• Overall

  This adventure will take us through the heart of Central Asia, beginning with a journey across Turkmenistan’s vast deserts, experiencing the stunning Darvaza Gas Crater and the shining white capital city of Ashgabat, built entirely of marble. Plus, you will take a visit to the far west of the country to venture through the mysterious Awaza Resort.

  After Turkmenistan, we’ll make a crossing into neighbouring Uzbekistan for a trip through time as we visit the ancient capitals of Samarkand and Bukhara. After here, you'll head north to round off your adventure in the nation’s capital, Tashkent. It's home to incredible history and a few secrets which few know about!

  If you’re looking for a true adventure in Central Asia, this is the trip for you. Hitting all the highlights of these two great republics, you can mix ancient history with stunning modernity. All in the company of Koryo Tours and local experts. 

  A truly great Central Asian adventure that you won't find anywhere else!

  Highlights

  • Gateway to Hell: The Darvaza Gas Crater
  • The Mysterious Caspian Resort at Awaza
  • The Rarely Visited Turkmenbashi City
  • The Pearls of Persia: Bukhara & Samarkand
  • The Mighty Tashkent Solar Furnace

• Itinerary

  Day 1 of 13

  1. Saturday, 5th October

     • We’ll meet in the heart of Turkmenistan’s capital. After a bit of rest, we’ll begin our day with an optional in-depth orientation walk around Ashgabat.
        
     •  Tekke Bazaar. Upon leaving the hotel, we’ll wander along the tree-lined boulevards of the nation’s capital, heading to the Tekke Bazaar. Tekke Bazaar is a busy market, popular amongst local people; this covered bazaar sells it all. Meat, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and clothing. Opposite, second-hand booksellers set up on weekends in the small park. If you’re lucky, you may find a copy of the Ruhnama, written by the president of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov. Niyazov famously said, ”A person who reads Ruhnama three times becomes smart, and after it, he will go straight to heaven”.
        
     • Inspiration Park. From the Tekke Bazaar, we will wander to Inspiration Park. This is a public park at the centre of downtown Ashgabat. Inspiration Park is a narrow parkland lined with sculptures of Persian poets, scholars and great thinkers, surrounded by beautiful natural scenery.
        
     • Russian Bazaar. We’ll continue our exploration, calling at another Bazaar, the Russian Bazaar. A covered market where you will be able to pick up a vast array of items – the perfect stop if there’s anything you’ve forgotten to pack! Cables, chargers, sweets, kimchi, baked goods, fruit & nuts as well as souvenirs. This market has it all, unless you’re after Turkmen cotton.
        
     • The Alty Asyr Shopping Centre over the road is an excellent stop for some well-priced Turkmen cotton goods offering everything from tracksuits and T-shirts to towels and bedsheets.
        
     • Statue of Lenin. Once we have stopped for a spot of lunch, we will continue the walk, checking out Ashgabat’s Soviet past on our visit to the Statue of Lenin. Ashgabat’s Lenin may not be the biggest, but his enormous carpet-patterned plinth compensates for this. Not far from Lenin, we’ll catch a glimpse of Russia’s most famous poet, Pushkin at the Pushkin Monument. From Pushkin, we will walk onwards to visit Pervyy Park – Ashgabat’s oldest park, founded in 1890, formerly named Officer Park, Lenin Park, First Park and Independence Park.
        
     • From the park, it’s a short stroll to Ashgabat Train Station. Initially built in 1888, the first railway station was destroyed in the 1948 earthquake along with much of the city. A new station was built in 1950 and remodelled in 2009; the station looks impressive, crowned by the eight-pointed star (Rub El Hizb). Finally, we will head back to the hotel for our first group meal.

     Accommodation: Olympic Hotel,  Ashgabat

     Included Meals: Dinner

  2. Sunday, 6th October

     • Altyn Asyr Bazaa. After a hearty breakfast, we’re up and out into Ashgabat, our first stop, the Altyn Asyr Bazaar, formerly the Tolkuchka Bazaar. Located on the outskirts of Ashgabat, it’s the largest market in the country and one of the largest in Central Asia. Relocated to its current location in 2011, Altyn Asyr is a massive affair. It sells everything from household goods, clothes, Turkmen carpets, camels and much more!
        
     • Ashgabat Hippodrome. After our mega shopping experience, it’s off to the races as we make our way to the Ashgabat Hippodrome. Sunday is race day here in Ashgabat, and what better animal to watch racing than the legendary Turkmen Akhal-Teke Horses. The greyhound of the horse world, the Akhal-Teke horse is one of the oldest existing horse breeds in the world.
        
     • Independence Park & Moument. After a delicious lunch, we’ll explore a little more of Turkmenistan’s marbled capital. Our first visit to Independence Park and Independence Monument, was constructed to celebrate the independence of Turkmenistan on the 27th of October 1991. As well as the memorial, the park is home to an impressive array of statues of characters from Turkmen history.
        
