Best of Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan: Self-Launched Silk Road Adventure
13 days · Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan
G Adventures charges £2,325
No-markup version: ~£1,420 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 13-day Silk Road route from Tashkent to Ashgabat covering Samarkand, a Nurata desert yurt camp on Lake Aydarkul, Bukhara, Khiva, the Dashoguz/Kunya-Urgench area and the Darvaza gas crater. You'll use Uzbekistan's excellent Afrosiyob high-speed trains and shared taxis, book a Turkmenistan Letter of Invitation (LOI) through a local agency (essential — you cannot enter independently without one), and hire a guide-driver for the Turkmenistan leg. Costs are estimates; the Turkmenistan visa, LOI fee and mandatory guided transport are the biggest variable. Note: prices in GBP, approximate current budget/backpacker rates.
Day-by-day
Arrive Tashkent
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Arrive at any time at Tashkent International (TAS). Take the official Yandex Go app taxi or the airport bus to your guesthouse in the old town. Settle in, then wander the Chorsu Bazaar for dinner and a first taste of plov. Pick up a local SIM at the airport or a Ucell/Beeline shop in town. Book tomorrow's Afrosiyob train ticket in advance on the Uzbek Railways site or app.
🚌Airport taxi ~£5 (Yandex Go) or bus ~£0.50
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Tashkent old town (£15–20/night)
- →Chorsu Bazaar wander
- →Metro station architecture walk (Kosmonavtlar, Alisher Navoi)
Tashkent to Samarkand
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Take the morning Afrosiyob high-speed train (2h 10m) from Tashkent to Samarkand. Check in, then walk to Registan Square for the late-afternoon light, the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis and the Bibi-Khanym Mosque. Visit the Siab Bazaar for dried fruit and bread, and the Gur-e-Amir mausoleum (Amir Timur's tomb) in the afternoon.
🚌Afrosiyob high-speed train ~£12–15 (book ahead)
🛏Guesthouse near Registan (£15–20/night)
- →Afrosiyob train Tashkent–Samarkand
- →Registan Square
- →Shah-i-Zinda complex
- →Bibi-Khanym Mosque
- →Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum
- →Siab Bazaar
Free day in Samarkand
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Free day to go deeper. Optional: hire a taxi/marshrutka to the Tomb of Prophet Daniel (Khujand side), or take a shared taxi to Konigil village for a silk-paper making workshop (£8). Spend the evening in a local chaikhana (tea house) by Registan. Purchase a Bukhara train ticket if not already booked.
🚌Local shared taxi/marshrutka ~£3–5
🛏Guesthouse in Samarkand (£15–20/night)
- →Tomb of Prophet Daniel (~£3)
- →Konigil silk paper workshop (~£8)
- →Chaikhana evening
- →Optional local guide for Registan interiors (~£10)
Samarkand to Nurata & Lake Aydarkul yurt camp
Aydarkul, Uzbekistan
Arrange a shared taxi or a small-group day-trip through your guesthouse to the Nurata region. Visit the Chashma Complex with its holy spring and the ruins of Alexander the Great's fortress, then continue to Lake Aydarkul for a swim. Overnight in a yurt camp; camps include dinner and usually a Kazakh singing/music show in the evening.
🚌Shared taxi/day-trip car from Samarkand ~£30–40
🛏Desert yurt camp, shared (£20–30 incl. dinner)
- →Chashma Complex & holy spring
- →Alexander the Great fortress ruins
- →Swim in Lake Aydarkul
- →Yurt camp stay with dinner and Kazakh singing
Aydarkul to Bukhara
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Drive back and take the train or shared taxi onward to Bukhara (direct trains from nearby Navoiy, or a shared taxi). Arrive and get oriented on foot around the Lyabi-Hauz pool. Optional traditional dinner cooked by a local family (£8) or a hammam bathhouse.
🚌Shared taxi Navoiy/Bukhara or train ~£10–15
🛏Guesthouse in Bukhara old town (£15–20/night)
- →Lyabi-Hauz square
- →Old-city bazaar wander
- →Optional local family dinner (~£8)
Bukhara old city
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Explore Bukhara's Old City on a self-guided loop: the Ark Fortress, Poi-Kalyan mosque and minaret, the trading domes, Chor Minor and the Samanid Mausoleum. Optional: watch a puppet show in an old caravanserai (~£5) or a hammam bathhouse (~£25). Drop into the Jewish quarter and synagogue, and the Carpet Museum (~£1).
