Uzbekistan small group tour, Uzbekistan odyssey
Highlights
Tashkent | Nukus | Khiva | Bukhara | Kizil Kum Desert | Nurata | Samarkand | Kokand | MargilanDescription of Uzbekistan small group tour, Uzbekistan odyssey
This Uzbekistan small group tour is a veritable odyssey, taking you to a country that’s the biggest tourist draw in Central Asia, and with good reason. A major part of the legendary Silk Road, Uzbekistan in rich in ancient architecture; but its natural landscapes are equally as impressive, with vast swathes of desert, soaring mountains and a mysterious inland lake known as the Aral Sea.Travelling with a small group of fellow adventurers, as well as a driver and expert English-speaking guides, you’ll get to visit some of the country’s top highlights, including the breathtaking architecture of UNESCO-listed Samarkand, the elegant walled desert city of Khiva and Bhukara, home to hundreds of ancient and brilliantly preserved mosques, bazaars and caravanserais. You’ll also get the chance to take part in craft workshops, such as traditional silk weaving or woodwork, alongside talented local artisans.
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
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Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your holiday will help support conservation and local people.
We ensure our guides are mindful about protecting the environment in which you travel, and they do a fantastic job of promoting having a minimum impact to the environment whilst travelling. We ask you to be vigilant about disposing of your waste and recycle where possible. During your trip you will be asked if you have any waste to dispose of when it is a suitable time in the itinerary. This ensures we make it as easy as possible for our travellers to be eco-friendly whilst traveling.We strongly advise all travellers to bring a reusable water bottle - this is an easy way to save plastic waste and is detailed in our ‘What to bring’ trip notes for all trips to all destinations. Your guide will remind you where and when you can fill up your re-usable water bottle. Additionally, we respectfully ask that you are environmentally conscious wherever possible in all aspects of your travels with us, i.e. using air-conditioning and electricity sparingly when possible.
The Impacts of this Trip
As regular travellers, one thing that never ceases to amaze and inspire us is the kindness and generosity of local people, often people who have very little to their name. We firmly believe that they are who make these places special should and that they should benefit from our visit. Therefore, as first preference, we use local guides and drivers who are offered fair working conditions and pay, locally-sourced supplies, and locally-owned lodges, shops and eateries. We do our best to ensure that the benefits of our tours reach as widely as possible into the communities where they operate.
In addition to a number of stops at local bazaars, this itinerary includes workshops in traditional silk weaving, woodwork, and more, one of which is UNDP-assisted. In addition to providing an excellent opportunity for our travellers to purchase goods directly from local artisan craftspeople, the classes themselves provide economic support for the communities. Similarly, this itinerary includes stops at a number of museums and historically significant sites; the money that responsible tourism brings is a vital source when it comes to the running of these locations, and as a direct result, the preservation of the region’s rich culture and heritage.
We ensure our guides are mindful about protecting the environment in which you travel, and they do a fantastic job of promoting having a minimum impact to the environment whilst travelling. We ask you to be vigilant about disposing of your waste and recycle where possible. During your trip you will be asked if you have any waste to dispose of when it is a suitable time in the itinerary. This ensures we make it as easy as possible for our travellers to be eco-friendly whilst traveling.We strongly advise all travellers to bring a reusable water bottle - this is an easy way to save plastic waste and is detailed in our ‘What to bring’ trip notes for all trips to all destinations. Your guide will remind you where and when you can fill up your re-usable water bottle. Additionally, we respectfully ask that you are environmentally conscious wherever possible in all aspects of your travels with us, i.e. using air-conditioning and electricity sparingly when possible.
The Impacts of this Trip
As regular travellers, one thing that never ceases to amaze and inspire us is the kindness and generosity of local people, often people who have very little to their name. We firmly believe that they are who make these places special should and that they should benefit from our visit. Therefore, as first preference, we use local guides and drivers who are offered fair working conditions and pay, locally-sourced supplies, and locally-owned lodges, shops and eateries. We do our best to ensure that the benefits of our tours reach as widely as possible into the communities where they operate.
In addition to a number of stops at local bazaars, this itinerary includes workshops in traditional silk weaving, woodwork, and more, one of which is UNDP-assisted. In addition to providing an excellent opportunity for our travellers to purchase goods directly from local artisan craftspeople, the classes themselves provide economic support for the communities. Similarly, this itinerary includes stops at a number of museums and historically significant sites; the money that responsible tourism brings is a vital source when it comes to the running of these locations, and as a direct result, the preservation of the region’s rich culture and heritage.
2 Reviews of Uzbekistan small group tour, Uzbekistan odyssey
Reviewed on 07 Oct 2019 by Paul Hill
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The Ubek people - so friendly - it was hard not to accept having photos taken with them. Also the architecture, increasing in grandeur from Khiva to Bukhara to Samarkand - breathtaking.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Don't go for the food... (although once we started to choose our own restaurants over the guide's recommendations the food improved greatly - but also became less authentic). Be prepared for A LOT of travel. Based on an 8 hour sightseeing day, we estimated to have spent 50% of our time (and 3000km) on trains, planes, minibuses and cars - which got pretty exhausting by the end of the 2 weeks...
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Our group certainly tried to use local companies and brands rather than international ones - and the hotels felt like locally run establishments rather than international chains which was good. It was also good to get the opportunities to buy directly from the local producers rather than 'tourist shops'. I bought pottery, fabric and metalwork items directly from the craftsman we visited.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent - I wouldn't remove anything from the itinerary but 12 days didn't feel long enough to cover what we covered. A couple of 'rest days' would have been appreciated - and the 10 hour round trip to the Fergana Valley at the end, whilst an interesting visit, didn't include anything materially different to what we'd seen already and felt like a long journey to make at the end of an already packed schedule.
Reviewed on 27 Sep 2019 by Ondre Webb
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
My most memorable part of the holiday was emerging from our taxi and seeing Registan Square in Samarkand sparkling in the afternoon sunshine. It was absolutely breathtaking.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Just to relax and soak up everything as it is a full-on itinerary.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I think local people benefitted from tourists buying local produce.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
I had never been on an organised group holiday before and I was a little apprehensive before I went but I needn't have worried as everything was so well organised and hotels, transport, restaurants and places we visited were amazing. I would definitely recommend a holiday to Uzbekistan for the history, the wonderful architecture and the people of Uzbekistan are so happy and kind.
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