     • Monument of Neutrality. From Independence to Neutrality, we go! Our next visit is the Monument of Neutrality built in 1998. A gold statue of Turkmenbashi tops this impressive structure.
        
     • Earthquake Monument and Museum. We hope you’re not too tired of statues just yet as we have a few more to go. Next up, the Earthquake Monument and Museum. A grim reminder of the terrible earthquake that struck Ashgabat in 1948, killing 110,00 people and levelling the city. Both are tastefully presented and very educational.
        
     • Ashgabat's Unusual Architecture. On our way back to the hotel, we will pass a few of Ashgabat’s more unusual buildings, The Ministry of Gas is shaped like a giant cigarette lighter. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is shaped like a globe... And our personal favourite, The Ashgabat Dental Hospital is shaped like a massive tooth!
        
     • Once we have returned to the hotel, you are free to continue exploring Ashgabat or enjoy some well-deserved rest.

     Accommodation: Olympic Hotel,  Ashgabat

     Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

  3. Monday, 7th October

     • Free time. This morning there is a bit of free time for relaxing or shopping for supplies. This is useful as later today we’re off into the desert.
        
     • Into the Desert. Our first stop is the small desert village of Bokhurdag. It is here that we stop to sample the local cuisine and learn a little more about living outside the bright lights of Turkmenistan’s flamboyant capital. After lunch, before heading a little deeper into the Karakum Desert, we will make a stop at the village of Erbent.
        
     • Erbent. Erbent is similar to most of the surrounding desert settlements, however, it is here that the Monument to the Basmachi Revolution is located. The Basmachi revolutionary monument was built here as this area was a Basmachi stronghold during the 1920s. The Basmachi were an Islamic group fighting the occupying Soviet forces.
        
     • Once our journey resumes, we’ll continue stopping as we travel to see other examples of the desert’s mining history. We visit two other craters (one filled with water, the other with mud). A perfect pretext for the great Darvaza Gas Crater.
        
     • Darvaza Gas Crater. The incredible Darvaza Gas Crater, continuously burning since 1971, was created when Soviet engineers were drilling what they thought were vast oil fields. No oil was found, and the fields turned out to be rich in gas, evident when the drilling rig at Darvaza hit a void and collapsed in on itself. Sometime later it’s believed that the escaping gas was set alight to prevent methane from polluting a nearby village. Here we are all these years later. And the gas crater has now become one of the world’s most unusual tourist attractions.
        
     • We’ll arrive during daylight hours to observe the transition from light to dark as the night sky becomes illuminated by the flickering blaze of the crater.
        
     • Camping at Darvaza Gas Crater. Camping next to this burning void, we will enjoy a delicious Turkmen BBQ prepared by our local crew.

     Accommodation: Camping, Darvaza Gas Crater

     Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  4. Tuesday, 8th October

     • For some, it may be a little bit of a hazy start after enjoying a night of peering into the flaming heart of the Darvaza Gas Crater. After breakfast, we’ll climb back into the 4X4s, arriving in Ashgabat before lunch.
        
     • Ashgabat. Once we have checked in and had a chance to freshen up, we will take local taxis into Ashgabat’s marble-clad city centre to see its famous white heart. First stop, Ashgabat’s grandiose, opulent shopping mall, Berkerar. 
        
     • Berkerar Mall was opened in 2015 and it looks like a cross between a mosque and a palace, from the outside at least. While the inside is just as grand, for us it’s an excellent opportunity to grab a spot of lunch and see some local life before starting our walk.
        
     • City Tour. Once we’ve eaten, it’s out into the city passing wide open streets and pristine white apartments as we make our way back to the hotel. The start of our city hike takes us past the imposing 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games Stadium Area. The stadium area was built at the cost of around 5 billion USD. At its heart lies the Saparmurat Turkmenbashy Olympic Stadium, noticeable as part of the stadium is the shape of a giant Akhal-Teke Horse Head.
        
     • As we walk on through the city, we will skirt the Presidential Area Complex, forbidden to head inside, but we can still marvel at the magnificent golden domes and massive structures.
        
     • Before we reach our hotel, we will pass more statues, mosaics, and impressively whitened buildings.

     Accommodation: Olympic Hotel, Ashgabat

     Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  5. Wednesday, 9th October

     • After breakfast today, we’ll be checking out of our hotel and once again heading out of Ashgabat to explore a little more of Turkmenistan.
        
     • Nisa Fortress. Our first stop is the ancient Nisa Fortress. A UNESCO-listed site, this former Parthian capital is now just a shadow of its former self. But still fascinating. A journey around Nisa Fortress is a must for those interested in history. Believed to have been started by the first Parthian king, Arsaces I, Nisa Fortress was later named Mithradatkirt (Fortress of Mithradates) after the famed Parthian who elevated the Parthian Empire to historic greatness!
        
