Great Silk Road tour operator · since 2008

Uzbekistan as the caravan travellers once saw it

Classic cultural tours of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva — with licensed guides, hotels in the old town and tickets for the high-speed Afrosiyob train.

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Cultural tours

Guaranteed weekly group departures from March to November. The price is per person for groups of six or more.

Silk Road Classic

6 days / 5 nights Year-round
Tashkent — Samarkand — Bukhara — Khiva
$748 / per person

Tashkent in one day

1 day Daily
Old town, Chorsu, the metro, the plov centre
$35 / per person

Programme of the Silk Road Classic tour

Day by day — with transfer times and every included excursion.

Day 1 Tashkent

Arrival in Tashkent. Meeting at Tashkent airport, dinner and check-in at the hotel.

Day 2 Transfer to Samarkand by Afrosiab train

On this day you will visit the famous Registan Square, which has been the center of Samarkand for many centuries, as well as the Bibi-Khanum congregational mosque, whose construction is associated with many folk legends. You will also visit Siab Bazaar, where you can buy oriental sweets, fresh fruits and national souvenirs. In addition, you will visit the Ulugbek Observatory — Ulugbek was the grandson of Amir Timur, ruler of Samarkand and a great scholar of the Middle Ages; the Shakhi-Zinda ensemble of mausoleums of Samarkand nobility; and the Gur-Emir Mausoleum, the tomb of Amir Timur and the Timurids. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Day 3 Transfer to Bukhara by Afrosiab train

Full-day guided tour of the Old City. Visit to the Lyabi-Hauz complex, Maggoki-Attori Mosque, Chor-Minor Madrasah, trading domes, Kalyan Minaret, Kalyan Mosque and Miri-Arab Madrasah, Ulugbek Madrasah and Abdulaziz-Khan Madrasah, Ark Fortress, Bolo-Hauz Mosque, Samanid Mausoleum and Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum. Show at Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasah and dinner near Lyabi-Hauz. Overnight at the hotel. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Day 4 Transfer to Khiva by bus or minivan

Transfer to Khiva by bus or minivan. Along the way we visit Ayaz-Kala and the city of Urgench. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Day 5 Khiva

Visit to the Ichan-Kala fortress, included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. Visit to the Muhammad Aminkhan Madrasah, Muhammad Rakhimkhan Madrasah, Kalta-Minor Minaret, Juma Mosque, Tash-Khovli Palace, Pakhlavan Mahmud Mausoleum and Islam-Khodja Minaret — the tallest minaret in Uzbekistan. In the evening we return to Tashkent by plane. Overnight at the hotel. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Day 6 Chimgan, Charvak and Tashkent tour

Car trip toward the Chimgan Mountains (80 km, about two hours' drive). Upon arrival, visit to the modern Amirsoy ski resort. Cable-car ride up to the top of the Kumbel ridge (2300 m) with an excellent view of the surrounding mountains and Great Chimgan (cable-car fare from 16 to 21 US dollars depending on the day of the week and age). Then transfer to the Chimgan base, where you can optionally take the cable car up to the Great Chimgan viewing platform or ride horses along the gorge at the foot of the mountain. Then a trip to the shore of the artificial Charvak reservoir, surrounded by green mountain slopes. Before lunch you will be able to see small rocks with ancient petroglyphs, hidden in the shade of huge centuries-old plane trees. Then visit to a restaurant with Uzbek cuisine. After lunch, return to Tashkent. Then you will head to the Old City: visit the Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum, pass by the Khast-Imam complex, view the Center of Islamic Civilization building (external view) and stroll along the new Zarkainar Street. After that you will visit Chorsu Bazaar and a local ceramics gallery. You will also see the Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre, and the tour will end at Amir Timur Square. Dinner and transfer to the airport. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Included in the price

  • Accommodation in 3–4★ hotels with breakfast
  • Afrosiyob train tickets and the Urgench — Tashkent flight
  • All transfers and excursions as per the programme
  • A licensed English-speaking guide
  • Entry tickets to all museums and monuments

Paid separately

  • The international flight to Tashkent
  • Lunches and dinners (except those listed)
  • Medical insurance
  • Photo and video permits inside the monuments

Booking request

We reply within one business day and send the detailed programme together with the contract.