Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan Combo — 14-Day Group Tour
Overview
Two weeks across the two most different countries on the Silk Road. On the Uzbek side: Tashkent, the Savitsky museum in Nukus, a night in a yurt on the dry bed of the Aral Sea and the walled city of Khiva. Across the border: the Kunya-Urgench minaret, dinner beside the burning crater at Darvaza, the marble avenues of Ashgabat and the ruins of Merv. Then back into Uzbekistan for Bukhara and Samarkand.
We handle the Turkmen letter of invitation, both border crossings and every hotel; our Turkmen partner team meets you at Shavat and hands you back to us at Farap. Up to 15 travellers.
Highlights
Is this trip for you?
- Travellers who have two full weeks and want both countries done properly
- Anyone fascinated by the Soviet story — the Aral Sea and Nukus are its sharpest chapter
- People who enjoy a few rough nights (two yurt camps) for the places they reach
- You want hotel comfort every night — the yurt camps are simple
- You dislike long drives: six days are 4–5 hours on the road
- You are on a tight budget — Turkmenistan is the most expensive country of the five
Our honest opinion
- The Aral Sea and Darvaza in one trip is rare — most tours choose one
- Border logistics and the Turkmen visa are entirely handled
- Turkmenistan is tightly organised: photography rules, set routes, a guide at all times
- The Darvaza camp has no showers
Bring a head torch and a sense of humour for the two camp nights; everything else is comfortable.
The trip in numbers
Your route
Line style shows how you travel each leg: solid = train, dotted = car, dashed = flight.
Day by day
Airport meet and greet, transfer to your hotel and an evening briefing over dinner with your guide.
Khast-Imam, Chorsu bazaar, the metro and the new city; afternoon free.
Morning flight to Nukus and the astonishing Savitsky collection of avant-garde art hidden from Moscow, then north to the ship graveyard of Muynak. Yurt camp on the old seabed; dinner under more stars than you have seen.
Sunrise over the seabed, the chalk cliffs of the Ustyurt plateau and a slow drive back to Nukus.
Drive to Khiva (3 h) and a full afternoon inside Itchan-Kala: Kunya-Ark, the Juma mosque, Tash-Hauli and the Islam-Khoja minaret.
Cross at Shavat with our Turkmen partner, then Kunya-Urgench — the Kutlug Timur minaret, the Törebeg Khanym mausoleum and the Sufi shrines — before a night in Dashoguz.
South across the Karakum desert to the Darvaza gas crater, burning since 1971. Dinner by the fire, night in a yurt camp a short walk from the rim.
The water and mud craters in the morning light, then the road to Ashgabat: the Neutrality monument, Independence park and the white-marble skyline that holds a Guinness record.
Parthian Nisa, the carpet museum and the Turkmenbashi mosque, then the road east to Mary.
A morning among the walls of ancient Merv — Sultan Sanjar’s mausoleum, Gyz-Kala and the Kyz-Bibi shrine — then the Farap border and the short drive into Bukhara.
The Ark, Poi-Kalyan, the trading domes and Chor-Minor; evening folklore show.
Ceramics workshop and lunch in Gijduvan, Samarkand by evening and the Registan under lights.
Registan, Gur-Emir, Shah-i-Zinda and the Siab bazaar; evening Afrosiyob train to Tashkent.
Transfer to Tashkent airport.
What’s included
What’s not included
Where you’ll stay
Or equivalent, depending on season. Hotels are inside or beside the historic centres wherever the town has one.
Traveller reviews
What guests wrote
“Akhror, thank you for your arrangemant ❤️ Our group are really enjoy the whole journey. Althought the flight was delayed and we were tired. (But it is Centrum Air's fault as we all know) It is still an Unforgettable memories. 😂”
“Two countries, one booking, zero stress. The Uzbekistan half was polished and beautiful, the Turkmenistan half was an adventure, and the handover at the Shavat border took twenty minutes. Our group of ten became friends. We particularly liked that the itinerary did not pretend the long desert days away — it listed them, and that honesty is why we booked.”
Good to know
Most nationalities enter Uzbekistan visa-free for 30–90 days. If your passport needs an e-visa, it takes 2–3 working days online — we check your case and guide you at booking.
The local currency is the Uzbek som (UZS). Visa and Mastercard work in city hotels, restaurants and supermarkets; keep some cash for bazaars, taxis and tips. ATMs dispense som and sometimes USD.
April–June and September–November are warm and clear — ideal for walking the old cities. July–August afternoons exceed 35°C; winter departures run at reduced prices.
Uzbekistan uses European plug types C and F, 220V. Travellers from the UK, US and Asia need a standard Euro adapter — one per device is enough, hotels have plenty of sockets.
Everyday dress is relaxed across all four cities. Inside mosques and madrasas, shoulders and knees should be covered; headscarves for women are only needed in a few active mosques — your guide will tell you when.
Your included eSIM is activated on arrival, so you’re online from the airport. Hotel Wi-Fi is reliable in all four cities; your coordinator stays reachable on WhatsApp or Telegram throughout.
Free cancellation up to 30 days before departure. 50% refund up to 15 days before; after that the booking is non-refundable, but you can move to another date once for free.
Medical insurance for the tour days is included. We still recommend personal travel insurance covering cancellation and baggage — we can suggest trusted providers.
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