecessors today, the ruined city of Poykent, which lies away from civilisation in a seemingly deserted region around 60km southeast of Bukhara. In the past, however, this region was much more fertile, watered by the Zarafshan river. The gradual drying up of this watercourse led to the city’s desertion and it provides a fine contrast to Bukhara, which continued to have access to plentiful water. After a picnic lunch, we return to Bukhara for further exploration of the city and some free time. We also visit the beautifully located Mausoleum of Ismail Samani today.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Omar Khayyam Bukhara

Day 10 Mausoleum of Ismail Samani

Today we follow the Silk Road route to Samarkand, an extended drive east across the scenic plains of central Uzbekistan, which takes us most of the day. Along the way, of course, we make comfort stops and visit two places of interest: Rabat-i Malik, an 11th-century caravanserai of epic proportions with an intricate Persian façade matching those found on palace walls at Persepolis, and Gijduvan, a small town where we have lunch and visit a pottery workshop.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11 Shah i Zinda Necropolis

We spend the day discovering Samarkand, a city associated with so many tales of the past. The sheer number of standing architectural monuments is astonishing. Among today’s many highlights is the Ulugh Beg Observatory, a 15th-century marvel of astronomical research which was unearthed in 1908, and the stunning necropolis at Shah i Zinda, which is a series of grand palatial tombs. We also admire Registan Square, an impressive public square bordered by three stunning madrasahs, or Islamic schools, a breathtaking monument to power and learning. Samarkand is more than a shrine of Timurid tiles, however; it has a deeper and more complex history, and we also walk into the remains of the old Afrasiab that sits in a corner of the modern Samarkand, seemingly lifeless and often unnoticed by visitors.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12 Palace Ak Saray

We begin our last full day by exploring more of central Samarkand, first visiting the restored Gur-i-Amir Mausoleum complex where Tamerlane was buried. We continue on to the enormous Bibi-Khanym Mosque, with its magnificent columns, portals and minarets – a grand site established during the reign of Tamerlane. After lunch, we return to Tashkent by high-speed train.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Depart for the airport or continue your trip at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 14 Bibi Khanym Mosque

Accommodation

The Hotel Omar Khayam is situated in the heart of Bukhara in the city’s historical centre a short walk from the Labi Khaus complex. It is a private hotel with an enviable location, rooms are spacious but functional rather than luxurious. They are equipped with air conditioning, safety deposit box, hairdryer, TV and there is complimentary WiFi throughout.

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Availability & Booking

2027

27th March from $7,380

10th September from $7,380

from $7,380

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