Uzbekistan Adventure

Intrepid Travel · 9 days
Uzbekistan Adventure
Uzbekistan Adventure
Uzbekistan Adventure
Uzbekistan Adventure
Uzbekistan Adventure
Uzbekistan Adventure
Uzbekistan Adventure
Uzbekistan Adventure
Uzbekistan Adventure
Uzbekistan Adventure
Uzbekistan Adventure
9 Days
From AUD $2445
Trip Type
Small Group
Activity Level
Average

Rating


(20 reviews)

Uzbekistan Adventure

Uzbekistan Adventure

Intrepid Travel · 9 days
Duration

9 days

Tour Type

Small Group

Accommodations

Moderate

Physical Rating

Average

Guide Language

English

Experience Overview

Take an adventure through Uzbekistan, a country famous for its ancient Silk Road cities overflowing with mosques, mausoleums and mystery.

Highlights

  • The much-photographed Registan in Samarkand is one of the true pinnacles of Islamic architecture. You'll be wowed by the scale, grandeur and beauty of the monuments to iconic figures such as Tamerlane and the Persia-influenced madressas, mosques and mausoleums.
  • Central Asia is a fascinating and unique mix of ancient Silk Road culture, Soviet influence and striving to redefine nations post independence. Geographically and for a time historically, it is the real centre of Asia.
  • Spend an evening in the isolated Kyzylkum Desert, warming yourself by the fire and sleeping in a yurt.
  • Get to really know the stories and people of Uzbekistan while sharing home-cooked meals with local families, including a home stay in the remote Nuratau Mountains.
  • Spend time in World Heritage-listed Bukhara, a 6th-century-BC city that's drenched in history and home to the formidable Ark of Bukhara.

Trip Details

Duration

9 days

Transportation

Private vehicle,Metro,Train

Tour Type

Small Group

Guide Language

English

Starts

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Finishes

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Accommodations

Moderate

Travel Style

Explorer

Physical Rating

Average

Itinerary

1
Day 1: Tashkent
Welcome to Tashkent, Uzbekistan's capital and Central Asia's main hub. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm where you'll meet you tour leader and fellow travellers. Please look for a note in the hotel lobby or ask the hotel reception where it will take place.

Accommodation:

  • Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
2
Day 2: Bukhara
Travel from Tashkent to Bukhara by train this morning (approx 4 hours). Located on the ancient Silk Road, Bukhara was an important regional and world hub for many, many years and has a long, fascinating history featuring invasions by both Genghis Khan and the Soviet Red Army. The majority of the town centre is filled with beautiful old buildings and, after checking into the hotel on arrival, you'll explore these on a guided tour. Visit the spectacular Ark building, a fortress that was occupied from the 5th century right up until its bombing in 1920, the Bolo - Hauz Mosque with its most elegant wooden carvings, and thousand - year old Ismail Samani Mausoleum. This shrine, built around the 10th century, was spared destruction during Genghis Khan's invasion as it's thought to have been buried as a result of flooding. It was discovered and excavated in the 20th century, and became a popular spot for pilgrims and local residents who considered it sacred.

Included Activities:

  • Bukhara - Ismail Samani Mausoleum
  • Bukhara - Ark Fortress
  • Bukhara - Bolo Hauz Mosque

Optional Activities:

  • Bukhara - Fayzulla Khojaev House (30000 UZS)
  • Bukhara - Sitorai Mohi Hosa Palace (60000 UZS)

Accommodation:

  • Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
3
Day 3: Bukhara
With over 100 architectural monuments scattered throughout the city, there's plenty to be seeing in the well-preserved ancient town. Today, enjoy a full day city tour through sites and places that are steeped in history. Visit the iconic Kalon Mosque and Minaret, one of the most impressive with a view of the city. Stop at the Lyabi - Hauz Plaza, built about 400 years ago around a pool, still full of the old world feel with its picturesque backdrop. Chor Minor, the 4 cornered Minarets stand right behind it too. Don't miss Maghoki - Attar Mosque, which is the oldest mosque in Central Asia built in the 12th century, but was once a Buddhist and a Zoroastrian temple before that. And Ulugbek Madrasah, the first in the city. If you are still energetic after a full day's exploration, perhaps take an optional visit to Hammam Bozori Kord, the oldest Turkish-style bathhouse in Bukhara, before a free evening in town. Your leader can help with suggestions on where to find some authentic Uzbek fare for dinner tonight.

