Self-Launched Uzbekistan: Tashkent to Samarkand, Bukhara & Khiva
10 days · Uzbekistan
East Site Inc charges £2,700
No-markup version: ~£750 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of East Site Inc's 10-day guided Uzbekistan loop, covering the same Silk Road highlights — Tashkent's Khast Imam and Chorsu Bazaar, Samarkand's Registan and Shah-i-Zinda, Bukhara's old city and summer palace, the desert fortresses of Ayaz Kala and Toprak Kala, and Khiva's walled Ichan Kala. Instead of a fully guided group with private minibus and all meals, you book your own hostel or guesthouse beds, ride the Afrosiyob high-speed train and shared taxis, hire local guides for half-days where they add value, and eat at the abundant plov houses and chaykhanas. Roughly £750 instead of an all-inclusive group price around £2,700. All costs are approximate, per person, excluding international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Tashkent — evening walk and first plov
Tashkent
Land at Tashkent International, pick up a local SIM at the airport (Ucell/Beeline, ~£4 for data), and take the official taxi or Yandex Go to your hostel in the Chorsu/Eski Shahar area (~£2-3). Settle in, then take an evening stroll around Amir Timur Square and the Navoi Theatre gardens, and have a first bowl of plov or lagman at a local chaykhana for ~£4-6. Sort out cash here — exchange at a bank or the airport; cards work in many places but cash is still king in markets and the west.
🚌Airport taxi/Yandex Go ~£2-3; metro ~£0.15 per ride
🛏Hostel in central Tashkent (£10-15 per night in a dorm, £20-28 private double)
- →Arrival and SIM/cash setup
- →Amir Timur Square and Navoi Theatre Square evening stroll
- →First plov dinner at a local chaykhana
Tashkent old town: Khast Imam, Chorsu and the museums
Tashkent
Do the same Tashkent highlights self-guided on the excellent metro (each station is a Soviet-era monument in its own right). Start at the Khast Imam Complex with the Uthman Quran, walk through the Kukeldash Madrasah to Chorsu Bazaar for a long browse and a cheap lunch (samsa and tea, ~£3), then hop the metro to Independence Square and the Amir Timur Museum. Finish at the Museum of Handicraft Art (small entry fee). If you want context, book a half-day Tashkent walking guide via GetYourGuide or a local operator for ~£25-40.
🚌Metro all day ~£0.60 total
🛏Hostel in central Tashkent
- →Khast Imam Complex
- →Chorsu Bazaar
- →Kukeldash Madrasah
- →Independence Square (Mustakillik)
- →Amir Timur Museum (~£1.50)
- →Museum of Handicraft Art
- →Optional half-day local guide ~£25-40
Afrosiyob train to Samarkand — paper mill, Afrasiab and Ulugbek's observatory
Samarkand
Book an Afrosiyob high-speed train ticket a few days ahead online or at the station (~£10-13, 2h10m). Drop bags at your guesthouse near the Registan, then take a taxi out to the Konigil Paper Mill (~£4 return) to see the traditional silk-paper making, continue to the Afrasiab Museum for the 7th-century murals, and finish at Ulugbek's Observatory. Evening: tea and bread on a rooftop terrace facing the Registan.
🚌Afrosiyob train Tashkent-Samarkand ~£10-13; local taxis ~£5
🛏Guesthouse near the Registan (£12-18 dorm, £22-32 double)
- →Afrosiyob train journey
- →Konigil Paper Mill
- →Afrasiab Museum (~£2)
- →Ulugbek's Observatory (~£2)
Samarkand's Silk Road set pieces
Samarkand
Buy a combined ticket for the big sites (~£6-8) and walk the city. Registan first thing before the tour buses and heat, then Gur Emir Mausoleum, and the long walk up to Shah-i-Zinda necropolis — the finest tilework in Uzbekistan. Lunch at Siab Bazaar with fresh non bread from the tandirs, then Bibi-Khanum Mosque and the bazaar across the road. Optional half-day local guide (many excellent English-speaking guides at the Registan ticket office, ~£20-30) if you want the stories behind the tiles.
🚌Walking, occasional taxi ~£2
🛏Guesthouse near the Registan
- →Registan Square (~£4)
- →Gur Emir Mausoleum
- →Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis
- →Bibi-Khanum Mosque
- →Siab Bazaar and non tasting
- →Optional local guide ~£20-30
Train to Bukhara via Rabat-i-Malik and Chor Minor
Bukhara
Take the morning Afrosiyob or Sharq train to Bukhara (~£8-10, 1h40m). Check into a courtyard guesthouse in the old town. If you've got energy, hire a driver for an afternoon run out to the Rabat-i-Malik caravanserai ruins (~35 km, ~£25-35 return — share with other travellers at the hostel) and stop at Abdulla's pottery workshop. In town, visit the quirky four-domed Chor Minor and wander the Lyabi Khauz pond area at dusk. Dinner around Lyabi Khauz for ~£5-7.
