Budget 6-Day Private From Tashkent

Budget 6-Day Private From Tashkent runs through Silk Road Tours. Rated 4.7 across 10 reviews. Runs 6 days. From $632.

Overview

This six-day private tour starts in Tashkent and links the three great Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan by high-speed train: Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand. A driver meets you at the international airport on day one with a name sign and transfers you to your hotel, and the same door-to-door arrangement carries through every city, including the final drop-off back at the airport on day six.

The rhythm is simple and workable. Tashkent gets a full guided day covering Independence Square, Amir Timur Square, the Khast Imam complex, Chorsu bazaar and the metro, then a morning train to Bukhara for an afternoon of the Ark, the Kalon minaret, Poi Kalyan and the trading domes. A second Bukhara morning takes in Chor Bakr, the summer palace and the Samanid mausoleum before the afternoon train to Samarkand. Day five is all Samarkand, Registan, Gur Emir, Shah-i-Zinda and Ulugh Beg's observatory among the stops, before the evening train returns to Tashkent.

It suits travellers who want the main sights of all three cities in one trip with guides, transfers, train tickets and entrance fees arranged for them. Reviewers point to prompt transfers and guides who are friendly, flexible and professional. Both ends of the trip leave free time to explore on your own.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Airport pickup in TashkentA driver holding a sign with your name meets you at Tashkent International Airport and transfers you to the hotel. The car transfer takes about 30 minutes, and the rest of the day is free.
2. Tashkent guided tourAn 8-hour guided tour of the capital, listed as optional in the itinerary, covering Independence Square, Amir Timur Square and museum, Khast Imam Square, Kukeldash Madrasah, Chorsu bazaar, the Earthquake Memorial, Minor Mosque, the Museum of Applied Art and the metro.
3. Train to BukharaA roughly 4-hour high-speed train ride from Tashkent to Bukhara, departing in the morning, with a driver and guide waiting on arrival.
4. Bukhara guided tourA 9-hour guided tour, listed as optional, taking in Lyab-i-Hauz, the Ark, the trading domes, the Kalon minaret, Poi Kalyan, Mir-i-Arab and Ulugbek madrasahs, plus a second morning at Chor Bakr, Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa palace, the Ismail Samani Mausoleum and Chor Minor.
5. Train to SamarkandAn afternoon high-speed train of about 2.17 hours from Bukhara to Samarkand, with a hotel transfer on arrival.
6. Samarkand guided tourA 9-hour guided tour, listed as optional, covering Gur Emir, the Registan, Bibi Khanym Mosque, Siyob Bazaar, Shah-i-Zinda and the Ulugh Beg Observatory.
7. Train back to TashkentAn evening high-speed train of about 2.17 hours returning to Tashkent, followed by a hotel transfer.
8. Airport drop-offDay six is free until the transfer to Tashkent International Airport, roughly a 40-minute car ride. Drop-off can also be at a location in Tashkent.

What To Expect From The Tour

Here is what helps to know before booking, from the listing details and from what travellers have said afterwards.

• Documents. Bring a passport or ID card, and a visa if your nationality requires one. The visa itself is not included in the tour price. Insurance is also not included, so arrange cover separately.
• Walking pace. Each city day runs long, with guided tours of 8 or 9 hours on foot through bazaars, squares and monuments. Reviewers describe the itinerary as well paced, but expect solid days of walking and standing. Evenings are generally left free to rest.
• Meals. One lunch at Besh Qozon is included, which the listing calls the biggest plov place. Other lunches and dinners are on your own, so plan and budget for them separately.
• Guides. Guiding is in English, with other languages available on request. Several reviewers highlighted the guides' friendliness, flexibility and knowledge of history and culture.
• Photography fees. Photo and video charges at some monuments are not included in the price. Budget a little extra if you plan to shoot inside museums and madrasahs.
• Book early. If you book less than 60 days before departure, high-speed train tickets may be unavailable and can be replaced with the most comfortable class of regular train tickets or other transport. Guides in languages other than English may also be unavailable in that window, replaced by English-speaking guides.

Common issues. The main practical limit is timing: booking within 60 days of departure can mean regular train tickets or road transport instead of the high-speed trains, and non-English guides may be substituted. The Registan light show and the folklore show at Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasah are included only if available, so they cannot be counted on. Lunches, dinners, insurance, visas and photo charges are extra. The minimum age is 5, and infants aged 0 to 4 travel free only if they do not occupy a seat.

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