Silk Road Oasis Tour
Accommodation, guides, transport, a flight and 2 train journeys included.
Silk Road Oasis Tour Highlights
Travel the whole Silk Road of Uzbekistan in 11 days, from Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva to the desert fortresses of Karakalpakstan and the vanishing Aral Sea. In Tashkent you explore the old town squares, madrasahs and vibrant bazaars, then the high-speed train takes you to Samarkand, the jewel of the Silk Road, with the majestic Registan, the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum and the necropolis of Shah-i-Zinda. In Bukhara you wander through centuries-old streets to the Ark Citadel and the Poi Kalyan ensemble, before crossing the Kyzylkum Desert to the fairytale city of Khiva and its well-preserved Ichan Kala.
From Khiva the road leads past the ancient Khorezmian fortresses of Ayaz-Kala and Toprak-Kala to Nukus and its famous Savitsky art museum. Then you drive across the Ustyurt Plateau past Sudochye Lake to the shore of the Aral Sea and spend a night in a yurt camp. On the way back you see the eerie ship cemetery in Muynak and the sacred Mizdakhan complex, before a flight takes you back to Tashkent for a free day in its modern parks – a rich blend of history, culture and nature.
Difficulty: Easy Guided city walks in Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, two train rides, several long road days (460 km Bukhara – Khiva and about 400 km a day to and from the Aral Sea on desert roads), one simple night in a shared yurt camp (4 persons per yurt) and a domestic flight Nukus – Tashkent.
Tour Itinerary
Arrive in Tashkent, where our representative meets you at the airport and takes you to the hotel to check in (early check-in is included). The guided sightseeing tour of Tashkent starts at Khast-Imam Square with the Barak-Khan Madrasah and the Kafal-al-Shashi Mausoleum and continues to the colorful Chorsu Bazaar and the Kukeldash Madrasah. After lunch, visit the Museum of Applied Arts, Independence Square and Amir Timur Square. Overnight at the hotel in Tashkent.
Tashkent, Hazrati Imam complex, Chorsu Bazaar, Kukeldash Madrasah, Tashkent Independence Square, Amir Temur Square
- Tashkent International Airport → Tashkent (9 km)
Overnight: Tashkent (Hotel)
Early breakfast at the hotel (or a breakfast box) and transfer to the railway station. The Afrosiyob high-speed train takes you to Samarkand in about 2 hours (07:28–09:42 in the current timetable). On arrival, start a busy day in the jewel of the ancient and modern Silk Road. See the mysterious Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum, the resting place of Tamerlane, and Registan Square, Temur's outstanding creation – a huge complex of minarets, mosques and madrasahs. Continue to the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the gorgeous necropolis of Shah-i-Zinda and the old observatory of Ulugbek, the greatest Muslim astronomer, with the neighboring Ulugbek museum. Check in at the hotel in the evening. Overnight in Samarkand.
Samarkand, Gur-e Amir Mausoleum, Registan, Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Mausoleum, Shah i Zinda, Ulugbek Observatory
- Tashkent → Samarkand (344 km)
Overnight: Samarkand (Hotel)
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, continue the sightseeing in Samarkand: the Ulugbek Observatory, the Afrosiab museum and ancient settlement, the tomb of Saint Daniel, the Khujum carpet factory, a silk paper workshop and the oriental Siab Bazaar. After the sightseeing, transfer to the railway station and take the evening train to Bukhara (about 1.5 hours). On arrival, check in at the hotel and rest. Overnight in Bukhara.
Ulugbek Observatory, Afrasiyab, Tomb of Saint Daniel (Khoja Daniyar), Konigil Paper Mill (Meros), Siyob Bazaar
- Samarkand → Bukhara (255 km)
Overnight: Bukhara (Hotel)
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, meet your guide and start the sightseeing tour. Bukhara has more than 900 historical monuments, and today you visit many of them while wandering through the old city streets. Begin with the Samanids Mausoleum and the Bolo-Hauz Mosque, then continue to the Ark fortress, the old citadel more than 20 m high. In the afternoon, visit the Poi Kalyan ensemble with the Kalyan Minaret, the Kalyan Mosque and the Mir-i-Arab Madrasah, the Ulugbek and Abdulaziz Khan madrasahs, the Lyabi-Hauz ensemble and the trading domes, which have stood here since the times of the Great Silk Road. Return to the hotel in the evening. Overnight in Bukhara.
