Self-Launched Discover Uzbekistan: Silk Road to Aral Sea

Fly into Tashkent International Airport (TAS). Most international flights arrive late evening. Take the Tashkent Metro from Aeroport station (Line 3) into the centre — it's cheap, clean and one of the world's most ornate metro systems (~£0.15 per ride). Check into your guesthouse in the Mirabad or Yunusabad district and get some rest.

🚌Tashkent Metro from Aeroport station to city centre, ~£0.15. Alternatively, metered taxi via Yandex Go app ~£3–5.

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in central Tashkent, e.g. Mirzo Guesthouse or Art Hostel Tashkent (~£18–22/night)

• →Arrive and settle in — no formal activities today
• →Explore the Tashkent Metro if arriving early enough (each station is a unique Soviet-era art installation)

Spend the day exploring Tashkent's mix of Silk Road heritage and Soviet grandeur. Walk through Independence Square and its sweeping fountains, then head into the Old City (Eski Shahar) to explore the Chorsu Bazaar, Khast Imam complex (Friday Mosque and Islamic library) and the Kukeldash Madrasah. In the afternoon, visit the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan. For dinner, head to a local chaikhana (teahouse) for plov — Uzbekistan's national dish.

🚌Tashkent Metro and walking — metro day pass ~£0.50

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in central Tashkent (~£18–22/night)

• →Independence Square and surrounding Soviet architecture
• →Old City: Chorsu Bazaar, Kukeldash Madrasah, Khast Imam complex
• →State Museum of History of Uzbekistan (entry ~£1.50)
• →Dinner at a local chaikhana — try plov, samsa and shashlik (~£5–8)

Book a seat on the Afrosiyob high-speed train from Tashkent to Samarkand (2hr 15min, ~£8–12 in economy — book at least a few days ahead on the Uzbekistan Railways website or at the station). On arrival, check into your guesthouse near Registan Square. Spend the afternoon taking in Samarkand's iconic landmarks: Registan Square's trio of madrassas, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque and the Gur-e-Amir mausoleum where Tamerlane is buried.

🚌Afrosiyob train Tashkent–Samarkand ~£10. Walking and local taxi in Samarkand ~£2–5.

🛏Budget guesthouse near Registan, e.g. Antica B&B or Emir Guesthouse (~£18–25/night)

• →Afrosiyob high-speed train Tashkent–Samarkand (~£10 economy)
• →Registan Square — entry ~£4, one of the world's great public spaces
• →Bibi-Khanym Mosque — entry ~£2
• →Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum of Tamerlane — entry ~£2
• →Evening stroll and street food around the bazaar

A full day exploring more of Samarkand. Start at Ulugbek Observatory, built in the 15th century by the astronomer-king Ulugbek. Head to Shah-i-Zinda, the stunning necropolis of rulers and nobility lined with intricately tiled mausoleums — one of Uzbekistan's most photogenic sites. Visit Siyob Bazaar for lunch. In the afternoon, head to the village of Konigil for a paper-making (samarcand paper) demonstration using medieval mulberry-bark techniques, and find a ceramics workshop in town for a hands-on painting session — these can be booked independently via GetYourGuide or directly at workshops (~£8–15).

🚌Walking, local taxi or shared marshrutka minibus (~£0.30–2)

🛏Budget guesthouse near Registan, e.g. Antica B&B or Emir Guesthouse (~£18–25/night)

• →Ulugbek Observatory — entry ~£2
• →Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis — entry ~£3
• →Siyob Bazaar lunch — ~£3–5
• →Konigil village: traditional Samarkand paper-making demonstration (~£3–5 direct)
• →Ceramics painting workshop — book via GetYourGuide or direct (~£10–15)

Use the morning to revisit favourite spots, shop in the bazaar or simply enjoy tea on a rooftop terrace. Around midday, arrange a shared taxi or private hire to drive through the Jizzakh Region to the Nurata Mountains (~4.5hrs, ~£15–25 per person in a shared taxi arranged at the Samarkand taxi stand). Your destination is the mountain village of Sentyab, where you'll stay at a community homestay — pre-book through a local tour agent or Nuratau Community Guesthouses network (~£20–30 including dinner).

🚌Shared taxi Samarkand–Nurata Mountains ~£15–25 per person

🛏Community homestay in Sentyab village, Nurata Mountains (~£20–30/night including dinner)

• →Free morning in Samarkand — final bazaar browse or rooftop café
• →Shared taxi or private hire to Nurata Mountains (~£15–25)
• →Arrive Sentyab village: scenic walk to explore the river valley
• →Cook a traditional Uzbek dish with your homestay hosts
• →Dinner included at homestay

Set off early for a 2–3 hour hike to the ruins of an ancient stone-built village in the Nurata hills — your homestay host can guide you or point you in the right direction. After a hearty lunch back at the homestay, transfer west (~3hrs by shared taxi or arranged vehicle, ~£10–18) to the Kyzylkum desert. Arrive at a yurt camp near Aydarkul Lake — these can be pre-booked independently through operators like Stantours or Desert Camp Aydarkul (~£25–35/night full board). As the sun sets, a local musician plays the dombra around the bonfire.

