The Silk Road
The Silk Road
The Silk Road
16 Days Starting in Bishkek and ending in Urgench
Visiting: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan
Tour operator:
Tour code:
AXF
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
4 - 16
Age range:
16-99
Special diets catered:
Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements
Tour operated in:
EnglishTour Overview
For centuries, merchant caravans voyaged through deserts, across steppes and over mountains, creating trade routes between the Mediterranean and Asia. Art and religion spread east and west, while monumental architecture sprouted alongside nomadic eagle hunter communities. Now uncover the best of the Silk Road for yourself: the minarets and domes of Uzbekistan, the beautiful Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, and traditional culture throughout, including a night in a Kyrgyz yurt.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Start Bishkek
The adventure begins in Bishkek. We have a city tour this afternoon, spending a couple of hours visiting the main city sites, including Ala Too Square, Parliament House, the White House, the Lenin Statue and the Manas Monument.
You can check in to the hotel from 10am.
Accommodation: Hotel Garden, Hotel Bridges or Hotel Plaza (or similar)
Day 2 : To Chon-Kemin Gorge
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
On the way to Chon-Kemin Gorge, we stop at an 11th-century Karakhanid minaret – Burana Tower, a Unesco World Heritage site and the first minaret of its kind in Central Asia. You can climb to the top of the tower. Take care, it’s quite dark inside and the stairs are steep and narrow.
Nowadays, it is a complex that includes the tower itself, reconstructions of mausoleums found on the site, remains of a citadel, collection of balbals (gravestones used by nomadic Turkic peoples), petroglyphs (stone carvings) and a small museum.
We will also visit Ak Beshim ruins, the remnants of an ancient city. We’ll see the remains of Chumysh Fortress, a Nestorian monastery, a complex of Christian churches and two Buddhist temples. There are also rock paintings and burial mounds.
Following our visit, we continue to Chon-Kemin National Park, a quiet valley with several small villages and farmed lands surrounded by magnificent mountains and fir forest. It is a wonderful place to be, to sit on the doorstep with a pot of tea.
Accommodation: Guesthouse Kemin (or similar)
Day 3 : Issyk Kul Lake And Djety Oguz Gorge
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
We continue our journey through the Tien Shan mountains along the southern side of Issyk Kul Lake. The second largest salt lake in the world, it measures 43mi by 112mi (70km by 180km) and reaches almost 2,300ft (700m) deep. The name translates to Hot Lake, as it never freezes over, even in the depths of winter. It’s surrounded by a mixture of forest and meadow with a backdrop of mountains and glaciers.
Optional excursion (approximately US$120 per group): Stop at Bokonbaev village to observe a traditional form of falconry found throughout Central Asia – hunting with eagles. Eagle hunting plays a key role in the nomadic lifestyle here and can also be seen during national competitions.
Next, we visit Barskaun Gorge and take a short hike to a waterfall, then drive to Djety Oguz.
Tonight we stay in a yurt camp, made of six sleeping yurts (each accommodating four to five people) and one communal/dining yurt. There is a shower and three Western-style flush toilets but hot water for washing must be requested specifically. There is also a generator for electricity for three hours in the evening. Spending a night in a yurt camp is a fantastic experience and a small insight into the centuries-old way of life for many nomadic people in Central Asia.
Accommodation: Yurt Camp, Djety Oguz (or similar)
April and October departures: we will stay in Almaluu Yurt Camp close to Lake Issyk Kul, rather than a camp in Djety Oguz. We will still visit Djety Oguz, but due to the different location of the yurt camp, the order of activities today and tomorrow will differ slightly in these months. Almaluu is better suited than Djety Oguz for these cooler months.
