Uzbekistan Uncovered

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

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!!

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.

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 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.

A fantastic country, with open and welcoming people who are delighted to see European tourists, incredible sights and inspiring interiors

One of the most beautiful places I've been from the turquoise blue mosaics and the hand crafted embroidery and silks to the art deco style space metro station and Soviet constructivist sculptures

The trip was well-paced, with a good variety of activities, transport and visits. It was great to have a larger coach, so we all had a window seat for long journeys. The hotel in Samarkand was nice, but a bit far from the main attractions when we had free time.

Finally travelling again after a tough couple of years and I couldn’t have picked a better place for my first trip – Uzbekistan. I understand the group I was on was the first time the trip had run since the lockdowns, but everything ran smoothly, and it was a great group of people I was travelling with. The toughest part of the trip was arriving into Tashkent at 3am, getting to the hotel at 4am and then back up at 10am for a day tour around the capital! However our guide – Dilshod – was excellent and pitched things at the right level considering most of the group were sleep deprived! The next day was another early start and a flight up to Khiva. Part of the reason I chose the Exodus trip is because it went there (some tour companies skip this) and it didn’t disappoint. The hotel was ideally situated just by the gates into the old city allowing us to wander in and explore on our own after Dilshod had shown us around the main sites. We were also lucky enough to experience the preparations for an international traditional dance festival the Uzbek Tourism board have started and as a result there were many locals in traditional costume wandering the old city. Next stop was Bukhara which I adored. There’s so much to see and do here and whilst the area around the hotel (Lyabi House complex) did feel very touristy, there were many locals around too and it was a short walk to many of the key sites. The free time here in the evening and during the afternoon on the final day in Bukhara was great to just wander at your own pace, or, after a few days in the heat, to visit a hammam as a couple of us did, to relax and get the knots in your shoulders/back pummelled away! The drive from Bukhara to Samarkand is a long one which I’d guess is why there’s a stop at a yurt camp in order to avoid a super long day. I’ve spent a couple of weeks in yurts in Mongolia which were smaller but nicer than those here. I’m not sure if its because they haven’t had many guests during the pandemic, but the yurt camp felt a little run down, but it was only for a single night. Samarkand, like Bukhara has loads to see and keep you busy but definitely feels more of a big city than Bukhara did. However, the scale of the buildings here dwarf anything in Bukhara with their sheer size. The jewel in Samarkand’s crown is of course the Registan and its certainly impressive. Definitely go back on your own when the sun has set to see it lit up.

An amazing trip if you’re interested in Early to modern civilisation, beautiful architecture and a country rediscovering its heritage and crafts. The people are very welcoming, dress code is relaxed and beer or wine is always an option at mealtimes. It’s a country worth seeing now.

The names of Samarkand and Bukhara have conjured dreams since my school days many years ago and I never thought I would have a chance to see them. The fall of the USSR and now visa-free travel has left this land of desert fortresses, caravan stops and the beautiful buildings covered in ornate blue tiles within reach. The land of Tamerlane, the vastness of the central Asian steppes and the magical cross-roads of civilisations and learning need to be seen to be believed.

A good overview of the country taking in the historic and architectural highlights of Uzbekistan. Transport was Good although it was evident that the train journey was more often than not unavailable. On a personal note, I felt that the group size (16) was too large.

It was a marvellous trip. Each day was filled with new wonders and excitement. Plenty of wow moments. A visit that was completely safe and rewarding

Fantastic trip to a wonderful country! So much beauty it hurts your eyes, and the people are incredibly warm & friendly. Each of the main cities has a totally different feel to it, & I loved them all! Khiva was my favourite though : be sure to wander around in the evening after the crowds have gone home - it’s a completely different vibe to during the day. Some tips: If you climb the minaret in Khiva you need a proper torch, strong knees & no fear!! The view is wonderful but coming down is terrifying! Being Vegetarian isn’t too hard but it’s not very exciting- just check the soup has ‘no meat’ even if it is called a vegetable soup it will often still have meat in.Vegetable kebabs lack imagination - best option is the pasta based dishes. Be willing to have your photo taken by the locals - it will lead to some wonderful interactions Do bother to get up for sunrise in the desert (if the Vodka the night before doesn’t prevent!) - it’s worth it! Do have comfortable shoes & some energy! This isn’t really a leisurely trip - the pace is quite full on, but totally worth it.

Amazing country and very, very friendly people. Incredible history and historical monuments. The Uzbek government is doing great work in restoring these incredible archeological gems. Full praise to them. A very varied and inspirational holiday plus brought back some indelible memories. Our guide Dilshod was very informative, caring and sensitive to the needs of a diverse group. He is a brilliant guide.

