Uzbekistan Cultural Self-Launched Tour - 10 Days

Arrive into Tashkent International Airport and make your way to your guesthouse by metro (Line 1, ~20 mins, £0.20). Spend the day exploring Old Tashkent on foot. Visit the Khasti Imam religious complex — a free-to-enter ensemble that includes the Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum, Barak Khan Madrassah, and Muy-Mubarak Mosque (home to one of the world's oldest Qurans). Wander through the chaotic and colourful Chorsu (Charsu) Bazaar for lunch. In the afternoon, hunt down the Soviet-era mosaics of Tashkent Metro — buy a day pass (~£0.50) and ride between Kosmonavtlar, Alisher Navoi, and Yunus Rajabiy stations. Finish at the Monument of Courage near the seismic rift that split the city in 1966.

🚌Metro from airport to city centre (~£0.20). Walk or metro for all sights.

🛏Stay at a well-reviewed guesthouse in the Old City area, e.g. Furkat Guesthouse or Grand Mir Hotel budget rooms — budget ~£18-22/night

• →Explore Khasti Imam complex (Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum, Barak Khan Madrassah, Muy-Mubarak Mosque) — free entry
• →Browse Chorsu (Charsu) Bazaar — free, budget lunch inside ~£2
• →Ride the Tashkent Metro art stations — day pass ~£0.50
• →Visit Monument of Courage — free

Take the Afrosiyob high-speed train from Tashkent to Samarkand (2 hrs, book in advance at railway.uz or at the station — ~£12-15). Check into your guesthouse, ideally within walking distance of the Registan. Spend the afternoon at Guri Emir Mausoleum, the ornate tomb of Tamerlane (~£3 entry). Then head to Registan Square for the golden hour — the trio of madrassahs (Ulugbek, Shir-Dor, and Tillya-Kori) is most dramatic at dusk (~£6 combined entry). Visit the vast Bibi Khanum Mosque nearby (~£2). End the day at the Afrasiyab Museum (ancient city of Samarkand, ~£2) if energy allows.

🚌Afrosiyob high-speed train Tashkent to Samarkand (~£12-15). Walk between sights in the city.

🛏Stay at a guesthouse in the Old City, e.g. Antica B&B or Bibi Khanum Guesthouse — budget ~£16-20/night

• →Afrosiyob high-speed train Tashkent → Samarkand (~£12-15, book at railway.uz)
• →Guri Emir Mausoleum (Tamerlane's Tomb) — entry ~£3
• →Registan Square (Ulugbek, Shir-Dor, Tillya-Kori madrassahs) — entry ~£6
• →Bibi Khanum Mosque — entry ~£2
• →Afrasiyab Museum — entry ~£2

A full day in Samarkand's extraordinary outer sights. Start early at Shakh-i-Zinda, the Avenue of Mausoleums — a UNESCO-listed necropolis of dazzling tilework (~£3 entry, best in morning light). Head north to Ulugbek Observatory, where the 15th-century astronomer-king mapped 1,018 stars — small but fascinating (~£3 entry). In the afternoon, hire a taxi (negotiate ~£5-7 return) to Konigil village, where the Meros Paper workshop demonstrates traditional Silk Road paper-making from mulberry bark. Entry and demo are free or tip-based; you can buy beautiful handmade paper souvenirs cheaply.

🚌Walk or short taxi hops between Samarkand sights (~£3-7 per journey).

🛏Same guesthouse as Day 2 — ~£16-20/night

• →Shakh-i-Zinda necropolis complex — entry ~£3 (go early for best light)
• →Ulugbek Observatory — entry ~£3
• →Taxi to Konigil village Meros Paper Factory — negotiate ~£5-7 return, workshop demo free/tip

A longer travel day heading into the desert. Take a shared taxi from Samarkand towards Nurata (depart from the shared taxi lot near the bazaar, ~3-4 hrs, ~£8-10). In Nurata, visit the Chashma Complex — a spring-fed holy site with a fortress, Juma mosque, bath-house, and Panjvakta mosque (entry free or small donation). Then arrange onward transport to Aydarkul Lake and the yurt camps (shared taxi or negotiate a driver ~£10-15). Several yurt camps sit on the lakeshore — Aydar Yurt Camp and Yurt Camp Maral are popular, book directly or via Booking.com (~£20-25 per person, dinner included). Watch the sunset over the desert lake, enjoy a camel ride (~£5 for 10-15 mins), and listen to local music around the campfire.

