Winter Holidays on the Silk Road
Accommodation, guides, transport, the train included.
Winter Holidays on the Silk Road Highlights
Discover Uzbekistan's great Silk Road cities in the winter season: 7 days from Tashkent to Samarkand and Bukhara and back. In Tashkent you visit the Hazrati Imam complex, the Chorsu bazaar and the Tashkent metro before the road leads to Samarkand. There the Registan with its three madrasahs, Tamerlane's tomb in the Gur-e Amir Mausoleum, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque and the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis await, you watch silk paper being made by hand in Konigil village and see the Registan in its evening lights.
On the way to Bukhara you stop in Gijduvan, one of the ceramic centres of Uzbekistan, for a ceramics demonstration and lunch with a family of pottery masters. In Bukhara the guided tours lead from the Lyabi-Hauz ensemble and the Ark citadel to the Poi Kalyan complex, with a plov cooking master class in a craftsman's home and a visit to a suzani master's house gallery. On the last day you see the emir's summer palace Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa and the Sufi complex of Bahauddin Naqshband before an afternoon train takes you back to Tashkent.
Difficulty: Easy Guided city walks on mostly flat ground in Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara, two long road days (about 300 km Tashkent – Samarkand and about 280 km Samarkand – Gijduvan – Bukhara) and an afternoon train of about 4 hours from Bukhara to Tashkent.
Tour Itinerary
Arrive in Tashkent early in the morning. Your driver meets you at Tashkent International Airport and takes you to the hotel, where you can rest and have breakfast. At 11:00 you meet your guide and start the city tour of Tashkent with Khast Imam (Hazrati Imam) Square and the Chorsu bazaar. After lunch you continue to Independence Square, Amir Timur Square and the Tashkent metro. Transfer to the hotel and overnight in Tashkent.
Tashkent, Hazrati Imam complex, Chorsu Bazaar, Tashkent Independence Square, Amir Temur Square, Tashkent metro
- Tashkent International Airport → Tashkent (9 km)
Overnight: Tashkent (Hotel)
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, at 09:00, you set off by road to Samarkand, about 300 km away. On arrival you meet your guide and visit the main sights of Samarkand: Registan Square with the Ulugbek, Sher-Dor and Tilla-Kori madrasahs, and the Gur-e Amir Mausoleum, the tomb of Tamerlane. Transfer to the hotel, rest and overnight in Samarkand.
Samarkand, Registan, Gur-e Amir Mausoleum
- Tashkent → Samarkand (300 km)
Overnight: Samarkand (Hotel)
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, at 10:00, you meet your guide in the hotel lobby and continue the guided sightseeing tour of Samarkand: the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, the Ulugbek Observatory and the Siab bazaar, and then Konigil village, where you visit the workshop that makes silk paper by hand. At 20:30 you can enjoy the evening lights on Registan Square (without a guide). Overnight at the hotel in Samarkand.
Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Mausoleum, Shah i Zinda, Ulugbek Observatory, Siyob Bazaar, Konigil Paper Mill (Meros), Registan
- Samarkand → Konigil Paper Mill (Meros) (7 km)
- Konigil Paper Mill (Meros) → Samarkand (7 km)
Overnight: Samarkand (Hotel)
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, at 09:00, your driver takes you towards Bukhara, about 280 km away. On the way you stop in Gijduvan, one of the ceramic centres of Uzbekistan, to watch a ceramics demonstration and have lunch with a local family of pottery masters. Then you continue to Bukhara. On arrival you meet your guide and start the city tour at the Lyabi-Hauz ensemble and the buildings around it. Transfer to the hotel and overnight in Bukhara.
