The Silk Road: Bishkek to Khiva (Self-Launched)
16 days · Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan
Exodus Adventure Travels charges £4,500
No-markup version: ~£1,082 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 16-day independent Silk Road route from Bishkek to Khiva, covering Kyrgyzstan's gorges and Lake Issyk Kul, Kazakhstan's Charyn canyons and Almaty, and Uzbekistan's great Silk Road cities of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. This is the self-launched version of Exodus Adventure Travels' fully guided small-group trip — same sights, but you book your own guesthouses, take shared taxis, marshrutkas and the Uzbek high-speed train, and pay local guides directly where useful. Costs are rough backpacker/budget-mid estimates in GBP; the original tour runs from about US$5,750 (~£4,500) per person excluding flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Bishkek & city stroll
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Fly into Manas International Airport and take marshrutka 380 or a shared taxi (~£1-3) into the city centre. Check into a central guesthouse or hostel, then walk the wide Soviet-era centre: Ala Too Square, Parliament House (the 'White House'), the Lenin Statue and the Manas Monument. Grab a cheap dinner of lagman or plov at a local cafe (Faiza is a Bishkek institution, ~£4).
🚌Marshrutka 380 from airport ~£1; walking in centre
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in central Bishkek (~£14)
- →Ala Too Square
- →Parliament House & White House
- →Lenin Statue
- →Manas Monument
- →Osh Bazaar (evening)
Burana Tower, Ak Beshim ruins & Chon-Kemin
Chon-Kemin Gorge, Kyrgyzstan
Take a marshrutka or shared taxi towards Tokmok (~£3, 1.5hrs), then a local taxi to Burana Tower (~£6-8), the 11th-century Karakhanid minaret on the old Silk Road — climb the narrow stairs for views over the Chu valley. Continue a few km to the Ak Beshim ruins (Chumysh Fortress, Nestorian monastery remains, burial mounds). Arrange a taxi on to a community guesthouse in Chon-Kemin Valley (~£15-20 for the car). Evening meal of home-cooked Kyrgyz food with your host.
🚌Marshrutka Bishkek-Tokmok ~£3; shared taxi to Burana & Chon-Kemin ~£8-10 pp
🛏Community-based guesthouse in Chon-Kemin (~£12)
- →Burana Tower climb
- →Ak Beshim ruins & Chumysh Fortress
- →Chon-Kemin Valley walk
Lake Issyk Kul south shore & Barskaun waterfall
Djety Oguz / Karakol area, Kyrgyzstan
Hire a shared car or join a local marshrutka route south along the shore of Issyk Kul, the world's second-largest alpine lake, with the Tien Shan range on your right. Stop at Barskaun Gorge for a 45-minute walk up to the waterfall. Optional: arrange eagle-hunting demonstration with a local hunter in Bokonbaev village (negotiate directly, roughly £60-90 per small group rather than the tour's £100pp equivalent). Overnight in a guesthouse near Djety Oguz Gorge.
🚌Shared car/marshrutka along Issyk Kul ~£10 pp
🛏Guesthouse/yurt stay near Djety Oguz (~£13)
- →Issyk Kul Lake south shore drive
- →Barskaun Gorge waterfall hike
- →Optional eagle hunting demo in Bokonbaev (extra ~£10-15 pp in group)
Djety Oguz hike & Karakol sights
Karakol, Kyrgyzstan
Morning two-hour hike in Djety Oguz Gorge through fir forest, summer yurt settlements and grazing pastures (the 'Seven Bulls' red cliffs are the landmark). Continue to Karakol and do a self-guided loop of the old Russian colonial houses, the wooden Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral, the nail-free Dungan Mosque and the lively Karakol bazaar. Splurge on a home-cooked dinner with a Uygur or Dungan family — ask your guesthouse to arrange it (~£8).
