Highlights
Follow ancient traders to the Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Khiva and Bukhara
Admire avant garde art once hidden from Soviet authorities at the Savitsky Museum
Sleep in a yurt close to Aydarkul lake
Stroll leafy boulevards and discover Soviet architecture in Tashkent
Witness the tragic results of an environmental disaster at the Aral Sea
Itinerary
Who can mention Samarkand, Bukhara or Khiva without conjuring images of newly arrived Silk Road traders, of the romance and intrigue of the Great Game, of skull caps and silk sashes, or of fabulously decorated mosaic domes and minarets? This trip explores Uzbekistan in depth. In addition to the famous Silk Road cities, we travel to the semi-autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan, learn about the tragic shrinking of the Aral Sea, and spend a night in a traditional village in the Nurata Mountains.
day 1Adventure starts in Tashkent
Our adventure begins in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. As many flights arrive very late in the evening or early tomorrow morning, there are no activities scheduled today.
Want more time in Tashkent? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.
day 2City tour of Tashkent
day 3High-speed train to Samarkand; city tour
day 4Explore Samarkand more; ceramics painting masterclass and paper-making demonstration
day 5Free morning in Samarkand; drive to the Nurata mountains
day 6Mountain village walk; drive to yurt camp
day 7Camel ride, lunch near Aydarkul lake; tour Nur; sleeper train to Kungrad
day 8Karakalpakstan
day 9Visit Savitsky art museum; explore ancient desert fortresses; drive to Khiva
day 10Full day in Khiva, walking tour of the walled city
day 11Train through the Kyzyl-Kum desert to Bukhara
day 12Explore Bukhara
day 13Morning in Bukhara, evening train to Tashkent
day 14Chimgan mountains and solar furnace
day 15Adventure ends in Tashkent
What's Included
Customer Reviews
Fascinating insight into central Asia and the silk road
Fabulous trip. We saw the famous cities and sites, and also travelled out into more remote areas. A real insight into the geography, the culture, and the history
Breathtaking
An epic adventure full of jaw dropping moments & experiences: Desert to ancient cities, mountains, museums & a whole lot more. The scale, size & beauty of the architectural monuments alone is spectacular. An unforgettable(but tiring) trip..the people are very friendly, the food is plentiful & cheap compared to the UK & the artisanal crafts just exquisite. Be prepared for a tiring first 2 days especially, as jet lag will ‘get’ you & overall I think the trip should be re-classified as Moderate as their isn’t much down time at all & the middle 3 days (Home stay, overnight train, Yurt camp ) with a long minibus drive on extremely bumpy track is quite exhausting. Pack as light as you can (make space for taking some of the amazing textiles home)& comfortable travelling clothes. Take dollars & change them when you get there (not everywhere takes cards or dollars-Uzbek Som preferred). I do think that Exodus should review the itinerary if possible as the long road trip on very bumpy track was tough & we had a full size coach into the Homestay when 2 Mini buses would have been better as the coach really struggled to get through the narrow roads. Does the final section from Bukhara to Tashkent have to be by train??Travellers be prepared for long presentations by the Tour Leader when you arrive at a site (to be honest, these should be shortened as its very hard to take lots of info in when you’re recovering from jet leg). Hotels overall very good . An experience (or hundred) for a lifetime!!
History, Hospitality and Heart Across the Silk Road
This trip was the perfect mix of big-name Silk Road cities and places I’d never heard of but will never forget. It was amazing to explore the spots you read about in history books, but I also really loved getting off the main tourist trail. Walking through what used to be the Aral Sea was eye-opening. It’s one of those moments that makes you pause and reflect. Uzbekistan is bigger than you expect, so there are definitely some long travel days, but they’re totally worth it if you go in with a good attitude.
Beautiful ornate buildings, welcoming locals and a rich history.
A fascinating mix of tree-filled, modern cities and desert with welcoming locals and well-situated hotels. Uzbekistan is a country I would recommend to anyone looking for something a bit different. Bukhara had a lovely atmosphere and which I enjoyed exploring in the evenings. The mosaic-tiled buildings, although there are a lot of them throughout the trip never fail to be awe-inspiring with the detail and care put into their construction. Other highlights included a visit to a desert fort after a delicious traditional lunch at a neighbouring yurt camp and the Savitsky Museum/Nukus Museum of Art in Nukus, which houses a large collection of ancient artifacts and soviet era avant-garde artwork. The food was also fantastic value.
A very well organised trip with many highlights
A trip full of colour and beautiful buildings. The blue and turquoise colours and the intricate design of the religious buildings are breathtaking. Our guide Dilshod made the trip with incredible knowledge and passion for his country. The group also contributed to a great trip, all lovely people and we all got on well. Most of our hotels were well situated. There are so many parks and trees in each town which made walking very pleasant. We felt completely safe at all time. The people are very friendly and welcome tourists. The only disappointment was our stay in a yurt. The camp lacked atmosphere, no entertainment was provided except half of hour of singing and music organised by our guide who borrowed a nice man from another camp. Exodus should choose another camp or spend another day in the beautiful Samarkand.
Monthly Price Comparison
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