Day 4 : Karakol
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
This morning we walk in Djety Oguz, which translates to the Valley of Seven Bulls, named after the distinct seven red-coloured rocks in the gorge. We can learn about the local legends behind the name as we walk out of the beautiful gorge (approximately two hours) through fir forest, yurt settlements and grazing lands. If you’re feeling energetic, there is also the option to hike to a waterfall. The trail can be slippery, so this is not advisable in wet weather. We continue to the town of Karakol, where we enjoy a sightseeing tour taking in old Russian-style houses, a Russian Orthodox church, a wooden Dungan mosque, and Karakol bazaar. Tonight, we enjoy a home-cooked meal at a local Uygur or Dungan family home.
Accommodation: Amir Hotel, Green Yard Hotel or Matsunoki Hotel (or similar)
Day 5 : To Almaty, Kazakhstan Via Charyn Canyon
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we cross the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border and, after border procedures (which typically take about an hour), travel along the picturesque Karkara valley, where mountain flowers attract many beekeepers. We head towards Charyn Canyon, where the dramatic erosion caused by the Charyn river has created an impressive landscape. We have approximately three hours at the Charyn Canyon, there is the choice of walking 1.5 km down into the canyon (and 1.5 km back up afterwards), or an easier option is to enjoy the canyon from a viewpoint. There is time for a picnic lunch in the canyon (you can buy your picnic from a supermarket earlier in the day). After visiting the canyon, we continue to Almaty. There are about six hours of driving today.
Accommodation: Plaza Hotel or Kazzhol Hotel (or similar)
Day 6 : Esik Burial Mounds And Lake Issyk
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we head out of Almaty to stretch our legs and explore the countryside.
We begin by heading to Esik. We visit Esik Burial Mounds and the Esik State Historical and Cultural Museum. The mounds are one of the largest archaeological sites of the Scythian-Saka period. The site dates to the 4th century, BC. The museum is on the site of one of Kazakhstan’s most impressive archaeological finds – the tomb of the Golden Man – where a Saka prince was found in an intact tomb.
We continue to  Issyk Lake (or Esik Lake), not to be confused with Issyk Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan, which we visit earlier in the trip. Amid thick forests and wildflower pastures, this alpine lake is 5,775ft (1,760m) above sea level within the Issyk Gorge. We walk down the concrete staircase to explore the southern shore of the lake. Finally, we return to Almaty for the night.
Accommodation: Plaza Hotel or Kazzhol Hotel (or similar)
Day 7 : Sightseeing Tour Of Almaty And Train To Tashkent
Meals Included: Breakfast
Almaty is a beautiful city backed by the Tien Shan mountains and we have the whole day to explore it. With leafy streets and a cafe culture, the former Kazakh capital has a distinctly European feel. After breakfast, we visit several sites, including Zhenkov Cathedral (Ascension Cathedral), made entirely of wood and without the use of nails; Panfilov Park; the Monument of Panfilovs 28 Guardsmen; the Great Patriotic and Civil War monuments and eternal flame; and one of the museums (National History Museum or Museum of National Instruments).
After the tour, we drive to the train station. Here we say goodbye to our tour leader who has been with us throughout Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan and meet our Uzbekistan leader who’ll be with us for the remainder of the trip.
We travel overnight from Almaty to Tashkent. We leave Almaty in the evening and depending on train timetables, we’ll either travel by sleeper train all the way to Tashkent, a journey of about 16 hours, or we’ll travel as far as Shymkent by sleeper train, a journey of about 11 hours, then continue by road for two hours to the Kazakh-Uzbek border, then following the border crossing which typically takes 1-2 hours (the border crossing is a little chaotic and does not feature polite queuing!), we then continue for another 40 minutes by road to Tashkent.
NB – in 2024, we’ll be travelling via Shymkent. 2025 train schedules are not yet available.
Travelling on trains through this region is a great way to cover large distances (almost 620mi/1,000km in this case), see the changing landscape, and mingle with local people. We use four-berth compartments on this sleeper train, which is reasonably comfortable but not luxurious.