Included Activities:

  • Bukhara - Magoki Attori Mosque
  • Bukhara - Kalon Minaret & Mosque
  • Bukhara - Ulugbek Madrasa
  • Bukhara - Lyabi-Hauz Plaza

Optional Activities:

  • Bukhara - Hammam Bozori Kord (400000 UZS)
  • Bukhara - Folklore & Fashion show (70000 UZS)
  • Bukhara - Zindon (20000 UZS)

Accommodation:

  • Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
4
Day 4: Yurt Camp
Depart Bukhara and drive to Gijduvan. Here you'll visit a ceramic workshop, where sixth-generation ceramicists Abdulla and Alisher Narzullaev make some truly beautiful pieces. Spend an hour or so at the workshop then continue to Nurata, a drive of approximately 2.5 hours. The city proper was founded by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC, though archaelogical remains date the first inhabitants of the area many thousands of years earlier, and the ruins of his fortress can still be seen today. From Nurata, the group will head into the Kyzylkum desert to spend the night sleeping in yurts. Perhaps choose to take an optional camel ride in the desert, and enjoy an evening campfire and local music with tonight's dinner underneath the desert stars.  

Included Activities:

  • Gijduvan - Ceramics workshop

Accommodation:

  • Yurt (Number of Nights: 1)
5
Day 5: Nuratau Mountains
Drive into the Nuratau Mountains for our stay in a Tajik village (2-3 hours). These villages are serene, hidden away in the hills with paths shaded by greenery and buildings made of stone. The region is a desert oasis, with irrigation channels watering crops and giving life to trees. Spend the day hiking to waterfalls or petroglyph sites, possibly seeing the endemic mountain sheep called argali. Learn to bake traditional tandir bread and in the evening, learn how their beloved national dish - plov is cooked at the local family and enjoy a feast of home-cooked flavors. Spend the night in a homestay, learning about the local traditions and culture.

Included Activities:

  • Nuratau - village visit
  • Nuratau Mountains - Plov cooking demonstration & dinner

Accommodation:

  • Homestay (Number of Nights: 1)
6
Day 6: Samarkand
Marco Polo described Samarkand as a 'very large and splendid city,' and after a four hour drive you'll find out for yourself. This is a truly breathtaking place that conjures up images of ancient splendour, and there's perhaps no more well-known sight in Central Asia than the magnificent Registan in the heart of the city. This public square was once a gathering place for locals, where they would hear royal announcements and watch public executions among other things. Also visit the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum, the resting place of Timur who was the first ruler of the Timurid Dynasty. His crypt was opened in 1941 by a Soviet anthropologist, who found an inscription on Timur's gravestone essentially saying that 'He who opens this will be defeated by an enemy more fearsome than I'. On the following day, the Soviet Union was attacked by Hitler. After a day of sightseeing, overnight in a hotel in town and enjoy a free evening.

Included Activities:

  • Samarkand - Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum
  • Samarkand - Registan Square

Accommodation:

  • Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
7
Day 7: Samarkand
Spend a full day in Samarkand continuing to take in the ancient sights and modern sounds. Don't miss Shah-i-Zinda, a stunning avenue of mausoleums decorated with beautiful blue tiles. Its holiest, most loved shrine is built around what's thought to be the grave of Quasam ibn-Abbas, cousin of the Prophet Mohammed and the man who brought Islam to the region many centuries ago. The Bibi-Khanym Mosque is an incredible example of Islamic architecture, built for Timur by Bibi Khanym, his Chinese wife, while he was away. As the story goes, the architect of the mosque fell deeply in love with her and his kiss left a trace on her cheek. Timur saw the kiss on his return and this, of course, led to the architect's execution. Enjoy some free time after touring the sites in this glorious Silk Road city.

Included Activities:

  • Samarkand - Shakh-I-Zinda
  • Samarkand - Bibi-Khanym Mosque

Optional Activities:

  • Samarkand - Ulugbek's Observatory (50000 UZS)
  • Samarkand - Tomb of Daniyar (50000 UZS)
  • Samarkand - Afrosiab Museum (60000 UZS)
  • Samarkand - Siob Bazaar - Free

Accommodation:

  • Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
8
Day 8: Tashkent
Depart early this morning return to Tashkent by local train (approx 4 hours). Hop on local metro and enjoy a short city tour after arrival. Visit the Amir Timur Square in the center of the city, spend time wandering Chorsu Bazaar. The main building is topped by an impressive dome, and the market sells pretty much everything you could imagine, and plenty of things you couldn't. Then enjoy some free time. There maybe the option to catch a performance at the Navoi Ballet & Opera Theatre tonight.This theatre is just one of three that were given the status of 'Grand' within the Soviet Union, the other two being located in Moscow and Minsk. It's housed in a beautiful 20th-century building with a fountain at its entrace, and has played host to classic productions like Swan Lake and some incredible artists. Perhaps get your group together for a final dinner tonight before saying your farewells tomorrow morning.