     • Akhal-Teke Horses. The Parthians, like their Turkmen descendants, were famed for their beautiful horses. And our next stop gets us up close to the magnificent Akhal-Teke horses as we visit a nearby stud farm. We will learn more about the famed Turkmen horse and its actual value at the stud farm.
        
     • Bakharden Cave. As we slowly edge away from Ashgabat, we’ll make one more stop at the Bakharden Cave around 60 km away from the city. The Bakharden Cave is a popular stop for locals on holidays and weekends who travel here to venture deep underground and swim in the Kow-Ata Underground Lake.
        
     • Kow-Ata Underground Lake. Yes, it’s dark, smelly, and a little bizarre, but the 100m deep sulphur-heated lake is one of those things worth trying just once. Once you’ve taken a swim or watched everyone else attempt it, we will have lunch at one of the delicious Shashlik restaurants just outside.
        
     • Balkanabad. After lunch, it’s on with the adventure as we travel further with our 4X4s to the remote desert city of Balkanabad. We should arrive in late afternoon, giving you the chance to explore a little of this friendly city on your own.

     Accommodation: Hotel Niebitchi, Balkanabat

     Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  6. Thursday, 10th October

     • We’ll depart our hotel early this morning as we have a lot of driving and a lot to see. Our first stop is the Balkanabat Market. It may be small, but it’s still an exciting stop to catch a little of the local life in this town. As we pass many of the local Soviet-style buildings on our way through town, we will make one final stop.
        
     • Monument to the Desert Explorers. Located on the outskirts of town, the Monument to the Desert Explorers is an impressive memorial constructed to honour those early Russian researchers who discovered oil and were responsible for the founding of Balkanabat.
        
     • Yangykala Canyon. Once we leave the dusty streets of Balkanabat, we’re out into the desert on our way to the Yangykala Canyon. Along the way, we pass impressive desert features such as rolling dunes, cliffs and geological features such as fossil beds containing evidence that this whole area was once a vast inland sea.
        
     • Turkmen Grand Canyon. Known by some as the ’Turkmen Grand Canyon’, the Yangykala Canyon is an impressive yet little-known geological feature located deep within the desert. Never failing to impress, the canyon plays host to rock formations sporting many varied colours and cliffs and canyons to make even the best-travelled visitor happy to have made this lengthy detour. With breathtaking views all around us, we will be sure to stop and enjoy our packed lunch in this most stunning location. Once you have taken as many photos as you can, we will board our 4X4s and drive to Turkmenbashi.
        
     • Caspian Sea. As we cut our way through the desert, we’ll eventually catch sight of the mighty Caspian Sea, the largest inland sea in the world. Clinging to the Caspian coast, we will pass through the port city of Turkmenbashi on our way to our final destination of the day, the resort town of Awaza.
        
     • Awaza. A bizarre collection of grandiose tourist hotels, attractions and sites, Awaza is a place that has to be seen to be believed. We have a real treat in store as our accommodation is one of the best in the area, and the most surreal. We will check in with enough time to catch the sunset over the Capsian before a well-deserved rest.

     Accommodation: Yelken Yacht Club, Awaza

     Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  7. Friday, 11th October

     • Today, unlike previous days on this Turkmen adventure, you’ll have a free morning to rest, relax or explore your unusual surroundings. If it’s warm enough or you're feeling particularly daring, you can take a plunge into the Caspian, wander along the shoreline looking at the interesting architecture or enjoy the Truman Show feel of our hotel resort.
        
     • Awaza Canal. If it’s operating, we will make the day a little more bizarre and take a boat ride on the artificial Awaza Canal. A short 50-minute ride set to puzzle and confuse you is a perfect prelude to a pleasant lunch in Turkmenbashi, the oldest city in the country. Whilst the city is nowhere near as visually impressive as Ashgabat, it does have some exciting sites dotted around, many of which we will be sure to visit.
        
     • Turkmenbashi. Formerly Krasnovodsk, the city was named after a fort built by the Russians after their second invasion in 1869. Krasnovodsk served as a vital jumping point for Russian imperial soldiers as they continued forward with their conquests of Khiva and Bukhara.
        
     • Turkmenbashi Railway Station. On the 8th of October 1993, President-for-Life Saparmurat Niyazov renamed the city after himself Turkmenbashi (Head of all Turkmens). First, we will visit the Turkmenbashi Railway Station. This pleasant Russian-built station was constructed in 1895 and still departures and arrivals to and from locations across Central Asia.
        
     • From the station, we’ll cross the road to see the Oil Worker’s Square and the Monument to the Great Patriotic War commemorating all of those Turkmen who lost their lives in this distant conflict. Including Atamurat Niyazov, the father of Saparmurat Niyazov. From the square, we will look at some of the city’s architecture, which may not be so inspiring, but much of it was built by Japanese and German POWs from the war.
        