🚌Shared taxi Samarkand → Nurata (~£8-10). Taxi/driver Nurata → Aydarkul Lake (~£10-15). Negotiate with driver to wait or arrange onward pick-up.

🛏Yurt camp on Aydarkul Lake (e.g. Aydar Yurt Camp or Yurt Camp Maral) — ~£20-25/person including dinner

• →Shared taxi Samarkand → Nurata (~£8-10 per person)
• →Chashma Complex (fortress, Juma mosque, Panjvakta mosque) — free/donation
• →Negotiate taxi Nurata → Aydarkul Lake yurt camp (~£10-15)
• →Camel riding at the lakeside (~£5 for 10 mins)
• →Traditional Kazakh/Uzbek music around the campfire at yurt camp
• →Desert walk and sunset at Aydarkul Lake — free

After a desert breakfast, arrange transport with your yurt camp or negotiate with a driver to head towards Bukhara (~3-4 hrs, ~£15-20 per person in a shared vehicle). En route, ask your driver to stop at Malik Sardoba (an ancient water cistern) and the atmospheric ruins of Malik Caravansaray — both are roadside stops requiring no entry fee. Stop in Gijduvan, a town famous for Silk Road ceramics, to visit a working potter's workshop (the Narzullayev family workshop is the most famous). The demonstration is usually free and pieces are sold directly — budget £5-15 for souvenirs. Arrive in Bukhara in the afternoon and check in.

🚌Shared vehicle or private negotiated taxi from Aydarkul → Gijduvan → Bukhara (~£15-20/person). Ask yurt camp staff to help arrange the morning before.

🛏Stay in a guesthouse in Bukhara's Old City, e.g. Komil Bukhara Boutique Hotel or Fatima Guesthouse — budget ~£16-22/night

• →Negotiate shared vehicle from yurt camp to Bukhara via Nurata (~£15-20/person)
• →Stop at Malik Sardoba (ancient cistern) — free roadside stop
• →Stop at ruins of Malik Caravansaray — free
• →Visit Gijduvan pottery workshop (Narzullayev family) — free demo, souvenirs ~£5-15

Bukhara is one of the world's great ancient cities and rewards a full day on foot. Start at the Samanid Mausoleum (entry ~£2) — one of Central Asia's oldest Islamic monuments. Walk to Chashma Ayub (Job's Well, ~£2) and the elegant Bolo-Hauz Mosque (free). Pass the 1920s Water Tower and enter the Citadel Ark (~£3). Head to Minaret Kalon and Kalyan Mosque (~£3 combined) and peer into Medreseh Miri Arab opposite. Stroll through the covered Toqi bazaars (Coumpol/Toki Zargaron) — free to wander, great for craft shopping. Visit the Lyabi-Khauz complex (the old pool square) for lunch at a terrace café (~£4-6). Explore Medreseh Nodir Divan-Beghi and pop into the Silk Road Tea House. If curious, ask your guesthouse about the historic hammams — the ladies' Hammami Kunjak and men's Hammomi Bozori Kord both offer traditional baths (~£3-5).

🚌All on foot — Old Bukhara is compact and walkable.

🛏Same guesthouse as Day 5 — ~£16-22/night

• →Samanid Mausoleum — entry ~£2
• →Chashma Ayub — entry ~£2
• →Bolo-Hauz Mosque — free
• →Citadel Ark — entry ~£3
• →Minaret Kalon & Kalyan Mosque — ~£3
• →Medreseh Miri Arab — exterior free
• →Toqi (Coumpol) covered bazaars — free to browse
• →Lyabi-Khauz complex & Medreseh Nodir Divan-Beghi — free
• →Silk Road Tea House — tea ~£1-2
• →Hammami Kunjak or Hammomi Bozori Kord traditional hammam — ~£3-5

Today is a long travel day across the Kyzylkum Desert to Khiva. The most budget-friendly option is the overnight train (Bukhara → Urgench, ~7-9 hrs, ~£10-15 in a shared coupé/platzkart), arriving in Urgench in the morning and taking a shared taxi the final 30km to Khiva (~£1-2). Alternatively, take a daytime shared taxi the full route (~£15-20, ~6 hrs). The train is an experience in itself — bring snacks, a sleeping bag liner, and enjoy the desert scenery. Arrive in Khiva, check into your guesthouse inside or just outside Ichan-Kala (the walled inner city), and take an evening stroll through the lantern-lit mud-brick streets.

