Uzbekistan and the Silk road tour

Uzbekistan and the Silk road tour

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Uzbekistan and the Silk road tour

11 Days Starting and ending in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Visiting: Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, United Kingdom

Tour operator:

Just You

Tour code:

SUZB

Specialist Group:

Singles Solo

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

15 - 30

Physical rating:

Low, Classic Touring

Age range:

18-99

Special diets catered:

Vegetarians, Vegans, Please make us aware of any specific dietary requests

Tour operated in:
English
Interests:

Cultural, Theatre

This tour is no longer available

Tour Overview

Uzbekistan has amazing architecture, mesmerizing monuments, a very interesting history and the connection with the famous Silk Road. Plus make cultural connections and get under the skin of the country during a home hosted meal and an historical theatrical performance.

Highlights

  • Guided tour of the capital's city highlights

  • Walking tour of Khiva's architectural complex

  • Visit an handicrafts centre of woodcarving and carpet weaving

  • Visit local puppet and miniature school workshops

  • Explore Bukhara's highlights, the Fortress and Zindan prison

  • Silk Road Spices tea tasting with local artist performance

  • Guided tour of Samarkan's highlights

  • Wine tasting at a local winery

  • Traditional theatrical representation

  • Learn how to make traditional Uzbekistan cuisine with a cooking demostration in a local home

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Itinerary

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Day 1 : Uk To Tashkent

Location: Tashkent

Accommodation: Fly to Tashkent

Meals Included: No Meals

Today, you fly to Tashkent, Uzbekistan's capital city.

Day 2 : Tashkent

Location: Tashkent

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: THE ELEMENTS HOTEL

Meals Included: Dinner

After arriving at your first hotel and freshening up after your flight, it'll be time to get your first glimpse of Tashkent on a panoramic tour. The city is a real melting pot of architectural influences, from bustling bazaars to imposing Soviet-era structures. We'll pass a handful of it's highlights before you get to know your fellow travellers over a traditional meal.

Day 3 : Tashkent - Khiva

Location: Tashkent, Khiva

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Orient Star Hotel - Khiva

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Today, we will be leaving the bright lights of Tashkent and will head to Khiva. This city is a haven for history buffs thanks to its dozens of architectural monuments which largely date back to the 19th century. Examples include the turquoise-tiled Kalta Minor Minaret and Tash-Khauli Palace, famed for its richly decorated interiors. We'll also be shown around Ichan Kala, a UNESCO open-air museum at the heart of Khiva, by a Local Guide. Afterwards, you'll be able to explore a handicraft centre known for its woodcarving and carpet-weaving wares.

Day 4 : Khiva - Bukhara

Location: Bukhara

Accommodation: Hotel, Hotel

Accommodation Name: Orient Star Bukhara

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner, Breakfast, Dinner

Today we will take a journey by road from Khiva to Bukhara. Relax in comfortable road transport as you travel past stretches of untouched countryside and through the Kyzylkum desert.

Day 5 : Bukhara

Location: Bukhara

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Orient Star Bukhara

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we'll explore Bukhara, once a major stop on the Silk Road and an important centre of Islamic culture. The city has no shortage of incredible monuments. A full day guided tour of this history city will unveil many of them, from the 288 splendid domes of the Poi-Kalyan Mosque to the Lyab-i Hauz comples of madrassahs which dates to the 16th and 17th centuries. Today's tour will also include a handful of unique heritage activities. Following this, you will sit down to try the national dish, Plov, for lunch. This delicacy will be hosted by a local in their home. In the afternoon, attend a puppet workshop where you'll learn how to craft a colourful puppet from papier mache, admire tiny works of art at the Bukhara miniature school and sip on fragrant teas at the Silk Road Spice teahouse while watching a performance from a local artist. In the evening, you'll get to sample regional delicacies at a local restaurant.

Day 6 : Bukhara

Location: Bukhara

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Orient Star Bukhara

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today you are completely free to explore Bukhara at your own pace. This old Silk Road city is perfect for walking and exploring ancient thoroughfares and smaller alleyways! Later this afternoon, you may choose to visit a traditional Hammam bathing complex on an optional excursion.

Day 7 : Bukhara - Samarkand

Location: Bukhara, Samarkand

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Orient Star Samarkand

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

You'll have another morning to explore Bukhara at your own pace. If you'd rather get out of the city, join our optional excursion to the Bahautdin Nakshbandi Necropolis (the burial tomb of Nakshbandi, the leader of Sufism) and the stunning Sitorai Mokhi Khosa Palace (the summer residence of the last Emir of Bukhara). After lunch, we'll begin our two-hour train journey to Samarkand from Kagan.

