Travel through history from Silk Road traders and Soviet spies to a traditional village in the Nurata Mountains
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.
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
Experience life in a remote mountain village with a night in a homestay
Stroll leafy boulevards and discover Soviet architecture in Tashkent
Witness the tragic results of an environmental disaster at the Aral Sea
Travel by train, sleeper train and private bus/minibus
Some long drives
Experience local culture and nature
A mix of Uzbekistan's most famous destinations and some less visited areas
Countries visited: Uzbekistan
What's Included
All accommodation
All transport and listed activities
Breakfasts (except on sleeper train), four dinners, two lunches
Tour leader throughout
What's Not Included
Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request)
Visas or vaccinations
Sustainability and Impact
At Exodus, we thrive on travel, and we firmly believe our adventures should help destinations thrive too.
As a certified B Corp, we aim to take a ‘nature positive’ approach across our adventures, including carbon and waste reduction, animal welfare and support for rewilding and conservation. We also seek to contribute to local communities, providing economic opportunity and empowerment.
Our adventure begins in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. There are no arranged activities today, as many flights arrive very late in the evening or early tomorrow morning.
Classic accommodation: Gabrielle International Hotel or Milan Hotel (or similar)
Day
2
City tour of Tashkent
Late morning, we explore this Central Asian capital, which includes visiting Independence Square, which is flanked by public buildings and water fountains, and the Old City, home to mausoleums and a bazaar. Tashkent was largely destroyed by earthquakes in the 1960s and was rebuilt in true Soviet style with pleasant leafy boulevards and lots of fountains to cool the summer heat. There are also very interesting museums and mosques. This evening, we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant before returning to our hotel.
Please note: Some flights arrive into Tashkent very early this morning, giving a few hours to rest before the city tour.
Classic accommodation: Gabrielle International Hotel or Milan Hotel (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day
3
High-speed train to Samarkand; city tour
Travel to Samarkand by high-speed train (approximately 2hr 15min) this morning. Samarkand is a jewel of the ancient and modern Silk Road. We have a busy day, taking in many of the sights. There is the exquisite jade mausoleum of Gur-i-Emir, the resting place of Tamerlane, now considered by many to be an Uzbek national hero. Perhaps the greatest treasure is Registan Square, Tamerlane’s outstanding creation, a vast complex of domes and minarets, mosques and madrassas. We visit the grandiose Bibi Khanum mosque, and the magnificent Gur-Emir mausoleum, where Tamerlane, his sons, and his grandson Ulugbek are buried.
Samarkand is still a major hub for textiles, carpets and art and is a great place to try your bargaining skills and explore the bazaar.
Classic accommodation: Ideal Hotel or Malika Prime (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day
4
Explore Samarkand more; ceramics painting masterclass and paper-making demonstration
We continue our exploration of Samarkand today, visiting: Ulugbek Observatory; Shahi-Zinda, the necropolis of the rulers and nobility of Samarkand, home to magnificently decorated mausoleums; and Siab bazaar.
We also enjoy a masterclass on making and painting ceramics, plus a demonstration on creating silk paper using medieval technology in the village of Konigil.
Classic accommodation: Ideal Hotel or Malika Prime (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day
5
Free morning in Samarkand; drive to the Nurata mountains
Enjoy free time in Samarkand this morning for shopping or further exploration. In the afternoon, we drive to the Nurata Mountains through the central Jizzakh Region.
Our destination is the ancient mountain village of Sentyab, nestled into a fertile river valley. We have time for a scenic walk to explore the village, before cooking a traditional dish with our hosts.
Simple accommodation: Homestay
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day
6
Mountain village walk; drive to yurt camp
This morning, we hike (three to four hours) to the ruins of the ancient village, where the houses were originally built of flat stone. We descend to the river to inspect petroglyphs and visit local craftsmen who weave carpets and embroider suzani (a highly decorative textile).
After lunch, we drive west for three hours to the Kyzylkum desert, where we stay overnight at a simple yurt camp. After arriving, we take a walk in the vicinity of the camp and get acquainted with the flora and fauna of the desert. After dinner, we sit around a large bonfire while listening to traditional folk musician, who sings with a dombra (a stringed instrument).
