Central Asia Silk Road: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan — Self-Launched
15 days · Central Asia
G Adventures charges £1,945
No-markup version: ~£1,080 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 15-day Silk Road loop from Tashkent to Bishkek, covering Uzbekistan's Silk Road cities (Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand), a homestay-and-hike detour to Tajikistan's Seven Lakes in the Fan Mountains, then overland into Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. All group transport is replaced with overnight trains, shared taxis, marshrutkas and public buses, and the tour leader/orientation walks are replaced with free walking tours, self-guided wandering and locally hired drivers for the mountain stretches. Booked independently this comes in far below the operator price — and you keep full flexibility over rest days. Costs are approximate and exclude international flights; note that UK passport holders need a Tajikistan e-Visa (~£30) and a Kazakhstan e-visa/visa-free check for their nationality, so verify current rules before booking.
Day-by-day
Arrive Tashkent — first night out
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Land at Tashkent airport and take the metro (or a Yandex taxi, ~£2-3) to a hostel in the city centre — Topchan Hostel or Sunrise Caravan Stay are solid backpacker picks in the £10-15 range. Change a little cash at the airport or a bank (bring clean USD/EUR notes printed after 1996). Spend the evening on a self-guided stroll around Amir Timur Square and the Chorsu area, then eat plov and somsa at a local chaikhana. Free walking tours leave most mornings at 9:30 from Hotel Uzbekistan if you want an early orientation instead.
🚌Airport metro/taxi to city (~£3)
🛏Hostel dorm or private twin, Tashkent (~£12)
- →Metro ride through the ornate Soviet-era stations
- →Evening walk around Amir Timur Square
- →Plov dinner at a chaikhana
Tashkent highlights, then overnight train to Khiva
Tashkent → Khiva
Morning free walking tour of Tashkent (tip-based, ~£5) covering the Khast Imam complex, Chorsu Bazaar and the metro stations. If you want the Soviet-space detour, the Institute of Sun (Ulugh Beg observatory site) is a cheap add-on, but most travellers skip it. In the evening board the overnight train to Khiva — the Afrosiyob/Sharq service departs Tashkent around 20:20 and arrives Khiva early morning; a platskart/kupe ticket is roughly £12-18. Buy in advance on the Uzbek Railways site or at any station cashier.
🚌Overnight train Tashkent–Khiva (~£15)
🛏Overnight train, platskart or kupe berth (~£15)
- →Tashkent free walking tour
- →Chorsu Bazaar
- →Khast Imam complex
Khiva — walled city wandering
Khiva
Arrive around noon, check into a guesthouse inside or just outside the Ichan Kala walls (many homestays £10-15 including breakfast). Buy the combined Ichan Kala ticket (~£10) which covers the main mosques, madrasas and palaces for two days. Climb the Islam Khoja Minaret (~£3) for the best rooftop view of the walled city, then walk the City Wall at sunset. A local guide for two hours costs about £20 if you want the history; otherwise the signage is decent.
🚌On foot
🛏Guesthouse twin, Khiva (~£13)
- →Ichan Kala combined ticket
- →Islam Khoja Minaret climb
- →City wall sunset walk
Khiva morning, afternoon shared taxi to Bukhara
Khiva → Bukhara
Use the morning to finish the Khiva sights you missed — the Tash Hauli Palace and Juma Mosque are highlights. In the afternoon take a shared taxi (7-seat minivan, ~£12-15 per seat, 6-7 hrs via Urgench) or the slower public bus (~£7, 8-9 hrs) to Bukhara. Alternatively the evening train from Urgench to Bukhara is cheap (from ~£6) and saves a night of accommodation if you prefer. Arrive Bukhara and check into a courtyard guesthouse in the Old Town (£10-15).
