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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.

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.

Nearly everything was done to a high standard. The criticisms I had amount to: 1. One hotel did not offer tea/coffee/kettle in the room 2. English language rolling news channels not available in every hotel 3. Local guides need to speak slower, pay attention to pronunciation and cut back just a little on factual info presented 4. Overnight stay in Yurt should be cut from the schedule to leave more time in Samarkand or Tashkent. The Yurt stay seemed staged and inauthentic, sleeping quarters were noisy and food was basic. No coffee was offered.

Excellent trip but very full on! We were a bit unlucky with the temperatures as we had four days at 40 deg! Excellent location of hotels - good to be close to old cities. Not sure about the stay in the yurt though - a longish drive and a bit 'hackneyed tourist experience'. Could omit this and spend longer in one of the main towns? As ever, good tips from Explore when planning the trip - money, clothing etc.

A really well thought out tour. You see all the major sights. The local tour guides are impressive. Hotel accommodation varied but always as described. Felt safe. Felt like you were in good hands. The country is welcoming, fascinating, at one moment a city will look European, then North African, then unique. Well worth a visit. (I’d like to have spent longer in Tashkent, so much to see. Didn’t enjoy yurt night, but just not my thing)

We had a fantastic time! The tour was very well organised with an excellent guide. There was plenty of variety and a good pace. We also had excellent service from the team in the UK. Thank you!