THE 10 BEST Escorted and Guided Tours and Trips in Central Asia 2025/2026

Accommodations

BudgetSimple stays with essential amenities. Typically guesthouses, hostels or hotels rated below 3 stars — clean, no-frills, and great for value-conscious travelers.
Mid-rangeComfortable and reliable 3-star stays. Expect private rooms, en-suite bathrooms, and solid amenities — a great balance between comfort and cost.
PremiumUpscale 4-5 star hotels and lodges. Enjoy high-end service, refined comfort, and premium locations — ideal for travelers seeking extra indulgence.

Uzbekistan Uncovered

4.7

(59 reviews )

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Absolutely stunning. I'm still overwhelmed by the experience.

Cultural, religious and historic sites

Tour Type

Small Group Tour

Accommodation

Hotel, Sleeper Train, Resort, Home-stay

Age Range

16-99 yrs

Operated in

english

Destinations

Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, Samark

Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, Kyzylkum Desert, Kungrad, Nukus

Duration15 days

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The Silk Road of Uzbekistan

4.9

(17 reviews )

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This holiday was rated “full on” and it was. Not a moment was wasted! Tashkent, Khiva, Bukara and Samarkand were all amazing. Staying in a Madrasa and in a Yurt added to the authenticity and we took the extra trip to the desert castles which was well worth it. Also the silk paper making centre was interesting. Uzbekistan is a welcoming country - very clean with no litter and we were impressed with the flowers planted along grass verges for miles.

Active and outdoorExplorer

Tour Type

Small Group Tour

Accommodation

Hotel, Guest House

Age Range

16-99 yrs

Operated in

english

Destinations

Tashkent

Duration11 days

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Upgraded - Treasures of Uzbekistan

4.8

(12 reviews )

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Beautiful country, well thought out itinerary, great guide

Cultural, religious and historic sites

Tour Type

Small Group Tour

Accommodation

Guest House, Hotel

Age Range

16-99 yrs

Operated in

english

Destinations

Samarkand, Tashkent

Duration10 days

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Best of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan

4.8

(11 reviews )

No booking fees

Best price guaranteed

Great tours in two very different and interesting countries. The CEO’s enhanced the overall experience and I would highly recommend this tour!

Cultural, religious and historic sites

Tour Type

Small Group Tour

Accommodation

Hotel, Camping, Guest House

Age Range

12-100 yrs

Operated in

english

Destinations

Tashkent, Ashgabat, Darvaza, Sam

Tashkent, Ashgabat, Darvaza, Samarkand, Aydar Kŭl, Bukhara, Khiva, Dashoguz

Duration13 days

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Highlights of Uzbekistan

(8 reviews )

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Best price guaranteed

A very enjoyable and fascinating tour.

Art and architecture

Tour Type

Small Group Tour

Accommodation

Hotel, Guest House

Age Range

12-100 yrs

Operated in

english

Destinations

Tashkent, Samarkand, Aydar Kŭl

Tashkent, Samarkand, Aydar Kŭl, Bukhara, Khiva

Duration10 days

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The Silk Road

4.6

(57 reviews )

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Kyrgyzstan & Kazakhstan were totally unexpected, smart Russian built cities and beautiful 'alpine' scenery with it's snow capped mountains, rushing streams and waterfalls, lakes and flower meadows! Uzbekistan, more as expected with lovely monuments - Khiva not to be missed!

Cultural, religious and historic sites

Tour Type

Small Group Tour

Accommodation

Hotel, Guest House, Sleeper Train

Age Range

16-99 yrs

Operated in

english

Destinations

Tashkent, Bishkek, Izboskan, Sam

Tashkent, Bishkek, Izboskan, Samarkand, Bukhara, Urgench, Khiva, Chon-Kemin Gorge, Djety Oguz, Karakol, Almaty, Issyk Kul, Tashkent

Duration16 days

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Wonders of the Silk Road

4.8

(11 reviews )

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Best price guaranteed

Overall, this was an excellent trip and one of the best I have done with Explore over very many years. It was certainly helped by having a good, small group and two superb leaders (one in each country), who were extremely knowledgeable and very personable. The local guides were also outstanding. The sights were extraordinary (the Islamic architecture is simply breath-taking), the people were lovely and I did not mind the long drives (on spacious air conditioned coaches) or the 9.5 hour train journey. to Samarkand As expected, the trip’s pace was full-on. As a group we took advantage of the optional extras offered and I would recommend that others seriously consider those too, especially the spectacular Uzbek music and dance show at the Grand Hall in Samarkand. Hotel accommodation was better than I had expected and generally pretty good. If I have a criticism it is that the trip should perhaps be a day longer. It would have been nice to have spent more time in Khiva and the last day in Tashkent was too long, tiring and rushed. Thankfully, I had booked an extra day in the city, although others had early morning flights. While Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are very different, I much preferred the time we spent in the latter.

