Silk Road Wonders: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan & Tajikistan — Self-Launched
12 days · Uzbekistan
G Adventures charges £2,140
No-markup version: ~£1,340 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched take on G Adventures' 12-day Ashgabat-to-Tashkent Silk Road route covering Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. You'll do the same big swings — marble Ashgabat, the Darvaza gas crater by night, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, and a Tajik mountain-lake finale at the Seven Lakes — but on public transport, shared taxis and trains, sleeping in hostels, guesthouses and a desert yurt camp. The one genuine barrier to DIY here is Turkmenistan's mandatory state-licensed guide, which effectively forces a booked 3-4 day private/agency package; that's the single biggest cost driver and the reason savings are more modest than on a typical tour. Beyond that (Uzbekistan and Tajikistan), everything is easily self-bookable. Costs are rough, per-person estimates for one traveller sharing a twin/dorm, excluding international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Ashgabat — marble city orientation
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Fly into Ashgabat early (Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, or FlyDubai via Dubai). Turkmenistan requires a pre-arranged Letter of Invitation from a licensed agency and a mandatory guided presence — realistically most independents book a 3-4 day Ashgabat/Darvaza/Dashoguz package through an agency like Owadan Tourism, StanTours or Ayan Travel, which includes LOI, visa support, driver and guiding. Settle in, then walk the white-marble centre: Independence Monument, the Wedding Palace, Alem Cultural Centre and the (oddly empty) parks and fountains. Russian bazaar for people-watching and cheap lunch. The agency handles the ~£80-95 visa-on-arrival fee in USD cash (bring crisp post-2009 notes) plus the ~£33 arrival PCR/antigen test.
🚌Airport taxi ~£4-6; city walking plus cheap shared taxis ~£1-2 a hop
🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in Ashgabat (£25-35, e.g. a small city-centre hotel booked via the agency)
- →Ashgabat marble city walk
- →Russian Bazaar
- →Independence Monument & Fountain Complex
National Museum, Old Nisa & the Gates of Hell
Ashgabat → Darvaza, Turkmenistan
Morning at the National Museum (roughly £8 entry with guide) for Parthian and Silk Road collections, then out to UNESCO-listed Old Nisa, the ruined Parthian fortress city on the Kopet Dag foothills. After lunch, the agency 4x4 drives you ~4 hours across the Karakum Desert to the Darvaza gas crater. Arrive before sunset, eat beside the pits, and stay up for the crater's fire glow under a proper desert starfield — one of the trip's true highlights. Yurt camp has basic shared bathrooms and beds.
🚌Private 4x4 with agency driver ~£60-80 per person for the round trip segment
🛏Desert yurt camp beside Darvaza crater (£15-25 incl. dinner/breakfast, shared bathrooms)
- →National Museum of Turkmenistan
- →Old Nisa UNESCO site
- →Darvaza gas crater at night
Dashoguz & border crossing into Uzbekistan
Darvaza → Dashoguz → Khiva, Uzbekistan
Breakfast at the yurt, then drive north (~3h) to Dashoguz. If time allows, dip into the local history museum, then head for the Shavat/Dashoguz border crossing to Uzbekistan — a straightforward but paperwork-heavy crossing (allow 1-2 hours; your Turkmen guide/agency runs the formalities). On the Uzbek side, change money and take a shared taxi or marshrutka to Khiva (~45 min, ~£2). Check into a guesthouse inside or just outside the Ichan Kala walls, and wander the illuminated old town in the evening.
🚌Agency transfer to border, then shared taxi Dashoguz–Khiva ~£2
🛏Guesthouse in Khiva Ichan Kala (£15-22, twin room)
- →Dashoguz regional museum (optional)
- →Dashoguz border crossing
- →Evening wander of Khiva old town
Khiva: living Silk Road museum
Khiva, Uzbekistan
Khiva is compact and easy to do independently. Buy the combined Ichan Kala ticket (roughly £10-12, covers most monuments) and work through the Kunya-Ark citadel, Tash-Khovli Palace, Juma Mosque's carved-wood pillars, Pakhlavan Mahmud mausoleum and the Islam Khodja minaret — climb that one for the best rooftop view of the city. Add a short local guide from the guesthouse (~£15-20 split between a few travellers) if you want the stories. Afternoon is free: browse carpet and suzani shops or sit on a chaikhana terrace. Cheap, memorable plov for dinner.
🚌Walking
🛏Guesthouse in Khiva Ichan Kala
- →Ichan Kala combined monument ticket
- →Islam Khodja minaret climb
- →Juma Mosque
- →Kunya-Ark citadel
Train to Bukhara via Urgench
Khiva → Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Take a shared taxi (~£3) or marshrutka to Urgench station, then the daytime Afrosiyob/Sharq train to Bukhara (roughly £8-12 second class, 5-6h, buy on the Uzbekistan Railways app or at the station a few days ahead). Watch the Kyzylkum edge and cotton fields roll past. Arrive Bukhara in the late afternoon, check into a courtyard guesthouse in the Old City, and do your own orientation loop: Lyabi-Hauz pool, the three trading domes, and the Poi Kalyan ensemble floodlit after dark.