🚌Train Samarkand-Bukhara ~£8-10; shared driver hire ~£25-35
🛏Old-town courtyard guesthouse (£10-16 dorm, £20-30 double)
- →Train to Bukhara
- →Rabat-i-Malik caravanserai ruins
- →Abdulla's pottery house
- →Chor Minor memorial
- →Lyabi Khauz evening
Bukhara old city on foot
Bukhara
Everything in central Bukhara is walkable. Buy a ticket to the Ark Fortress (~£2.50), then work through the Samanid Mausoleum, Chashma Ayub, Bolo-Khauz Mosque and the vast Kalon Complex with its minaret. In the afternoon do Magoki Attori, the Ulugbek and Abdulaziz Khan madrasahs and finish at Lyabi Khauz. Plov or shashlik dinner ~£6; some teahouses on Lyabi Khauz run folk music and dance evenings in season for the price of dinner — no need to book the tour-operator show.
🚌Walking only; taxi back at night ~£2
🛏Old-town courtyard guesthouse
- →Samanid Dynasty Mausoleum
- →Chashma Ayub Mausoleum
- →Bolo-Khauz Mosque
- →Ark Fortress (~£2.50)
- →Kalon Complex and Minaret
- →Magoki Attori Mosque
- →Ulugbek and Abdulaziz Khan madrasahs
- →Lyabi Khauz with evening music
Sitora-i-Mokhi-Khosa summer palace
Bukhara
Take a marshrutka or shared taxi ~4 km north of town to the Sitora-i-Mokhi-Khosa summer palace (~£1, or £4 by taxi), with its heavily decorated interiors, then visit the Museum of Decorative Applied Art (entry ~£2). A relaxed half day: back in town, browse the carpet and suzani workshops around the trading domes (prices are negotiable — compare across a few shops) and spend a slow afternoon in a teahouse before an early night ahead of tomorrow's desert run.
🚌Shared taxi/marshrutka to palace ~£1-4
🛏Old-town courtyard guesthouse
- →Sitora-i-Mokhi-Khosa palace (~£2)
- →Museum of Decorative Applied Art (~£2)
- →Trading domes and craft shopping
- →Chaykhana afternoon
Desert fortresses to Khiva
Khiva
The long transfer day. The cheapest approach is the shared taxi (or join others from your guesthouse) Bukhara to Khiva via Urgench, ~£12-18 per seat, or the train to Urgench (~£6-9) plus a taxi for the fortress detour. Hire a driver for the day who stops at Ayaz Kala and Toprak Kala, the 4th-6th century Khorezm fortresses on the edge of the Kyzylkum desert (~£45-60 for the car, split 3-4 ways). Bring water, snacks and sun cover; there's no shade. Arrive Khiva by evening and walk the lamplit Ichan Kala walls, then have dinner with a folk show at one of the old-town restaurants (~£7).
🚌Shared taxi/private car Bukhara-Khiva via fortresses ~£15-25 per person
🛏Guesthouse inside or next to Ichan Kala (£12-18 dorm, £22-30 double)
- →Ayaz Kala ruins (~£1.50 entry)
- →Toprak Kala ruins
- →Ichan Kala evening walk
- →Folk music dinner ~£7
Khiva's Ichan Kala, then fly to Tashkent
Khiva / Tashkent
Buy a combined Ichan Kala ticket (~£9) that covers most sites and work through them in the morning: Muhammad Amin Khan Madrasah, Kalta Minor, Kunya Ark, Pakhlavan Mahmud Mausoleum, Islam Khodja Minaret (climb it for the view) and the Djuma Mosque's carved wooden columns, plus Tash Hovli Palace. Afternoon taxi to Urgench airport (~£6-8, 35 min) for the evening flight to Tashkent — Uzbekistan Airways HY-1058 equivalent, book direct on the airline site a few weeks ahead (~£30-45 one way). Hotel/hostel near the airport or in the centre for the night.
🚌Taxi to Urgench airport ~£7; domestic flight ~£30-45
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Tashkent (£15-28)
- →Ichan Kala combined ticket (~£9)
- →Kunya Ark
- →Islam Khodja Minaret
- →Djuma Mosque
- →Tash Hovli Palace
- →Flight to Tashkent
Departure from Tashkent
Tashkent
Breakfast, a last wander for souvenirs at Chorsu or the art bazaar under the metro columns, and head to the airport (taxi ~£3, allow 2.5 hours for international check-in). If your flight is late, the Hazrati Imam area and the metro station tour make an easy final morning. Consider a 30-day (or 60-day) multiple-entry e-visa if you're extending into Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan — check your nationality's rules on the official e-visa portal before you travel.
🚌Taxi to airport ~£3
🛏—
- →Souvenir shopping
- →Metro station sightseeing if time allows
Self-launched vs. East Site Inc
| This itinerary (self-launched) | East Site Inc | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£750 | £2,700 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,950 per person (72%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more East Site Inc-style trips? Check them out here.~£750
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Uzbekistan: Tashkent to Samarkand, Bukhara & Khiva cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £750 per person for 10 days in Uzbekistan. 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 East Site Inc?+
Yes — East Site Inc charges around £2,700 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £750 — a saving of roughly £1,950 (72%) per person.
How long is the Uzbekistan trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Uzbekistan.
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 culture, budget, backpacker trip through Uzbekistan, 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.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.