🚌Train Bukhara → Urgench (~£10-15, book in advance). Shared taxi Urgench → Khiva (~£1-2).

🛏Stay inside or near Ichan-Kala, e.g. Khiva Guesthouses (Orient Star budget rooms or Alibek Guesthouse) — ~£16-20/night

• →Overnight train Bukhara → Urgench (platzkart/kupe class, ~£10-15, book at railway.uz)
• →Shared taxi Urgench → Khiva (~£1-2, 30 mins)
• →Evening wander through Ichan-Kala walled city at dusk — free

Khiva's Ichan-Kala (inner walled city) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved ancient cities in Central Asia. Buy a combined entry ticket at the gate (~£8-10, covers most monuments) and spend the day exploring at leisure. Key highlights: the last Khan's Residence (Tash-Hovli Palace), Ismail Khodja Mausoleum and its minaret, Mohammed Amin Khan Madrassah (now a hotel — worth a peek inside), the squat and striped Kalta Minor tower, Kunya-Ark castle with rooftop desert views, Juma Mosque with its 218 carved wooden columns, and Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum (the city's patron saint). Climb the city walls for panoramic views at sunset. The whole city is compact — allow a full, leisurely day.

🚌Entirely on foot inside Ichan-Kala.

🛏Same guesthouse as Day 7 — ~£16-20/night

• →Combined Ichan-Kala entry ticket — ~£8-10 (covers most monuments)
• →Tash-Hovli Palace (Residence of the last Khan)
• →Ismail Khodja Mausoleum & minaret
• →Mohammed Amin Khan Madrassah
• →Kalta Minor tower
• →Kunya-Ark Castle (rooftop views over the desert)
• →Juma Mosque (218 carved wooden columns)
• →Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum
• →Walk the city walls at sunset — included in combined ticket

Take a shared taxi back to Urgench Airport (~£2-3) and fly Urgench → Tashkent with Uzbekistan Airways (~£50-80, book in advance via uzairways.com or a local agent). Arrive in Tashkent by midday. Spend the afternoon exploring the New City's grand Soviet-era monuments: Independence Square (Mustaqillik Maydoni), Amir Temur Square with its equestrian statue, and the stunning turquoise exterior of the Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre. Visit the State Museum of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan (~£2) to see a superb collection of traditional crafts — embroidery, ceramics, woodcarving. End with another metro station hop if you missed any on Day 1.

🚌Shared taxi to Urgench Airport (~£2-3). Domestic flight Urgench → Tashkent (~£50-80). Metro within Tashkent (~£0.50).

🛏Return to Tashkent guesthouse, e.g. Furkat Guesthouse or similar — ~£18-22/night

• →Shared taxi Khiva → Urgench Airport (~£2-3)
• →Domestic flight Urgench → Tashkent (~£50-80, book in advance at uzairways.com)
• →Independence Square (Mustaqillik Maydoni) — free
• →Amir Temur Square — free
• →Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre (exterior) — free
• →State Museum of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan — entry ~£2
• →Tashkent Metro station art tour — day pass ~£0.50

A free final morning in Tashkent. Use the time to revisit any missed sights, pick up last-minute souvenirs at Chorsu Bazaar (dried fruits, spices, silk scarves, and suzani embroidery make great gifts), or enjoy a long breakfast of non bread, green tea, and samsa pastries at a local teahouse. Make your way to Tashkent International Airport by metro or taxi (~£2-5) in time for your international departure.

🚌Metro or taxi to Tashkent International Airport (~£2-5).

🛏Check out — no accommodation needed

• →Last-minute souvenir shopping at Chorsu Bazaar — budget as desired
• →Breakfast at a local chaikhana (teahouse) — ~£2-4
• →Metro or taxi to Tashkent International Airport (~£2-5)