At the heart of the Silk Road, Uzbekistan reveals the history of ancient traders through desert citadels, fortress ruins and colourful bazaars. Join one of our Silk Road holidays to marvel at the ornate minarets and domes of Bukhara, walk perfectly restored streets in the walled city of Khiva, and see the madrassahs and blue mosaics of Registan Square in Samarkand.
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan is naturally beautiful, with dramatic gorges, wildflower pastures and hot springs. On our trips to Kyrgyzstan, you can explore idyllic lakes, witness breathtaking panoramas and hike through the Djety Oguz, a distinctive valley filled with local legends. A highlight of a Kyrgyzstan tour is a night in a yurt, where you experience the traditional way of life beneath the stars.
Tajikistan
The mountainous landscapes of Tajikistan feature some of the most spectacular sections of the Silk Road. Join one of our trips to Tajikistan and travel to the majestic Fann Mountains and historic town of Penjikent. Or, for the really adventurous, take our trip through the Pamir Mountains, passing forts, caravanserais and remote mountain settlements.
Turkmenistan
On Turkmenistan Silk Road tours, you’ll delve into ancient civilisations and explore some of the country’s most notable sites. One of the most incredible is the Darvaza gas crater, also known as the Door to Hell, a huge flaming crater in the Karakum Desert that has been burning for more than 50 years. Also fascinating is Konye-Urgench, the ruined capital of the once-powerful Khwarezm empire.
Kazakhstan
For centuries, diverse cultures filled the bazaars of Kazakhstan, with merchants selling silks, jewels, spices and even exotic birds. On a Silk Road trip, you’ll dive into that history and travel among beautiful lakes and peaks carpeted with wildflowers. You’ll also visit the impressive Charyn Canyon. Formed by erosion from the Charyn River, this unusual red landscape is known as the Valley of Castles due to its unique rock formations − a sight to behold on Silk Road holidays.
Silk Road Tours
For more than 1,500 years, merchants and traders braved some of the planet’s most inhospitable terrain and the threat of robbers in search of riches. Their network of trade routes, which connected China with the Mediterranean via the Central Asian steppes, was named the Silk Road, and shaped the world immeasurably.
Join one of our Silk Road trips and you’ll follow in the footsteps of those traders, discovering cities that were once the center of civilization: Samarkand, Khiva and Bukhara in Uzbekistan, Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, and plenty more along the way.
Our guided Silk Road tours not only provide a fascinating insight into the history and traditions of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan (the Five Stans of the Silk Road), but also some of the greatest natural wonders. Hike among the spectacular Jety-Oguz Canyon, admire the architectural feats of Samarkand’s Registan Square and stand at the ‘Door to Hell’, a burning natural gas field in Turkmenistan.
On our Silk Road trips, our expert tour leaders guide you on a magnificent journey of discovery where you’ll soak up the unique culture, delve into the past and travel along parts of this world-shaping trading route.
There was a lot of bus/ travel time on this journey. Given that, I felt that some days were very poorly planned.
Examples:
One day all we did was cross the border to Turkmenistan. We started at 1:pm and it took 2 hours. The next day there was a six hour excursion to a UNESCO site. Then back to the city for lunch. Then another 5.5 hour drive out to the gas crater. Obviously the UNESCO excursion could have been done the previous afternoon if we would have crossed the border in the morning. Then we would have arrived for sunset at the camp. Instead we were driving in the dark on a very poor and dangerous road, arriving stressed. As an aside, some passengers got bed bug bites at the camp.
The day we arrived in Uzbekistan we had been travelling for 9 hours. All we wanted was our hotel, a drink and some food. Sergi proceeded to say we had to go to the summer palace and a silk factory that night. The whole group was fed up and we did not enjoy either one. These activities were scheduled for the next day.
Anyway there were many days like this; it was agreed by all that we would prefer to get to our hotel in the late afternoon in order to unwind and perhaps explore on our own. There was no need for so many late check ins.
Most hotels were adequate. I did not have high expectations. Rooms were clean and comfortable. However, the breakfasts were horrendous. Cold food, empty buffet trays, very little offered.
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!!