Accommodation: Sleeper train (four-berth compartment)
Day 8 : Arrive Tashkent, Uzbekistan
We usually arrive in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan between mid morning and early afternoon. We’ll have a short tour of the city. Over the course of today and tomorrow we’ll visit sites including: Independence Square, which is flanked by public buildings and water fountains, and the Old City with its mausoleums (Hast Imam complex) and bazaar. Tashkent was largely destroyed by earthquakes in the 1960s and was rebuilt in true Soviet style with pleasant leafy boulevards and lots of fountains to keep the heat down in summer.
Accommodation: Gabrielle International hotel, Medina Hotel (or similar)
Day 9 : Train To Samarkand
Meals Included: Breakfast
We continue our exploration of Tashkent today an usually include a ride on the impressive metro system.
In the evening, we catch a fast train to Samarkand. The city is steeped in history, dating back 2,500 years and impacted by figures such as Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, the latter made it the capital of his empire in the 14th century. A central position on the Silk Road meant it was an important stop on the route from Istanbul to Peking (now Beijing). At its heart is Registan Square, which is flanked by the three grand madrasahs (Islamic colleges) of Ulughbeg (15th century), Sherdor and Tilya Qori (both 17th century).
Accommodation: Ideal Hotel (or similar)
Day 10 : Samarkand
Meals Included: Breakfast
Over the next day and a half, we visit key sights in and around Samarkand, including: the Registan Square, Gur Emir Mausoleum, burial place of Tamerlane, his sons and his grandson, Ulughbek. The Bibi Khanum Mosque and Shakhi Zinda – the Living King necropolis – with its series of mausoleums dating to the 14th and 15th centuries. Siab Bazaar to try fruits, nuts and other local produce.
We also visit the Necropolis and Ulugbek’s Observatory and a paper factory where traditional methods are used.
Accommodation: Ideal Hotel (or similar)
Day 11 : Samarkand To Bukhara
Meals Included: Breakfast
We continue our exploration of Samarkand.
In the evening, we take a fast train to Bukhara. The best-preserved medieval city in Central Asia, this Unesco World Heritage site dates back more than 2,000 years.
Accommodation: Kavsar Hotel or Grand Nodirbek (or similar)
Day 12 - 13 : Bukhara
Meals Included: Breakfast
We have two full days exploring Bukhara and nearby sights.
Our city tour takes us to the Lyabi Khauz complex, built in the 16th and 17th centuries. It’s home to the oldest pool of its kind in Central Asia, surrounded by madrasahs and a khanaka (lodging house for travelling sufis), including the largest madrasah in Bukhara, the 15th-century Kukeldash Madrasah.
We continue to the Poi-Kalyan religious complex with its 157ft (48m) tall 12th-century Kalyan minaret – the symbol of Bukhara; the large Kalyan Mosque (15th century) with galleries topped by 288 domes; and the only active madrasah in the city, Bukhara Miri-Arab (16th century). Next is the Samanid Mausoleum, the oldest piece of Islamic architecture in Central Asia and burial site of the 10th-century emir, Ismail Samani. Finally, we visit the Ark, a fifth-century citadel and the oldest building in Bukhara.
Accommodation: Kavsar Hotel or Grand Nodirbek (or similar)
Day 14 : Train To Urgench
Meals Included: Breakfast
A late night/very early morning start sees us head to Bukhara station where we catch our train to Urgench. This train is slower and older than the ones we’ve taken earlier in our time in Uzbekistan, but we have compartments with beds. The journey takes about 6 hours, and sees us across the Kyzylkum desert, arriving mid morning. From Urgench, we drive for about an hour and a half to the 2,000-year-old ruined city fortress of Toprak-Qala, dramatically located with the Sultan Vais mountains as a backdrop. The settlement began in the first century BCE under Kushan patronage and was later devastated by Turkish raids that led to the depopulation of the town in the sixth century. Three large round towers and an impressive portion of the citadel remain, but the parchments and paintings found there are now in St Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum. We also visit Qizil-Qala, formerly an important oasis with an impressive amount of remaining buildings, and finally Ayaz-Qala, an imposing hilltop fortress from the sixth century. We later drive to Khiva to spend the night.
