Classic Uzbekistan
Suggested Itinerary
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Overview
The only one of the ‘Stans’ that borders the other four, Uzbekistan is the historical heart of the region brimming with well-kept architectural delights and epic Silk Road tales. Lying at a cultural and geographic crossroad, it was one of the famous trade route’s most important links.
Once traversing the vast distances between the East and West, this classic itinerary tracks a tiny section of the Great Silk Road, beginning in the capital of Tashkent. After exploring some ...
The only one of the ‘Stans’ that borders the other four, Uzbekistan is the historical heart of the region brimming with well-kept architectural delights and epic Silk Road tales. Lying at a cultural and geographic crossroad, it was one of the famous trade route’s most important links.
Once traversing the vast distances between the East and West, this classic itinerary tracks a tiny section of the Great Silk Road, beginning in the capital of Tashkent. After exploring some of its main sights, head over to the beautifully preserved medieval city of Khiva, via ancient desert castles. Staying in one of the most important madrassahs of the walled fortress city, you’ll enjoy walking around its other 18th and 19th-century palaces and mosques, and meeting with local traders still occupying its historic buildings. Then, travel through the Kyzyl Kum Desert to Bukhara, where a tour of this beautiful oasis, once filled with pools and canals, ends with a homecooked dinner of plov, the national dish. A long history of trade, evident from Bukhara’s exquisite trading domes, there’ll be the opportunity to pop into a family-run ceramic workshop, before taking the high-speed rail to the fabled city of Samarkand.
A father-of-the-nation figure, you’ll learn all about notorious Tamerlane touring the many impressive Islamic structures built during his time including his tomb, the giant Bibi-Khanyum Mosque built for his wife and the iconic Registan. Amongst the ancient history, you can also get a flavour of the country under Tsarist-Russia and Soviet rule during a wine tasting in a secret cellar. Lastly, balancing the grandeur of the Silk Road cities, enjoy tea with a family in a rural Uzbek village before returning to the capital.
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Example Itinerary
This is an example itinerary. Our experts have all travelled widely in the region and will be happy to tailor any of our itineraries to suit your tastes and budget, or build a trip from scratch.
Day 1 Arrive Tashkent: The Capital’s Highlights
Upon your early arrival into the capital, your guide will be waiting at the airport to welcome you to Uzbekistan and take you straight to your hotel where an early check-in has been arranged. Using the rest of the morning to rest, refreshed this afternoon you’ll be picked back up for a tour of the city’s highlights including the central square (Amir Timur or Tamerlane's Square), the Soviet-era Alisher Navoi Opera Theatre, the busy Chorsu Bazaar and the mosques and madrassahs of the old town's Khast Imam Complex.
Day 2 Tashkent – Nukus – Desert Citadels – Khiva: Avant-garde Art & Desert Castles
Take the short flight to Nukus this morning for a look around the fascinating Savtisky Museum, housing a remarkable collection of avant-garde Soviet artwork. Leaving the city, you’ll then begin driving through the barren Kyzyl Kum Desert stopping at a few of the better-preserved desert castles that remain standing. The still visible plan of the imposing Toprak Kala helps to picture how the fort would have looked all those centuries ago. Arriving in the late afternoon, you’ll check into your historic madrassah hotel within the walled city of Old Khiva.
Day 3 Khiva: Wander Medieval Streets
Explore the 19th-century streets and Islamic buildings around your hotel on a walking tour of medieval Khiva with your guide this morning. Wandering through the maze of twisting alleyways, you’ll stop to enter the ancient city’s most notable palaces, madrassahs and mosques to hear about the lives of the imams, khanates and harems that occupied them. A living museum, many of the local residents still live and work inside the walled fortress city, so there’ll be chances to pop into the shops of local business owners and to swing by a branch of a local restaurateur to help bake some fresh Uzbek bread, perfect for a mid-morning snack during the tour.
