Uzbekistan Cultural, Religious and Historic Sites Tours 2024/2025

“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.”

“Overall a fantastic trip but not a relaxing one. Each country is different from the others and it feels like three holidays in one. Early starts and long journeys made for arduous travelling at times and the border crossing into China was a pain, but spectacular scenery and reasonably regular stops made it interesting and nearly every day had highlights to look forward to. The hotels were comfortable and the food was better and more varied that we were led to believe from reading previous reviews. I'd score it 9 out of 10 overall.”

“There's never a dull moment in this full-on, activity packed, classic road and rail journey. Squeezing three contrasting countries into just 15 days is something of a challenge and it requires stamina, energy, good humour and an open mind to get the most out of it. With just five in the group, this felt like a private trip and the intensity and space certainly benefitted an excellent itinerary. Uzbekistan has the monuments, China provides the counterpoint and nomadic Kyrgyzstan oozes impossibly beautiful mountain and lakeland vistas. Throw-in the Russian influences and the echoes of Ginghis Khan, Tamerlane, Alexander the Great and Marco Polo and you have an intriguing concoction.”