Simple accommodation: Yurt camp
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day
7
Camel ride, lunch near Aydarkul lake; tour Nur; sleeper train to Kungrad
After breakfast, we can take a short ride (optional) on two-humped Bactrian camels, before heading to nearby Aydarkul, a huge lake (more than 125mi/200km long) surrounded by the sands and dunes of the Kyzyl-kum desert. Here we can relax, swim from the sandy beach, and have lunch.
In the afternoon, we drive towards the city of Navoi. En route, we visit Nur, a place of pilgrimage, for a short exploration of the city. After, we continue to Navoi and take a sleeper train departing around 8.30pm to Kungrad, arriving around 9.30am tomorrow.
Simple accommodation: Overnight train
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Day
8
Karakalpakstan: Witness the human-made Aral Sea disaster at Moynaq; drive to Nukus
We arrive into Kungrad and the Republic of Karakalpakstan, an autonomous (at least in name) republic of Uzbekistan. The Karakalpak people have a culture and language closer to that of the Kazakhs than Uzbeks. Once an area of agricultural importance, Karakalpakstan now suffers greatly from drought. The Amu Darya River (historically known as the Oxus) ran into the Aral Sea but Soviet-era irrigation schemes, particularly for the production of cotton, mean the river no longer reaches the sea, causing an environmental tragedy and the dramatic shrinking of the sea.
We drive from Kungrad to Moynaq which takes about two hours. Moynaq was formerly an important fishing port on the shores of the Aral Sea. The sea is long gone and all that’s left behind are the rusting remains of the fishing fleet sat on the dry seabed amid what is now a bleak, lunar-like landscape. We have time to look around and see the town’s small museum. At times, the area can be dusty, temperatures high and air quality poor, caused in large part by the disappearance of the sea. We leave Moynaq and drive about three hours to Nukus, the capital of Karakalpakstan for the night.
Classic accommodation: Pana Hotel or Jipek Joli Hotel (or similar)
Meals included: Lunch
Day
9
Visit Savitsky art museum; explore ancient desert fortresses; drive to Khiva
Visit the Savitsky art museum this morning, which houses an important collection of Soviet avant-garde art, plus a collection of historic artifacts of ancient Khorezm and a collection relating to Karakalpak culture.
Leaving Nukus, we visit the Mizdakhkan necropolis before beginning the drive to Khiva (which takes about six hours). On the way, we visit the Zoroastrian Chilpik dakhma and the ancient Ayaz-Kala fortress, where we enjoy dinner at a yurt camp before the final leg of our journey to Khiva.
Classic accommodation: Malika Kheivak or Bek Minor (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day
10
Full day in Khiva, walking tour of the walled city
We spend today exploring Khiva, starting with a visit to Ichan Kala, a World Heritage Site, the inner fortress of Khiva. While exploring the open-air museum-city, we see the tile-decorated Kalta Minor minaret, Kunya Ark Fortress (the former residence of Khiva khans), the complex of Pahlavan Mahmud (a national hero and poet), Islam Khoja minaret and madrasah, Juma Mosque, the Tash Khauli and Allakuli Khan palaces. We also visit the workshops of local artisans and see the production of Khiva wool and silk carpets, embroidery, ceramic products and wood inlays.
Classic accommodation: Malika Kheivak or Bek Minor (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day
11
Train through the Kyzyl-Kum desert to Bukhara
Today we travel across the Kyzyl-Kum desert from Khiva to Bukhara by train. Bukhara has more than 900 historic monuments, and we spend time visiting many sites and wandering at leisure among the old city streets. Unlike Samarkand, the district of the old town has remained separate from the rest of Bukhara and has undergone lots of restoration and preservation in recent years. In addition to its importance as a trading hub, it is the perfect setting to sit and watch the world go by, much as it has done for hundreds of years.