     • Our final stop of the day will be the Cheryomushki Bazaar, located at the heart of Turkmenbashi. This bustling market is one of the country’s best, with friendly stallholders selling local snacks and crafts. For those interested in fish from the Caspian, the fish market on site boasts an impressive selection of the sea’s bounty.
        
     • Once we’ve had our fill of Turkmenbashi, we’ll head to the nearby airport for our flight to Ashgabat. We will arrive in time for our last group meal in Turkmenistan, and prepare ourselves for the adventure onward to Uzbekistan!

     Accommodation: Olympic Hotel, Ashgabat

     Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  8. Saturday, 12th October

     Turkmenistan - Uzbekistan

     • Border Crossing. This morning we’ll depart Ashgabat and make our way to the airport for our connecting flight to Turkmenabat, Turkmenistan’s border city with its northern neighbour, Uzbekistan. Once we’ve arrived in the city, we’ll head for the border, passing through the various customs checks before finally waving goodbye to our Turkmen friends, and heading into Uzbekistan.
        
     • Bukhara. Once we’ve crossed the border, we’ll meet up with our new Uzbek guides, and head towards the nearby city of Bukhara, an ancient city that was once the heart of empires in the region. Along with nearby Samarkand, Bukhara served as the heart of the Persian world for centuries under numerous empires, and continues today as Uzbekistan’s seventh largest city, and one of its most popular attractions for foreign travellers, owing to its rich history as a Persian capital, and an outpost on the renowned Silk Road.
        
     • We’ll head straight for our hotel where we’ll have a free evening to relax, before heading out tomorrow to experience Bukhara!

     Accommodation: 3* Hotel

     Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

  9. Sunday, 13th October

     • Today we’ll enjoy a day in the picturesque surroundings of Bukhara, exploring the ancient legacy of this stunning city. Our first stop of the day will be the magnificent Kalyan Minaret.
        
     • Kalyan Minaret. Built in 1127, the Kalyan Minaret is all that survives of a once grandiose Djuma Mosque, designed for crowds of people to worship at once. Today, the site has been rebuilt around the footprint of this great tower, now at the centre of a courtyard surrounded by galleries and stunning architecture. It’s from here that the ancient call to prayer would have blasted across the city, and many locals would have descended on the site. It was built twice. Evidence suggests the soft ground led it to collapse after being nearly completed the first time. However, after almost a millennium, it shouldn’t fall again!
        
     • Khoja-Gaukushon. Next, we’ll make our way to Khoja-Gaukushon. A great ensemble at the heart of the city, home to a mosque, madrassah, and minaret. The area once served as a kind of plaza for local people to meet, trade, set up market stalls, and (rather oddly) slaughter animals. The name ‘Gaukushon’ means ‘Slaughter of Bulls’. Later, a large minaret, mosque, and madrassah were built on the site, adding to the great patchwork of beautiful buildings littered across the skyline of Bukhara.
        
     • Finally, we’ll wrap up with the Mausoleum of Naqshbandi and the summer residence of the last Emir of Bukhara which sits a few kilometres outside the city itself. The mausoleum is a place of pilgrimage for many Sufis and a place of incredible beauty, whilst the summer palace is known as ‘the place where the moon meets the stars.
        
     • This evening, we’ll head to the train station to catch a late high-speed train to nearby Samarkand, another gem in the heart of this region.

     Accommodation: 3* Hotel

     Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  10. Monday, 14th October

      • Samarkand. This morning we’ll wake up surrounded by the ancient city of Samarkand. We have a full day to experience the sights and sounds of this bustling place.
         
      • Registan Square. Our first stop will be Registan Square. The Registan is an ensemble of majestic and stunningly beautiful madrassahs, the most incredible example of Islamic architecture. The plaza would once have been dominated by a great bazaar, allowing local people to go about their business. Meanwhile, the surrounding madrassahs allow scholars to work and create a centre for Islamic scholars across Central Asia. Today, the Registan is the number one, must-see sight in the country. An unmissable experience!
         
      • Mausoleum of Tamerlane. We will also make a stop at the Mausoleum of Tamerlane, known as the Gur Emir, a national icon in Uzbekistan. This is followed by a visit to a necropolis which graces the northern part of the city, Shah-i-Zinda. A fabulous example of traditional Islamic architecture in the region, comprising numerous buildings, towers and beautiful domed rooves. The turquoise mosaic tiling contrasts against the arid sandy backdrop of Samarkand’s desert surroundings.
         
      • Bibi-Khanym Mosque. We’ll also visit the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, once the largest in Central Asia.
         
      • Siab Baazar. We break away from the ancient history to explore the local market, known as the Siab Baazar. Whether you’re searching for textiles and fabrics, exquisite and intriguing foodstuffs, or just looking for an opportunity to rub shoulders with Samarkand’s locals – Siab Baazar is the place to visit. The market is a great place to pick up souvenirs, clothes, snacks, and all manner of things, but it’s also an oddly peaceful and fun place to spend some time. Wander the aisles, chat with shoppers and market vendors, and experience life as it’s truly lived in this city.

