Self-Launched Treasures of Uzbekistan: Tashkent to Samarkand
10 days · Uzbekistan
Explore! charges £2,260
No-markup version: ~£1,150 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, solo-friendly version of Explore!'s 10-day "Upgraded - Treasures of Uzbekistan" — same Silk Road route (Tashkent → Nukus → Khiva → Bukhara → Samarkand) but booked independently using guesthouses, budget boutique hotels, the Afrosiyob high-speed train, shared taxis and self-bookable museum entries. You'll swap the 4-star group hotels and included guide for locally-run stays and hire-a-guide-when-you-need-one flexibility, and cut the cost by roughly 55-60% versus the US$2,870 operator price. All costs are approximate per-person estimates in GBP and exclude international flights and travel insurance.
Day-by-day
Arrive Tashkent & old-town evening
Tashkent
Land at Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport, change some cash to UZS at the airport (rates are fine, but avoid the tiny booths outside) and pick up a local SIM/eSIM from Ucell or Beeline for around £5-8. Take Yandex Go (the local ride-hailing app, ~£2-3) or the airport bus into the centre and check into a mid-range guesthouse near Amir Timur Square or the Chorsu area. In the evening, wander Navruz Park's canal, ride the wildly ornate Kosmonavtlar metro station (a £0.15 token), and eat plov or lagman at a local chaikhana (tea house) for ~£5.
🚌Airport bus or Yandex Go (~£2-3); metro tickets ~£0.15 each
🛏Guesthouse near Amir Timur Square, double/twin ensuite, ~£25/night
- →Airport transfer to city centre via Yandex Go
- →Navruz Park canal walk
- →Metro station-hopping (Kosmonavtlar, Alisher Navoi)
- →Cheap dinner at a chaikhana
Tashkent: Khast Imom, Chorsu Bazaar & ceramics workshop
Tashkent
Self-guided walking day. Start at the Khast Imom Complex (Barak-Khan Madrasah, Moyie Mubarek Library with its 7th-century Uthman Quran) — entry is free or a few thousand sum. Cross town on the metro to Chorsu Bazaar for bread, dried fruit, spices and qazi. In the afternoon, book a 2-hour ceramic-pottery workshop through Klook or GetYourGuide (roughly £20-25) or arrange it directly at the Rishtan ceramics centre. Finish on the Broadway pedestrian alley and Amir Timur Square. Optional: the Centre of Islamic Civilisation museum (~£4).
🚌Metro tokens ~£0.30 total; walking between central sights
🛏Guesthouse near Amir Timur Square, ~£25/night
- →Khast Imom Complex & Uthman Quran library
- →Chorsu Bazaar food wander
- →Ceramic pottery workshop (self-booked, ~£22)
- →Amir Timur Square and Broadway alley
- →Optional: Centre of Islamic Civilisation museum
Fly to Nukus & the Savitsky Museum
Nukus
Book a morning Uzbekistan Airways or Silk Avia flight from Tashkent to Nukus in advance (roughly £50-70 one-way, 1h40). Check into a simple 3-star hotel or guesthouse in Nukus (~£22/night). Spend the afternoon in the Savitsky Museum — the world's second-largest collection of Russian avant-garde art, and genuinely worth 2-3 hours. Entry is about £6, and you can pay ~£8 extra for an English-speaking guide at the desk. Take a shared taxi or Yandex out to the Mizdakhan Necropolis (15 min, ~£3) in the late afternoon light.
🚌Domestic flight; local taxis ~£5 total
🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel in Nukus, ~£22/night
- →Flight Tashkent–Nukus (~£55)
- →Savitsky Museum (entry ~£6)
- →Mizdakhan Necropolis by taxi
Nukus to Khiva via the desert fortresses
Khiva
Hire a car and driver for the day through your guesthouse or a Nukus tour desk (~£45-60 for the car shared between 2-4 people; solo travellers can post in the Uzbekistan backpackers Facebook group to split it). Head south through the Valley of 50 Kalas: stop at Chilpik Dakhma (Tower of Silence), the ancient fortress-city of Toprak Kala, and Ayaz Kala if time allows. Arrive in Khiva by late afternoon (about 5 hours total driving) and check into a family guesthouse inside or beside the Ichan-Kala walls (~£25/night). Climb the city walls for sunset, then dinner of shivit oshi or shashlik (~£6).
🚌Private car and driver for the day (~£50 shared)
🛏Family guesthouse in/near Ichan-Kala, ~£25/night
- →Chilpik Dakhma
- →Toprak Kala fortress ruins
- →Valley of 50 Kalas desert drive
- →Sunset on the Ichan-Kala walls
Khiva old city & Shivit Oshi cooking class
Khiva
Buy a combined Ichan-Kala ticket (roughly £10-12) that covers Kalta Minor Minaret, the Islam Khodja Madrasah and museum, the Juma Mosque with its 200 carved wooden columns, Tash Hauli Palace, the Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum and the Ak Mosque. Climb the Islam Khodja minaret for the city view (~£2). In the afternoon, book a 2-3 hour home cooking demonstration of shivit oshi — green dill noodles — through Klook or via your guesthouse host for around £18-22, and eat what you cook. Evening free for souvenir shopping.
