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Road to Samarkand

  • Duration
    22 days
  • Tour Type
    Group Tour
  • Tour Style
    Go Beyond
  • Price From
    £5,690pp
  • Read Reviews
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Journey through the heart of Central Asia crossing starkly beautiful deserts and magnificent mountain landscapes. Discover ancient cities full of intricate Islamic architecture, thriving bazaars and a mystical old-world atmosphere, all inextricably linked with the legends of the Silk Road.

  • Fully Inclusive
    Touring with Guides and entrance fees
  • Included Meals
    Breakfasts: 20 , Lunches: 19 , Dinners: 20
  • Flights
    International flights and current taxes
  • Accommodation
    20 nights in 3/4 star accommodation
  • Group Tour
    Max Group Size: 18
  • Physical Rating 4Learn More
    X A good level of fitness is required as you can expect to be walking, or taking part in a physical activity like cycling, for longer periods of time on several days throughout the tour, and may be required to tackle some more challenging terrain. Download the detailed tour dossier for details of your chosen tour. Learn More
    Extended walking. Physical activities on challenging terrain.
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Tour Highlights

Our Road to Samarkand tour will see you exploring the most iconic sites, delving into deep-rooted culture and dining on delicious cuisine.

Authentic Experiences

Our Road to Samarkand Tour has been thoughtfully designed and thoroughly researched to bring you a range of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, many of which are entirely exclusive to us.

Tour Itinerary

This tour is ideal for those with an extensive period of time to travel and who are looking for a comprehensive visit to the main sights and cities in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. This tour is active and involves more walking and outdoor activity which allows you to further experience this fascinating area.

  • Days 1-2
    Fly to Bishkek
    Days 1-2: Fly to Bishkek

    Fly overnight to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital and cultural hub. Upon arrival check-in and spend the rest of the day at leisure, before dinner.

    • Dinner
  • Day 3
    Ala Archa National Park
    Day 3: Ala Archa National Park

    Embarking on a city tour to see Ala-Too Square, the White House and Oak Park before driving to Ala Archa National Park for a leisurely hike through its picturesque scenery of rugged peaks and dramatic gorges. Return to Bishkek for a free afternoon.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 4
    Lake Issyk Kul
    Day 4: Lake Issyk Kul

    Visit the magnificent 12th-century Burana Tower before departing for Cholpon-Ata. Set on the shores of Lake Issyk Kul, visit the astonishing collection of 8th Century petroglyphs etched into glacial stone nearby. Later, take a cruise on the beautiful Lake Kul, admiring its spectacular alpine-esque surroundings.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 5
    Drive to Karakol
    Day 5: Drive to Karakol

    Drive to Karakol, stopping at Semenov Gorge for a gentle hike, and Kyrchyn Jailoo ethnic village en route. This afternoon visit the Przhevalsky Museum, dedicated to the Russian explorer, and visit the striking Holy Trinity Orthodox Church and the Chinese Mosque.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 6
    Jeti-Orguz Gorge
    Day 6: Jeti-Orguz Gorge

    Rise early to immerse yourself in the hustle and bustle of Karakol's Sunday morning animal market which rivals Kashgar's famous animal market. In the afternoon, travel to the Jeti-Oguz Gorge for a walk through the canyon of red sandstone. Visit an Irdyk village and enjoy a home-cooked dinner with a local Dugan family. This evening enjoy a home-cooked dinner with a local Dungan family.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 7
    Eagle Hunting
    Day 7: Eagle Hunting

    Depart Karakol early and travel to Skazka Canyon, also known as Fairy Tale Canyon, due to its unusual shapes and colors. Travel further to the village of Bokonbaevo to watch an eagle hunting demonstration, a millennia-old Kyrgyz tradition practised with majestic golden eagles. Continue to Naryn, where you will stay the night.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 8
    Journey to Tash Rabat
    Day 8: Journey to Tash Rabat

    Pass through dramatic mountain andvalley landscapes to reach Tash Rabat, a small stone caravansary that was of great significance at the height of the Silk Road. Enjoy the peaceful valley said to contain some of the finest landscapes in Kyrgyzstan before returning to Naryn.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 9
    Kochkor
    Day 9: Kochkor

    Transfer to Kochkor, the centre of Kyrgyz felt handicrafts. Visit a traditional 'shyrdak' (wool carpet) workshop and a co-op that provides training for local women in traditional handicrafts. In the evening you will travel to a guesthouse near Chong-Kemin National Park.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 10
    Chong Kemin National Park
    Day 10: Chong Kemin National Park

    Travel from Kochkor to Chong Kemin, a quiet valley with small villages surrounded by magnificent mountains. Enjoy a walk in the foothills before travelling to Bishkek airport for your flight to Tashkent.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 11
    Tashkent
    Day 11: Tashkent

    Explore Tashkent's sights, including the Barak Khana Seminary, Kukeldash Madrassahs, Tila Shaikh Mosque and their archives. Browse the wares of Chorsu bazaar before experiencing a ceramic workshop.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 12
    Golden City of Samarkand
    Day 12: Golden City of Samarkand