      Accommodation: 3* Hotel

      Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  11. Tuesday, 15th October

      • Tashkent. This morning we’ll bid farewell to Samarkand as we head to the train station to catch a high-speed train from the city and head north. This journey will take around 3 hours to our destination, Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. Since its near destruction during an earthquake in 1966, the city has been redeveloped. This was initially by the Soviet Union, leaving an obvious trace of the USSR in its city planning.
         
      • Institute of Solar Physics. This afternoon, we’ll take a trip outside of the city to the Institute of Solar Physics. A huge series of mirrors used to heat a large furnace. The institute will open just for us. They will run a test of the system to demonstrate the immense power of this Soviet-era megaproject.
         
      • Uzbekistan’s Countryside. 45km outside the city, we’ll pass through some of Uzbekistan’s northern countryside, a far cry from the dry desert-like environment which dominates the rest of the country. Upon arrival, we’ll witness the effect of these huge parabolic mirrors, heating the furnace to over 3000*C. We’ll also learn about the potential that exists for clean energy from this system, since the energy produced is completely clean, and could be put to work in the future for clean energy.
         
      • Our accommodation tonight will be the Hotel Uzbekistan. This was once the premiere hotel in the country for visiting dignitaries, government officials, and rare foreign tourists.

      Accommodation: Hotel Uzbekistan

      Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  12. Wednesday, 16th October

      • Tashkent. This morning we’ll step out into the bustling city of Tashkent.
         
      • Amir Timur Square. Our day begins with a visit to Amir Timur Square at the heart of this vibrant capital.  One of the main squares in Tashkent, Amir Timur is graced with a magnificent Statue of Tamerlane, a medieval conqueror, on horseback. Although Amir Timur is not the largest square in the city, the tree-lined pavements and bright green grass make it perfect for an evening stroll amidst the locals of Tashkent.
         
      • Chorus Bazaar. From here, we will spend some time in the beautifully domed Chorus Bazaar. A great place to observe local life or buy those last-minute bargains, and another chance to chat with locals from the city, as well as support local independent businesses in Tashkent.
         
      • Tashkent Metro. No visit to Tashkent would be complete without a ride on the Tashkent Metro built in the former USSR. The metro network consists of three lines which crisscross beneath the streets of the city. This incredibly ornate metro system opened in 1977 and has only grown in beauty. Not only is it an incredible tourist attraction in its own right, but you can use it to get between Tashkent’s other incredible above-ground sites! Tashkent Metro is one of only two subway systems currently operating in Central Asia (the other is the Almaty Metro).
         
      • Fine Arts Museum of Uzbekistan. Our last stop for the day will be the Fine Arts Museum of Uzbekistan. There are, of course, hundreds of museums across the Uzbek capital worth poking your head in. However, our favourite must be the State Fine Arts Museum, home to thousands of artefacts from across Russia and Europe. This Soviet-era museum holds many of the treasures confiscated from the Grand Duke Romanov, who himself likely stole them from St Petersburg. In addition, artwork from across Russia and the Soviet Union is displayed throughout this museum.
         
      • Hotel Uzbekistan. Finally, we’ll return to our Soviet hotel – from here, we’ll have a free evening. You’ll be able to wander the streets, find and try unusual delicacies, and meet local Tashkenters.

      Accommodation: Hotel Uzbekistan

      Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

  13. Thursday, 17th October

      This morning, airport transfers will be provided to all travellers heading to the airport for international flights. For extension opportunities, please contact your tour manager.

      END OF TOUR

      Included Meals: Breakfast

• What is / is not included?

  INCLUDED

  • English Speaking Guide
  • Western Tour Leader
  • All Listed Meals
  • Accommodation
  • Internal Flights
  • All Included Sightseeing
  • All Taxes & Entrance Fees

  NOT INCLUDED

  • Single Supplement
  • Extra Night(s) Accommodation
  • International Flights
  • Uzbekistan Visa
  • Snacks
  • Tips

Please apply by 10th September, 2024.

• Overall

  Join experts in Central Asian travel, Koryo Tours, on our inaugural Uzbekistan tour. Enjoy the blockbuster sights of Uzbekistan, the heart of the Silk Road... And explore its hidden treasures, too!

  Tempted by the Golden Road to Samarkand? Uzbekistan’s highlights have drawn travellers for centuries. From the showstoppers in Tamerlane’s blue-domed capital to Holy Bukhara, where the sky-scraping Tower of Death so impressed Genghis Khan he spared it from the city-wide orgy of destruction.

  Uzbekistan boasts many more survivors against the odds. On this Uzbekistan tour, we voyage into the remote northwest, Karakalpakstan, where trawlers lie beached far from the tragic Aral Sea. Here, we will see spell-binding paintings saved from Soviet authorities who had killed some of the artists.

