Uzbekistan Cultural Trips & Packages Tours & Trips

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.

Highlights

• Explore the UNESCO-protected town of Khiva – steeped in Silk Road history and immortalised in many great tales, this town is as photogenic as it is legendary.
• Witness the eternal flames of the Darvaza Crater, aka the 'Gates to Hell' as you camp nearby – one of the strangest, most mesmerising geological oddities on earth.
• Stay at a local guesthouse in a rural village in Turkmenistan – a rare opportunity to get up close to local people’s life – and visit a local horse breeder who preserves the precious breed that is the national treasure of Turkmenistan – Akhal-Teke horses.

Highlights

• Take an incredible journey through parts of Central Asia that few people can find on a map, let alone have considered travelling to!
• Discover the history of the Silk Road – see the much-photographed Registan in Samarkand (one of the true pinnacles of Islamic architecture), spend time in World Heritage-listed Bukhara (a 6th-century city), visit the UNESCO-protected town of Khiva and explore the sprawling ruins of Mary.
• Witness the eternal flames of the Darvaza Crater, aka the 'Door to Hell' as you camp in isolated desert – this is one of the strangest, most mesmerising geological oddities on earth. Spend the evening warming yourself by the fire and sleeping in a yurt overlooking the crater.

Highlights

• Discover Central Asia’s fascinating mix of ancient Silk Road culture, Soviet influence and post-independence nations with local leaders to show you the way.
• Learn about the Silk Road and its history – see the Registan in Samarkand (one of the pinnacles of Islamic architecture), spend time in UNESCO World Heritage-listed, 6th-century Bukhara and uncover the charm of the legendary Turkistan.
• Immerse yourself in the unique natural landscapes of this seldom-travelled part of the world – be surrounded by the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, take a train ride through the vistas of the Kazakh steppe, see the little 'Grand Canyon' at Charyn and discover the sunken forest of Kolsai Lakes.

Highlights

• Get to know the locals as you learn how to build a yurt in a local workshop, test your taste buds with a dinner of home-cooked plov (Uzbekistan's signature dish) and rub shoulders with the locals in the bustling bazaars.
• Travel along the Chychkan River beneath the towering peaks of Kyrgyzstan’s Tien Shan range, mountains even more spectacular for emptiness of the valleys below them.
• Enjoy authentic experiences like sleeping in traditional yurts on the banks of Lake Issy-kul, staying in local villages and making yourself at home in a boutique hotel that used to be an old Jewish house in Bukhara.

Highlights

• Explore Central Asia – a fascinating and unique mix of ancient Silk Road culture, post-soviet culture and redefined nations living in post-independence.
• Discover the history of the Silk Road – see the much-photographed Registan in Samarkand (one of the true pinnacles of Islamic architecture), spend time in World Heritage-listed Bukhara (a 6th-century city), visit the UNESCO-protected town of Khiva and explore the sprawling ruins of Mary.
• Be treated to traditional hospitality and get a unique insight into the daily life of locals during a Kyrgyz homestay, a night in a guesthouse in Uzbekistan and the rare chance to stay with a local family in Turkmenistan.