Samanids Mausoleum, Bolo Hauz Complex, Ark of Bukhara, Poi Kalyan, Ulugbeg Madrasah Bukhara, Abdulazizkhan Madrasah, Lyabi-Hauz Ensemble, Trading Domes of Bukhara
Overnight: Bukhara (Hotel)
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, drive across the Kyzylkum Desert and along the Amu Darya River to Khiva, with lunch on the way. Arrive in Khiva and enjoy some free time – a visit to the traditional workshops and souvenir shops is recommended. Overnight at the hotel in Khiva.
Kyzylkum Desert, Amu Darya
- Bukhara → Khiva (460 km)
Overnight: Khiva (Hotel)
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, start the guided sightseeing tour of Ichan Kala, the historical inner city of Khiva: the Pakhlavan Mahmud complex, the Kunya-Ark fortress and the Islam Khoja Madrasah and Minaret. After lunch, visit the Tash Khauli Palace, the Juma Mosque and the Muhammad Amin Khan Madrasah and Minaret. Return to the hotel in the evening. Overnight in Khiva.
Khiva, Pakhlavan Makhmoud Mausoleum, Kunya-ark fortress, Islam Khoja Minaret, Tach Khaouli Palace, Juma mosque, Mohammed Amin Khan Madrassah
Overnight: Khiva (Hotel)
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, drive to Nukus, the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan. On the way, stop twice to explore the ruins of the ancient Khorezmian fortresses of Ayaz-Kala and Toprak-Kala. On arrival in Nukus, check in at the hotel to freshen up. After lunch, visit the famous Savitsky art museum. Return to the hotel and rest. Overnight in Nukus.
Desert Fortresses of Khorezm (Kalas of Karakalpakstan), Nukus
- Khiva → Nukus (200 km)
Overnight: Nukus (Hotel)
Meals: Breakfast
Early breakfast at the hotel and departure from Nukus at 07:00. Drive to Kungrad and up onto the Ustyurt Plateau, then on to Sudochye Lake. Continue to the village of Urga, the first Russian settlement in the Khorezm and Aral Sea region, with lunch on the way. Then drive on to the Aral Sea, stopping to photograph the canyons along the way. Arrive at the camp and walk down to the shoreline. Dinner at the camp. Overnight in the yurt camp at the Aral Sea.
Kungrad, Sudochye Lake, Urga, Aral Sea
- Nukus → Aral Sea (400 km)
Overnight: Aral Sea (Yurt camp)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today's landscapes: steppe, desert, salt flats, cliffs and the bottom of a vanished sea. After breakfast at the camp, drive to Muynak along the bottom of the disappeared sea. Visit the monument to the victims of the Second World War (now a monument to the Aral Sea) on the highest point of Muynak, with a wonderful panorama of the town and the former seabed, and the famous "Cemetery of Ships". Next, visit the museum in the House of Culture in Muynak, with works by the artists F. Madgazin and R. Matevosyan, who painted the Aral Sea and the Amu Darya River. Lunch in a traditional guesthouse in Muynak. Continue to the Mizdakhan complex near Khodjeyli: the Caliph Erejep, the Jumart-kassab hillock, the half-underground Mazlumkhan-sulu Mausoleum and the Shamun-nabi Mausoleum. Drive back to Nukus. Overnight at the hotel in Nukus.
Muynak Ship Graveyard, Khodjeyli, Mizdarkhan Complex
- Aral Sea → Nukus (400 km)
Overnight: Nukus (Hotel)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the morning flight back to Tashkent. On arrival, you are met at the airport and taken to the hotel (check-in from 14:00). The rest of the day is free. Recommended places to visit: Magic City Park and Tashkent City Park. Overnight at the hotel in Tashkent.
