Upgraded - Treasures of Uzbekistan

An excellent and high paced tour covering the country from Tashkent, via Nukus, Khiva and Bukhara to finish in Samarkand. A lot of miles are covered comfortably and efficiently by plane, bus and high-speed train. All the hotels were of a high standard with the Latifa Begim Hotel in the centre of Bukhara being my favourite for its comfort, old style (although only 3 years old) and its proximity to all the historic sites of the town. You were never more than a short walk away from historical sites, shops in the 1569 built shopping arcade and numerous restaurants. Tulkin. our guide. Was very knowledgeable regarding the long and complex history of Uzbekistan, and its peoples. Sometimes it would have been nice to have had less of an historical sweep in the hot sun and some finer detail of artefacts that we saw on the walk around. Uzbekistan is not a country known for culinary finesse. Menus were sometimes very repetitive and bland, although salads were always fresh and varied and well prepared. Dill is a favourite flavouring. In April 2026 the Government decreed that alcohol (and tobacco) could no longer be purchased with cash. This altered the financial dynamics of the monies held. Some hotels/restaurants ignored this ruling but others adhered to it strictly. Cards became far more accepted. The financial section of the trip notes needs reviewing and amending. It was a wonderful and memorable experience and one that I would recommend to anyone wanting to travel away from the traditional hotspots. It has sparked my interest in the other “Stans”.

A very comprehensive tour. All major sites were covered. There was plenty of free time for relaxation or independent exploration.

A well thought out trip with a great guide who is passionate about his country’s history. The only slight negatives would be the pre paid meals which were rather bland and repetitive ( I think we all would have preferred to chose and pay for our own), and the pretty dire food at the truck stop between Nukus and Khiva. Otherwise it was a truly fabulous and memorable experience with a lovely group and a perfect itinerary. Uzbekistan is a jewel., and we are now keen to visit the other stans! For Explore: more upgraded tours to more locations please! A better phone service (answering time far too long!), with a dedicated pre trip (with 24 hours of departure) line for information which had not been sent. Please advise about tip money paid to drivers etc. prior to the trip - none of us had the right amount of cash ready ( we were all prepared to tip the tour guide, but we were asked to provide cash for the others on the first day) .

It was a brilliant tour, we managed to cover quite a distance across Uzbekistan including Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand. All the hotels were high standard with amazing breakfast to start your day. I would have liked to a bit on slower pace. It was obvious our tour guide was very knowledgeable and passionate on history, it might have been better to shorten the information, because standing for 20 minutes in the heat. One end up not hearing anything. Also after 8 am breakfast perhaps it’s a good idea for the Tour guide to be advised we need to stop for lunch and drink. Most of the time lunch was about 3pm and it was rushed. Other than that it was a brilliant tour.

Great trip. Stunning sights. Excellent guide. (In my view) definitely worth paying a little more for good hotels