🚌Shared taxi or bus Khiva–Bukhara (~£13)
🛏Courtyard guesthouse, Bukhara (~£13)
- →Tash Hauli Palace
- →Juma Mosque
Bukhara Old Town
Bukhara
Full day in the UNESCO-listed Old Town: Lyab-i Hauz square, the Kalon Minaret and mosque, the Ark Fortress, and the Chor Minor towers. A local guide runs about £25 for a half day, or join a tip-based walking tour from the Old Town hostels. Treat yourself to a hammam in the afternoon (Boja Hammam or a simpler local one, £10-35). Sunset from the Kalon minaret viewpoint is free and unbeatable.
🚌On foot
🛏Courtyard guesthouse, Bukhara (~£13)
- →Kalon Minaret and mosque
- →Ark Fortress
- →Hammam visit
- →Lyab-i Hauz square
Bukhara cooking class, evening train to Samarkand
Bukhara → Samarkand
Morning Uzbek cooking class in a family kitchen — most guesthouses will arrange a plov or manti class for £15-20 including lunch (book direct, no need for an agency). Afternoon free for the bazaars and silk-carpet shops. Take the fast train to Samarkand in the evening (Afrosiyob, ~2 hrs, £8-12) or a shared taxi (~£8). Check into a guesthouse near the Registan (£12-15).
🚌Afrosiyob train Bukhara–Samarkand (~£10)
🛏Guesthouse twin, Samarkand (~£13)
- →Uzbek cooking class
- →Bukhara bazaar browsing
Samarkand — Registan and beyond
Samarkand
The big day: Registan ensemble early to beat the heat, then Gur-e-Amir, Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Shah-i-Zinda's tiled mausoleums. A combined ticket runs about £10 across the main sites. In the afternoon take a cheap taxi to Konigil village for a silk-paper making workshop (£5-8, leisurely done by hand) and optionally the Tomb of the Prophet Daniel. Evening in the Registan square when the lights come on.
🚌Local taxis (~£4)
🛏Guesthouse twin, Samarkand (~£13)
- →Registan ensemble
- →Shah-i-Zinda
- →Konigil silk-paper workshop
- →Gur-e-Amir
Border crossing to Tajikistan and the Seven Lakes
Samarkand → Panjakent → Marguzor Lakes, Tajikistan
Leave early by shared taxi or marshrutka to the Jartepa border (~40 mins, £5-8), walk across into Tajikistan, get your e-Visa stamped and then take a local taxi to Panjakent (~£4). Wander the Panjakent Bazaar for fruit and bread. Then hire a driver for the run up to the Seven Lakes in the Fan Mountains (£30-40 for the vehicle to Padrud/Marguzor, negotiable with drivers at the bazaar). Stop at four of the lakes en route. Overnight in a Marguzor Village homestay — meals are usually included in a £12-15 per-night rate.
🚌Shared taxi to border, taxi to Panjakent, private 4x4 to Marguzor (~£25 per person)
🛏Marguzor Village homestay, shared room with dinner and breakfast (~£14)
- →Panjakent Bazaar
- →Seven Lakes drive and viewpoint stops
Hike Lake 6 to Lake 7
Marguzor Lakes
The best hike of the trip: walk from Lake 6 up to Lake 7, the remote turquoise lake that's only reachable on foot. It's a half-day out-and-back, moderately steep but unguided and on a clear trail — a local can point you the way from the homestay. Pack a picnic lunch (buy bread and cheese in Panjakent the day before). Back in the village, a family barbecue dinner of shashlik by the lake is the perfect reward. Note: elevation here is high enough to feel it; go slow.
🚌On foot
🛏Marguzor Village homestay (~£14)
- →Lake 6 to Lake 7 hike
- →Picnic at the lake
- →Tajik shashlik barbecue dinner
Back over the border to Samarkand
Marguzor → Samarkand
Retrace the route: shared 4x4 down to Panjakent (£10-15 per person), local taxi to the Jartepa border (£4), walk across and take a shared taxi to Samarkand (£5-8, ~1.5 hrs). Check back into a guesthouse and take the evening easy — a cold beer, a hammam if you skipped it earlier, and food at the Siab Bazaar area.
