Uzbekistan & Tajikistan Silk Road: Self-Launched Seven Lakes Adventure
12 days · Uzbekistan & Tajikistan
G Adventures charges £1,520
No-markup version: ~£790 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, hostel-and-guesthouse version of the classic 12-day Tashkent–Khiva–Bukhara–Samarkand–Seven Lakes loop. You'll ride Uzbekistan's cheap and comfortable rail network (including a night train), sleep in budget guesthouses and homestays, cross the Jartepa/Panjakent border by shared taxi, and hike to the Seventh Lake in the Fann Mountains on foot. All bookings are made directly or via local apps — no group, no CEO, your own pace. Costs are approximate backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Tashkent — metro-hopping and plov
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Land at Tashkent International, take the official taxi desk or Yandex Go (~£4–6) into the city centre and check into a hostel in the Mirzo Ulugbek or Chorsu area. Wander Chorsu Bazaar for dried fruit and non bread, ride the famously ornate Soviet-era metro stations (a 1,400 som token, under £0.10), and grab dinner at a plov centre or chaikhana for £4–6. Buy your Khiva train ticket online today if you haven't already (Uzbekistan Railways / railway.uz, book 3–7 days ahead in high season).
🚌Airport taxi via Yandex Go ~£5; metro/walking thereafter
🛏Hostel dorm in central Tashkent, ~£12/night
- →Chorsu Bazaar wander
- →Tashkent metro station-hopping
- →Evening plov dinner
Tashkent sights, then overnight train to Khiva
Tashkent → Khiva
Morning at the Khast Imam complex (Barak Khan Madrasah, the Uthman Quran) or the Applied Arts Museum (~£3). Afternoon free — consider the Institute of Sun solar furnace day trip if you're keen (a shared taxi or local tour runs around £20–25). Evening: board the overnight train to Khiva (a couchette berth costs roughly £10–15 and arrives around midday). Stock up on snacks and water at the station.
🚌Overnight train Tashkent–Khiva, ~£12
🛏Overnight train, couchette berth
- →Khast Imam complex
- →Applied Arts Museum
- →Overnight train ride
Khiva's walled ichan-kala
Khiva, Uzbekistan
Arrive Khiva around midday, walk 10 minutes into the walled Ichon-Qala and drop your bag at a family guesthouse. Explore on foot: Islam Khodja Minaret (climb for ~£2), Kalta Minor, the Juma Mosque and the city walls at sunset. Many sights are covered by a combined ticket (~£8–10). Dinner at a rooftop terrace restaurant for £5–7.
🚌Walkable old town
🛏Guesthouse in the old town, ~£15/night
- →Ichon-Qala self-guided walk
- →Islam Khodja Minaret climb
- →City wall sunset
Khiva at leisure, evening train to Bukhara
Khiva → Bukhara
A free morning in Khiva — visit the Tosh-Hovli Palace and silk carpet workshops, or hire a bike. Book the afternoon/evening train to Bukhara on railway.uz (Afrosiyob or Sharq service, ~£6–10, 6 hours). Arrive Bukhara late and walk or take a short taxi to a guesthouse in the old town; most guesthouses will hold a late check-in for you.
🚌Train Khiva–Bukhara ~£8
🛏Old-town guesthouse, ~£15/night
- →Tosh-Hovli Palace
- →Carpet workshop visit
- →Evening train
Bukhara old town and a hammam
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Self-guided loop of the Lyabi-Hauz plaza, Chor Minor, the Kalon Minaret complex and the Ark Fortress (sights £2–4 each). Afternoon: book a traditional hammam (a public bath massage is around £20–30 — far cheaper than a private guide) or a half-day walking tour via GetYourGuide/local operators from about £15. Evening at a courtyard restaurant with Bukhara-style dumplings, £5–8.
🚌Walking
🛏Old-town guesthouse, ~£15/night
- →Kalon Minaret & Ark Fortress
- →Bukhara hammam
- →Optional local walking tour
Bukhara free day, evening train to Samarkand
Bukhara → Samarkand
Wander the UNESCO-listed old town, visit the Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa summer palace by shared taxi (~£2), or take a short plov cooking class (~£15–20). Grab an evening train to Samarkand (~£8–12, 1.5–3 hrs depending on service) and check into a guesthouse near the Registan.