Tashkent Parks, Tashkent City Park
- Nukus → Tashkent International Airport (810 km)
- Tashkent International Airport → Tashkent (9 km)
Overnight: Tashkent (Hotel)
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, transfer to Tashkent International Airport for your flight home.
- Tashkent → Tashkent International Airport (9 km)
Meals: Breakfast
Share this tour privately
Travelling alone or as a couple? Join other travellers who want to take this tour privately, or post your own request. The private price per person drops as the group grows.
No open requests for this tour yet. Post the first one and we'll show it here and on the group requests page.
What's included
Included
- Accommodation in 3* or 4* hotels (as listed, or similar of the same category) in double/twin rooms with breakfast – 9 hotel nights: 2 in Tashkent, 1 in Samarkand, 2 in Bukhara, 2 in Khiva and 2 in Nukus
- Early check-in on day 1 in Tashkent (check-in at the other hotels at 14:00, check-out at 12:00)
- 1 night in a yurt camp at the Aral Sea (4 persons per yurt, single accommodation is not possible)
- Meals: all breakfasts, plus 2 lunches and 1 dinner in the Aral Sea region
- Entrance fees to the monuments and museums
- English-speaking local guides for the sightseeing
- Comfortable air-conditioned transport throughout the tour, including airport – hotel – airport transfers
- High-speed train tickets Tashkent – Samarkand and Samarkand – Bukhara (economy class; tickets are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed in advance)
- Bottled mineral water every day
Not included
- International flights
- Domestic flight Nukus – Tashkent (about 80 USD per person, economy class)
- Meals not mentioned above
- Medical expenses and travel insurance
- Porters at hotels, railway stations and airports
- Tips and gratuities
Nargiza is the office manager of Central Asia Guide and mostly responsible for multi country "Stan" tours.
Where you'll stay
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Night 1
Tashkent
Huvaydo Hotel or Inspira-S Hotel or similar
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Night 2
Samarkand
Arba Hotel or Zeravshan Parkside Hotel or similar
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Nights 3–4
Bukhara
Rangrez Hotel or Paradise Plaza Hotel or similar
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Nights 5–6
Khiva
Khiva Residence Hotel or Asia Khiva Hotel or similar
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Night 7
Nukus
Pana Hotel or similar
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Night 8
Aral Sea
Aral Sea yurt camp or similar
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Night 9
Nukus
Pana Hotel or similar
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Night 10
Tashkent
Huvaydo Hotel or Inspira-S Hotel or similar
Good to know
- Hotels: You choose between 3* and 4* hotels (or similar of the same category). 3*: Huvaydo Hotel in Tashkent, Arba Hotel in Samarkand, Rangrez Hotel in Bukhara, Khiva Residence Hotel in Khiva and Pana Hotel in Nukus. 4*: Inspira-S Hotel in Tashkent, Zeravshan Parkside Hotel in Samarkand, Paradise Plaza Hotel in Bukhara and Asia Khiva Hotel in Khiva; in Nukus both options stay at Pana Hotel 3*. Early check-in on day 1 in Tashkent is included; at the other hotels check-in is at 14:00 and check-out at 12:00.
- Aral Sea: The night at the Aral Sea is in a yurt camp with 4 persons per yurt; single accommodation is not possible there.
- Vehicles: Chevrolet Lacetti or similar for 1–2 travelers, Hyundai Starex minivan for 3–5 travelers, King Long minivan or similar for 6–8 travelers and Eurise minivan or similar for 9–15 travelers.
- Trains and flight: Tashkent – Samarkand and Samarkand – Bukhara are by high-speed train (economy class); tickets are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed in advance. The flight Nukus – Tashkent on day 10 is not included (about 80 USD per person, economy class).