🚌Shared taxi/4x4 to border and Samarkand (~£22)
🛏Guesthouse twin, Samarkand (~£13)
- →Border crossing
- →Rest evening in Samarkand
Train to Tashkent, night out
Samarkand → Tashkent
Morning Afrosiyob train back to Tashkent (~2 hrs, £8-12). Afternoon to fill any gaps — the Applied Arts Museum and the metre-wide Soviet metro mosaics are both free or pennies. In the evening, hit the city: dinner at a chaikhana, then the bars and clubs around Broadway Street. If you want to link up with other backpackers, the Tashkent hostel scene does free group dinners most nights.
🚌Afrosiyob train Samarkand–Tashkent (~£10)
🛏Hostel dorm or private twin, Tashkent (~£12)
- →Metro mosaic tour
- →Applied Arts Museum
- →Night out on Broadway Street
Overland into Kazakhstan — Shymkent
Tashkent → Shymkent, Kazakhstan
Take the Tashkent metro to the bus station and get a seat on a shared taxi or marshrutka to the Gisht Kuprik border (~£3), walk through, then continue by shared taxi to Shymkent (~£5-8 per seat, about 2 hours total travel). Check into a cheap hotel or hostel (£15-20) and take a self-guided loop of the city: Ordabasy Square, the old citadel site and the bazaar area. Change some money to tenge — ATMs work in Shymkent but not in rural Kazakhstan.
🚌Marshrutka and shared taxi via Gisht Kuprik border (~£10)
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Shymkent (~£17)
- →Self-guided Shymkent walk
- →Bazaar browsing
Sayram Su Lake hike
Sayram Su Lakes, near Shymkent
The showpiece: a hike to the electric-blue Sayram Su Lake in the Aksu-Zhabagly foothills. A shared taxi or marshrutka from Shymkent to the village near the access point costs £3-5 per seat; hire a local driver for the rough access road (£15-20 split between a few of you). It's a full-day hike, ~10-12 km with a steep finish — start early and carry plenty of water, there is nowhere to buy it. Back in Shymkent in the evening, eat lagman and shashlik at a local cafe.
🚌Shared taxi to trailhead and back (~£12)
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Shymkent (~£17)
- →Sayram Su Lake hike
- →Foothills scenery
Taraz — ancient city detour
Shymkent → Taraz, Kazakhstan
Bus or shared taxi the ~2.5 hours to Taraz (£5-7). Explore the Ancient Taraz Archaeological Park and Museum (£2-3 entry), the Aisha Bibi and Babaji Khatun mausoleums on the city edge (free), and wander the central bazaar. Taraz is where the Silk Road living-history feel really lands — small, low-key and rarely on Western itineraries. Stay in a simple hotel (£18-22) and eat at a local cafe.
🚌Shared taxi or bus Shymkent–Taraz (~£6)
🛏Simple hotel, Taraz (~£20)
- →Ancient Taraz Archaeological Park and Museum
- →Aisha Bibi mausoleum
Overland to Bishkek (or end here)
Taraz → Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Continue north by shared taxi or marshrutka from Taraz towards the Kyrgyz border and on to Bishkek (~5-6 hrs, £7-10). Trains also run from Taraz to Bishkek, but the bus/van is faster and cheaper. Once across the border you're in Bishkek: Osh Bazaar, Ala-Too Square and the banyas are all worth an afternoon. If you have time, add a night or two in Bishkek before flying out of Manas airport — airlines from here connect back to the UK via Istanbul or Dubai.
🚌Shared taxi/marshrutka Taraz–Bishkek (~£8)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Bishkek (~£15, if staying the night)
- →Kazakh-Kyrgyz border crossing
- →Osh Bazaar
- →Ala-Too Square
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,080 | £1,945 |
| Duration | 15 days | 15 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £865 per person (44%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,080
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Central Asia Silk Road: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,080 per person for 15 days in Central Asia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,945 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,080 — a saving of roughly £865 (44%) per person.
How long is the Central Asia trip?+
This itinerary runs 15 days, covering 15 day-by-day stops through Central Asia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Central Asia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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