Classic accommodation: Kavsar Boutique Hotel, Hotel Fatima, Sultan Hotel (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day
12
Explore Bukhara
We spend the day exploring Bukhara. Of particular interest is the Fortress Ark where, in the 19th century, the Emir of Bukhara had the English officers Stoddart and Connolly imprisoned and killed, and the mausoleum of Ismail Samani, a beautiful example of early Islamic architecture dating to the 10th century. We also visit the Emir’s rather kitsch Summer Palace, the old town with its domed bazaars and khauz (stone pools, which used to be the only water supply for the city), and the attractive 12th-century Char Minar. One of the great landmarks of Bukhara is the Kalyan minaret, known as the death tower, where many an unfaithful wife has met a sticky end.
Classic accommodation: Kavsar Boutique Hotel, Hotel Fatima, Sultan Hotel (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day
13
Morning in Bukhara, evening train to Tashkent
We continue our tour of Bukhara today before boarding a high-speed train to Tashkent in the afternoon. After arriving in the evening, we transfer to our hotel and have the rest of the evening free to relax.
Classic accommodation: Gabrielle International Hotel or Milan Hotel (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day
14
Chimgan mountains and solar furnace
We have a day trip out of Tashkent today visiting Ugam-Chatkal National Park in the Chimgan mountains. This includes a visit to the resort of Amirsai and a cable-car ascent to an observation point at an altitude of 7,545ft/2,300m, providing views of the snow-capped peaks of the Tien Shan, Charvak reservoir and hydroelectric dam.
We also visit The Sun heliocomplex at Parkent, a gigantic solar furnace built in the 1980s for the Soviet Union’s Institute of Solar Physics. A vast series of mirrors concentrate the sun’s rays, creating the furnace, which is still in use today.
Classic accommodation: Gabrielle International Hotel or Milan Hotel (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day
15
End Tashkent
Our trip ends after breakfast this morning. If you’d like a little more time to explore, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay in Tashkent.
Meals included: Breakfast
Essential Info
This trip includes several train journeys, and a domestic flight which are a great way to cover long distances in Uzbekistan. Tickets are in high demand. We recommend booking this trip at least 45 days in advance to ensure we can get space on trains and planes. Please provide us with your passport details at the time of booking, without this we cannot purchase tickets. Bookings less than 45 days before departure are welcome, but subject to availability of trains and planes.
Is this trip for you?
This trip is graded Activity Level 1 (Easy). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.
Itinerary: This is an extremely rewarding trip if you want to explore the heart of Central Asia and are prepared for a few long drives, early starts/long days, and hot (and sometimes cold) temperatures. Tourist services and facilities can be patchy and erratic. Tolerance and flexibility are required, and for this you are rewarded with an insight into local life.
Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.
The start hotel is approximately 15 minutes’ drive from the airport. Exodus provides one group arrival transfer from the airport, which is timed to coincide with the arrival of a chosen flight from London, UK. You may join this transfer at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the group arrival transfer times or to arrange a private transfer.
If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.
Catching your return flight
There’s a group departure transfer to the airport for customers who Exodus booked onto a chosen flight to London, UK. Please speak to your sales representative if you wish to join. If the group departure transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative transfer.
Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.
Location start: Tashkent Location end: Tashkent
Vaccinations and Health
Uzbekistan
There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, tuberculosis and typhoid. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.
Visa
Uzbekistan
All nationalities require a full passport that must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your entry date into Uzbekistan. It is your responsibility to have the correct personal documents and to obtain your own visa, if one is necessary, in accordance with the regulations of the country you are to visit. The information below is primarily for UK passport holders, and other nationalities should check with their travel agent or the relevant embassies. We are not responsible for the actions of local immigration and customs officials, whether at points of entry or otherwise, and any subsequent effects.
Anyone travelling on a British Citizen, Australian, New Zealand, or Canadian passport can enter Uzbekistan as a visitor (for tourism or business purposes) for stays of up to 30 days without a visa. For a full list of nationalities that are eligible for a visa-free visit of up to 30-days, please visit https://www.uzembassy.uk/page/319?language=en
Many other nationalities are eligible for a simplified visa in advance (without the need for an authorisation letter of invitation), including USA. If you are eligible for a visa in advance then you should apply for one as for visas upon arrival, a letter of invitation is still required. Should you need an authorisation letter, please contact Exodus at least 8 weeks before departure as we can arrange this for you through our local operator.