🚌Shared taxi to Urgench + Uzbekistan Railways train ~£11
🛏Old City courtyard guesthouse, Bukhara (£14-20 twin)
- →Train journey across the steppe
- →Lyabi-Hauz and trading domes orientation walk
Bukhara: mosques, madrassas & a hammam
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Book a half-day walking guide via GetYourGuide or through your guesthouse (~£25-35 per person for a small group) covering the Samanid Mausoleum, Chashma Ayub, Bolo-Hauz Mosque, the Ark Fortress and Poi Kalyan. Afternoon: DIY the artisan workshops (suzani embroidery, brass, pottery) and the covered bazaars. In the evening take a traditional hammam bathhouse (roughly £25-30 — cheaper than the tour's quoted $35) or join a plov cooking class at a family guesthouse (~£15-20). Say yes to a rooftop chaikhana sunset.
🚌Walking
🛏Old City courtyard guesthouse, Bukhara
- →Half-day guided walking tour of Bukhara
- →Bukhara hammam
- →Uzbek cooking class (optional)
Bukhara mornings & train to Samarkand
Bukhara → Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Slow morning in the old alleyways — head early to the trading domes before the tour buses, or take an artisan workshop walk. Mid-afternoon board the train to Samarkand (Sharq or Afrosiyob, ~£8-10, 2.5-4h depending on service). On arrival, grab a Yandex taxi to a guesthouse near Registan, then walk down to see Registan Square lit up at night — free, and one of the best first impressions in Central Asia.
🚌Uzbekistan Railways train ~£9; local taxi ~£2
🛏Guesthouse or hostel near Registan, Samarkand (£14-22)
- →Bukhara old town morning
- →Registan Square at night
Samarkand: Registan, Shah-i-Zinda & Siyob Bazaar
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Join a small-group city tour booked via GetYourGuide or a licensed local guide (~£30-40 per person): Registan's three madrassas, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis of tiled tombs, and the Gur-Emir (Amir Timur's mausoleum). Then walk the Siyob Bazaar yourself — buy non bread, dried apricots and spices for the Tajik leg. Optional: Ulugbek Observatory and Afrosiyob Museum in the afternoon, then a hammam or a rooftop dinner overlooking Registan.
🚌Walking + local taxis ~£3
🛏Guesthouse or hostel near Registan, Samarkand
- →Registan Square & madrassas
- →Bibi-Khanym Mosque
- →Shah-i-Zinda necropolis
- →Gur-Emir Mausoleum
- →Siyob Bazaar
Cross into Tajikistan — Seven Lakes & Marguzor
Samarkand → Panjakent → Marguzor, Tajikistan
Take a shared taxi or marshrutka to the Jartepa border crossing (~£5-7, 1h), walk across, then pick up a shared taxi on the Tajik side into Panjakent (~£3). Quick stop at Panjakent market, then a shared taxi or negotiated car up the valley to the Seven Lakes (Haft Kul) and Marguzor village (~£15-25 depending on sharing; agree the price first). Get your Tajikistan e-visa in advance online (~£20-25) — no GBAO permit needed for this route. Check into a village homestay and walk the shoreline of the lower lakes before a home-cooked dinner with the family — this is the cheapest and warmest night of the trip.
🚌Shared taxis Samarkand–border–Panjakent–Marguzor ~£25
🛏Village homestay in Marguzor/Padrud (~£12-15 incl. dinner & breakfast)
- →Jartepa border crossing
- →Panjakent market
- →Seven Lakes (Haft Kul) viewpoints
- →Village walk
Lakes six and seven, then back to Tashkent
Marguzor → Samarkand → Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Lace up for the hike up to the sixth and seventh lakes (3-4h return, no guide needed, just follow the valley path past the shepherds) — the scenery gets wilder and the water bluer as you climb. Descend, eat lunch at the homestay, then retrace the valley to Panjakent, cross back at Jartepa and take a shared taxi to Samarkand. Catch an evening Afrosiyob high-speed train to Tashkent (~£12-15, 2h). Book the train a few days ahead as it sells out; arrive Tashkent late and taxi to your hotel.
🚌Shared taxis back to Samarkand ~£22; Afrosiyob train Samarkand–Tashkent ~£13
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in central Tashkent (£18-28)
- →Hike to lakes 6 & 7
- →Afrosiyob high-speed train ride
Tashkent: Chorsu Bazaar & the metro palaces
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Do a half-day guided Tashkent walk via GetYourGuide (~£25-30) or just self-guide using a metro day pass (cheap, ~£1). Cover Chorsu Bazaar's domed food hall, Hast-Imam complex (including the world's oldest Quran), Independence Square and Amir Timur Square, and most importantly hop on and off the Soviet-era metro — Kosmonavtlar, Alisher Navoiy and Pakhtakor stations are worth the fare alone. Afternoon free for the Applied Arts Museum, a proper Uzbek restaurant dinner, and a last wander down leafy Amir Timur Avenue.
🚌Metro and taxis ~£3
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in central Tashkent
- →Chorsu Bazaar
- →Hast-Imam complex
- →Tashkent Metro station-hopping
- →Independence Square
Depart Tashkent
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Flight home any time. Use the morning for a final wander, pick up last-minute souvenirs (Uzbek ceramics, dried fruit, silk), and take a Yandex taxi to the airport (~£3-5, 20-30 min). If you're flying Wizz or Turkish back to Europe, arrive at least 2.5h early — Tashkent immigration and bag checks can be slow.
🚌Airport taxi ~£4
🛏—
- →Last-minute souvenir shopping
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,340 | £2,140 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £800 per person (37%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,340
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 Silk Road Wonders: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan & Tajikistan — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,340 per person for 12 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,140 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,340 — a saving of roughly £800 (37%) per person.
How long is the Uzbekistan trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 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 adventure, culture, slow-travel 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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