Gijduvon, Bukhara, Lyabi-Hauz Ensemble
- Samarkand → Gijduvon (235 km)
- Gijduvon → Bukhara (45 km)
Overnight: Bukhara (Hotel)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, at 09:00, the sightseeing program in Bukhara begins: the Ismail Samani Mausoleum, the Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum, a local bazaar, the Bolo-Hauz Mosque and the Ark citadel with its Zindan prison. At 13:00 you have lunch in the national house of a master of miniature painting, with a master class in cooking Uzbek plov. After lunch the sightseeing continues with the Poi Kalyan complex (the Kalyan Minaret and more), the Miri Arab Madrasah, the Magoki-Attori Mosque and the Ulugbek Madrasah. At 17:00 you visit the house gallery of a local suzani (embroidery) master with a very beautiful collection of his works. Return to the hotel, rest and overnight in Bukhara.
Samanids Mausoleum, Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum, Bolo Hauz Complex, Ark of Bukhara, Poi Kalyan, Magoki-Attori Mosque, Ulugbeg Madrasah Bukhara
Overnight: Bukhara (Hotel)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, at 10:00, the guided tour continues in the surroundings of Bukhara. Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa, the "Palace of the Moon and Stars", was the summer residence of the Emir of Bukhara and is an amazing combination of Russian, Eastern and European architecture. Next you visit the "Central Asian Mecca", the Sufi complex of Bahauddin Naqshband. Naqshband was the spiritual mentor of Amir Timur and the founder of the Naqshbandi Sufi order, which soon became one of the most famous orders in the East. At 14:30 you transfer to the railway station for the train back to Tashkent (15:50–19:45). In Tashkent your driver meets you and takes you to the hotel. Overnight in Tashkent.
Sitori-i Mokhi Khosa palace, Bakhauddin Naqshband Mausoleum
- Bukhara → Sitori-i Mokhi Khosa palace (6 km)
- Sitori-i Mokhi Khosa palace → Bakhauddin Naqshband Mausoleum (11 km)
- Bakhauddin Naqshband Mausoleum → Bukhara (14 km)
- Bukhara → Tashkent (600 km)
Overnight: Tashkent (Hotel)
Meals: Breakfast
Transfer to Tashkent International Airport for your morning flight home.
- Tashkent → Tashkent International Airport (9 km)
Share this tour privately
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What's included
Included
- Accommodation in 3* or 4* hotels (as listed, or similar of the same category) in double/twin rooms with breakfast – 6 nights: 1 in Tashkent, 2 in Samarkand, 2 in Bukhara and 1 more in Tashkent (check-in 14:00, check-out 12:00)
- Breakfasts at the hotels
- Ceramics demonstration with lunch in Gijduvan
- Lunch with a plov cooking master class in Bukhara
- Visit to the house gallery of a suzani (embroidery) master in Bukhara
- Entrance fees to the monuments and museums in the itinerary
- English-speaking local guides for the sightseeing
- Train Bukhara – Tashkent (high-speed train tickets are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed in advance)
- Comfortable air-conditioned transport throughout the tour, including airport – hotel – airport transfers
Not included
- International flights
- Single room supplement (150 USD per person with 3* hotels, 215 USD with 4* hotels)
- Meals not mentioned above
- Medical expenses and travel insurance
- Porter services at railway stations and airports
- Tips and gratuities
Nargiza is the office manager of Central Asia Guide and mostly responsible for multi country "Stan" tours.
Good to know
- Hotels: You choose between 3* and 4* hotels (or similar of the same category). 3*: Sato Hotel in Tashkent, Arba Hotel in Samarkand and Khurjin Boutique Hotel in Bukhara. 4*: Inspira-S Hotel in Tashkent, Grand Samarkand Hotel in Samarkand and Paradise Plaza Hotel in Bukhara. Check-in is at 14:00 and check-out at 12:00.
- Vehicles: Chevrolet Lacetti or similar for 1–2 travelers, Hyundai Starex minivan (6 seats) for 3–5 travelers, King Long minivan (10 seats) or similar for 6–8 travelers and Eurise minivan (18 seats) or similar for 9 or more travelers.
- Train: Bukhara – Tashkent is by afternoon train (15:50–19:45). Tickets for the high-speed trains are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed in advance.
- Season: This is a winter tour, offered from November to March.
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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