Day 8 : Samarkand

Location: Samarkand

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Orient Star Samarkand

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

The ancient city of Samarkand has a pretty turbulent history, from being captured by Alexander the Great in 329 BC to being ruled by Genghis Khan during the height of the Silk Road trade. As a result, it has an eclectic culture and fascinating mix of architectural styles, which we'll explore in detail. After admiring attractions like the huge Siab bazaar and the mix of intricately tiled mausoleums, we'll embark on a wine-tasting tour at the Hovrenko Wine Factory. Samarkand's wine culture dates back centuries and you'll get to sample several on a tour of this 19th century winery. Later, we'll enjoy a historical theatrical performance complete with traditional music at the Samarkand Theatre of Historical Costumes.

Day 9 : Samarkand

Location: Samarkand

Accommodation: Hotel, Hotel

Accommodation Name: Orient Star Samarkand

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner, Breakfast, Dinner

Spend the day meandering around Samarkand's many majestic monuments, or sign up to our optional tour to Shakhrisbz. It's where Uzbekistan's national hero, Timur, was born in the 14th century, and it was later developed into a thriving city by his descendants. Admire the ruins of Ak-Saray Palace that are covered in gold mosaics, and the impressive Kok Gumbaz Mosque with its eye-catching blue dome. In the evening, we'll all head to a friendly local restaurant, to try some of the exceptional food Uzbekistan has to offer.

Day 10 : Samarkand - Tashkent

Location: Tashkent

Accommodation: Hotel, Hotel

Accommodation Name: THE ELEMENTS HOTEL

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner, Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy another morning exploring Samarkand, including a trip to the Afrasiab Museum of Samarkand that's full of ancient archaeological artefacts, and a stop at the Meros Paper Mill to learn about the historic art of papermaking. In the afternoon, we'll take another high-speed train back to Tashkent and finish the day with a delicious dinner at a local restaurant near the hotel.

Day 11 : Tashkent To Uk

Location: Tashkent, United Kingdom

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today we'll transfer to the airport for your flight to the UK.

What's Included

  • Return flights from London

  • A guaranteed twin or double room of your own

  • Accommodation

    9 nights in 3 star hotels plus 1 night in flight

  • Meals

    19 meals: 10 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 8 dinners plus a welcome drink & farewell get-together

  • Overseas transfers, other transportation & porterage

  • Just You Holiday Director as your host & Specialist Local Guides

What's Not Included

Accommodation

    • Inspira S Hotel
    • Hotel Inspira-S Tashkent features a fitness centre, shared lounge, a restaurant and bar in Tashkent. The accommodation offers room service, an ATM and currency exchange for guests. The hotel will provide guests with air-conditioned rooms with a desk, a kettle, a fridge, a minibar, a safety deposit box, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom with a shower. Free WiFi is available to all guests
    • Orient Star Hotel - Khiva
    • The Orient Star Bukhara is a 4 star hotel in the commercial area of Bukhara. Once an historical building, this hotel now features a restaurant and bar and rooms have wi-fi, air conditioning, TV, hairdryer, free toiletries and refridgerator.
    • Orient Star Bukhara
    • Ideally located in Bukhara, this 4 star hotel features a lovely buffet breakfast each morning in the hotels restaurant and also has its own bar. Rooms are spacious and have air conditioning, tv, fridge, kettle and a hairdryer.
    • Orient Star Samarkand
    • The hotel was established in 2001 and forms a part of net of Orient Star hotels. Your stay in the ancient city of Samarkand with its rich cultural and historical legacy will undoubtedly become unforgettable event. Orient Star hotel is located in historical part of the city. Room amenities - 24 –hours room service, mini bar, hair dryer, individually controlled air conditioning, Satellite television Hotel Services available - Lobby bar, Exchange office, swimming pool, Souvenir shop, Laundry service, 24 –hours room service, Free WI-FI and Internet access in the lobby.
    • Inspira S
    • Hotel Inspira-S Tashkent features a fitness centre, shared lounge, a restaurant and bar in Tashkent. The accommodation offers room service, an ATM and currency exchange for guests. The hotel will provide guests with air-conditioned rooms with a desk, a kettle, a fridge, a minibar, a safety deposit box, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom with a shower. Free WiFi is available to all guests.

Excursions Included



  • Guided tour of Tashkent's highlights

  • Walking tour of Khiva's architectural complex

  • Visit a handicraft centre famed for woodcarving & carpet weaving

  • Trip to see Bukhara's highlights, including the Fortress & Zindan prison

  • Local puppetry & miniature school workshops

  • Silk Road Spices tea-tasting with local artist performance

  • Locally guided tour of Samarkand

  • Wine-tasting at a local winery

  • Traditional theatrical performance 

  • Cookery demonstration of traditional Uzbekistan cuisine in a local's home

  • Lesson in the ancient art of papermaking




 

Optional Excursions


  • Local hammam experience

  • Tour of the Necropolis & the summer residence of the last Emir

  • Visit to Shahrisabz, the birthplace of Turco-Mogol conqueror Timur


Check out our Q&As

  • Is there any free time to explore places during the tour?

