Uzbekistan: Samarkand, Bukhara & the Ancient Silk Road

This eight-night tour with G Adventures sets off from Tashkent, Uzbekistan's capital, where the pace of Central Asia first hits you amid the sprawling Chorsu Bazaar and Soviet-era architecture. A high-speed train then whisks the group to Samarkand, home to Registan Square—an impressive ensemble of madrassahs that define Silk Road grandiosity.

Samarkand surprises with a hands-on paper workshop and the chance to cook plov with a local family, grounding this historical journey in present-day life. In Bukhara, the tour slows to a stroll through a maze of ancient alleyways, with visits to the Ark Fortress and Po-i-Kalyan complex, where minaret shadows stretch long. The walled city of Khiva feels suspended in time, its minarets and mosques largely untouched by modernity, concluding a route that threads through silk, spice, and centuries of history.

Led by a Chief Experience Officer, the small group is encouraged to engage with local crafts and culture without the rush, making space for curiosity and the occasional unexpected moment that often distinguishes memorable travel.