Accommodation: Malika Khiva (or similar)
Day 15 : Khiva
Meals Included: Breakfast
We have a walking tour of Khiva today, we’ll visit the living museum that is the perfectly restored old city. See the khan’s old residence, the Kunya-Ark 12th century fortress, the tiled base of the never completed Kalta Minar, (which was originally planned to be taller than any minaret in Bukhara) and the beautiful mausoleum of Pakhlavan Makhmud (Khiva’s patron saint) with its tiled courtyard. Many wedding parties and pilgrims come to visit the tomb and drink the water from the well in the courtyard. Also visit the Juma mosque – supported by 218 wooden carved columns.
Accommodation: Malika Khiva (or similar)
Day 16 : End Khiva
Our adventure ends in Khiva this morning. Land only travellers may join our group transfer to Urgench airport which is timed to fit with the Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul, or you may remain in Khiva.
What's Included
-
All accommodation
-
All transport and listed activities
-
Tour leader throughout (two separate leaders)
-
11 breakfasts and three dinners
What's Not Included
-
Travel Insurance
-
Single accommodation (available on request)
-
Visas or vaccinations
Food
There are 13 breakfasts and three dinners included.
Common dishes in the region include shish kebabs and plov, which you’ll probably see plenty of. The kebabs can be from different meats, including lamb and beef, while plov is a rice-based dish (variants elsewhere are known as pilaf or pilau rice). Another main food is bread, especially in Uzbekistan where it is baked and sold everywhere. There are normally a couple of opportunities to try home-cooked meals.
Tea is also plentiful, both black and green, and drunk with most meals and throughout the day. Please note, vegetarian food choices may be rather limited. If you are strictly vegetarian or have any special dietary requirements, please notify us well in advance. In this region, the availability of certain specialised products for restricted diets, eg gluten-free or dairy-free, is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring these specialised dietary items from home.
Drinking water is included and will be provided in large containers – please bring a reusable bottle with you.
Accommodation
This trip includes 10 nights in hotels, one night in a guesthouse, one night in a yurt and one night on a sleeper train. Throughout most of the trip, we stay in two- or three-star hotels. The normal accommodations used on this trip can be found on the day-to-day itinerary; however, below are a few of the notable places we stay.
Djety Oguz: Yurt camp (night 4)
Yurts are traditional housing for nomadic communities across Central Asia and are generally quite cosy. We spend one night in a traditional yurt camp in the Djety Oguz Gorge in Kyrgyzstan. The camp has six sleeping yurts, each normally shared between four and five people and there are three toilets and one shower.
Sleeper train: (night 8)
The railway has long been a popular way of travelling around the ex-Soviet Union and this is a great experience and insight into Kazakh life. On the train from Tashkent to Almaty, we use second-class carriages with four-berth cabins.
Bukhara: Kavsar Boutique Hotel (nights 12-13)
Taking over an old mansion, this small boutique hotel is one of the standout accommodations on this itinerary. It’s embellished with intricate design features and plenty of antiques, while an atmospheric central courtyard provides a wonderful place to gather as a group.
Worth knowing
Single supplements don’t apply to the night on the sleeper train or the night in the yurt camp, and depending on the make up of the group may be mixed gender.
April and October departures: We stay in Almaluu Yurt Camp close to Lake Issyk Kul instead of the yurt camp in Djety Oguz.
In some places on this trip we use several different hotels. We will inform you before departure if your start hotel in Bishkek differs from what is mentioned in the Trip Notes.
Check out our Q&As
-
Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes, our local guides are English speaking.
-
Can you assist with pre or post tour accommodation?
We are happy to assist with pre and post tour accommodation. Please enquire for detailed information.
-
Is there a supplement for solo travellers?
If you would like to be paired with a tour member of the same gender, there is no additional charge. A single supplement can be requested if you would like your own room.
-
Who is Exodus Travels?