    As detailed in the itinerary

  • Will I know the names and details of all the accommodation before I depart?

    Yes

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes

  • Are airport transfers included in this tour?

    Yes, overseas transfers, other transportation & porterage

  • Will there be an escort accompanying this tour?

    Yes

  • Are children permitted to take part in the tour?

    No

  • Are flights included in this tour?

    Yes, Return flights from London

  • Is there a supplement for solo travellers?

    No and your own room is guaranteed!

  • Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?

    All the people in your group will be solo travellers and will share your sense of adventure and passion for travel. There’s usually a good mix of ages too, so you’ll meet a variety of solo travellers who have more, or in some cases less, life experience. We find the overall mix of people really adds to the whole experience and there are certainly plenty of l

  • Am I contributing to any charity by booking the tour?

    A few years ago we set up Just You Cares, a programme that gives back to some of the places we love. We have always believed in taking care of the communities we visit, and have taken the time to really get to know the local people and understand the challenges they face. Some of our holidays give our Customers the chance to see how the money from their trips has been spent.

  • What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?

    At Just You, we are committed to operating our business operations responsibly, with integrity and always act ethically in all our business dealings and relationships. We are committed to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure slavery and human trafficking does not take place in our own business or in any of our supply chains

  • What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?

    If we can accommodate a change in date - we will always do our best to help you. Just pick up the phone and ask one of our friendly advisors - just make sure you have your booking number to hand.

  • Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?

    Yes, and all of our accommodation providers will be working to the very highest standards of hygiene – you already always enjoy a private room of your own on all of our trips, all of our partners will be guided by local government operational standards of hygiene and the new protocols we have issued to them.

  • Will I eat alone?

    We find there’s always a social element to dining, so you’ll never eat alone, unless you want to! Every holiday includes a welcome get-together, all breakfasts and many other meals. When a meal is not included we find travellers meet and dine together.

  • Can I join the tour once it has departed?

    No, given the nature of our holidays, it is not possible to join the tour once it has departed.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Just You has been operating solo holidays for more than 15 years.

  • Am I guaranteed a room of my own?

    Of course, you’ll always have a twin or double room all to yourself. It’s great to have that space to relax and reflect at the end of the day. In some hotels you can also pay a little extra to upgrade for more space or a lovely sea view.

  • What is the typical age range on a Just You holiday?

    Typically, our customers are solo travellers in their 40s, 50s and 60s, but it’s quite possible you could meet 20-year-olds or 70-year-olds (or anyone in between)... After all, age is just a number!

  • What policies are in place for Covid-19?

    We have received the World Travel and Tourism Councils (WTTC) Safe Travels stamp, which recognises businesses and destinations worldwide that have adopted a new set of global protocols to support the return of 'Safe Travel' around the world. The 'Safe Travels' stamp provides you, with assurance and peace of mind that we have implemented enhanced health and hygiene prprotocols on all holidays.

  • What documents will I receive before I travel?

    Once you book, you will receive a confirmation invoice within 7 days, prior to departure, we will send you further information to help prepare for your trip.

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    Just You is exclusively for solo travellers, every tour includes a twin or double room of your own, with no single supplement.

Reviews of this Operator

Jenny Elliott  

Fabulous Holiday with Just You

28-Oct-2021

Fabulous holiday with Just You - well organised, excellent accommodation and our tour leader absolutely made the trip! Would highly recommend.

Featured on Trustpilot
Russell Kerfoot  

Travels 2013 -2019

21/06/2021

Have taken about 15 tours with JY, mainly long haul, and found the experience exhilarating. Apart from the company's professionalism and extensive and varied tour options, I have made so many friends for life. Looking forward to resuming my travels in 2022.

Featured on Trustpilot
Jan Clark  

My Go-to tour company!

16-Nov-2021

I’ve travelled many times with Just You and have always experienced 5-star service from them; so much so that they are always my go-to travel company. Realising a life-time’s dream of visiting Petra and touring Jordan with JY was amazing. Every day was a highlight and the tour manager, Jenny, was lovely and so professional. I can even see me doing this tour again next year.

Featured on Trustpilot
Chloe Brown   United Kingdom

Chile - The Atacama to Patagonia with Easter Island Extension

16-Mar-2024

I thoroughly enjoyed every day of this tour. We saw everything from desert, to lakes, to islands, to volcanoes, to mountains, snow and waterfalls. Chile is such a beautiful and unique country. The tour itself is quite challenging with lots of early mornings and 11 flights in 3 weeks (with Easter island extension), but it’s so worth it. Very well put together, we had a dedicated tour director who met us at the UK airport's and accompanied us the whole way. This was great as he made sure that we all knew exactly what we were doing and was on hand to sort out any issues. This was an adventure I’ll never forget!

aled blackshaw (Google Reviewer)  

Been on 5 holidays with...