  This Uzbekistan tour, taking you by road, rail and air, will unlock amazing human survival stories. On a collective farm outside Tashkent, we’ll learn about the Koreans deported here en masse from the Soviet Far East. Some ended up Heroes of Socialist Labour as they grew the best rice for plov, the Uzbek pride and joy, and embodied the spirit of internationalism.

  An Uzbekistan Tour like no other. Relish the oasis cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. And discover Soviet thrills like a top-secret solar furnace built, surely, for a Bond villain...

  Scroll down for an overview of the Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan Tour highlights, tour itinerary, transport options, Uzbekistan visa information, and extra add-ons. Nick Bonner and Calum MacLeod will accompany this tour.

  More Central Asia Tours

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  Guest lecturer: Calum MacLeod

  Calum explored Uzbekistan in 1992, the first year of independence. He has been returning ever since to enjoy more of its cultural and natural treasures. He co-wrote the first dedicated guidebook to Uzbekistan in English (Odyssey, with Bradley Mayhew) and has designed Koryo’s inaugural tour.

  Calum worked as a China correspondent for The Times and The Independent, and an Asia correspondent for USA Today. But says nothing beats a round of shashlik kebabs, on a plate of warm nan, at an Uzbek bazaar.
  ✍️ A Night Train to North Korea; Hop Aboard the First-Ever Koryo Tour (1993).

  Images ©Calum MacLeod.

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  Highlights

  • Ships’ graveyard in Muynak, a fishing port deserted by the Aral Sea.
  • Walk the walls of Khiva, the most intact Silk Road city and see Samarkand’s Street of the Dead, a ceramic celebration.
  • The ultimate hall of mirrors – a massive, Soviet solar furnace.

  click image to expand

• Itinerary

  Day 1 of 10

  1. Monday 28th October

     Arrival Day

     • Flights to Tashkent (airport code TAS). Arrive from many international destinations. Let us know which flight you will be on, and we will arrange your pick-up and transfer to the hotel. Arriving even earlier is, of course, fine and can be accommodated.
        
     • Today we start the tour with a group dinner of excellent local food, coordination and a briefing session, before the adventure ahead!

     Meals | Dinner
     Overnight | Tashkent

  2. Tuesday 29th October

     Tashkent and Parkent – Peeling back Uzbekistan’s multilayered capital.

     • Polar Star Collective Farm. We head south to explore the fascinating story and enduring legacy of the Korean people in Central Asia, forced here by Stalin from the Soviet Far East in 1937. The museum at this former kolkhoz commemorates Kim Pen Hwa, who led farmers in transforming marshland, winning a record haul of Socialist Labour Hero medals, raising football stars and changing public sentiment.
        
     • Institute of the Sun. Bond villain lair! Next, we travel east through the Parkent wine country to the foothills of the Tien Shan Mountains and the formerly off-limits Institute of the Sun. This giant solar furnace, one of only two worldwide, was a top-secret military installation fired by 12,000 mirrors. Melting experiments continue today…so mind your step.
        
     • Evening – Transfer to Tashkent airport for evening flight to Nukus, capital of Karakalpakstan.

     Meals | Breakfast and Lunch
     Overnight | Nukus

  3. Wednesday 30th October

     • Nukus and Muynak. The “Land of Black Hats”, deserts and drama, Karakalpakstan is the Stan within a Stan, a (nominally) autonomous republic that occupies over one-third of Uzbekistan’s land and hides many Soviet secrets – including a bioweapons island on the Aral Sea.
        
     • Mizdakhan Cemetery. For legends, ladders and star-crossed lovers, we join local pilgrims at hilltop Mizdahkan, the oldest active necropolis in Central Asia. Highlights include the cool beauty of the Mazlumkhan Sulu mausoleum, where bow-tie tiles reflect the citadel’s first, fire-worshipping faith, Zoroastrianism. At the legendary tomb of Adam, better known as a world clock, visitors pile up seven bricks to delay doomsday.
        
     • Aral Sea Ship Graveyard. We travel by road to Muynak, the fishing port and holiday town abandoned by the sea. Trawlers rust below a lighthouse on a dry, toxic seabed now over 100km from the shoreline. Two museums illustrate one of the world’s worst ecological disasters: the Aral has shrunk by 90% thanks to thirsty cotton farming.

     Meals | Breakfast and Lunch
     Overnight | Nukus

  4. Thursday 31st October

     Nukus and Khorezm – a day packed with fabulous art and desert forts.

     This trip to Karakalpakstan will be fulfilling a decades-long dream of Koryo Tours' co-founder and CEO, Nick Bonner to visit the stunning 'lost' avant-garde art at the Savitsky Museum.