🚌Walking; local taxi ~£2 for outlying sights
🛏Guesthouse in Bukhara (£15–20/night)
- →Ark Fortress
- →Poi-Kalyan complex
- →Trading domes & artisan shops
- →Samanid Mausoleum
- →Optional hammam (~£25)
Bukhara to Khiva
Khiva, Uzbekistan
A long day's journey through the desert. Take a shared taxi to Urgench (~5–6h, ~£8–12 per seat) then a local taxi to Khiva, or take the slower night train. Check in inside or just outside the walls of Ichon-Qala and take a sunset orientation walk along the mudbrick lanes.
🚌Shared taxi Bukhara–Urgench ~£10, taxi Urgench–Khiva ~£3
🛏Guesthouse inside or beside Ichon-Qala (£15–20/night)
- →Desert crossing
- →Sunset orientation walk in Ichon-Qala
Khiva old town
Khiva, Uzbekistan
Buy a combined Ichan-Qala ticket (~£8) covering most madrassas, mosques and the Juma Minaret climb. Climb the Islam Khodja minaret and the walls for sunset views over sand-coloured rooftops. Browse the bazaar, and hire a local guide for 2–3 hours (~£15) to bring the history to life.
🚌Walking
🛏Guesthouse in Khiva (£15–20/night)
- →Ichon-Qala combined ticket
- →Islam Khodja Minaret
- →City walls sunset views
- →Local guide (optional ~£15)
Khiva to Dashoguz (Turkmenistan border) & Kunya-Urgench
Dashoguz, Turkmenistan
Early taxi to the Shavat/Urgench border crossing. You MUST have a pre-arranged Turkmenistan LOI and visa support through a local agency in advance — independent entry is not possible. Cross, meet your pre-booked driver/guide, and continue to Dashoguz. Visit the UNESCO-listed Kunya-Urgench (ancient Khorezm capital) along the way. Note: Turkmenistan requires a guided driver by law for the visit.
🚌Taxi Khiva–border ~£5; Turkmenistan driver-guide car (part of agency package ~£150–220 for the whole Turkmenistan leg)
🛏Budget hotel in Dashoguz (£25–35/night, usually booked via local agency)
- →Shavat border crossing
- →UNESCO Kunya-Urgench
- →Dashoguz city orientation
Dashoguz to Darvaza gas crater
Darvaza, Turkmenistan
Morning visit to Dashoguz sights (Gorogly Monument, wedding hall, local bazaar), then drive out into the Karakum Desert. Dinner at a yurt camp, then see the fiery Darvaza gas crater ('Gates of Hell') after dark, plus a nearby mud crater. Camp overnight in a yurt under the stars.
🚌Driver-guide 4x4 (agency package)
🛏Desert yurt camp near Darvaza (included in agency package, ~£30–40 equivalent)
- →Dashoguz city tour
- →Karakum desert drive
- →Darvaza gas crater at night
- →Mud crater visit
- →Yurt camp overnight
Darvaza to Ashgabat
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Breakfast at camp, then the long drive to Ashgabat, stopping for photos of the golden sand dunes. Arrive and check into a budget hotel. Optional sunset visit to the Turkmenbashi Ruhy (Gypjak) Mosque with its golden domes and symmetrical minarets.
🚌Driver-guide car (agency package)
🛏Budget hotel in Ashgabat (£30–40/night)
- →Karakum sand dunes stops
- →Optional Gypjak Mosque visit (free)
Ashgabat & ancient Nisa
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Morning city tour of Ashgabat's surreal marble monuments: Independence Monument, Neutrality Arch, and the National Museum of History and Ethnography (~£8). Then out to the UNESCO ruins of ancient Nisa (~£5). Afternoon free to explore Gulistan Bazaar and the city's grand squares.
🚌Driver-guide car (agency package)
🛏Budget hotel in Ashgabat (£30–40/night)
- →Independence Monument
- →Neutrality Arch
- →National Museum (~£8)
- →UNESCO Ancient Nisa (~£5)
- →Gulistan Bazaar
Depart Ashgabat
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Transfer to Ashgabat airport for your onward flight (most travellers fly via Istanbul or Dubai). Check your luggage before departure — no souvenirs you can't legally export, and keep your LOI paperwork handy in case of exit checks.
🚌Airport taxi ~£5
🛏N/A — departure day
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,420 | £2,325 |
| Duration | 13 days | 13 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £905 per person (39%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,420
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 Best of Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan: Self-Launched Silk Road Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,420 per person for 13 days in Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan. 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 £2,325 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,420 — a saving of roughly £905 (39%) per person.
How long is the Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan trip?+
This itinerary runs 13 days, covering 13 day-by-day stops through Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan.
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, backpacker trip through Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan, 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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