13-Oct-2023

Been on 5 holidays with this company they have generally been good but the prices have risen considerably and i feel do not provide true value for money. In my opinion all the excursions and meals should be included in the total cost as they not worth the extra cost. Also they are very dismissive of any complaints once you have paid for the holiday they are not interested. I think i will try another company next time

Sue Sweeney (Google Reviewer)  

Great holidays for singles. I've been...

28-Jun-2023

Great holidays for singles. I've been on 4 holidays with them. Only issue is the hotel rooms. They generally use 3* hotels and I've booked at the same time and price as my friends but the difference in rooms is unbelievable. I've been lucky, but I've heard horror stories from friends of rooms like a dungeon with one small high window whilst I've had a fabulous sea view.

COLIN BROAD (Google Reviewer)  

I went on a spirit...

08-Apr-2024

I went on a spirit of an India trip with Amritsar add on. It looks good in the brochure, but things aren’t always as they seem. If like me you like a toilet break every two hours (discussed with the company in depth in advance) or have a hidden disability. then this holiday is not for you - use a different holiday company! Their planned toilet stops are every 3.5 hours, so ladies bring your pads and gents be prepared for “natural stops” while all the passengers watch you out the window or bring a bottle and a blanket as a screen. The Taj Mahal in Agra was good, along with the two trips to the Ganges river and the Golden Temple at Amritsar too. Rarely are you in the same spot for more than one night and a 6 hour daily coach or train journey became the norm. It was a shame that there was not an opportunity to enjoy the hotels that we’d obviously paid a lot of money for. If you’re looking for tigers in the game park, don’t get your hopes up. 99% unlikely. It is also a disappointment that there is little opportunity to explore the areas in the major cities that we’d traveled too If you are lucky enough to find some companionship from the opposite sex and wish to be bring them “home” this is frowned upon by the company - even if you have paid extra due double occupancy as required by the hotel I received a letter on holiday basically saying that the two hourly toilet stops required (and discussed in advance) due to diabetes was a disruption to the schedule. That photos sent to me by a girlfriend were “illicit”. Photo uploaded - make your own mind up” Also that managing to get lucky a couple of times and bringing them back to the hotel was an issue - very strange due a so called singles holiday

Maureen May (Google Reviewer)  

Just returned from St Lucia....

29-Feb-2024

Just returned from St Lucia. Hotel dreadfully shabby. Breakfasts very limited with very little fresh fruit. Our hotel was a 20 minute walk in 29C or a free bus on the hour to the beach and sister hotel. Location good for nearby local shopping and restaurants. The sunset cruise was brilliant as was the whale watching, but surf and safari trip was a disaster. We travelled in two open topped trucks with a two and a half hour drive to the surfing destination. During the trip smoke started from the gear box and we had to abandon the vehicle until the situation was rectified, which, to their credit, was sorted very quickly. Unfortunately the sea was too rough for the boat so we had to return back in the trucks. Extremely uncomfortable on side bench seats, hanging on in the rain. So, all in all we don’t over 6 hours on the trucks - not good. The tour guide left before the 5 day extension period without a handover to the local tour operators. No Information was given except by the hotel. I had already booked to go the Athens with Just You in May, now I wish I hadn’t.

Lynda Martin (Google Reviewer)  

Don't go to the Mercure...

10-Feb-2024

Don't go to the Mercure Hotel in Brighton for a Christmas holiday. Dingy rooms, small tables so you are encouraged to sit on your own when you have expected to be able to chat. But this is nothing compared to the Christmas lunch. Reconstituted white meat that could have been anything, no roasties, no stuffing, no cranberry sauce, you couldn't cut the sprouts because the knife wasn't sharp enough. I had pre ordered prawn cocktail as my starter but on the day when we all turned up together, there was no prawn cocktail for me they had run out, so all I had was soup. No dancing, no music. The carpets were stained and it was a very sorry affair. I paid £1348 for 4 nights of this very shabby standard. Sorry Just You, butbit is the last holiday I will have with you. This year, whether I go to Aldi or Waitrose, I will buy the whole shebang and cook it myself, and then I will be sure to enjoy it.

eamonn young (Google Reviewer)  

Great holiday but then no...

21-Sep-2023

Great holiday but then no response to email concerning an important point concerning incorrect information in documentation. Turkish Airlines do have online check in..saves being put on standby. Documentation says you can't check in online..you can. Just wanted to save other travellers having the same problem about being put on stand by. Just You don't seem to care.

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  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of just you charges.

    Up to 75 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 74 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.

    At 42 days before tour starts: Forfeit 75% of booking price.

    At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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