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
Samarkand
Samarkand Trips
Few names are as evocative or shrouded in legend as Samarkand: the one-time capital of the Timurid Empire and one of the most important cities on the Silk Road. Here, you are dazzled by the tilework on the mosques surrounding Registan Square, often described as the most beautiful city square in the world. Then there’s the stunning fluted dome of the Gur-i-Emir and the incredible avenue of Shah-i-Zinda, where the buildings are covered in beautiful mosaics. Our Samarkand tours also reveal what life is like in Uzbekistan today, with a visit to the huge markets in the city centre, where exotic fruits, nuts and other local produce stretch out before you. This truly is a city like no other.
Samarkand Holidays
Fiona Carter Uzbekistan Uncovered
Barbara Thomas Uzbekistan UncoveredAn 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!!
Nigel Turner The Silk RoadI’m writing this two months after coming back. I’ve just finished my photobook of the trip and completing this made me realise how much fantastic stuff we saw. And how it’s like two trips in one. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are based on mountains, open spaces and some walks. Uzbekistan is cultural, four interesting cities and fantastic Islamic architecture. It’s great to have experienced both and enjoyed three new countries in one adventure.
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