     • Igor Savitsky Art Museum. The remoteness of Karakalpakstan helped canny collector Savitskiy (1915-84) save from oblivion what’s become the region’s top attraction. He rescued the twilight zone of the Russian avant-garde by squirrelling paintings away in his adopted home Nukus. Highlights include Yevgeny Lysenko’s The Bull, with its shotgun eyes, and sketches on food wrappers of her seven gulag years by Nadezhda Borovaya – Savitsky fooled officials by saying they depicted Nazi concentration camps.
        
     • The Egypt of Central Asia. We make the overland transfer to Khiva by exploring the clay fortresses (kala) that protected the “lost” civilisation of ancient Chorasmia (Khorezm). From the 4th century BC to the 3rd century AD, its people worshipped at Zoroastrian fire temples, traded widely, painted graceful murals, studied the stars and loved their wine. Our stops will include a clamber up the Chilpik Dakhma, a Tower of Silence where birds of prey picked clean the departed.

     Meals | Breakfast and Lunch
     Overnight | Khiva

  5. Friday 1st November

     Khiva

     • This walled wonder remains so intact you can still believe, like a visitor in 1873, that it’s no “real city, but a leaf torn from the enchanted pages of the Arabian Nights.”
        
     • Minarets, madrasahs, mausolea and more. Our walking tour enters Khiva’s UNESCO-listed inner city through the West Gate. The Kalta Minaret, the first of several outstanding towers, stayed “Short” when Bukhara’s jealous emir enticed the architect away mid-project (legend has it).
        
     • Muhammad Rahim Khan Madrasah. The city’s last grand madrasah (Islamic college), built by the reformist ruler better known as poet Feruz. Meet his waxwork in the history museum here – and watch out for circus acts.
        
     • Pakhlavan Mahmoud Mausoleum. “Will I be remembered over my ashes?” runs a poem above the tombstone of Khiva’s wrestler-saint. Seven centuries later, join the crowds of pilgrims answering his question.
        
     • The Juma (Friday) Mosque. This offers a cool retreat from the bright desert heat. Over 200 wooden pillars are carved with symbols stretching back into Khorezm’s Zoroastrian roots.
        
     • Grab a bike to roam the outer city, including the dilapidated charm of Islam Khodja’s summer retreat. Feruz’s modernising prime minister received Russian and other ambassadors in its beautiful reception halls.

     Meals | Breakfast and Lunch
     Overnight | Khiva

  6. Saturday 2nd November

     Khiva to Bukhara

     • Cross Kyzyl Kum (Red Sands). Today, it is time to cross the vast Kyzyl Kum, the biggest desert plain in Central Asia at around 300,000 square kilometres. Silk Road traders battled the elements for centuries. Miners dig for them at remote gold and uranium towns Zarafshan and Uchkuduk. The Kyzyl Kum stretches the width of Uzbekistan here between the region's two major rivers.
        
     • The Syr Darya to the north (the Jaxartes to the ancients) long marked the boundary between the nomadic steppe and settled civilisations. The Amu Darya (Oxus) to the south separates the Kyzyl Kum from the Kara Kum (Black Sands) desert of Turkmenistan and long divided the Persian and Turkic worlds. At the journey’s end, we enter Bukhara, which beautifully combines these elements and more.

     Meals | Breakfast and Lunch
     Overnight | Bukhara

  7. Sunday 3rd November

     Bukhara

     • Everywhere else, it was said, light shone down from heaven. In Holy Bukhara, the light shone up.
        
     • Lyabi-Hauz ensemble. We stay in a nearby boutique hotel, so this atmospheric square forms your hub too as it’s long been for Bukharans drawn by the mulberry-tree shaded pool (hauz), teahouses and madrasah, now packed with tempting handicrafts.
        
     • Trading places. Our city walk follows the network of 16th-century domed bazaars, including the Cap Makers, Jewellers and Money Changers, that fuelled Bukhara’s second golden age – and still offer great shopping.
        
     • Kalon Minaret. Bukhara’s world-beating “Great” Minaret is an 11th-century masterpiece and lighthouse for trade caravans seeking oasis refuge. It was dubbed the Tower of Death for the criminals, sewn into sacks, and tossed from the top on market days.
        
     • Ismail Samani Mausoleum. The sands of time hid this brilliant brick cube, packed with symbolism, from the Mongol war machine. Its builder (849-907) ushered in a golden age when Central Asia’s scientists and writers led the world.
        
     • Backstreet delights. We have a wealth of recommendations to reward the curious. 

     Meals | Breakfast and Lunch
     Overnight | Bukhara

  8. Monday 4th November

     Bukhara to Samarkand

     • Royal Road. Today, we take the Royal Road, an ancient caravan route linking the foremost cities of Transoxiana.
        
     • Gijduvan. After the towering Vabkent Minaret, we pause in Gijduvan where the tomb of Khoja Abdulkhaliq Gijduvani (1103–79) draws the faithful on the Bukhara pilgrimage circuit of Seven Sufi Saints.
        