It is no longer necessary for you to complete a currency declaration form upon arrival (unless you are carrying over US$2,000 with you). However, as this has only recently been implemented (summer 2018), you will still need to keep your receipts given by each hotel that you stay in – please hold on to these as they may be checked when you leave.
There are restrictions on bringing medicine into Uzbekistan. If you have any medicine we recommend you check with the Uzbekistan Embassy about allowed quantities. You should also bring copies of your prescriptions and declare them upon arrival. Visa regulations can change without notice: please check the current regulations in good time to obtain a visa if one is required.
Food & Drink
All breakfasts, three lunches and four dinners are included.
Please note, vegetarian food choices may be rather limited. If you are strictly vegetarian, or have any special dietary requirements, please notify us well in advance. In Uzbekistan, the availability of certain specialised products for restricted diets, eg gluten-free or dairy-free, is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring these specialised dietary items from home.
Drinking water is included and will be provided in large containers for you to refill your bottle – please bring a reusable bottle with you.
Weather
These areas of Central Asia have long, extremely hot summers, but the winters are very cold. The July and August departures may be rather hot with afternoon temperatures often reaching 40C (104F). Other trips are planned for spring and autumn when the temperature should not be below 5C (41F) at night and may be up to 25C-30C (77F-86F) during the day. Sunny weather with clear skies should be experienced but there can be some rain at this time of year. Occasionally, there are periods of unexpectedly hot or cold weather.
Hotels, homestay, yurt and sleeper train
We spend 11 nights in hotels, one night in a yurt camp, one night in a homestay and one night on a sleeper train. The hotels are typically small and well located for our adventures, often close to the main sites and attractions. The accommodations we typically use are on the day-to-day itinerary; however, below are a few of the notable places we stay on this trip.
Nurata: Homestay (night 5)
Our night in a homestay takes us into the mountain village of Sentyab, where a traditional lifestyle still thrives. It provides us with an excellent opportunity to witness life in the Uzbek peaks, where cooking is often on an open fire and families typically keep livestock. The homes are very simple with shared rooms (up to four people per room). There are also shared bathrooms and showers (typically two showers and two toilets in total).
Kyzylkum desert: Yurt camp (night 6)
Yurts are not part of Uzbek culture, but the country is a mix of different ethnic groups, including Kazakhs who were nomadic and use yurts. The yurts, which are set up for tourists, have basic shared washing facilities and toilets, plus a dining yurt. You may have to share a yurt with more than one other person (two people to a yurt). The camp is very simple and offers limited comfort; however, it is well positioned to let us visit Aydarkul lake.
Navoi to Kungrad: Overnight train (night 7)
The railway has long been a popular way of travelling around the ex-Soviet Union and this is a great experience and insight into Uzbek life. On the train from Navoi to Kungrad, we use second-class carriages with four-berth cabins.
Worth knowing
If you would like your own room, a limited number of single supplements are available on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis – please request this at the time of booking. The single supplement is not available for three nights of the trip – the homestay, yurt camp and sleeper train.
At the homestay, yurt camp and on the sleeper train, men and women who are not travelling together may have to share though we aim to minimise this.
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.
Most Inspirational Moment
Samarkand's Registan Square, although being a familiar sight in brochures and travel guides is just as breath-taking in real life with a lovely light show in the evening.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our tour leader was the wonderful Dilshod, a guide with many years of experience, incredible knowledge, attentive and organised. A proud Uzbek who can answer any question and is happy to share his stories and
Advice for Potential Travellers
While you're there use a mixture of US Dollars and Uzbek Som - souvenirs were all quoted in dollars. It's best to have clean crisp new dollars to exchange.
A scarf to cover your head and long trousers when entering mosques is essential but shorts down to the knee are acceptable for most other days.
Marie-Claude Alderson
Reviewed November 2024
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.