Included Activities:

  • Tashkent - Chorsu Bazaar
  • Tashkent - City tour
  • Tashkent - Amir Timur Square

Optional Activities:

  • Tashkent - Museum of Applied Arts (60000 UZS)
  • Tashkent - Art Gallery of Uzbekistan (50000 UZS)
  • Tashkent - Khast Imom Complex & Moyie Mubarek Library Museum (60000 UZS)

Accommodation:

  • Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
9
Day 9: Tashkent
This adventure through Uzbekistan comes to an end after breakfast this morning. There are no activities planned and you're free to depart at any stage before hotel check-out.
Exclusions
  • Flights to and from origin and destinations
  • Airport transfers (arrival and departure)
  • Anything else not explicitly listed in tour inclusions
  • Recommended gratuities/tipping
  • Optional activities/tours
  • Personal expenses
  • Travel insurance
  • Visas, meals and beverages not stated in the list of inclusions.
Important Information
Meals

When meals are not included, your tour leader (where available) will be happy to help with restaurant recommendations, bookings, and directions. Please let us know if you have any dietary needs or preferences. We willdo our best to accommodate these, though we cannot guarantee that every request can be met.

Luggage

You are responsible for your personal belongings throughout the tour. You will need to carry your own bags between the vehicle and your hotel room. Drivers will assist with loading and unloading luggage from the vehicle.

Mobility

Travellers requiring wheelchair access should contact our sales and service team, who can make enquiries on your behalf.

Fitness Level

This tour requires an Average level of fitness. Activities are paced gently and include leisure time. You may be expected to join guided walks of up to one hour, navigate short stairways and mild inclines, and manage your own luggage. You should also be able to board and exit all transport without assistance.

Travellers are expected to be self-sufficient and capable of handling all aspects of their journey. Please discuss your circumstances and support needs with your booking agent to confirm this trip is suitable.

If you are unsure, we recommend consulting your doctor before booking or travelling. (Note: I assume each tour has a different description depending on level of fitness required).

Sightseeing

If a planned site visit is unavailable due to changes in operating hours or holiday closures, the itinerary may be altered, or a comparable activity will be substituted where possible and subject to availability.

Visas

Visa conditions can change. Once you receive your travel documents, check with the relevant embassy, consulate, or immigration office of your destination for the latest information.

  • It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct and valid travel documents and to comply with all entry requirements.
  • Non-Australian citizens must also confirm visa and identification requirements with the appropriate consulate or visa agency.
  • Certain occupations (for example, journalists, government officials, or those working in charities) may face additional restrictions when applying for visas, which could affect the type of application required.
Departure Dates & Surcharges: See checkout for live dates and availability.
AUD $2,445
(Tour only)
Per Person Twin Share

Duration: 9 days

Trip Type: Small Group

Activity Level: Average

Take an adventure through Uzbekistan, a country famous for its ancient Silk Road cities overflowing with mosques, mausoleums and mystery.

Price based on per person in Double Room for departure 16 May 2026

Customer Reviews

Overall Rating
Excellent
4.5
Guide
Excellent
4.5
Itinerary
Excellent
4.5
Accommodations
Excellent
4.5
Transportation
Excellent
4.5
Tour Operator
Excellent
4.5
Food
Excellent
4.5
5.0
Minta
Traveled, October 2023

11/06/2023

I went on the Uzbekistan Adventure trip with Jonibek as the tour leader and it was an amazing trip! If you are on the fence, just book it. Amazing sites, history, culture, friendly people and left with new friends. 10/10 recommend. The weather was perfect at the end of October.

4.5
Matthew
Traveled, October 2023

11/08/2023

This trip was incredible. Before people would ask why are you going there? where even is uzbekistan? Isnt there a war going on near there? I didnt know how to reply then because i had no idea, but now those seem like very silly questions. Id ask them now, you dont know about Uzbekistan!? And im telling them all about it! We never caught a whiff of any danger of anything in or outside Uzbekistan. Our guide, Jonibek, took such good care of us and equipped us with so much knowledge that I'll be teaching courses to my family for months. I really can't recommend this trip enough to see a burgeoning country before tourism really takes off was a wonderful experience.

Tour Operator

Intrepid Travel is a global adventure travel company, dedicated to providing sustainable, experience-rich travel opportunities. They’ve been the leader in ethical, small-group travel since 1989 - taking people around the world for more than 30 years. They’re the world’s largest travel B Corporation - dedicated to being the best travel company for the world. In 2002, they established The Intrepid Foundation so their travellers could make a lasting impact on the communities they had visited. Although Intrepid Travel absorbs all administrative costs of The Intrepid Foundation, they are separate legal entities, allowing The Intrepid Foundation to grow independently. Intrepid Travel is made up of a collection of tour operator brands and 28 destination management companies all united by one vision: To change the way we all see the world.

In Business Since 1989