🚌Shared taxi or pre-arranged vehicle from Nurata to yurt camp ~£10–18

🛏Yurt camp near Aydarkul Lake, full board (~£25–35/night)

• →2–3 hour hike to ancient stone village ruins with local guidance
• →Lunch at the homestay (included)
• →Transfer to Kyzylkum desert yurt camp (~3hrs)
• →Walk around the desert camp, learn about local flora and fauna
• →Bonfire evening with live dombra folk music (included at camp)

Start the morning with an optional Bactrian camel ride at the camp (~£5–8). Head to the shores of Aydarkul Lake — over 200km long, a vast inland sea amid the desert dunes — for a swim and relax on the sandy beach. Return to camp for lunch (included). In the afternoon, pre-arrange a vehicle to the town of Nur for a brief stop at this pilgrimage site, then transfer to Navoi (~2hrs). Board the overnight sleeper train from Navoi (or nearby Uchquduq) to Kungrad, departing ~10pm, arriving ~11am next day (~£10–15 in a 4-berth platzkart compartment — book via the Uzbek Railways website or a local agent).

🚌Pre-arranged vehicle camp–Navoi ~£8–12. Sleeper train Navoi–Kungrad ~£10–15.

🛏Overnight sleeper train (4-berth platzkart compartment, ~£10–15)

• →Optional Bactrian camel ride at camp (~£5–8)
• →Relax and swim at Aydarkul Lake
• →Stop at Nur pilgrimage town
• →Overnight sleeper train to Kungrad (~£10–15, platzkart class)

Arrive into Kungrad in the Republic of Karakalpakstan. Take a shared taxi or local bus to Moynaq (~2hrs, ~£5–8), once a thriving fishing port, now a surreal, haunting landscape: rusting Soviet fishing trawlers stranded on the dried-out seabed of the Aral Sea, one of history's worst environmental catastrophes. Visit the small Aral Sea museum (entry ~£1). Note: the area can be dusty and hot — bring a scarf/buff, sunscreen and water. Afterwards, arrange a taxi to Nukus (~3hrs, ~£8–12), the regional capital. Check into your hotel and rest.

🚌Shared taxi Kungrad–Moynaq–Nukus ~£13–20 total

🛏Budget hotel in Nukus, e.g. Jipek Joli Hotel or similar (~£20–28/night)

• →Shared taxi Kungrad–Moynaq ~£5–8
• →Moynaq ship graveyard on the dry Aral Sea bed (free to walk)
• →Aral Sea Museum in Moynaq (~£1)
• →Shared taxi Moynaq–Nukus ~£8–12
• →Rest and dinner in Nukus (~£5–8)

Visit the Igor Savitsky State Museum of Arts in Nukus — this remarkable institution houses one of the world's great collections of Soviet avant-garde art, secretly saved from destruction under Stalin, plus artefacts of ancient Khorezm and Karakalpak culture (entry ~£3). Hire a day taxi (~£30–45 for the whole car, split between travellers you meet at the hotel) to drive to Khiva via the Mizdakhkan necropolis, Chilpik Zoroastrian dakhma (fire tower) and the Ayaz-Kala desert fortress (~6hrs total with stops). Arrive in Khiva by evening.

🚌Day hire taxi Nukus–Khiva with stops ~£30–45 per car (share with other travellers). Total per person ~£10–20.

🛏Guesthouse inside or near Khiva's walled city (Ichan Kala), e.g. Malika Kheivak-style guesthouse or Orient Star budget rooms (~£22–30/night)

• →Savitsky Museum, Nukus — entry ~£3
• →Mizdakhkan necropolis stop
• →Chilpik Zoroastrian tower (dakhma) stop
• →Ayaz-Kala ancient fortress with desert views
• →Arrive Khiva, check in, evening wander

Spend the whole day inside Ichan Kala, Khiva's UNESCO-listed inner fortress — a remarkably preserved open-air museum of a medieval Silk Road city. A single combined ticket (~£8–10) gives access to all the major monuments: the ornate Kalta Minor minaret, Kunya Ark palace fortress, the Pahlavan Mahmud mausoleum, Islam Khoja minaret and madrasah, Juma Mosque (with its 213 carved wooden columns), and the Tash-Khauli and Allakuli Khan palaces. In the afternoon, seek out local artisan workshops producing the famous Khiva wool and silk carpets, woodwork and embroidery.