Most Inspirational Moment
Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand are the hi lights but there are so many other moments like our lunch with music and dancing near the fortress. The Registan in Samarkand is very impressive by the sheer size. I loved Bukhara and its atmosphere at night. The fortified town of Khiva is beautiful and the colour of the wall change at night. The train journey was also nice.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Dilshod was a walking guide book with outstanding knowledge of the history and culture of his country. He was very organised and as a result we did not waste any time. He told us many personal stories which added to our understanding of the difficult history of this country.
Advice for Potential Travellers
You have some long days on the bus but we could all have a seat by the window. Bring a scarf to cover your head in the mosques. Clothes covering shoulders and knees are required for religious buildings
Dave Newport
Reviewed June 2024
Truly amazing
A fantastic country, with open and welcoming people who are delighted to see European tourists, incredible sights and inspiring interiors
Most Inspirational Moment
The interior of the Amur Timur mausoleum, a true wow moment…or arriving in Khiva to feel we were really on the Silk Road…no, the Registan or, or… in other words, the whole holiday
Thoughts on Group Leader
Takhir handled the usual “mixed” personalities with diplomacy and care. His telling of the stories behind the sites demonstrated his passion for history
Advice for Potential Travellers
Go
Louisa Chowen
Reviewed May 2024
Spectacular
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
Thoughts on Group Leader
Tahir was kind, knowledgeable and consistently there for us whether it was endlessly changing money from one currency to another or patiently waiting for one or other of us, his recommendations of where to eat and what to eat, moving is between local eateries to internal flights and local trains and finally using his contacts to reclaim my coat after I left it on the last day in the train station hundreds of miles from Tashkent ~ a remarkable human being
Advice for Potential Travellers
Go!
Joanna Bending
Reviewed April 2024
Comprehensive trip, well organised, great guide
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.
Most Inspirational Moment
The long drive from Bukhara to Samarkand, stopping for drinks and toilet breaks in places where people have been doing exactly the same thing for thousands of years!
Thoughts on Group Leader
The group leader, Dilshod, was excellent. Incredibly knowledgeable and experienced, he balanced the needs of a diverse group very well.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't listen to anyone who tells you that Uzbekistan is unsafe or inaccessible. The recent tourism initiative has got rid of pretty much all red-tape, and there is virtually no street crime etc. Much less stressful than travelling in Egypt or the US! The vegetarian food is also much better than everyone leads you to believe.
B Jeffs
Reviewed October 2023
The Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan do not disappoint
Uzebekistan did not disappoint. All the main sites in Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand are stunning, and the Uzbek people extremely friendly and welcoming. We were also lucky enough to get to visit the Savitsky Museum in Nukus due to the lack of flights to Urgench, and this was an additional highlight of the trip – I would recommend that Exodus consider including this in the regular itinerary, as it really didn’t add on much time to what was already a long drive anyway. Unfortunately, I can not be so positive about the night at the Yurt camp. While I enjoyed the drive through the desert and a chance for a little more wilderness and wildlife on what is generally a city-heavy trip, the actual camp was just an uncomfortable gimmick. There was no effort made by the camp, nor our team leader, to explain the history of Yurts and its relevance to Uzbek culture, and in reality we found ourselves in a busy basic campsite alongside about 3 other large noisy tour groups with limited and dirty toilet facilities (unlike the picture on the Exodus website which shows a small group of Yurts). We also weren’t given the opportunity (unlike the other groups) to camel ride as advertised in the itinerary – we had to either do it immediately on arrival, or not at all. Most worryingly, there was an enormous pile of abandoned plastic and broken glass behind the main Yurt buildings – hardly a sustainable experience. I would strongly recommend that Exodus just forget this Yurt experience, especially as it still requires a subsequent long and tiring ride to get to Samarkand the next day, which is especially painful after very little sleep in the Yurt and waiting arounf until 9.30 am to leave (unlike the other groups). If this trip must visit the desert, I would have preferred to stay in a local guesthouse in Nurata or somewhere similar (as some other companies do), and find out more about living in the desert environment – we leaned nothing at the Yurt camp other than not to do it again!