This holiday gives a great overview of the country and it's history visiting cities along the Great Silk Road, each with their own amazing buildings and stories

This was a fascinating insight into a country I knew little about. The pace was good, and both the sites and the sights were interesting and varied. With one exception, the accomodation was better than my expectations. We were 15 people in a full-size coach, a real luxury for the several long drives. It was great to be able to swap sides to see a better view, or join others for a chat. The group were a pleasant assortment of people who got on well with each other and were enjoyable company.

Definitely book this trip, Uzbekistan is beautiful.

The people of uzbekistan are so open and friendly. The cities and the monuments within them live up to all expectations and there is so much to see. The Yurts are comfortable and spacious, toilet facilities at the camp are good, much better than expected. Camel ride and walk through the desert was a great experience and finishing up with a swim and a picnic beside the lake was a great rounding off of the camp experience. There are long bus journeys on this trip between the towns and some of the roads are quite rough but we felt safe in the hands of our driver. Food is much better than expected and there is more variety than the trip notes seem to indicate. Nobody appeared to get any serious stomach bugs on the trip which is unusual when the weather was so hot. I think this was because our guide advised on good eating places and kept us right. The currency issues are not as difficult as hinted at and are easily managed. Security, including arrival and departure at the airport was robust but not a problem

Surpassed all expectations. This was an 11 day escorted tour across Uzbekistan, following the silk road.

This was well planned and organised, and very satisfactory. The variety, with city explorations plus trips to the desert fortresses and into the desert to stay in yurts, was a good idea, but entailed a lot of time spent in the bus driving over indifferent roads. Hard to avoid that, but the journeys used a lot of time. The advance notes were adequate, but incremental changes had been inserted and noted, some of which conflicted with the earlier text, but the whole document had not been adjusted and edited to create a clear narrative (about the details and practicalities, such as liability for a departure airport tax). The local leadership was excellent and might be worth more emphasis - it was a 24/7 service whilst I certainly expected to be relying on my own resources much more. The hotels were generally good (even the Uzbekistan in Tashkent had no hot water on day one, and the loos in Bukhara were somewhat smelly). The airline trip was really uncomfortable in both directions - London to Tashkent direct might only be possible with Uzbekistan Airlines, which is a plus, but the seating and the service - the food - was quite dreadful.

This was a bit of disappointment because I was hoping to see lots of exquisite Islamic art and architecture. There is some toward the end of trip in Samarkand but the mosques and madrasas in Khiva and Bukhora weren't very attractive. There was too much shopping time for my taste. I am vegetarian which limited food selections. The salads are very good but there isn't much choice beyond that and I don't think even the non-veggies enjoyed the food much. Sometimes a vegetarian dish was just a regular dish with the meat removed e.g. we were told chick peas were vegetarian but they came with some bits of meat which they had overlooked. The local beer, however is excellent. An interesting part of the trip was learning about the Russian influence, good and not-so-good, and the changes that have occurred since the Soviet Union imploded and Uzbekistan became independent. I also enjoyed learning a about current life in Uzbekistan but am aware that we as tourists we may be presented with a somewhat sanitized view of things.

A fascinating tour along the Silk Road seeing all the fabulous architecture, mixed with activities which were relaxing and interesting. This is a leisurely tour, a couple of early starts and a few long drives but nothing too onerous. Good to have some free time to explore places. We had an expert guide, helpful and friendly and quietly smoothing our path - perfect!

Uzbekistan was the only section of the Silk Road that I had not travelled so this trip was on my bucket list and it met my expectations. We had a lively group. Travelling was fine, as described in the trip notes, and the pace was just right. Hotel accommodation was good with excellent service. We visited all the famous sights,shopped in the bazaars, enjoyed the local food and had fun at the yurt camp. I was impressed by the friendly and enterprising. people. A memorable trip.

overall rating on the ground brilliant, transport to London and back DIRE; only a few hours of the 12 glorious days but if Uzbekhistan wants to encourage tourism, the age of their (only) Boeing 757 and the Soviet charm of their staff needs to be seriously improved; this (an overnight flight out of 6 hours so arriving shattered and a miserable 7+ hours back, seats broken, minimal leg room, the most appalling inflight service etc etc) left an appalling impression. Having got that off my chest, the trip was exhilarating and a much better itinerary than many of the other groups met at the airport (only 2 London flights a week so all, whatever their cost, suffered the same indignities) (C&K, VJV, etc who were submitted to a an unvarying diet (saturation) of the 3 Ms (mosques, madrassahs and markets); this one had intervening days out in the desert including an arguable highlight, a night in a yurt followed by a Bactrian camel ride to a swim in an inland sea