Uzbekistan Grand Tour: Cities of the Silk Road

Dilshod meets you at Tashkent International Airport — formalities are quick, as Uzbekistan is visa-free for UK visitors — and transfers you to the Hyatt Regency. A gentle first evening to recover from the flight, with a welcome dinner of Uzbek classics and an introduction to the journey ahead.

A full, relaxed day exploring the capital. The Khast Imam complex and its 7th-century Uthman Quran; the great covered Chorsu Bazaar; the Amir Timur Museum, a fine introduction to the man and dynasty whose monuments fill the rest of the trip; and the celebrated ornate Metro stations. An afternoon at leisure to rest before the journey west begins tomorrow.

A morning Afrosiyob high-speed train sweeps you to Samarkand in a little over two hours — smooth, modern and air-conditioned. Arrive in time for an afternoon first encounter with the Registan, easing in gently: simply standing in the great flat square as Dilshod sets the scene of Timur's imperial capital, with the detailed exploration to follow tomorrow. A free evening to wander the pedestrian streets.

A full day among Samarkand's greatest monuments. The Registan in the morning light — the three madrasas explored at leisure, the astronomy of Ulugbek, the lions of the Sher-Dor, the gilded Tilya-Kori interior. Then the colossal Bibi-Khanym Mosque and the colourful Siab Bazaar. In the afternoon, the incomparable tiled avenue of Shah-i-Zinda, whose blue mausoleums are the finest in Central Asia.

A scenic drive south over the Takhtakaracha Pass to Shakhrisabz, the green and tranquil town where Timur was born. The colossal ruined portal of the Ak-Saray Palace — once Timur's grandest, its surviving gateway still towering 38 metres — the Kok-Gumbaz Mosque, and the crypt Timur prepared for himself before history sent him to Samarkand instead. A gentle, flat and uncrowded day, with lunch in a local garden restaurant, returning to Samarkand by early evening.

Drive northwest into the Kyzylkum, pausing at Nurata to see the spring-fed pool of sacred fish and the ruins of a fortress said to date from Alexander the Great. On to a traditional yurt camp by the shore of Aydarkul Lake. The afternoon is yours: an optional gentle camel ride across the dunes at dusk, a swim in the lake in season, or simply the vast desert silence. As night falls, a campfire, live folk music, a barbecue dinner and a sky thick with stars far from any city light.

A morning drive across the desert and farmland to Bukhara, the holy city, arriving around midday. After lunch and check-in to your characterful old-town hotel, a gentle afternoon and evening easing into Bukhara at Lyab-i-Hauz — the tranquil mulberry-shaded pool that is the social heart of the old town. Tea, then dinner beside the water as the lamps come on.

A full day in Bukhara's magnificently intact old town, almost all flat and walkable. The Ark fortress; the Poi Kalon ensemble with its soaring minaret, mosque and the working Mir-i-Arab Madrasa; the covered trading domes where caravan merchants once dealt in caps, jewellery and silver; the elegant 10th-century Samanid Mausoleum; and the Chashma-Ayub shrine. Sites lie a few minutes' walk apart, so the day moves at an easy rhythm.

A gentler day to enjoy Bukhara more deeply. A morning visit to the lavish Sitorai Mohi Khosa, the last emir's summer palace, a curious and charming blend of Russian and Uzbek style on the city's edge, and to local craft workshops — carpet weaving, gold embroidery, miniature painting and the famous Bukhara scissors. The afternoon is free: shop in the trading domes, return to a favourite monument, or simply take tea by Lyab-i-Hauz. An optional evening folklore show in a restored madrasa.

A short morning flight (or comfortable private transfer for those who prefer) west to Urgench, the gateway to Khiva, then a 35-minute drive to the old town. The first sight of Khiva's mud-brick ramparts rising from the plain is unforgettable. Check in beside or within the walled Itchan Kala, then a first gentle evening walk inside the walls as the setting sun gilds the brickwork and the turquoise minarets glow.

A full, unhurried day within the walls of Itchan Kala. The banded turquoise stump of the Kalta Minor; the Kunya Ark fortress; the hundred carved wooden columns of the Juma Mosque; the tiled courtyards of the Tash Hauli palace; and the towering Islam Khoja minaret. Everything lies within a few flat hundred metres, with tea houses and shaded courtyards for resting, so the day moves entirely at your pace. The famous golden-hour view from the city walls closes the day.

A morning flight from Urgench to Tashkent connects with your international flight home, or, for later departures, time for a final stroll and any last purchases. Dilshod escorts you to the airport for your journey home — twelve days of the Silk Road, from Timur's birthplace to the desert stars and the walled city of Khiva, complete.