Uzbekistan–Turkmenistan Silk Road Adventure — 12 Days
Overview
Start in Khiva with a full day inside the walls, cross to Kunya-Urgench and the crater, give Ashgabat and Merv a day each, then Bukhara, Gijduvan, Samarkand and Tashkent. The unhurried private version of the two-country trip.
Letter of invitation, visa on arrival and both border handovers arranged by us; your own guide and car on each side.
Highlights
Is this trip for you?
- Travellers who want both countries at a civilised pace
- Anyone curious about Turkmenistan but wary of organising it
- History lovers — Merv gets a whole day
- You are on a tight budget — Turkmenistan hotels and permits cost more
- You want a group
Our honest opinion
- Two nights in Ashgabat and a full Merv day — no rushing the Turkmen side
- Khiva first, Tashkent last: flights are easy at both ends
- The Darvaza camp is basic
- Turkmenistan requires a guide with you at all times
Ask for the Mary flight rather than the drive on day 6 if you prefer a shorter day.
The trip in numbers
Your route
Line style shows how you travel each leg: solid = train, dotted = car, dashed = flight.
Day by day
Urgench airport pickup; evening walk in Itchan-Kala.
Itchan-Kala end to end, the workshops and the walls at sunset.
Into Turkmenistan at Shavat, the Kutlug Timur minaret, then the Karakum road to the crater and a yurt night.
The three craters at dawn, then the desert road to the capital.
Nisa, the Turkmenbashi mosque, the monuments, the carpet museum and the Russian bazaar.
Flight or drive to Mary and the full Merv archaeological park: Sultan Sanjar, Gyz-Kala, Erk-Kala.
Farap border and an evening around Lyabi-Hauz.
Old town on foot; folklore dinner.
Workshop lunch, the Registan at dusk.
Registan, Shah-i-Zinda, Gur-Emir, Bibi-Khanym.
Train to the capital; free evening.
Khast-Imam, the bazaar and the metro, then the 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.
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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