Most Inspirational Moment
Strolling around the beautiful streets of Khiva at night - hardly anyone else around and very atmospheric.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our tour leader Barbor was very proud of his country, and certainly knew his history. However, he was not the best at handling or organising a group, and I feel that our tour did suffer because of this - it felt like we had a lot of wasted opportunities. For example, instead of using the long bus journeys to explain what we would be doing that day, and the approximate timings and activities, he would wait to tell us everything on arrival, wasting valuable time. In addition, he was often vague about the sequence of sites and visits. This was particularly relevant in Samarkand when we lost the opportunity to visit the bazaar, which then turned out to be closed the next day when we had some free time. He would also sometimes "disappear" when we most needed him (e.g., on our first day in Tashkent when we were told we had 30 minutes for lunch but had no idea how to find it [especially given we had just arrived on a late night flight]). I feel that with another guide we could have had a richer experience. As it was, the tour was just ok.
Advice for Potential Travellers
It is easy to change money from dollars/pounds on the first day - we found that $200 each for the whole trip was just enough. It is almost impossible to use your credit card anywhere you visit apart from Samarkand, so you will need cash. Enjoy the bullet train from Samarkand to Khiva. I is a real treat and it was fun getting to 231 km/hr - beat that! Walking around at any time of day or night felt completely safe, and the tourist police (in Bukhara) are especially helpful even if it is just o ask directions. Buy any souvenirs in Bukhara or Khiva - Samarkand surprisingly does not have the same opportunities. Organise your own final group dinner in Tashkent or, perhaps better still, have it the day before in Samarkand. We ended up at the Gabrielle hotel in Tashkent were we were staying, the service is awful and the food expensive (perhaps why the tour leader chose not to stay and eat).
David Arnold
Reviewed June 2023
Stunning architecture
95% of the mausoleums, pishtaqs and madrasahs, though built many hundreds of years ago, are subject to very frequent maintenance and in some cases rebuilding. As such they look like new! There are a few ruins but these are mainly to be found in the desert.
Most Inspirational Moment
Gur-i Amir at night in Samarkand
Thoughts on Group Leader
Encyclopaedic knowledge of the country and it's history.
Advice for Potential Travellers
As with any tour the local agency make changes to the itinerary. In this case the camel ride (Day 8) was just 10-15 minutes shortly after we arrived at the Yurt camp (Day 7). The trip notes highlight a 10 to 11 hour drive on bad roads (Day 4) but it doesn't advertise the 6 hour drive under similar conditions on Day 8. Unfortunately the vehicle used throughout did not have suitable air-con so in the 38-40C we all struggled a bit. Day 10 "we have a farewell dinner..." states the trip notes. If you want a farewell dinner you have to arrange it yourself as the local company doesn't do it. Having said that after the journey from Samarkand to Tashkent you arrive back at the hotel at 20:45 and several did not want to eat at that hour knowing we had an early start for the airport the next day.
Nick Potter
Reviewed May 2022
A revelation!
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.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Kudos must go to our guide, Dilshod. He was superb – even rearranging personal evening plans a few times to help the group out ordering dinner, etc and on the long bus trips was full of knowledge, history and jokes, keeping everyone entertained.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Nope - just book it and go! You won't regret it.
Jill Haydock
Reviewed August 2019
Go and experience Uzbekistan
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.
Most Inspirational Moment
The unexpected ‘wild swim’ in the lake and visiting the beautiful Shah-I-Zinda on the day families were celebrating Eid are both magical memories.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Absolutely fantastic! Dilshod’s knowledge of ancient and modern history, the architecture, crafts and culture in each city was phenomenal; and his willingness to share his own stories of recent history put this trip right up with the best.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you have a problem with pillows try and take your own travel pillow!
Ann Burnett
Reviewed June 2019
Inexperienced guide
I have had to give this trip a 2 star because of the guide, although I take no pleasure in doing this. He was inexperienced and quite unfriendly at times. This was my 6th Exodus trip and this was my worst ever guide by a long way. See group leader section.