    Travel to the legendary city of Samarkand where you will enjoy a tour of Registan Square, the Ulug-Bek and Tillya-Kori madrasah. Enjoy the rest of the day exploring at your leisure.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 13
    Samarkand
    Day 13: Samarkand

    Explore Gur Emir, the mausoleum of Tamerlane, the grandest structure of Amir Temur's times – the chief Friday Mosque called Bibi-Khanum and the Siab Bazaar and Shahi Zinda Necropolis. Later in the afternoon see Mausoleum of the Prophet Daniel.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 14
    Konigil Village
    Day 14: Konigil Village

    Visit Ulugbek's observatory, constructed by Ulugbek (Grandson of the Great Amir Temur) in 1428-1429. Later see the ancient settlement of Afrosiab. Continue to Konigil Village to visit a papermaking workshop. In the afternoon return to Samarkand and remainder of the day at leisure.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 15
    Shakhrisabz
    Day 15: Shakhrisabz

    Travel to Shakhrisabz, the birthplace of the Great Amir Timur (Tamerlane). Explore the city, visiting sites such as the remnants of Ak-Sarai Palace, Dorus Tilavat cemetery and Kok-Gumbas Mosque. Return to Samarkand this afternoon.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 16
    Bukhara
    Day 16: Bukhara

    Journey to Bukhara. En route, visit Gijduvan, a centre of famous handmade ceramics. Here you will see the fascinating process of making these ceramics. Continue on to Bukhara where you will have the afternoon to begin to explore this fascinating city.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 17
    Bukhara
    Day 17: Bukhara

    Explore the legendary Poi Kalon minaret, the Ark Fortress, and Bolo Hauz Mosque. Wander on to the peaceful 16th-century Chor Minor and Chor Bakr necropolis to tour the colourful Khonako-Medrassah-Mosque complex. Later, visit the mausoleum of Ismail Samanid.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 18
    Bukhara
    Day 18: Bukhara

    This morning visit Sitora-i Mohi Khosa, the Emir’s summer palace, a 20th Century confection of a building! Continue to the Bahauddin Naqshbandi Mausolem of a famous Sufi spiritual leader of the region. The afternoon is at leisure. Return to Bukhara and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 19
    Khiva
    Day 19: Khiva

    This morning you will set out for Khiva, a journey that will take you across Kyzyl Kum desert and a stop at Amudarya River. The route runs 480 kilometres through the stark beauty of the desert, the scenery changing from sparse saksaul trees to the lush riverbanks of the Amudarya.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 20
    Itchan Kala
    Day 20: Itchan Kala

    Explore ancient Khiva, discovering the sights of the UNESCO World Heritage inner-walled city of Itchan Kala including the mighty Kunya Ark and the turquoise tiled Islom-Khodja. Wander through the fascinating Madrassah Rakhimkhon, a beacon of religious, astronomic, geographic and mathematical studies, and see the 19th Century Tash Hauli Palace, decorated in blue fine china tiles.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 21
    Fly to Tashkent
    Day 21: Fly to Tashkent

    Transfer to Urgench to fly to Tashkent. Upon arrival visit the Museum of Applied Arts as well as the Mustakilik Square and the famous Tashkent Metro. With it’s marble and granite decorations the Metro feels like an underground palace.

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Day 22
    Fly Tashkent to UK
    Day 22: Fly Tashkent to UK

    Today according to your flight times, transfer to Tashkent Airport for your onward journey back to the UK.

    • Breakfast

We draw from a wide range of hotels on our holidays, each one is chosen to suit the tour you are travelling on meaning your accommodation can range from a smart business hotel in one city to a family run guesthouse in a smaller town. Here are some examples of the type of hotel you can expect to find on this tour.

  • Night 1
    Guest House "Khan-Tengri"
    Guest House "Khan-Tengri"
    Guest House "Khan-Tengri" is considered to be one of the best guest houses in Naryn. It’s located in a quiet district of Naryn where you can feel the warm atmosphere of Kyrgyz hospitality. The guest house has 25 en-suite comfortable rooms, all featuring cable TV and furniture. The internet and bar are other facilities provided.
  • Night 1
    2 Guest Houses
    2 Guest Houses
  • Nights 2
    Guest House “Green Yard”
    Guest House “Green Yard”
    Green Yard Hotel is conveniently located in the centre of Karakol, a short distance from the famous Issyk-Kul Lake and ski-resort. The hotel features spacious en-suite rooms, fitted with modern amenities including a flat-screen TV, wardrobe and desk. Free toiletries and a hairdryer are also available in a bathroom. Guests can also relax in the sauna and massage parlour.

Winter and Summers can be uncomfortable cold and hot respectively so the best time to visit Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan is in the spring (April to May) and autumn (September to early November).

