Uzbekistan in 10 Days: The In-Depth Silk Road Itinerary
Ten days lets you go beyond the highlights — adding the desert, a yurt night and time to breathe between the great cities. Here is how we shape it.
Why 10 days?
If a week covers the three great cities, ten days lets you do them justice and add the landscapes between them: the Kyzylkum desert, a night under the stars at Aydarkul lake, and slower mornings to actually sit in the squares. It is our favourite length for a first, unhurried trip.
Days 1–3: Tashkent and Samarkand
Start in Tashkent — metro mosaics, Chorsu bazaar, the Khast-Imam complex with its 7th-century Quran — then take the Afrosiyob train to Samarkand for two nights of the Registan, Shah-i-Zinda and Gur-e-Amir at a relaxed pace.
Days 4–6: Nurata, the desert and Bukhara
Detour to Nurata and a yurt camp by Aydarkul lake: camel rides, desert silence and a night under brilliant stars. Then continue to Bukhara for two nights in its living old town — the trading domes, the Kalyan minaret and tea by the Lyab-i-Hauz.
Days 7–9: Khiva
Cross the Kyzylkum to Khiva — by road through the desert or via Urgench — and give the walled city of Itchan Kala a full, unhurried stay: sunrise on the city walls, the Tash-Hauli palace, and an evening when the minarets glow and the day-trippers have gone.
Day 10: home — or further
Loop back for your flight, or extend into the Fergana Valley for silk and ceramics, or toward the Aral Sea for something starker. We build every 10-day route around your interests and pace — desert and culture, comfort and adventure, balanced however you like.
Tell us what you’re thinking and we’ll send a tailored plan.
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