Journeys

The Silk Road circuit

The Silk Road by Afrosiyob: Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, and Tashkent in one seamless arc

The morning call to prayer echoes across a city that has traded silk, spice, and ideas for two thousand years. This is the Silk Road — and you move through it without retracing a single step. Uzbekistan Airways flies you direct to Tashkent in three and a half hours. From there, Alp Travel Co. routes you west to Khiva, then east through Bukhara and Samarkand, and back to Tashkent. Domestic flights and the high-speed Afrosiyob train handle every transfer. Breakfasts are included throughout. Private guides go deep, not wide. Room upgrades are applied where available. You cover four cities. You never rush.

One ticket. Four ancient cities. Zero backtracking.

How it unfolds

FLY IN
Flight · 3h 30m DEL→TAS, Uzbekistan Airways HY 426, ~3h30m, direct
DAYS 1–2

Tashkent — InterContinental Tashkent by IHG

Chorsu Bazaar hits you first — pyramids of dried apricots, the sharp tang of spices, vendors calling across the crowd. This is your introduction to Tashkent. You stay at the InterContinental Tashkent by IHG, where a room upgrade greets you on arrival. A private guide takes you through the Khast Imam Complex to see the seventh-century Uthman Quran in person. Then you go underground. The Tashkent Metro tour moves through Soviet-era stations that double as art galleries. Each stop is a different era.

  • Chorsu Bazaar guided food walk · 2h Best in late morning for fresh produce and plov tasting
  • Khast Imam Complex and Uthman Quran · 2h Visit just before sunset for golden light on the tilework
  • Tashkent Metro art tour · 1.5h Go midday to avoid commuter crowds and see the mosaics
Flight · 1h 30m TAS→Urgench, Uzbekistan Airways HY 051, ~1h30m, direct; private car transfer to Khiva (40 min)
DAYS 3–4

Khiva

You fly to Urgench and drive straight to Khiva. Orient Star Khiva puts you inside Itchan Kala’s mud-brick walls — the old city is your front yard. A private tour covers the Kunya Ark citadel and the unfinished Kalta Minor minaret up close. Late afternoon, you climb the ramparts as the light turns gold. That evening, a cooking class in a local home teaches you to roll somsa from scratch. You eat what you make.

  • Itchan Kala UNESCO fortress private tour · 3h Early evening for atmospheric photos and fewer crowds
  • Kunya Ark sunset ramparts walk · 1h Arrive 30 minutes before sunset for panoramic views
  • Uzbek cooking class in a local home · 2h Late afternoon session with dinner included
Train · 4h 30m Urgench→Bukhara, Afrosiyob high-speed train, ~4.5h, 2x weekly
DAYS 5–6

Bukhara

The Afrosiyob train delivers you to Bukhara in under two hours. Mercure Bukhara Old Town keeps you steps from the action. You start at Lyabi-Hauz Square with a tea house crawl — three stops, three brews, one long conversation with your guide. The Po-i-Kalyan complex follows: minaret, mosque, and the Kalon Friday Mosque all in one courtyard. Your afternoon ends at Bozori Kord hammam. The steam does the work.

  • Lyabi-Hauz square and tea house crawl · 2h Begin at dusk as the square lights up and locals gather
  • Po-i-Kalyan minaret and mosque tour · 1.5h Morning for best light and quieter experience
  • Hammam experience at Bozori Kord · 2h Book for late afternoon to unwind after sightseeing
Train · 1h 30m Bukhara→Samarkand, Afrosiyob high-speed train, ~1.5h, daily
DAYS 7–8

Samarkand

Samarkand arrives fast on the Afrosiyob. Your base is DiliMah Premium Luxury Hotel, a restored mansion with a complimentary breakfast spread worth waking early for. You reach Registan Square at dawn before the tour groups arrive — three madrassas, one empty plaza, and the light doing everything. Shah-i-Zinda necropolis comes next: a lane of fourteenth-century tiled mausoleums, each one different. The afternoon is a plov masterclass. You cook the national dish over an open flame and eat it with the family who taught you.

  • Registan Square dawn access · 1.5h Arrive at sunrise for empty courtyards and golden light
  • Shah-i-Zinda necropolis guided walk · 2h Late afternoon for vibrant tile colors in slanting sun
  • Samarkand plov masterclass · 2h Midday session with lunch included
Train · 2h Samarkand→Tashkent, Afrosiyob high-speed train, ~2h, daily
DAYS 9–10

Tashkent — InterContinental Tashkent by IHG

Tashkent closes the loop. The InterContinental is your base again, familiar now. Broadway Street runs between Amir Temur Square and Mustaqillik Square — galleries, craft stalls, and a good flat white if you know where to look. Your private guide takes you to one of the smaller contemporary art spaces off the main drag. It is not on most itineraries. You leave with a piece of work rolled under your arm and a flight home in the morning.

  • Broadway Street stroll and local art galleries · 1.5h Evening for lively street scene and pop-up artists

Where we stay

Hotels on this journey

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Tashkent

InterContinental Tashkent by IHG

VIA IHG DESTINED

Tashkent, Uzbekistan · World of Hyatt

Hyatt Regency Tashkent

Breakfast. Central location. Rooftop bar.

Khiva, Uzbekistan

Orient Star Khiva

Stay inside the Itchan Kala fortress. Breakfast in ancient madrasa.

Bukhara, Uzbekistan · Accor

Mercure Bukhara Old Town

Breakfast. Steps from Lyabi-Hauz. Rooftop terrace.

Samarkand, Uzbekistan

DiliMah Premium Luxury Hotel

Breakfast. Modern comfort near Registan.

Destination

Explore the place

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Central Asia & Caucasus

Uzbekistan

Three Silk Road cities in five days. The tilework alone earns the flight.

BEST MARCH–MAY (SPRING, ROSES) AND SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER (HARVEST, GOLDEN LIGHT) • VISA: E-VISA

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From our travellers

"Japan was on our list for years, but we never quite knew where to start. Abhi built something we would never have found on our own — a private ryokan in the mountains, a tea ceremony that wasn't on any travel site, Kyoto without the crowds. Every day felt considered."
Priya & Rahul S. · Mumbai PRIVATE ACCESS · KYOTO

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