City Average Temperate Monthly Rainfall
  • Bishkek
  • -2°c
  • 26mm
  • Karakol
  • -13°c
  • 9mm
  • Khiva
  • -2°c
  • 9mm
  • Naryn
  • -15°c
  • 10mm
  • Samarkand
  • 3°c
  • 41mm
  • Tashkent
  • 3°c
  • 58mm
City Average Temperate Monthly Rainfall
  • Bishkek
  • 0°c
  • 35mm
  • Karakol
  • -12°c
  • 10mm
  • Khiva
  • 0°c
  • 8mm
  • Naryn
  • -12°c
  • 13mm
  • Samarkand
  • 4°c
  • 46mm
  • Tashkent
  • 5°c
  • 57mm
City Average Temperate Monthly Rainfall
  • Bishkek
  • 6°c
  • 55mm
  • Karakol
  • -4°c
  • 19mm
  • Khiva
  • 7°c
  • 18mm
  • Naryn
  • -2°c
  • 20mm
  • Samarkand
  • 9°c
  • 69mm
  • Tashkent
  • 10°c
  • 65mm
City Average Temperate Monthly Rainfall
  • Bishkek
  • 12°c
  • 67mm
  • Karakol
  • 5°c
  • 35mm
  • Khiva
  • 16°c
  • 18mm
  • Naryn
  • 8°c
  • 34mm
  • Samarkand
  • 15°c
  • 60mm
  • Tashkent
  • 16°c
  • 60mm
City Average Temperate Monthly Rainfall
  • Bishkek
  • 17°c
  • 61mm
  • Karakol
  • 10°c
  • 51mm
  • Khiva
  • 22°c
  • 11mm
  • Naryn
  • 12°c
  • 48mm
  • Samarkand
  • 20°c
  • 36mm
  • Tashkent
  • 21°c
  • 41mm
City Average Temperate Monthly Rainfall
  • Bishkek
  • 22°c
  • 34mm
  • Karakol
  • 14°c
  • 56mm
  • Khiva
  • 27°c
  • 3mm
  • Naryn
  • 15°c
  • 55mm
  • Samarkand
  • 25°c
  • 6mm
  • Tashkent
  • 26°c
  • 11mm
City Average Temperate Monthly Rainfall
  • Bishkek
  • 25°c
  • 21mm
  • Karakol
  • 16°c
  • 60mm
  • Khiva
  • 30°c
  • 3mm
  • Naryn
  • 18°c
  • 37mm
  • Samarkand
  • 26°c
  • 4mm
  • Tashkent
  • 28°c
  • 4mm
City Average Temperate Monthly Rainfall
  • Bishkek
  • 24°c
  • 13mm
  • Karakol
  • 15°c
  • 53mm
  • Khiva
  • 26°c
  • 1mm
  • Naryn
  • 18°c
  • 21mm
  • Samarkand
  • 25°c
  • 1mm
  • Tashkent
  • 26°c
  • 2mm
City Average Temperate Monthly Rainfall
  • Bishkek
  • 18°c
  • 19mm
  • Karakol
  • 11°c
  • 37mm
  • Khiva
  • 21°c
  • 1mm
  • Naryn
  • 13°c
  • 17mm
  • Samarkand
  • 20°c
  • 4mm
  • Tashkent
  • 21°c
  • 6mm
City Average Temperate Monthly Rainfall
  • Bishkek
  • 11°c
  • 45mm
  • Karakol
  • 4°c
  • 25mm
  • Khiva
  • 12°c
  • 5mm
  • Naryn
  • 7°c
  • 15mm
  • Samarkand
  • 14°c
  • 17mm
  • Tashkent
  • 15°c
  • 29mm
City Average Temperate Monthly Rainfall
  • Bishkek
  • 5°c
  • 42mm
  • Karakol
  • -4°c
  • 16mm
  • Khiva
  • 6°c
  • 9mm
  • Naryn
  • -3°c
  • 11mm
  • Samarkand
  • 9°c
  • 34mm
  • Tashkent
  • 10°c
  • 41mm
City Average Temperate Monthly Rainfall
  • Bishkek
  • 0°c
  • 35mm
  • Karakol
  • -10°c
  • 11mm
  • Khiva
  • 0°c
  • 13mm
  • Naryn
  • -11°c
  • 10mm
  • Samarkand
  • 4°c
  • 47mm
  • Tashkent
  • 4°c
  • 54mm
+ -
Road to Samarkand map

Places Visited: Bishkek - Cholpon Ata - Karakol - Naryn - Chong Kemin - Tashkent - Samarkand - Bukhara - Khiva - Tashkent

Download Detailed Itinerary

Tour Dates & Prices

All of our tour departures include international flights and taxes in the price. If the dates we have available for this tour don't suit your needs, or you are not sure travelling as part of a group is for you, maybe a Private Tour would be more ideal. If your tour departs in less than 30 days, please call our travel experts to book.

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Booking Options

Departures for Solo travellers only are available for this tour on selected dates.
In addition to being for solos only these departures feature smaller group sizes, free airport lounge access and complimentary cocktails on arrival.

Depart UK
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There are no dedicated Solo departures for this year. You can enjoy any of our tours with no Single Supplement on our Happy to Share option or explore the solo departures in other years.

Group Tour includes

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