Cultural, religious and historic sites

Tour Type

Small Group Tour

Accommodation

Hotel, Guest House

Age Range

16-99 yrs

Operated in

english

Destinations

Tashkent, Ashgabat

Duration13 days

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Tajikistan Expedition: Pamir Highway & beyond

(7 reviews )

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No words or photos can really do justice to this trip, but, to give you an idea, it went straight into my top 3 trips ever, alongside Zim/Bots/Namibia and Falklands/S Georgia/Antarctica, even though I has a bad case of travellers' tummy.

Cultural, religious and historic sites

Tour Type

Small Group Tour

Accommodation

Guest House, Home-stay, Hotel

Age Range

16-99 yrs

Operated in

english

Destinations

Dushanbe, Karakul, Kulob, Murghab

Duration16 days

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Kyrgyzstan's Silk Road Journey

(1 review )

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We enjoyed our trip to Kyrgyzstan, it was very relaxing and the scenery was amazing. The highlight was the night in the yurt camp which was lovely, very remote and we even had snow overnight. The homestays and meals in local houses were very good too. DIY picnics by the river were a nice touch. On the down side, this trip involves a lot of travelling, sometimes on poor roads, which could be broken up better. We arrived early afternoon in some places and because most of the accommodation was on the outskirts of a town, there wasn't really anything to see or do once we arrived. One of our group thought the hotel at Toktogul Reservoir was like the one in 'The Shining'! The swimming pools had been closed for years and everything was just a little dated. Some of the walks were not that interesting and seemed to be there to fill the time and there was also a lot of litter in many areas which wasn't pleasant. There were descriptions in the itinerary about various places we didn't actually visit, for example Osh sounded lovely but we didn't even stop there. Having said all that, we did enjoy the holiday, but there just were not enough highlights to maximise each day.

Active and outdoor

Tour Type

Small Group Tour

Accommodation

Hotel, Guest House, Resort

Age Range

16-99 yrs

Operated in

english

Destinations

Tashkent, Bishkek, Arslanbob, Os

Tashkent, Bishkek, Arslanbob, Osh, Tashkent, Karakol, Kochkor, Song Kul Lake, Suusamyr, Toktogul, Djalal-Abad

Duration14 days

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The Five Stans of the Silk Road - Ashgabat to Almaty

4.9

(13 reviews )

No booking fees

Best price guaranteed

This was a trip full of variety and dramatic scenery, from the surreal Ashgabat, the amazing Darvaza crater, the beautiful mosques and madrasahs of Samarkand and Bukhara to the truly majestic and ever changing scenery of the Kyrgyzstan mountains. Each of the 5 countries had its own unique character. There are some long journeys but they are full of continuing interest with lots of worthwhile stops on route. 99% of the accommodation was very comfortable, spacious and spotlessly clean.

Local culture

Tour Type

Small Group Tour

Accommodation

Hotel, Guest House

Age Range

16-99 yrs

Operated in

english

Destinations

Ashgabat, Almaty, Samarkand, Pen

Ashgabat, Almaty, Samarkand, Penjikent, Khujand, Jalal Abad, Arslanbob, Son Kul Lake, Issyk-Kul, Karakol, Dashoguz, Khiva, Bukhara

Duration23 days

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Central Asia Escorted tours and Guided trips

23 Guided and Escorted Trips in Central Asia with 240 Reviews

Uzbekistan Uncovered

The Silk Road of Uzbekistan

23 Guided and Escorted Trips in Central Asia with 240 Reviews

Upgraded - Treasures of Uzbekistan

Best of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan

Highlights of Uzbekistan

The Silk Road

Wonders of the Silk Road

Tajikistan Expedition: Pamir Highway & beyond

Kyrgyzstan's Silk Road Journey

The Five Stans of the Silk Road - Ashgabat to Almaty

Europe

Asia

South America

Africa

North America

Oceania

Polar

Food, wine, events and nightlife

Adventure and sport

Wildlife, landscapes and nature

Boat tours, water sports and marine wildlife

Sightseeing, attractions, culture and history

Air tours, road trips and transfers

Beach, romance, getaways and relaxation

Special interests and hobbies

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Central Asia Escorted tours and Guided trips

23 Guided and Escorted Trips in Central Asia with 240 Reviews

23 Guided and Escorted Trips in Central Asia with 240 Reviews