🚌All on foot inside the walled city
🛏Family guesthouse in/near Ichan-Kala, ~£25/night
- →Ichan-Kala combined museum ticket
- →Islam Khodja minaret climb
- →Juma Mosque and Tash Hauli Palace
- →Shivit Oshi cooking class (~£20)
Khiva to Bukhara
Bukhara
Two options: the daily Utair/Uzbekistan Airways flight Khiva (Urgench) to Bukhara, about £45-60 and 1h20; or the shared taxi / minivan across the Kizilkum Desert to Bukhara, roughly 6-7 hours and £15-20 per seat, arranged through your guesthouse. Either way, arrive in Bukhara and check into a small boutique guesthouse in the old town (~£28/night). See the Kalyan Mosque and minaret in the late afternoon light, then eat at a rooftop restaurant off Lyabi Khauze Square (~£8). The Shukhov water tower can be climbed for city views (~£3).
🚌Flight (~£50) or shared minivan (~£18)
🛏Boutique guesthouse in Bukhara old town, ~£28/night
- →Kizilkum Desert crossing
- →Kalyan Mosque and minaret
- →Lyabi Khauze Square evening
- →Rooftop dinner
Bukhara: Ark citadel & the old town
Bukhara
Buy the combined Bukhara ticket (roughly £8-10) covering the Ark Citadel and its museums, the Bolo Khauz Mosque, the Samanid Mausoleum and the Magoki Attar Mosque, then walk the 16th-century trading domes (Toki Zargaron, Toki Sarrofon). Optional afternoon: a traditional hammam at Hamam Bozori-Kord (men) or Kunjak (women) for around £10-15. Finish with a slow dinner at a chaikhana on Lyabi Khauze.
🚌All on foot
🛏Boutique guesthouse in Bukhara old town, ~£28/night
- →Ark Citadel and museums
- →Bolo Khauz Mosque
- →Samanid Mausoleum
- →Trading domes shopping
- →Optional hammam (~£12)
Afrosiyob train to Samarkand & Registan light show
Samarkand
Book the Afrosiyob high-speed train Bukhara to Samarkand online at railway.uz in advance — about £12-18 in second/economy class, 1h40. Check into a guesthouse or small hotel near the Registan (~£28/night). Afternoon: Gur-e-Amir, Timur's blue-tiled mausoleum (~£4). Stay out after dark for the Registan Square light-and-sound show, which runs most evenings and is free to watch from the square (a paid entry ticket for the madrasah interiors is ~£6).
🚌Afrosiyob train (~£15); local taxis ~£3
🛏Guesthouse near Registan, ~£28/night
- →Afrosiyob high-speed train to Samarkand
- →Gur-e-Amir mausoleum
- →Registan Square illuminated at night
Samarkand: Shakhi-Zinda, Bibi-Khanym & a plov dinner
Samarkand
Start early at Shakhi-Zinda necropolis (~£3) before the tour buses arrive, then walk down to Bibi-Khanym Mosque (~£4) and the Siab Bazaar for bread and fruit. In the afternoon, visit a silk carpet workshop in the old town (many are free to enter; a demonstration and purchase is optional) and take a paid guided tour of the Registan's three madrasahs (~£6). For dinner, book a plov cooking demonstration and meal at a local family home through GetYourGuide or your guesthouse (~£18-22).
🚌Walking plus a couple of short taxis (~£5)
🛏Guesthouse near Registan, ~£28/night
- →Shakhi-Zinda necropolis
- →Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Siab Bazaar
- →Silk carpet workshop visit
- →Plov cooking demonstration and dinner (~£20)
Samarkand extras & departure
Samarkand
Morning free for the things the group tour only lists as optional: the Meros paper factory at Konigil (traditional silk-paper making, ~£3), the Afrosiyob Museum with its 7th-century murals (~£4), and Ulugh Beg's Observatory (~£4). Then take a Yandex Go to Samarkand International Airport (~£3) for your onward flight, or the Afrosiyob train back to Tashkent (~£15) if you're flying home from there.
🚌Yandex Go to airport (~£3) or Afrosiyob train to Tashkent (~£15)
🛏Departure day — no overnight
- →Konigil paper factory
- →Afrosiyob Museum
- →Ulugh Beg Observatory
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Explore!
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Explore! | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,150 | £2,260 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,110 per person (49%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Explore!-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,150
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.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Treasures of Uzbekistan: Tashkent to Samarkand cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,150 per person for 10 days in 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 Explore!?+
Yes — Explore! charges around £2,260 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,150 — a saving of roughly £1,110 (49%) per person.
How long is the Uzbekistan trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through 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 culture, slow-travel, budget trip through 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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