Uzbekistan and the Silk Road 2027

Bukhara invites a blend of guided exploration and time to wander independently among its old streets, with a puppet-making workshop and a home-hosted lunch adding local colour. A short train ride from Bukhara brings the group to Samarkand, where medley of tiled mausoleums rub shoulders with the bustle of the Siab bazaar. There’s a wine tasting at a 19th-century winery as well as the option to visit the 14th-century birthplace of Timur, complete with towering palace ruins.

The tour ends in Tashkent, where Soviet-era architecture and bazaars mingle. The fashionably fast trains between cities offer a chance to watch the changing landscape – desert giving way to oasis towns. The pace balances history-heavy days with some unstructured hours, making it less about ticking boxes and more about quiet appreciation.