Self-Launched Uzbekistan: Samarkand, Bukhara & the Ancient Silk Road

Arrive at Tashkent International Airport and make your way to your guesthouse in the city centre. The metro is the easiest and cheapest way into the city (around 1,400 UZS per ride, roughly £0.10). Spend the evening exploring the Chorsu Bazaar area, grab a bowl of lagman noodle soup at a local chaikhana (tea house), and get your bearings. A welcome dinner of Uzbek classics — manti dumplings, non bread, and green tea — will set the tone perfectly.

🚌Tashkent Metro from airport to city centre (~£0.10). Alternatively, a metered taxi costs ~£3–5.

🛏Malika Tashkent Hotel or similar budget guesthouse in the city centre — expect clean, comfortable rooms with breakfast included (~£20–28/night)

• →Arrive and take Tashkent Metro to city centre (~£0.10)
• →Explore Chorsu Bazaar area in the evening
• →Welcome dinner of Uzbek food at a local chaikhana

Board the Afrosiyob high-speed train from Tashkent to Samarkand — the same train used on the G Adventures tour. Book tickets in advance via the Uzbekistan Railways website (uzrailpass.uz) or at Tashkent station. The 344 km journey takes under 2 hours. On arrival, drop your bags at your guesthouse and head to the Afrosiab Museum (entry ~£2) to see extraordinary pre-Mongol artefacts. In the afternoon, visit Shah-i-Zinda — a breathtaking avenue of mausoleums covered in turquoise tilework (entry ~£2). In the evening, book a home-hosted plov cooking class via GetYourGuide or Airbnb Experiences (~£25–35 per person), a true highlight of any Uzbekistan trip.

🚌Afrosiyob high-speed train Tashkent → Samarkand (~£8–12). Local shared taxi or on foot in Samarkand (~£1–2).

🛏Platan Hotel or Registon Plaza guesthouse, Samarkand old town — well-reviewed budget options with courtyard, breakfast included (~£18–25/night)

• →Afrosiyob high-speed train Tashkent → Samarkand (~£8–12, book in advance at uzrailpass.uz)
• →Afrosiab Museum (entry ~£2)
• →Shah-i-Zinda mausoleum complex (entry ~£2)
• →Home-hosted plov cooking class and dinner (~£25–35 via GetYourGuide or Airbnb Experiences)

Today is all about Samarkand's greatest hits. Start early at the Registan — the three enormous madrasahs framing the central square are genuinely one of the most spectacular sights in the world. Book a self-guided audio tour via GetYourGuide, or simply explore independently with a downloaded guide. Entry is around £3–4. Head next to Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum (Tamerlane's tomb, ~£2) and the Bibi-Khanym Mosque (~£2). In the afternoon, wander the back streets and browse the artisan silk and ceramics workshops near the Siyob Bazaar. Enjoy dinner at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Registan — a magical end to a spectacular day.

🚌On foot around Samarkand old town. Shared taxis available for longer distances (~£0.50–1).

🛏Platan Hotel or Registon Plaza guesthouse, Samarkand (~£18–25/night)

• →Registan complex — three grand madrasahs (entry ~£3–4, book audio guide via GetYourGuide)
• →Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum — Tamerlane's tomb (entry ~£2)
• →Bibi-Khanym Mosque (entry ~£2)
• →Siyob Bazaar — browse silk, ceramics, spices
• →Rooftop dinner overlooking the Registan (~£6–10)

Take the morning Afrosiyob or Sharq train from Samarkand to Bukhara (approximately 2–3 hours, ~£6–10). On arrival, check in to a characterful guesthouse in the old town — Bukhara's historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and walking distance from nearly everything. Spend the afternoon exploring the trading domes (Tim Abdullakhan, Toki Sarrofon) and the Kalon Minaret and Mosque complex (entry ~£2). As the sun goes down, the old town takes on a golden glow — grab tea at a chaikhana beside Lyabi Hauz pool, the social heart of Bukhara.

🚌Afrosiyob or Sharq train Samarkand → Bukhara (~£6–10). On foot within Bukhara old town.

🛏Sasha & Son Guesthouse or Minzifa Boutique Hotel, Bukhara old town — atmospheric courtyard guesthouses with breakfast (~£20–30/night)

• →Afrosiyob or Sharq train Samarkand → Bukhara (~£6–10, book at uzrailpass.uz)
• →Kalon Minaret and Mosque complex (entry ~£2)
• →Explore the medieval trading domes (Toki Sarrofon, Toki Telpakfurushon)
• →Evening tea at Lyabi Hauz pool chaikhana

A full day to explore one of Central Asia's most atmospheric ancient cities. Visit the Ark Fortress — Bukhara's ancient citadel that housed rulers for over 1,400 years (entry ~£2). Walk to the Bolo Hauz Mosque and Chashma Ayub Mausoleum. Don't miss the Chor Minor — a quirky four-minaret gatehouse tucked in the back streets. In the afternoon, browse the artisan workshops around the old town for hand-embroidered suzani textiles and miniature paintings. Book a self-guided walking tour via GetYourGuide (~£10–15) or use a downloaded Rick Steves or Lonely Planet audio walk. End the day with a traditional Uzbek dinner at Chinar Restaurant or Zargaron Chaikhana.