🚌Shared taxi Djety Oguz-Karakol ~£2-3
🛏Guesthouse in Karakol (~£12)
- →Djety Oguz Gorge hike
- →Holy Trinity Cathedral
- →Dungan Mosque
- →Karakol bazaar
- →Dungan/Uygur family dinner
Border crossing to Kazakhstan & Charyn Canyon
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Cross from Karakol over the Karkara valley to Kazakhstan — shared taxis run to the Kegen/Karkara border crossing (~£8-12), then onward transport towards Charyn. Charyn Canyon ('Valley of Castles') is best reached by shared taxi from Almaty or a day-trip minibus; view the Moon and Black Canyons from the rim trails. Late afternoon marshrutka or shared taxi into Almaty (~£5-7). Check into a hostel or budget hotel near Panfilov Park.
🚌Shared taxis + border crossing ~£15-18 pp
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Almaty (~£15)
- →Karkara valley drive
- →Charyn Canyon viewpoints
- →Moon & Black Canyon photo stops
Esik Burial Mounds, Golden Man museum & Issyk Lake
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Take a marshrutka to Esik (~£1.50, 45 mins) and visit the Scythian-Saka burial mounds and the Esik State Historical & Cultural Museum, home to the famous 'Golden Man' finds. Taxi up to nearby Issyk Lake and walk the southern shore (~£8 return). Back in Almaty for dinner at a cheap Kazakh canteen (beshbarmak or kazy, ~£6).
🚌Marshrutka to Esik ~£1.50; taxi to lake ~£8 return
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Almaty (~£15)
- →Esik Burial Mounds
- →Esik Museum & Golden Man
- →Issyk Lake walk
Almaty highlights & night flight/train to Tashkent
Almaty → Tashkent
Morning self-guided city walk: Zhenkov (Ascension) Cathedral — a Tsarist-era wooden cathedral built without nails — then Panfilov Park with the 28 Guardsmen monument and eternal flame, and the small Museum of National Instruments. Evening: either a cheap flight Almaty-Tashkent (~£60-80 on Uzbekistan Airways/Air Astana) or the slower overland route via Shymkent (train ~£20, adds a day).
🚌City metro ~£0.50; Almaty-Tashkent flight ~£70 or train ~£20
🛏Guesthouse in Tashkent (~£14)
- →Zhenkov Cathedral
- →Panfilov Park
- →Museum of National Instruments
- →Green Bazaar
Tashkent old city & metro
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Register your stay (hotels do this automatically — keep the slips). Explore the Hast Imam complex with the Uthman Qur'an, then ride the gloriously decorated Soviet metro stations (each stop is a museum, a day pass is pennies). Evening walk around Independence Square and the Old City's Chorsu Bazaar for samsa and plov.
🚌Metro ~£0.50 total
🛏Guesthouse in Tashkent (~£14)
- →Hast Imam complex
- →Chorsu Bazaar
- →Soviet metro station tour
- →Independence Square
Tashkent to Samarkand by Afrosiyob train
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Book the Afrosiyob high-speed train to Samarkand (book online or at the station, ~£10-15, 2h10). Drop bags at a guesthouse in the old town and take a first wander to Registan Square at sunset, when it's floodlit and far quieter. Optional local guide for a couple of hours (£10-15 pp shared).
🚌Afrosiyob high-speed train ~£12
🛏Guesthouse near Registan, Samarkand (~£14)
- →Afrosiyob train
- →Registan Square at sunset
Samarkand's Silk Road monuments
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Full day on foot with a combined monument ticket (~£12): Registan's three madrasahs, Gur Emir Mausoleum (Tamerlane's tomb), Bibi Khanum Mosque, the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis of 14th-15th century tiled mausoleums, Siab Bazaar for bread and dried fruit, Ulughbek's Observatory, and the Konigil paper mill where silk paper is still made by hand (taxi ~£2-3).
🚌Walking + short taxi to Konigil ~£3
🛏Guesthouse in Samarkand (~£14)
- →Registan Square
- →Gur Emir Mausoleum
- →Bibi Khanum Mosque
- →Shah-i-Zinda
- →Siab Bazaar
- →Ulughbek Observatory
- →Konigil paper factory
Samarkand to Bukhara by shared taxi or train
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Morning free in Samarkand to revisit Shah-i-Zinda in soft light. Then the shared taxi to Bukhara (~£8-10 pp, 4hrs) or the slower Sharq train (~£6). Arrive and settle into a courtyard guesthouse inside the old town walls. Evening wander around Lyabi Khauz pond with the Kukeldash Madrasah and tea houses.