Day 4 Khiva – Bukhara: Through the Kyzyl-Kum Desert
Driving through the desert once more, today’s full-day drive of around eight hours evokes moments of reflection on the journeys of the past as you pass through the vast Kyzyl Kum, or Red Sand, desert to the magical city of Bukhara. Along the way, you’ll stop at a viewpoint overlooking the region’s bloodline, the Amu Darya river, known to the ancient Greeks and Romans as the Oxus. Making stops to stretch your legs, take photos and get a bite to eat at a remote café, you’ll arrive to Bukhara in the late afternoon with the evening free to settle into your boutique hotel set in a historic Jewish merchant’s home.
*History buffs may be interested in taking an old Soviet sleeper train to Bukhara instead of a road transfer.
Day 5 Bukhara: History Tour & Homecooked Plov
The walking tour begins this morning by navigating the narrow streets of the Jewish quarter around your hotel, stopping at one of the country’s oldest synagogues and the old house of a wealthy 19th-century merchant. Moving on to the Islamic heart of the city is the central Lyabi Hauz, a serene complex of madrassahs built around a 17th-century pool. Within walking distance are also the massive Ark Citadel and Zindan Prison and the Kalon minaret and ensemble. After a break at a typical tea house, you’ll then continue on to the historic trading domes for a lesson in Silk Road trade, and perhaps the chance for some shopping at one of the stalls. Enjoy some downtime at the hotel before heading to a local Bukharan’s home this evening for a cooking demonstration and a homecooked plate of the national dish, plov.
Day 6 Bukhara: Last Emir’s Summer Palace & Quality Ceramics
A morning tour of the last emir’s summer palace, showcasing an eclectic mix of architectural designs and a good collection of suzanes (traditional Uzbek embroidery), is followed by a trip out to the town of Gijduvan. Once known across the land for its ceramics, the special make-up of the earth here is said to produce the area’s high-quality clay, which you’ll get to handle at a generations-old, family-run pottery studio. A quick stop at the soaring Vabkent minaret on the way back leaves you with the rest of the afternoon at leisure back in Bukhara.
Day 7 Bukhara – Samarkand
After the last few jam-packed days of sightseeing and travelling, enjoy a lazy morning before being taken to the train station later to board the swish high-speed train to the famed Silk Road city of Samarkand. If feeling up to it, you can have a quick look around the Kagan White Palace opposite the station before your train departs. Upon arrival to Samarkand, your driver will be waiting to take you to your boutique hotel, a short stroll from the main historic sites, for an evening at leisure.
Day 8 Samarkand: Islamic Architectural Gems & a Secret Wine Cellar
One of the key trading cities of the ancient Silk Road, Samarkand became famous as the capital of the vast state created by Tamerlane. Spend the morning exploring the city’s historic sites with your guide, begin by walking around Tamerlane's tomb, the giant Bibi Khanum Mosque, and the iconic Registan Square. After a stop for lunch, delve into Uzbek culture with local craftsmen and traders at a beautiful craft centre, speaking with them as they ply their trade before browsing the final products at the huge Siyob Bazaar. Head to the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis for those timeless photos and get lost in its mini cyan city of blue mausoleums. The tour ends with a drive to Ulugbek's incredible 15th-century observatory before being dropped off for a well-earned rest. In the evening you’ll be picked up for a one-of-a-kind wine tasting in a secret, Tsarist-era wine cellar.
Day 9 Samarkand: Shakhrisabz & Village Life
After admiring so much of Tamerlane’s legacy yesterday, today you’ll learn more about the man’s beginnings with a morning outing to his birthplace of Shakhrisabz. Gaze up in amazement at the sheer size of the enormous portal that remains to what was Tamerlan’s Ak-Sarai Palace, before a chance to climb it for views over the city he built atop his humble birth town, surrounded by the Zerafshan Mountains. Also on the site is his intended mausoleum and the Kuk Gumbaz Mosque. On the way back to the city, stop to pay a rural family a visit in their small village where you’ll be invited in for a tour of the house and a chat over some tea or lunch.