🚌Walking only — Ichan Kala is compact

🛏Guesthouse inside or near Khiva's walled city (~£22–30/night)

• →Ichan Kala combined entrance ticket — all monuments ~£8–10
• →Kalta Minor minaret, Kunya Ark palace, Pahlavan Mahmud mausoleum
• →Islam Khoja minaret and Juma Mosque
• →Tash-Khauli and Allakuli Khan palaces
• →Artisan workshop visits — carpet weaving, woodwork, embroidery (free to browse)
• →Sunset from the city walls

Enjoy a final morning stroll around Khiva before heading to the station. Take the train from Khiva (or nearby Urgench) to Bukhara — a Soviet-era journey of around 8 hours through the Kyzyl-Kum desert in a 4-berth compartment (~£8–12, book via Uzbek Railways or a local agent). Arrive in Bukhara by evening, check into your guesthouse in the historic old town and take a first evening walk through the ancient trading streets. Bukhara has more than 900 historic monuments — you've earned a slow evening.

🚌Train Urgench–Bukhara ~£8–12. Local taxi to guesthouse ~£2.

🛏Boutique guesthouse in Bukhara old town, e.g. Hotel Fatima, Sultan Boutique or similar (~£20–28/night)

• →Morning in Khiva — final wander
• →Train Urgench/Khiva–Bukhara (~8hrs, ~£8–12 in kupé/platzkart class)
• →Arrive Bukhara, evening stroll through the old town
• →Dinner at a khauz-side restaurant (~£5–8)

A full day to explore Bukhara at your own pace. Head first to the Ark Fortress — the ancient citadel where 19th-century Emir of Bukhara imprisoned and executed the British officers Stoddart and Connolly (entry ~£2). Walk to the stunning 10th-century Ismail Samani Mausoleum, one of Central Asia's finest examples of early Islamic architecture. Wander the domed trading bazaars (toki) and the khauz — the old stone pools that once served as the city's water supply. Seek out the iconic 12th-century Kalyan Minaret and the Char Minar gateway. In the afternoon, visit the Emir's summer palace at Sitorai Mohi Khosa (~4km from centre, ~£1.50 by shared taxi).

🚌Walking and shared taxi to summer palace ~£1.50

🛏Boutique guesthouse in Bukhara old town (~£20–28/night)

• →Ark Fortress — entry ~£2
• →Ismail Samani Mausoleum (free exterior, small entry fee inside ~£1)
• →Domed trading bazaars — Toki Sarrafon, Toki Telpakfurushon, Toki Zargaron
• →Kalyan Minaret and Kalon Mosque complex — entry ~£2
• →Char Minar gateway
• →Emir's Summer Palace at Sitorai Mohi Khosa (~£2 entry)

Use the morning for a final wander through Bukhara — perhaps revisit a favourite spot or explore the Jewish Quarter and old synagogue. In the afternoon, take the Afrosiyob high-speed train from Bukhara to Tashkent (book in advance, ~£10–15, journey ~3.5–4hrs). Arrive in Tashkent by evening, transfer to your guesthouse and relax after a long journey.

🚌Afrosiyob train Bukhara–Tashkent ~£10–15. Airport metro or taxi ~£3–5.

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in central Tashkent (~£18–22/night)

• →Final morning in Bukhara old town — Jewish Quarter, local cafés
• →Afrosiyob high-speed train Bukhara–Tashkent (~£10–15)
• →Evening arrival in Tashkent — rest and dinner near hotel

Take a full-day trip from Tashkent into the Ugam-Chatkal National Park in the Chimgan Mountains. The easiest option is to join an organised day tour from Tashkent bookable via GetYourGuide or local operators (~£20–30 all-in) or hire a shared taxi with fellow travellers (~£8–12 per person each way). At Amirsai resort, take the cable car up to 2,300m for panoramic views of the snow-capped Tien Shan, Charvak reservoir and dam. En route back to Tashkent, stop at the Parkent Solar Furnace — a vast Soviet-era array of mirrors that focuses sunlight to create extreme temperatures, still in use today by the Institute of Solar Physics.

🚌Shared taxi or day tour Tashkent–Chimgan–Parkent–Tashkent ~£15–25 per person

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in central Tashkent (~£18–22/night)

• →Day trip to Chimgan Mountains — via shared taxi or organised day tour (~£20–30)
• →Cable car at Amirsai resort to 2,300m viewpoint (~£3–5)
• →Views of Tien Shan peaks and Charvak reservoir
• →Visit Parkent Solar Furnace — entry ~£2–3
• →Return to Tashkent for final dinner

Final breakfast at your guesthouse. If your flight is late, store luggage at the hotel and squeeze in one last Metro ride, visit the Chorsu Bazaar for souvenirs, or grab a final plate of plov. Transfer to Tashkent International Airport via Metro (Aeroport station) or Yandex Go taxi (~£3–5). Safe travels!

🚌Metro or taxi to Tashkent airport ~£0.15–5

• →Final breakfast
• →Optional last Chorsu Bazaar visit for souvenirs
• →Transfer to Tashkent airport via Metro or Yandex Go taxi (~£3–5)