16 Oct 2026
Twin share
£3,338pp
Single from £3,658
Escorted tour
Discover Uzbekistan: Silk Road, Aral Sea & Mountains – 15 Days
The Silk Road cities plus the Aral Sea, a homestay and a yurt camp.
15 days
From £3,338
Tour overview
This 15-day trip goes deeper into Uzbekistan than most, with a tour leader and a group of four to sixteen. You stay eleven nights in small hotels, one in a mountain village homestay, one in a simple yurt camp and one on a Soviet-era sleeper train, with breakfast most days plus two lunches and four dinners.
After Tashkent you take the high-speed train to Samarkand, with a ceramics masterclass and paper-making demonstration. In the Nurata mountains you hike to an ancient village, sleep in a homestay and then a yurt camp, with an optional camel ride near Aydarkul lake.
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An overnight train carries you to Karakalpakstan to see the stranded ships of the vanished Aral Sea at Moynaq, the Savitsky art museum in Nukus and the ruined desert fortresses on the way to Khiva. A train across the desert leads to Bukhara, and a final day in the Chimgan mountains rounds off the trip.
The physical rating is medium. This trip suits curious travellers who want more than the classic cities.
Trip highlights
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Samarkand and a ceramics masterclass (Days 3–4)
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A mountain homestay (Day 5)
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A Kyzylkum yurt camp (Day 6)
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The Aral Sea at Moynaq (Day 8)
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Khiva's walled city (Day 10)
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The Chimgan mountains (Day 14)
Your route
15 stops from Tashkent to Tashkent
- Tashkent Days 1–2
- Samarkand Days 3–4
- Sentyab Day 5
- Kyzylkum Desert Day 6
- Nurota Day 7
- Navoi Day 7
- Kungrad Day 8
- Moynaq Day 8
- Nukus Day 8
- Ayaz-Kala Fortress Day 9
- Khiva Days 9–10
- Bukhara Days 11–12
- Tashkent Days 13–14
- Chimgan Mountains Day 14
- Tashkent Day 15
Why choose this tour
Off-the-beaten-track Uzbekistan. Homestay, yurt camp and sleeper train.
Best suited to
- Adventurous travellers
- Returning Silk Road visitors
- Photographers
- Solo travellers
Day-by-day itinerary
15 days from Tashkent, Uzbekistan to Tashkent, Uzbekistan
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Day 1 · Tashkent Tashkent
Welcome to Uzbekistan.
- Hotel
- Hotel
-
Day 2 · Tashkent Tashkent
A tour of Tashkent.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
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Day 3 · Samarkand Samarkand
High-speed train to Samarkand.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 4 · Shah-i-Zinda, Registan Samarkand
Ceramics and paper-making.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 5 · Samarkand, Sentyab Nurata mountains
Into the mountains.
- Hotel
- Village homestay
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
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Day 6 · Sentyab, Kyzylkum Desert Kyzylkum Desert
A walk and a yurt camp.
- Hotel
- Yurt camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
-
Day 7 · Aydarkul Lake, Nurata, Navoi Sleeper train
Camels and a night train.
- Hotel
- Sleeper train
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
-
Day 8 · Kungrad, Moynaq, Nukus Nukus
The Aral Sea.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Lunch
-
Day 9 · Savitsky Museum, Desert fortresses, Khiva Khiva
Art and fortresses.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
-
Day 10 · Ichan Kala Khiva
The walled city.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 11 · Kyzylkum Desert, Bukhara Bukhara
By train to Bukhara.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 12 · Ark Fortress, Bukhara Bukhara
Exploring Bukhara.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 13 · Bukhara, Tashkent Tashkent
Back to Tashkent.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 14 · Chimgan Mountains, Ugam-Chatkal National Park Tashkent
Mountains and a solar furnace.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 15 · Tashkent Tashkent
The trip ends.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Where you stay
- Tashkent (2 nights) Hotel
- Samarkand (2 nights) Hotel
- Nurata mountains (1 night) Village homestay
- Kyzylkum Desert (1 night) Yurt camp
- Navoi to Kungrad (1 night) Sleeper train
- Nukus (1 night) Hotel
- Khiva (2 nights) Hotel
- Bukhara (2 nights) Hotel
- Tashkent (2 nights) Hotel
Hotel names are indicative and may be replaced with a property of similar standard and location.
