In supplier order. Some entries may cover multiple days; optional experiences are described by the supplier.
Sample itinerary. Choose a departure for its exact itinerary and hotel plan.
Day 1 — UK to Tashkent
Our nationwide shared chauffeur service collects you from home for your overnight flight to Tashkent.
Day 2 — Tashkent
Tashkent is the country’s modern capital, where Soviet-era architecture hides richly decorated metro stations that rival Moscow’s famously intricate underground. Transfer to your hotel then head out for an afternoon guided tour of the city. Visit Independence Square and the Khast-Imam Complex, and wander through the exhibits at the Museum of Applied Art.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Day 3 — Taskent to Khiva
Fly to Urgench and continue by road to the walled city of Khiva. Explore Ayaz-Kala Fortress, dating back to the 2nd century AD and the height of the Kushan Empire, then visit Toprak-Kala Fortress, the 3rd-century capital of Khorezm. Continue to the Akchakul Tourist Complex on the shores of Akchakul Lake, where you stop for lunch and enjoy free time before travelling on to Khiva for a two-night stay.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4 — Khiva
Enjoy a guided tour of Khiva, a Silk Road city famed for its elegant architecture and once the last staging post before merchants faced the desert sands en route to Persia. Explore Itchan Kala, the inner fortress and key stop on the Silk Route. Within its walls, visit the 18th-century Djuma Mosque, the Tosh-Hovli Palace, the vast Kuhna Ark fortress and the beautiful Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum. Tonight, dinner comes with a live folk show.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5 — Khiva to Bukhara
Leave Khiva and cross the dramatic landscapes of the Kyzyl Kum – known in Turkic as the ‘Red Sand’ – the world’s 15th-largest desert. It was once a key route for Silk Road caravan traders, which used to take over a month to travel through – now takes around six hours. Arrive in Bukhara in the afternoon for a three-night stay.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6 — Bukhara
Take a guided city tour of Bukhara, an ancient Silk Road trading hub and important cultural centre, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the 16th-century Kalyan Mosque, the multi-coloured Abdul Aziz Khan Madrasah and the turquoise-domed Mir-i-Arab Madrasah. Spend the afternoon browsing souvenirs in the bazaars or relaxing in one of the city’s tea houses. This evening, join a traditional Bukharian cooking class and learn about regional cuisine, a blend of Jewish and Central Asian flavours.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 7 — Bukhara
Head out of the city this morning to tour the Bahouddin Nakshbandi Mausoleum, a memorial to a 14th-century Sufi scholar. Continue to the Sitorai-Mokhi-Hossa Palace, once the summer residence of local emirs. Early this evening, stroll to the Nadir Divan Begi Madrasah for a folklore show.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 8 — Gijduvan to Samarkand
Leave Bukhara this morning for the five-hour drive to Samarkand for a two-night stay. Break the journey in Shakhrisabz for a city tour of the ruins of Ak-Saray Palace, Khazrati Imam Mosque, Jahangir Mausoleum and the Dorut Tilavat Complex, home to Kok Gumbaz Mosque. Continue to Samarkand, founded in the 7th century BC and once the capital of the empire ruled by Tamerlane. Today this ‘Crossroad of Cultures’ is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9 — Samarkand
Spend a full day exploring Samarkand. Visit the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum, the mosaic-clad Ulugh Beg Madrasah, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque and the impressive Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, a complex of 11 medieval mausolea.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 10 — Samarkand to Tashkent
Join another guided tour this morning to the 15th-century Ulugh Beg Observatory, the Afrosiyab Museum and the Mausoleum of Daniel, believed to be the tomb of the Old Testament prophet. Later, take the train back to Tashkent for a two-night stay.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 11 — Tashkent - UK
Transfer to the airport for the return flight to the UK. Upon arrival, your vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.
Meals: Breakfast