🚌Entirely on foot within Bukhara old town.

🛏Sasha & Son Guesthouse or Minzifa Boutique Hotel, Bukhara old town (~£20–30/night)

• →The Ark Fortress (entry ~£2)
• →Bolo Hauz Mosque and Chashma Ayub Mausoleum
• →Chor Minor — the four-minaret curiosity (~£1 entry)
• →Browse suzani textile and ceramics workshops
• →Self-guided walking tour via GetYourGuide (~£10–15)
• →Traditional Uzbek dinner at a local restaurant (~£6–10)

The journey from Bukhara to Khiva across the Kyzylkum Desert is part of the adventure. The most budget-friendly option is to take a shared taxi from Bukhara's main taxi stand (~£10–15, around 5–6 hours) — ask your guesthouse to help arrange this. Alternatively, an overnight train runs several times per week (~£8–12, book at uzrailpass.uz). Arrive in Khiva and check in to a guesthouse inside or just outside the old walled city (Itchan Kala). The walled city at dusk is extraordinary — take an evening stroll along the ancient mud-brick ramparts.

🚌Shared taxi Bukhara → Khiva (~£10–15) or overnight sleeper train (~£8–12).

🛏Islambek Hotel or Orient Star Khiva — guesthouses inside or adjacent to the walled old city, breakfast included (~£20–28/night)

• →Shared taxi Bukhara → Khiva across Kyzylkum Desert (~£10–15, ~5–6 hrs) or overnight train (~£8–12)
• →Check in and evening stroll along Khiva's ancient city walls (Itchan Kala)
• →Sunset views from the city ramparts

Khiva's Itchan Kala is arguably the best-preserved ancient city in Central Asia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Buy a combined entry ticket (~£5–8) that covers the main monuments: Kalta Minor minaret, Kuhna Ark citadel, Juma Mosque (with its forest of 212 carved wooden columns), and the Islam Khoja minaret (climb it for spectacular views over the terracotta rooftops). Khiva is compact enough to explore entirely on foot in a day. In the afternoon, visit the artisan workshops selling hand-painted lacquerware and woodwork. Book a guided walking tour via GetYourGuide (~£12–18) for deeper historical context, or explore independently with a downloaded guide.

🚌Entirely on foot within Itchan Kala walled city.

🛏Islambek Hotel or Orient Star Khiva (~£20–28/night)

• →Combined Itchan Kala entry ticket covering all major monuments (~£5–8)
• →Kalta Minor minaret and Kuhna Ark citadel
• →Juma Mosque — 212 carved wooden columns
• →Islam Khoja minaret — climb for panoramic rooftop views
• →Artisan lacquerware and woodwork workshops
• →Optional: guided walking tour via GetYourGuide (~£12–18)

Return to Tashkent from Khiva by taking the daily Khiva → Tashkent train (~£10–15, approximately 6–7 hours) or a morning flight (~£30–60 on Uzbekistan Airways). Arrive back in Tashkent with the evening free. Head to the Alay Bazaar or Yunusabad market for last-minute souvenir shopping — hand-embroidered suzanis, dried fruits, and spices make excellent gifts. Enjoy a farewell dinner in Tashkent's buzzing Mirabad or Chilanzar district, trying dishes you may have missed at the start: shashlik skewers, samsa pastries, and chilled Sarbast beer.

🚌Train Khiva → Tashkent (~£10–15) or Uzbekistan Airways flight (~£30–60). Metro within Tashkent (~£0.10).

🛏Malika Tashkent Hotel or similar (~£20–28/night)

• →Train or flight Khiva → Tashkent (~£10–60 depending on mode)
• →Alay Bazaar or Yunusabad market for souvenirs
• →Farewell dinner in Tashkent — shashlik, samsa, local beer (~£8–12)

Your final morning in Uzbekistan. If time allows before your flight, take the metro to explore a few last sights: the beautifully ornate Tashkent Metro stations (each one is a work of art in itself — free to ride), the Independence Square, and the Khast Imam complex (the religious heart of the city, free entry). Head to the airport in plenty of time — a taxi from the city centre costs around £4–6, or take the metro to Aeroport station (~£0.10).

🚌Taxi or metro to Tashkent International Airport (~£0.10–6).

• →Tashkent Metro station tour — ornate Soviet-era architecture (free)
• →Khast Imam complex and Hazrati Imam Mosque (free entry)
• →Independence Square
• →Transfer to Tashkent International Airport (taxi ~£4–6 or metro ~£0.10)