🚌Shared taxi Samarkand-Bukhara ~£9
🛏Old-town guesthouse in Bukhara (~£14)
- →Morning walk in Samarkand
- →Lyabi Khauz complex
- →Kukeldash Madrasah
Bukhara old city — Poi Kalyan & Ark
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
City day: the Poi Kalyan complex with its 47m Kalyan Minaret, Kalyan Mosque and Miri-Arab Madrasah, then the Ark Citadel (khans' fortress) and the Samanid Mausoleum for early Islamic brickwork. Watch the sunset from the neighbouring Chashma Ayub area and eat at a plov house (~£5).
🚌Walking
🛏Old-town guesthouse in Bukhara (~£14)
- →Poi Kalyan complex
- →Kalyan Minaret & Mosque
- →Ark Citadel
- →Samanid Mausoleum
- →Miri-Arab Madrasah
Bukhara backstreets & Chor Minor
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
A slower day: Chor Minor's four-towered gatehouse, the Jewish quarter and synagogue, Bukhara's trading domes (Toki Zargaron, Toki Sarrafon), the Bolo Hauz Mosque and the Summer Palace of the Emirs if time permits. Optional hammam visit (~£10) or a drink on a rooftop terrace over the minaret.
🚌Walking + short taxi ~£2
🛏Old-town guesthouse in Bukhara (~£14)
- →Chor Minor
- →Trading domes
- →Bolo Hauz Mosque
- →Sitorai Mohi Xosa summer palace
- →Optional hammam
Desert fortresses of ancient Khorezm, on to Khiva
Khiva, Uzbekistan
Shared taxi or hired car north (~£20-25 for the car, split between travellers) to visit the desert castles of ancient Khorezm: Toprak-Qala (2,000-year-old ruined city fortress), Ayaz-Qala (6th century) and Qizil-Qala, with the Sultan Vais mountains behind. Continue to Khiva and overnight inside the walled Ichan-Qala.
🚌Hired/shared car Bukhara-Khiva with fortress stops ~£15-20 pp
🛏Guesthouse inside Ichan-Qala, Khiva (~£14)
- →Toprak-Qala fortress
- →Ayaz-Qala
- →Qizil-Qala oasis
- →Sultan Vais mountains
Khiva old city walking day
Khiva, Uzbekistan
Buy the Ichan-Qala combined ticket (~£8-10) and work your way through the walled city: Kunya-Ark fortress and khan's residence, the Kalta Minar (the unfinished 'short' minaret), Pakhlavan Makhmud mausoleum's extraordinary tiled courtyard, the Juma Mosque with 218 carved wooden columns, and the Islam Khodja minaret for the best sunset view over the rooftops.
🚌Walking
🛏Guesthouse inside Ichan-Qala, Khiva (~£14)
- →Kunya-Ark fortress
- →Kalta Minar
- →Pakhlavan Makhmud mausoleum
- →Juma Mosque
- →Islam Khodja minaret at sunset
Depart from Urgench
Khiva → Urgench
Last morning wander in the caravanserais and tea houses. Shared taxi or local bus to Urgench airport (~£3-5, 40 mins) for onward flights (Turkish Airlines to Istanbul, or via Tashkent). Extend in Khiva or continue overland to Nukus and the Aral Sea if you have time.
🚌Shared taxi Khiva-Urgench airport ~£4
🛏—
- →Final wander in Ichan-Qala
- →Flight out of Urgench
Self-launched vs. Exodus Adventure Travels
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Exodus Adventure Travels | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,082 | £4,500 |
| Duration | 16 days | 16 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £3,418 per person (76%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Exodus Adventure Travels-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,082
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does The Silk Road: Bishkek to Khiva (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,082 per person for 16 days in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Exodus Adventure Travels?+
Yes — Exodus Adventure Travels charges around £4,500 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,082 — a saving of roughly £3,418 (76%) per person.
How long is the Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan trip?+
This itinerary runs 16 days, covering 16 day-by-day stops through Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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