🚌Train Bukhara–Samarkand ~£10
🛏Guesthouse near Registan, ~£15/night
- →Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa palace
- →Optional plov cooking class
- →Free-time bazaar browsing
Samarkand: Registan, Gur-e-Amir and Shah-i-Zinda
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Build your own portrait-day of Samarkand: Registan at opening (£4), Gur-e-Amir mausoleum (£2), Bibi-Khanym Mosque (£2), and the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis (£2). Lunch at the Siab Bazaar, then visit the Ulugh Beg Observatory (£2). Optionally add a silk-paper-making workshop at Konigil Village (~£10, shared taxi). Evening: try Samarkand's famous non bread with tea.
🚌Walking / shared taxi to Konigil ~£3
🛏Guesthouse near Registan, ~£15/night
- →Registan ensemble
- →Gur-e-Amir mausoleum
- →Shah-i-Zinda necropolis
- →Optional Konigil silk-paper workshop
Border crossing and the first of the Seven Lakes
Samarkand → Marguzor, Tajikistan
Take a shared taxi from Samarkand to the Jartepa border (~£8, 1 hr). Cross on foot into Tajikistan at Panjakent (bring USD/GBP cash — ATMs are unreliable here), then grab a shared taxi into Panjakent bazaar for lunch. Continue by shared taxi/marshrutka to Padrud or Nofin village and check into a homestay (~£15 including dinner). En route, stop at Lakes 1–4 in the Fann Mountains — arrange this with your driver for around £15–20. Note: register your stay with the homestay, who will help with OVIR registration.
🚌Shared taxi to border ~£8; shared taxi to Panjakent ~£3; shared taxi/marshrutka to lakes + village ~£18
🛏Family homestay in Nofin/Padrud, ~£15 including dinner
- →Jartepa/Panjakent border crossing
- →Panjakent bazaar
- →Four Marguzor Lakes by road
Hike to the Seventh Lake
Marguzor, Tajikistan
After breakfast, hike from Lake 6 up to the remote Seventh Lake — roughly 3–4 hours each way with a picnic lunch beside the turquoise water. A local guide from the village costs around £10–15 if you want one, but the trail is clearly defined. Back in the village for dinner: a Tajik barbecue (kebab and fresh bread) at the homestay, ~£5.
🚌On foot
🛏Family homestay in Nofin/Padrud, ~£15 including dinner
- →Lake 6 to Lake 7 hike
- →Lakeside picnic
- →Tajik village barbecue dinner
Back across the border to Samarkand
Marguzor → Samarkand
Shared taxi back to Panjakent, quick look at the Panjakent ruins and Rudaki Museum (~£2) if time allows, then cross the border to Jartepa and take a shared taxi back to Samarkand (~£8–10). Restful evening — grab a cheap dinner and plan the last day in Uzbekistan.
🚌Shared taxi to border + shared taxi to Samarkand, ~£12 total
🛏Guesthouse near Registan, ~£15/night
- →Panjakent ruins & Rudaki Museum
- →Border crossing back to Uzbekistan
Morning train to Tashkent and a night out
Samarkand → Tashkent
Take the Afrosiyob bullet train to Tashkent (~2 hrs, £8–12 — book ahead). Spend the afternoon at the Amir Timur Museum or Hazrati Imam complex, or just cafe-hop. Evening: Tashkent's craft-beer and wine bars in the city centre are lively and friendly — a good solo-traveller night spot. Dinner £6–9.
🚌Afrosiyob train Samarkand–Tashkent ~£10
🛏Hostel dorm in central Tashkent, ~£12/night
- →Amir Timur Museum
- →Hazrati Imam complex
- →Evening bar-hopping in Tashkent
Depart Tashkent
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Final morning for a last bazaar shop for spices and dried fruit, then a taxi to the airport (~£5).
🚌Yandex Go taxi to airport ~£5
🛏None
- →Last-minute bazaar shopping
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£790 | £1,520 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £730 per person (48%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£790
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Uzbekistan & Tajikistan Silk Road: Self-Launched Seven Lakes Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £790 per person for 12 days in Uzbekistan & Tajikistan. 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 £1,520 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £790 — a saving of roughly £730 (48%) per person.
How long is the Uzbekistan & Tajikistan trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 day-by-day stops through Uzbekistan & Tajikistan.
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, adventure, hiking trip through Uzbekistan & Tajikistan, 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.