At Exodus Travels, we've been exploring the world for nearly 50 years. From Walking and Trekking, Cultural and Cycling, Responsible Wildlife, to Polar and our new Premium Adventures, we are proud to offer award-winning small group and self-guided tours to 100+ countries worldwide.
-
Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
The minimum age for this tour is 16 years old.
-
Are flights included in this tour?
International flights are not included with this tour.
-
What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.
-
How long has the tour company been trading?
Exodus has been trading since 1974
-
What documents will I receive before I travel?
Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.
-
Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.
-
Can I join the tour once it has departed?
You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.
Reviews from travellers on this tour
1 Select your preferred date
2025 May
2025 Jun
2025 Jul
2025 Aug
2025 Sep
2025 Oct
2025 Apr
2026 May
2026 Jun
2026 Jul
2026 Aug
2026 Sep
2026 Oct
2026
Thursday - Friday
Apr 10, 2025 - Apr 25, 2025Thursday - Friday
Apr 24, 2025 - May 09, 2025Thursday - Friday
May 08, 2025 - May 23, 2025Sunday - Monday
May 18, 2025 - Jun 02, 2025Thursday - Friday
May 22, 2025 - Jun 06, 2025Thursday - Friday
Jun 05, 2025 - Jun 20, 2025Thursday - Friday
Jun 12, 2025 - Jun 27, 2025Thursday - Friday
Jul 17, 2025 - Aug 01, 2025Thursday - Friday
Aug 07, 2025 - Aug 22, 2025Thursday - Friday
Aug 14, 2025 - Aug 29, 2025Thursday - Friday
Aug 21, 2025 - Sep 05, 2025Thursday - Friday
Aug 28, 2025 - Sep 12, 2025Thursday - Friday
Sep 04, 2025 - Sep 19, 2025Sunday - Monday
Sep 07, 2025 - Sep 22, 2025Thursday - Friday
Sep 11, 2025 - Sep 26, 2025Thursday - Friday
Sep 18, 2025 - Oct 03, 2025Thursday - Friday
Sep 25, 2025 - Oct 10, 2025Thursday - Friday
Oct 09, 2025 - Oct 24, 2025Thursday - Friday
Oct 16, 2025 - Oct 31, 2025Thursday - Friday
Apr 09, 2026 - Apr 24, 2026Thursday - Friday
Apr 23, 2026 - May 08, 2026Thursday - Friday
May 07, 2026 - May 22, 2026Thursday - Friday
May 14, 2026 - May 29, 2026Sunday - Monday
May 17, 2026 - Jun 01, 2026Thursday - Friday
May 21, 2026 - Jun 05, 2026Thursday - Friday
Jun 04, 2026 - Jun 19, 2026Thursday - Friday
Jun 11, 2026 - Jun 26, 2026Thursday - Friday
Jun 18, 2026 - Jul 03, 2026Thursday - Friday
Jul 16, 2026 - Jul 31, 2026Thursday - Friday
Aug 06, 2026 - Aug 21, 2026Thursday - Friday
Aug 13, 2026 - Aug 28, 2026Thursday - Friday
Aug 20, 2026 - Sep 04, 2026Thursday - Friday
Aug 27, 2026 - Sep 11, 2026Thursday - Friday
Sep 03, 2026 - Sep 18, 2026Sunday - Monday
Sep 06, 2026 - Sep 21, 2026Thursday - Friday
Sep 10, 2026 - Sep 25, 2026Sunday - Monday
Sep 13, 2026 - Sep 28, 2026Thursday - Friday
Sep 17, 2026 - Oct 02, 2026Sunday - Monday
Sep 20, 2026 - Oct 05, 2026Thursday - Friday
Sep 24, 2026 - Oct 09, 2026Thursday - Friday
Oct 08, 2026 - Oct 23, 2026Thursday - Friday
Oct 15, 2026 - Oct 30, 2026Book with Confidence
-
Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Exodus Adventure Travels allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus adventure travels, 43 days before departure.
-
Low Deposit
Exodus Adventure Travels requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
-
Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus adventure travels charges.
Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.