Most Inspirational Moment
I absolutely loved swimming in Aidarkul Lake and the desert scenery on the way to and from the yurt. I also loved Samarkand and particularly Shah-i-Zinda.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader Shakh appeared to be inexperienced, he lacked friendliness at times and he showed a complete lack of interest in the fact that I was very badly ill twice. I had arrived a few days earlier (as a solo female traveller) and the day before I met the group I suffered sickness and diarhoea. On first meeting Shakh at the group meeting I mentioned this to him and I could not believe the almost complete lack of interest. In fact, I thought this so unusual, that I repeated myself in case he had not heard. We later went on our tour of Tashkent and I very nearly fainted (as I had not eaten due to the bug). Again Shakh was barely interested, pointed to a door where I could reach the outside and left me to it. Only when the other members of the group asked me if I was OK did Shakh very briefly check on me. A few days after that the bug returned and I was up all night with the worst illness I have ever encountered. The next day I again mentioned this to the guide and he was still uninterested (and no offers of pharmacy stops were made).
Other problems with Shakh were:-
not having sufficient water for our group in the first few days of the trip (at the desert fortresses we had run out of water completely in the heat and we also run out of water in the morning at Khiva). In fact, at the desert fortresses, I asked Shakh where the water was and he snapped back that he had not picked up the 10 litre bottle yet. As we had driven from the airport at Nukus there had been plenty of opportunity to pick up water. After that I no longer trusted Shakh to provide water and just bought my own to make sure I always had a supply.
I have been on 5 other Exodus trips and on all those trips the guide has eaten with the group and the guides have been good/fantastic. This guide did not eat with us on the first night in Tashkent nor the first night in Samarkand and on around 4 or 5 other occasions.
He was not always very friendly or smiley, which I think is the requirement of a guide. In fact one time we passed him in the street during our free time and he did not even smile or acknowledge us.
The restaurant chosen for our final lunch in Samarkand was appalling in terms of service and again Shakh sat at a neighbouring table. Some of our food took an hour and a quarter or more to arrive and no complaints were made by him, to my knowledge. Then when the bill came the prices had changed markedly, for example the soup price had increased by over 50% and all the other prices had changed. This situation was awful and was handled very badly by the guide.
The coach was not always asked to collect us, e.g from right outside the airport, so we were left with quite long distances to drag our cases. This was not really a problem for me as I had a rucksack (albeit a heavy one) but some of the other travellers were in their 70's and I am sure they would have benefited from being picked up.
Shakh gave out his mobile number in case of emergency, with instructions NOT to ring him at night. Whilst I am sure most people would not ring the guide at night, emergencies can of course happen at night.
On a more positive note Shakh was very knowledgeable about the history and geography of Uzbekistan and I very much enjoyed his commentaries, especially when he told us about his wedding. He also improved as the 11 days progressed (except for the final lunch incident). However I think being completely uninterested in the health of your travellers is completely unacceptable.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Sadly a number of people in our group were ill. Take plenty of rehydration salts. The bread is at least delicious, so you can survive on that!
Do get out for a walk in the area around the yurt. I had a couple of little walks and it was so peaceful and the wildlife great.
Reply from Exodus
We would like to thank Ann for her review; we were pleased to read she enjoyed the itinerary and found it to have a good combination of nature and cities, as we feel this is something that makes Uzbekistan such a special country to visit. We were, however, very sorry to read that she was disappointed with her tour leader, Shahrukh. Having discussed this with a member of the Exodus team who has also travelled with Shahrukh, who is an experienced guide, we feel that he has potential to be a great tour leader for us, so we have asked the local team to carry out some additional training regarding what is expected by Exodus and our clients. While we are sorry that this cannot alter Ann’s experience, we hope that this shows we have taken her review on board. Jennifer Cox – Product Manager
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Land Only Trip PriceCAD 5510
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Land Only Trip PriceCAD 5510
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Land Only Trip PriceCAD 5510
Book with CAD 1377 deposit
Book with CAD 500 deposit
Optional Single Supplement+CAD 542
Availability
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