Uzbekistan Adventure

Salom! Welcome to Uzbekistan. Your adventure begins in Tashkent, the nation’s capital and Central Asia's main hub. You'll have a welcome meeting at 6 pm where you'll meet your local leader and fellow travellers. Tonight, maybe get to know your group over dinner in the city – ask your leader for the best restaurant recommendations!

Board a train to Bukhara by train this morning. Located on the ancient Silk Road, Bukhara was historically an important regional and global hub and has a long history of invasions by both Genghis Khan and the Soviet Red Army. After checking into your hotel, you’ll go on a guided walking tour to explore the historic buildings that fill the town centre. Visit the Ark of Bukhara, a fortress that was occupied from the 5th century until it was bombed by the Red Army in 1920, the Bolo Hauz Mosque with its elegantly carved wooden pillars, and the Ismail Samani Mausoleum – this shrine was built around the 10th century and is thought to have survived Genghis Khan's invasion because it had been buried in a flood. It was discovered and excavated in the 20th century and has become a popular spot for pilgrims and local residents, who regard it as sacred.

With more than 100 monuments scattered throughout Bukhara, there's plenty more to explore today. Set out on a full-day guided tour through the best of this well-preserved ancient city. Visit the iconic Kalon Mosque and Minaret, the Lyabi-Hauz Plaza (built about 400 years ago, surrounding a pool) and the Chor Minor gatehouse. You’ll also stop at Ulugbek Medressa (the oldest medressa in Central Asia) and Maghoki-Attar – Central Asia’s oldest surviving mosque, built in the 12th century on the ruins of a former Buddhist monastery and Zorostrian temple. If you’ve still got the energy after a full day of exploring, maybe go on an optional visit to Bozori Kord Hamam, the oldest Turkish-style bathhouse in Bukhara. Then, enjoy a free evening – your leader can help with suggestions on where to find some authentic Uzbek dishes for dinner tonight.

Depart Bukhara and drive to Gijduvan – a craft and trade hub since ancient times. Here, you'll visit a ceramic workshop where sixth-generation ceramicists Abdulla and Alisher Narzullaev make some truly beautiful pieces. Continue to Nurata, which archaeological remains suggest was inhabited thousands of years ago. This is where Alexander the Great built the Nur Fortress in the 4th century BC, the ruins of which can still be seen today. After, travel into the Kyzylkum Desert to spend the night sleeping in yurts. Spend the evening by the campfire and have dinner under a desert sky glittering with thousands of stars.

Today, you’ll travel to a Tajik village in the Nuratau Mountains. These serene villages are hidden in the hills, lined with paths shaded by greenery that wind their way between the stone buildings. The region is an oasis, with irrigation channels watering crops and giving life to trees. Spend the day hiking to waterfalls or petroglyph sites, possibly seeing argali – the endemic mountain sheep. Tonight, you’ll spend the night at a homestay, learning about local traditions and culture from your host family. Learn to bake traditional Uzbek bread in a tandir (clay oven). This evening, your hosts will teach you how to make the beloved national dish of plov (rice, onion, carrots and either mutton, lamb or beef cooked in layers in one large pot). Learn more about local village life as you tuck into your delicious creation for dinner.

There's perhaps no more well-known site in Central Asia than the magnificent Registan in the heart of the city of Samarkand – today, you’ll witness this grand city square first-hand. This was once a gathering place where locals would hear royal announcements and watch public executions. You’ll also visit the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum, the resting place of Timur – the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. The story goes that this crypt was opened in 1941 by a Soviet anthropologist, who found an inscription on Timur's gravestone essentially saying, 'He who opens this will be defeated by an enemy more fearsome than I.' On the following day, the Soviet Union was attacked by Hitler. After a day of sightseeing, you’ll have a free evening. Maybe unwind at the hotel to prepare for another full day of exploring tomorrow.

Continue to soak in the ancient sites and modern buzz of Samarkand today. You’ll visit Shah-i-Zinda, an avenue of mausoleums decorated with blue tiles. Its most sacred shrine is built around what's thought to be the grave of Qusam Ibn Abbas, cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. Stop by the Bibi-Khanym Mosque for an impressive example of Islamic architecture, built for Timur by his wife, Bibi Khanym. Then, you’ll have some free time to uncover more of this Silk Road city at your own pace. Maybe head to Ulugbek's Observatory, the Tomb of Daniyar or the Afrosiab Museum, or wander the Siyob Bazaar where you’ll find fresh local produce and regional handicrafts.