What's included
Included
- Accommodation 11 hotel nights, a homestay, a yurt camp and a sleeper train
- Meals 13 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 4 dinners
- High-speed and overnight trains
- Aral Sea excursion to Moynaq
- Savitsky Museum and desert fortresses
- Ceramics masterclass in Samarkand
- Tour leader throughout
Not included
- Meals not included 1 breakfast, 10 lunches and 10 dinners
- International flights
- Optional camel ride
- Travel insurance and personal spending
This trip might not be for you if…
Honest disclaimer — please read
- You want hotel comfort every night
- You dislike long journeys
- You want most meals included
- You want flights to Uzbekistan included — they are not
Good to know
Meals by day
Breakfast: Days 2–7 and 9–15 · Lunch: Days 6–8 · Dinner: Days 2, 5–6 and 9
FCDO advice
UK FCDO travel advice for Uzbekistan
In pictures
Departures & prices
From £3,338 per person, twin share, tour only. 9 upcoming departures.
26 Mar 2027
Twin share
£3,423pp
Single from £3,758
23 Apr 2027
Twin share
£3,423pp
Single from £3,758
07 May 2027
Twin share
£3,423pp
Single from £3,758
11 Jun 2027
Twin share
£3,423pp
Single from £3,758
03 Sept 2027
Twin share
£3,476pp
Single from £3,811
10 Sept 2027
Twin share
£3,476pp
Single from £3,811
01 Oct 2027
Twin share
£3,476pp
Single from £3,811
15 Oct 2027
Twin share
£3,476pp
Single from £3,811
Frequently asked questions
How do I book this tour?
Tap any "Enquire" button on the page and one of our travel specialists will be in touch within 24 hours (often same day). We'll confirm availability on your preferred date, run through anything you need to know, and only ask for the deposit once you've decided.
What financial protection do I get?
Every Travelisto booking is 100% financially protected. Your money is held in a ring-fenced Trust account until you return from your trip, and we are members of the Protected Trust Services scheme (PTS 6035). Most tours also include ATOL protection where flights are part of the package.
Do I need a visa for Uzbekistan?
No, UK citizens can visit Uzbekistan visa-free for up to 30 days.
What are the homestay and yurt camp like?
Simple and sociable, with shared rooms and shared facilities; you may share a yurt.
What is the sleeper train like?
A Soviet-era train with second-class, four-berth cabins.
Which meals are included?
13 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 4 dinners.
Can I have my own room?
A single supplement may be available; otherwise solo travellers share with someone of the same gender.
How many people travel together?
No more than sixteen travellers, with a tour leader.
Can you tailor the trip?
Yes — every escorted tour can be modified into a private tailor-made version with your own dates, adjusted pace, upgraded hotels and add-on extensions. Tell us what you'd like changed when you enquire and we'll quote it both ways so you can compare.
What if my flight is delayed or cancelled?
If your international flight is part of your booking through us, we re-book at no cost. If you've booked flights separately, the tour's local team holds your transfer slot until you arrive. We strongly recommend a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes delay and cancellation cover.
ATOL protected
100% financially protected in a Trust bank account
PTS 6035
4.7 on Trustpilot
Tailor-made option
Not quite the right fit? Make it tailor-made.
If this group tour doesn't match your ideal trip, our specialists will turn it into a private tailor-made journey — your own dates, your own pace, upgraded hotels where you want them, and the parts you don't love swapped out. Same destinations, just rebuilt around you.
Contact us for a tailor-made version of this itinerary