UZBEKISTAN · 8 DAYS
Classic Uzbekistan
Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva in eight days: the four Silk Road cities, by high-speed train and across the Kyzylkum desert.
Guide price from US$1,390 per person
UZBEKISTAN · KYRGYZSTAN · 15 DAYS
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan
The Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan, then over the border through the Fergana Valley to Osh, Issyk-Kul and a yurt on the high pasture at Song-Kul.
The trip
15 days, 9 places
Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Fergana Valley, Osh, Bishkek, Karakol and Song-Kul.
Uzbekistan is cities and Kyrgyzstan is mountains, and the two together are the Central Asia most people imagine. This trip does the four Uzbek cities first, then crosses by land from the Fergana Valley into Osh, flies up to Bishkek, and spends the last five days on the lake and the high pastures.
It runs June to September, when the pass to Song-Kul is open and the yurts are up. September is the sweet spot: cool in the mountains and no longer hot in the cities.
Highlights
- Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva
- The land border at Dostuk and the bazaar at Osh, the oldest city in Kyrgyzstan
- Issyk-Kul, the second-largest mountain lake in the world
- Jeti-Oguz and the Karakol valleys
- A night in a yurt at Song-Kul, 3,000 metres up, with the herders
The route
Where you go
- Tashkent1 night
- Samarkand2 nights
- Bukhara2 nights
- Khiva2 nights
- Tashkent1 night
- Fergana Valley1 night
- Osh1 night
- Bishkek1 night
- Karakol2 nights
- Song-Kul1 night
- Length
- 15 days, 14 nights
- Starts and ends
- Tashkent to Bishkek
- Group
- Private, 2 to 10 travellers
- Pace
- Full days
- Best months
- June to September
- Updated
- October 2026
Day by day
The itinerary
Marker above the line: a day in one place. Marker cut by the line: a day that moves.
Day 1
Arrive in Tashkent
Tashkent · night in Tashkent · dinner
Airport meeting, Khast Imam, Chorsu Bazaar and the metro.
Day 2
Train to Samarkand
Samarkand · by train · night in Samarkand · breakfast
The Afrosiyob, and the Registan in the late afternoon.
Day 3
Samarkand
Samarkand · night in Samarkand · breakfast
Gur-e-Amir, Bibi-Khanym, Shah-i-Zinda, the observatory and the Siab Bazaar.
Day 4
Train to Bukhara
Bukhara · by train · night in Bukhara · breakfast
Lyabi-Hauz and the trading domes in the afternoon.
Day 5
Bukhara
Bukhara · night in Bukhara · breakfast
The Ark, Poi Kalyan, Magoki-Attori, Chor Minor and the summer palace.
Day 6
Across the Kyzylkum to Khiva
Khiva · by car · night in Khiva · breakfast, lunch
The desert road and the walls of Itchan Kala at dusk.
Day 7
Khiva
Khiva · night in Khiva · breakfast
Itchan Kala on foot, and the Islam Khoja minaret for the view.
Day 8
Fly to Tashkent
Tashkent · by air · night in Tashkent · breakfast
The flight from Urgench and a free afternoon in the capital: the Museum of Applied Arts, or the Chimgan foothills if you want air.
Day 9
Into the Fergana Valley
Fergana Valley · by train · night in Fergana · breakfast
Train through the Kamchik tunnel. Margilan for the silk workshop, Rishtan for the potters.
Day 10
Over the border to Osh
Osh · by car · night in Osh · breakfast
An hour to the Dostuk crossing, where your Kyrgyz guide and driver are waiting. Osh: the bazaar along the river and Sulaiman-Too, the sacred mountain in the middle of the city.
Day 11
Fly to Bishkek
Bishkek · by air · night in Bishkek · breakfast
Forty minutes over the mountains. Ala-Too Square, the Osh Bazaar and the State History Museum, then dinner at a chaikhana.
Day 12
Burana and the north shore to Karakol
Karakol · by car · night in Karakol · breakfast
The Burana tower, all that is left of the Karakhanid capital, then the north shore of Issyk-Kul to Karakol at the far end. About six hours with stops.
Day 13
Karakol and Jeti-Oguz
Karakol · night in Karakol · breakfast
The wooden Dungan mosque and the Russian cathedral in the morning. Jeti-Oguz, the Seven Bulls, and a walk up the valley in the afternoon. The Sunday animal market if the day falls right.
Day 14
The south shore to Song-Kul
Song-Kul · by car · night in Yurt camp · breakfast, lunch, dinner
West along the south shore, past the Skazka canyon, to Kochkor and up the pass to Song-Kul, a lake at 3,000 metres surrounded by summer pasture. Night in a herding family's yurt camp; horses for anyone who wants to ride.
Day 15
Down to Bishkek and depart
Bishkek · by car · breakfast, lunch
The long way down, about six hours, to Bishkek for an evening flight. If yours is early, we add a night in the city.
The price
What is included
Guide price from
US$2,890 per person
Per person, two travelling together, mid-range hotels. The final price depends on your dates, group size and hotels; we quote within a working day.
Included
- Fourteen nights: hand-picked hotels and guesthouses with breakfast, and a yurt camp at Song-Kul with full board
- A private English-speaking guide in each country
- Private car and driver throughout, including a 4x4 for Song-Kul
- All train tickets and the Urgench to Tashkent and Osh to Bishkek flights
- Entrance fees to every site in the itinerary
- Airport meeting and departure transfer
Not included
- International flights
- Visa fees, where a visa is needed
- Lunches and dinners except where listed
- Travel insurance
- Horse riding at Song-Kul, paid locally
- Tips
Questions
About this trip
Is the land border difficult?
No. Dostuk is a walking crossing of a few hundred metres with a passport check on each side. It takes under an hour, and your Kyrgyz driver waits on the other side.
How cold is Song-Kul?
Cold at night even in July, often near freezing. The yurts have stoves and thick quilts. Bring a warm layer and a hat.
More trips
Also worth a look
SAMARKAND · BUKHARA · 5 DAYS
Samarkand and Bukhara
The two great cities in a long weekend: two nights in each, linked by the Afrosiyob train, from and back to Tashkent.
Guide price from US$890 per person
UZBEKISTAN · 12 DAYS
Silk Road in depth
The four cities plus the Fergana Valley's silk and ceramics, Timur's birthplace at Shakhrisabz, and a night in a yurt in the Kyzylkum.
Guide price from US$2,190 per person
Plan this trip
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We send a proposal for Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan built around you, with a firm price, within a working day.
We reply within one working day. [email protected]