Uzbekistan map & highlights

There’s no two ways about it – Central Asian roads are a dreadful blend of uneven tarmac, pitfalls and potholes; a mixture that can only be conquered by embracing the spirit of travel and indulging in the fabulous scenes taking place by the roadside. Any tour of Uzbekistan will likely involve at least one short flight and a sleeper train, together with some lengthy travel by road – expect a few stints of four to five hours, but driving times are hard to estimate and speeds can be very slow. Fortunately, your guide and driver will get you where you need to be, so reward them with patience and flexibility. If you’re combining countries, crossing borders takes time; they’ll search your luggage, your rucksack and even your pocket for carpets, but it’s all in good faith so keep your cool.

Jonny Bealby, founder of our supplier Wild Frontiers: “Registan, in the heart of Samarkand is truly an amazing architectural gem and a wonder of the world. There is also a great wine tasting tour in Samarkand. Bukhara is simply wonderful. The old town is so easy to get around with all the main sites within walking distance of each other, the open air restaurants by the various tanks – especially around the ‘Labi Hauz’, are a great place to sit and relax and the food is excellent. The Aral Sea – or what’s left of it – is also an extraordinary thing to see and understand. “

“In Tashkent, you have all these huge Russian boulevards which were designed for driving tanks down. And so you have these massive, leafy spaces. Independence Square [previously Lenin Square] is vast, but a bit tragic. There are weeds and grass growing all over it. It’s almost as if they don’t want to look after it because although it is represents freedom, it is still seen as Russian, and so they don’t want to. But the wide open spaces in Uzbekistan are incredible.”