Grand Uzbekistan: Aral Sea to the Fergana Valley in 13 Days
Overview
Everything in one journey: the dry Aral seabed and Nukus, Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand, then east over the Kamchik pass into the Fergana Valley for the silk mills of Margilan, the ceramics of Rishtan and the khan’s palace in Kokand. Thirteen days from the far west to the orchards in the east.
Private throughout. The pace is steady rather than slow; the reward is a complete picture of the country.
Highlights
Is this trip for you?
- Travellers who want to see the whole country once, properly
- Craft and textile lovers — Fergana is the reason
- Anyone with two weeks and no wish to come back twice
- You tire of moving: this changes hotel almost every night
- You want a beach or a rest day in the middle
Our honest opinion
- Fergana is the friendliest, least-visited valley in the country
- The Aral Sea and the silk mills in one trip tell the whole Soviet-to-today story
- Four long road days
- The Kamchik pass road is twisty
If thirteen days is too many, drop the Aral Sea and keep Fergana — the valley is what people remember.
The trip in numbers
Your route
Line style shows how you travel each leg: solid = train, dotted = car, dashed = flight.
Day by day
Airport pickup and transfer.
Old town, Chorsu bazaar, the metro.
Savitsky museum, Muynak and the yurt camp on the seabed.
Back across the Ustyurt with a stop at Mizdakhan.
Drive to Khiva and an afternoon city tour.
Fortresses and the desert road.
Old town on foot and an evening show.
Ceramics workshop lunch.
Registan, Shah-i-Zinda, Bibi-Khanym, Gur-Emir.
Train to Tashkent; free afternoon.
Over the Kamchik pass to Kokand’s Khudayar Khan palace and the Jami mosque, on to Fergana.
Ceramics masters at work in Rishtan and the Yodgorlik silk mill in Margilan, where ikat is still tied and dyed by hand.
Drive back over the pass (or fly) to Tashkent for your flight.
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
“Two weeks and not a single day I would have cut. Shakhrisabz, the Nuratau mountains with a homestay and a hike, the Aral Sea ship graveyard — this is the whole country, not just the postcard cities. The homestay night is basic (outdoor bathroom) and they tell you so; it was also the night we remember best.”
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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