Uzbekistan travel information
Practical essentials for travelling in Uzbekistan. Open a topic to read more.
Visa policy
Find your country from the list and check possible visa requirements for Uzbekistan before booking.
The local currency is the Uzbek sum. Uzbekistan is still mostly a cash economy, but money is easy to exchange and ATMs are common in the larger cities.
Exchanging money
Banks exchange US dollars, euros, British pounds and Japanese yen. There are exchange offices in major cities such as Bukhara and Khiva and at Tashkent airport; elsewhere you need a bank, which often gives a better rate anyway. Your notes must be in pristine condition. Sum is hard to exchange outside Uzbekistan, but you can change it back to US dollars at a local bank.
Cards and ATMs
Cards are accepted in upscale hotels and restaurants in Tashkent and the main tourist cities, with Visa more widely recognised than Mastercard and a standard 3% commission. ATMs dispense sum and are easy to find in the larger cities; many also offer US dollars.
Uzbekistan is generally a safe destination, with little religious extremism and few crimes against foreigners.
Documents
Always carry your passport: it is a legal requirement, and police carry out routine checks.
Getting around
- Use licensed taxis. Local taxi apps are the easiest way to get a ride at local prices, and Yandex works very well in Tashkent and Samarkand. If you take a taxi on the street or at the airport, agree the price first.
- Many roads outside Tashkent, especially in the Tian Shan and Fan mountains, are in poor condition. Driving standards are generally low, and rural roads are often unlit, so night driving is riskier.
- On night trains, keep valuables safe, do not leave belongings unattended and lock the compartment door from the inside.
- Watch your belongings as you would anywhere, and avoid demonstrations and large gatherings.
Laws and customs
- Possessing narcotics is strictly illegal.
- Same-sex relationships are illegal and still socially condemned. Avoid public displays of affection.
- Drones are in practice banned. Permits can be applied for but are very rarely granted.
Photography
Be discreet near government buildings such as the Palace of Forums in Tashkent, and sometimes at local markets that see few tourists. Restrictions have eased, but check before photographing near airports, border checkpoints, military sites, bridges and police stations.
Earthquakes
Uzbekistan is prone to earthquakes, mostly tremors, though stronger ones occasionally occur.
Entering Uzbekistan is straightforward when your documents are in order. Citizens of many countries can visit visa-free, and for many others a visa is easy to get without an invitation.
Registration
Registration rules are stricter than elsewhere in Central Asia: by law you must be registered within 3 days of arrival. Hotels usually do this for you, but register yourself if you stay longer than 3 days in, for example, a rented apartment. Border officers check the registrations when you leave and may ask for the paper slips, so keep them until you exit the country.
Customs
Exporting handcrafted items older than 50 years is prohibited. At land borders, customs officers may check your phone and photos for explicit or confidential material, though this has become very rare.
The best times to visit Uzbekistan are spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November), between the summer heat and the winter cold.
Summer
At the height of summer the land dries out, especially in the countryside, and temperatures rise well above 30°C, often up to 40°C.
Winter
From November to March it can get cold, sometimes below zero, but the skies are mostly clear and bright. Snow is occasional and usually melts within a day or two.
Medical services in Uzbekistan have improved in recent years but are still limited, so good travel insurance that includes evacuation is essential.
Food and water
To avoid traveller's diarrhoea, drink only bottled, filtered or boiled water, and do not use tap water for brushing your teeth or for ice. Choose meat and fish that are thoroughly cooked and served hot.
Medical care
Uzbekistan has a state healthcare system and a small private sector. Larger clinics serve the cities and regional hospitals the countryside. Hospitals usually ask for payment in cash up front, even if you are insured, and serious cases may need evacuation home. Contact your insurer straight away if you need urgent care, and check before you leave what your insurance covers in Uzbekistan.
Medicines
Pharmacies are private, and the range of medicines can be limited. Prescriptions generally require a doctor's consultation. If you travel with medication, check the rules with the embassy, a consulate or Uzbekistan's Ministry of Health.
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