     • The town is also famous for master potters such as brothers Abdullo and Alisher Narzullaev, who craft traditional floral designs of local browns and yellows with unique colour glazing fired in huge tandyr kilns. Further east, we stop at two 11th-century survivors: the intriguing, nine-domed Deggoroniy Mosque and the Rabati Malik caravanserai, a Silk Road service station.

     Meals | Breakfast and Lunch
     Overnight | Samarkand

  9. Tuesday 5th November

     Samarkand

     • Follow in the footsteps of giants to savour the Mirror of the World.
        
     • Gur Emir Mausoleum. From peerless blue dome to epic occupant, the “Tomb of the Ruler” has it all, although he’d planned a simpler resting place. Amir Timur (Tamerlane, 1336-1405) was the last nomadic conqueror to shake the world, from Russia to India.
        
     • Registan ensemble. The crossroads of Tamerlane’s capital, where six arteries met under a domed bazaar, bloomed into Samarkand’s stunning centrepiece after grandson Ulug Beg, the astronomer-king, built his beautiful madrasah (Islamic college). Two more, two centuries later, complete the most photographed sight on the Silk Road.
        
     • Shah-i-Zinda necropolis. Climb the Staircase of Sinners to enter the street of the dead, the city’s holiest site. Timurid family tombs from the 14th century showcase an unrivalled celebration of ceramic art in turquoise blues and floral motifs.
        
     • Tomb of Daniel. Yes, of the lions’ den. Tamerlane brought the saint’s remains to Samarkand where they grew each year, so the grave was enlarged into today’s super-sized sarcophagus. Join pilgrims here from all three major Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
        
     • Kalontarov mansion. On former Soviet Street, in the UNESCO-protected European town, explore the eclectic home of Jewish millionaire Abram Kalontarov. He hoped to entertain Tsar Nicholas II, but instead had to house the Central Committee of the Uzbek Communist Party from 1925-30.

     Meals | Breakfast and Lunch
     Overnight | Samarkand

  10. Wednesday 6th November

      Samarkand to Tashkent

      • Transfer by fast Afrosiyob train to Tashkent.
         
      • If time allows before your flight, ride the jaw-dropping metro to imposing squares, monumental buildings and fine museums. No longer demolishing Soviet cultural heritage, the capital now celebrates its architecture as Tashkent Modernism.
         
      • Afternoon - Transfer to the airport. Departure.

      End of tour. 

      Meals | Breakfast and Lunch

• What is / is not included?

  INCLUDED

  • English-speaking local guides
  • Western tour leader (Nick Bonner) & Uzbek expert (Calum MacLeod)
  • Meals where indicated
  • Accommodation
  • Internal flights
  • Internal trains
  • All included sightseeing
  • All entrance fees where required
  • Airport transfers
  • An amazing time in two Stans!

  NOT INCLUDED

  • Tips for local guides and drivers
  • Incidentals, extra drinks, etc
  • Optional single supplement: USD 50 per night
  • Visa fee - depending on nationality. Most Western nationalities do not need visas to visit Uzbekistan. Please do check first to be sure (see below)
  • International flights to and from Tashkent

• Notes

  Upgrade to your own room in Uzbekistan

  All hotel rooms on our all-inclusive group tours to Uzbekistan feature twin beds, and will be shared. If you'd like a room to yourself, you can upgrade for an extra USD 50 per night.

  How to Apply

  To apply, simply click on the application button listed with this tour.

  Fill out the online form, upload a passport copy and photo (or send it to us by email, if you prefer) and you can consider yourself to be booked on this adventure!

  For any questions, comments, etc about this trip get in touch with Nick Bonner at [email protected]. We ask for applications to be completed a minimum of one month in advance of the tour. Ideally, at least six weeks or more if possible. Please also indicate where you plan to join the tour from and where you’re headed after the tour. We can offer advice on this. We also require a deposit to be paid at this time as we start taking on administrative costs as well as an obligation to pay for the visa invitation as soon as we send off an application.

  We ask for a deposit of 50% of the tour fee.

  Visas

  Please note that if you require a visa for Uzbekistan you will need to pay this fee yourself. Most visitors do not require visas. Check here for more information. 

  Cancellation & Refunds

  We practice the same cancellation policy with this tour as we do with our DPRK tours. This is listed on our website T&C. We do not seek profit from people who cannot go on tours, but we do make arrangements and commit to payments in good faith once a booking is received and payment is made. So we always try to refund more than the minimum.

  As with any trip, it is best to be as sure as possible that you will be able to attend the trip when making the final booking. If the tour is cancelled by Koryo Tours for any reason, then a full refund is of course made. In all cases, we return as much as we can. We do not charge a fee for a client's cancellation.

  Please be sure that you will be joining the tour when you send all application details.

Please apply by 1st July, 2024.