Day 10 Samarkand – Depart Tashkent
Check out early with a breakfast box in hand to catch the 1.5-hour high speed train back to the capital, where you’ll be taken to Tashkent’s international airport in time for your flight. Here, your magical 10 days in Uzbekistan comes to a close.
EXAMPLE ACCOMMODATION
Minzifa Hotel, Bukhara
The Minzifa is a small, stylish guesthouse located in the old town. Built in traditional Uzbek style around a central courtyard, this friendly charming hotel features the most refined Bukharan design. When entering the hotel, one notices the ancient wooden gates adorned by openwork carving. Throughout the building you’ll see the old decorative method of ganch carving by famous craftsmen dynasties of Uzbekistan. All twelve rooms are individually decorated and have modern private bathrooms and air-conditioning. The hotel offers personal service, and a delicious breakfast is served each morning. A recommended choice when staying in Bukhara.
Orient Star Hotel (Khiva Madrasah), Khiva
Contained inside the 19th century Mukhamed Aminkhan Madrassah, the Orient Star enjoys a faultless location within the walls of Ichan Qala, the medieval citadel in the heart of Khiva. Only a short walk from the city's mosques, madrassas, palaces and hammams, the building used to be the biggest operational madrassah of the city and held up to 250 students. The traditional building now features 60 simply decorated but comfortable and clean en suite rooms. Once cells of the students who studied here, each room is a historical and architectural adventure. The restaurant and bar, situated in another madrasah next to the hotel, offers Uzbek meals and local wine.
Rabat Boutique Hotel, Samarkand
The Rabat Boutique Hotel has a historic yet homely atmosphere with traditional Uzbek décor and welcoming hosts. The hotel is set around an inner courtyard of a building originally built in 1906, hidden away in the heart of the old town. The air-conditioned, ensuite guest rooms open up onto the shared balcony overlooking the small garden. A continental breakfast in the morning is served in the morning in the historic dining room, adorned with beautiful Uzbek tiling. Wi-Fi is available in the guest rooms, but it is temperamental.
Milan Hotel, Tashkent
Less than a 10-minute drive from the international airport and just south of the city centre, Milan Hotel’s wonderfully convenient location means that most of the city’s sites can be reached within 15 minutes. The 56 rooms are modern, simply decorated and comfortable with mod-cons such as Wi-Fi, air-con and a mini bar. Rooms come in Standard, Deluxe and Luxe categories. The ground floor is where the restaurant can be found, serving local and European fare, as well as a lobby bar, whilst the 5th floor holds a seasonal roof terrace with seating looking out at the city. The mid-sized hotel also boasts a salt hammam; a small, indoor pool; a fitness room; and a sauna. Milan gets great reviews for its convenience, standards and price – an all-round solid option for a short stay in the capital.
Hotel Rating
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Hotel Rating
Accommodation listed here is intended as a guide only, to give you a taste of what we can do. Our experts can tailor any aspect of this itinerary and accommodation to suit your budget and tastes.
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When you book a trip with Wild Frontiers you are awarded points, which are based on the return distance from London to the arrival city of your trip. Points are awarded for all our holidays, including both our escorted group tours and tailor-made trips. When you accrue points, you will qualify for the following discounts on all future bookings:
| Blue | More than 10,000 points | 2.5% discount |
| Bronze | More than 30,000 points | 5% discount |
| Silver | More than 45,000 points | 7.5% discount |
| Gold | More than 60,000 points | 10% discount |
This itinerary is aimed to give you an idea of what we can offer. The price shown above is per person, based on two people travelling outside of peak periods. As this itinerary is only a suggestion and can be tailor-made to suit your interests and budget, your final price may differ.
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Clem is our Uzbekistan expert, who has travelled extensively in the country.
Speak to Clementine by calling
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OTHER ITINERARIES IN UZBEKISTAN
Check out our group tours in Uzbekistan
As well as private tailor-made trips, we also offer small group tours (max size 12) to Uzbekistan. Led by an experienced tour leader, travel with a group of like-minded people on one of our award-winning group tours.
View Group Tours in Uzbekistan