Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan, in the ancient cradle between the Amu-Darya and Syr-Darya rivers, is arguably the most fascinating of the Central Asian republics. A key link on the Silk Road connecting China with Western Europe, it contains some of the oldest towns in the world, such as the legendary, powerful cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva.
The land here has always been different from the rest of Central Asia. Its people are more settled than nomadic, with land use and social structures that changed little from the 6th century BC to the 19th century. You can still see the towering fortresses of Khiva and Bukhara and the glorious Islamic architecture of Samarkand; as their beauty and inaccessibility continue to live on in the imagination of the West as symbols of oriental beauty and mystery. There's natural beauty too with the verdant Fergana Valley, home to fine silk, and far to the west, the parched basin of the Aral Sea.
Historically, some of the most influential and savage conquerors came and ruled these lands, such as Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan, and influences from Huns, Turks and Arabs can still be seen today. However, Uzbekistan's golden age was under Tamerlaine in the 14th century AD, who made Samarkand his capital and left a breathtaking architectural legacy including mosques, madrassahs and majestic Registan Square.
Today, the old atmosphere of the Silk Road still survives in the oriental bazaars and tea houses where the many nationalities of Central Asia gather together wearing their colourful traditional clothes.
Wild Frontiers offers unique Small Group Tours, Private Journeys and Tailor Made Holidays to Uzbekistan.
How to book a trip
What to do in Uzbekistan
Explore Medieval Bukhara
Bukhara
See the Ark Citadel, the royal fortress palace and the Zindan Prison in which two British officers were kept during the "Great Game" in the 19th century, before being executed in the Registan Square; the Bolo-Khauz Mosque with its beautiful carved wooden pillars; Kalyan Square with its great minaret, from the top of which used to be thrown the town's criminals; and the delightful Ismael Samani Mausoleum dating from the 10th century. As you wander the narrow streets of the old town you will come across other mosques and mausoleums and perhaps pause to visit the 11th trading domes, which are now house to handicraft sellers.
Bukhara's Last Emir's Palace
Bukhara
The summer palace of Bukhara's last Emir, just outside the city. It is an eclectic mix of Oriental and European design and contains a good collection of suzanes (Uzbek traditional embroidery) and Chinese porcelain brought to Bukhara by camel caravan in the 19th century. On returning to Bukhara you will have time to see the Lyabi Hauz Mosque and Lyabi Hauz Square with its shady trees. The central pool is surrounded by crowded tea houses, filled with old men wearing their traditional clothes, sipping tea and playing chess.
Dine with an Uzbek Family
Bukhara
Between the high mountains and harsh desert, what probably distinguishes Uzbek culture most from its nomadic neighbours is the centuries long tradition of settlement, exploiting the fertility of the soil and rich agriculture of the region. Uzbeks have come to pride themselves on their hospitality and there is no better way to taste local culture than dining with an ordinary family. Break lepyoshka, unleavened bread, try a myriad of vegetables and rich mutton dishes, and drink tea with welcoming local people in their warm and colourful homes.
Enjoy The Exquisite Registan Square
Samarkand
It means 'Sandy Place' in Persian, but Registan was the heart of ancient Samarkand, and it is its magnificent madrasahs, dating back to the 17th Century, that have turned the dust into an explosion of gilded gold and holy blues. Although you will no longer hear the haunting blasts of the giant copper pipes used to summon Uzbeks to hear royal proclamations, the Registan is still the place to touch this city's ancient Silk Road heritage, and illustrates just how powerful an empire Tamerlane controlled.
See remote desert citadels
Khiva
This afternoon visit the ancient desert citadels, located about 80 km northeast of Khiva, on the fringes of the Kyzyl-Kum Desert. First explore the imposing Toprak Kala, which was settled in the 1st century BC and later flourished in the 3rd century AD, as the capital of the Khoresmshah Dynasty. The still visible plan will allow you to picture how the fort would have looked 25 centuries ago. Continue to Ayaz Kala, an impressive mud-walled hilltop fortress dating from the 6th-7th centuries that offers magnificent views over a nearby lake.
Stay at a traditional hotel
Samarkand
Uzbekistan is full of wonderful small traditional guesthouses built in Uzbek style. One of our favourties is the Malika Prime hotel in Samarkand, just by the Gur Emir Mausoleum and a couple of minutes walk to Registan Square. The marble entrance and stairs lead up to a huge terrace which serves as a summer restaurant and bar where you can enjoy a drink and magnificent views of the blue domes of Samarkand. There is also an air-conditioned restaurant downstairs. The 22 en suite rooms are quite small but spotlessly clean, with wooden floors and all feature satellite TV, telephone and air-conditioning.
Visit Penjikent in Tadjikistan
Samarkand
From Samarkand drive up into the mountains and cross the Uzbek/Tadjik border on our day trip to Penjikent in Tadjikistan. Established in the 5th AD by the Sogdians, Penjikent is now mostly in ruins. With your guide explore the ruler's fortified citadel, the Shakhristan (inner walled city), that contained two Zoroastrian temples, and the necropolis.
Visit the Aral Sea
Nukus
If you want a dramatic lesson in the idiocy of man, and a micro-climate of global warming, there's no more shocking example than the Aral Sea. Since Mathew Arnold celebrated the 'Sea of Islands' as a 'luminous home of open waters', the Russians diverted its main feed river in 1960, and this once thriving source of fishing, trade and wildlife shrunk to 10% of its former size. The devastating fate of the Aral Sea has been described as 'the world's worst environmental disaster' and the wreckage of ships, industry and communities left in its wake have turned the area into a literal 'skeleton coast' that has to be seen to be believed.
Visit the Opera in Tashkent
Tashkent
The gorgeous Navoi Opera house in Tashkent, with its glittering fountains outside, and finely mosaicked interiors was something of a Soviet triumph, yet encompassing ancient Uzbek artistic traditions too. Music is as vital to the Russian and Uzbek soul, and an evening here, where locals most definitely dress for the occasion, is to touch an artistic quality that is beginning to achieve international recognition. And with ticket prices of only $3-$8 dollars it is also great value for money.
See remote desert citadels
Khiva
This afternoon visit the ancient desert citadels, located about 80 km northeast of Khiva, on the fringes of the Kyzyl-Kum Desert. First explore the imposing Toprak Kala, which was settled in the 1st century BC and later flourished in the 3rd century AD, as the capital of the Khoresmshah Dynasty. The still visible plan will allow you to picture how the fort would have looked 25 centuries ago. Continue to Ayaz Kala, an impressive mud-walled hilltop fortress dating from the 6th-7th centuries that offers magnificent views over a nearby lake.
Nurata Mountains Villages
Nurata Mountains
Your local guide will meet you at your guesthouse this morning, after breakfast you can choose from a variety of activities, you may like to explore the village and meet some of the local people, watch and have a go at some of the local handicrafts, help bake the bread in the traditional ovens, or head out in to the mountains. There are many trekking routes you can take of varying length and gradients, your local guide will lead you along the paths and point out some of the flora and fauna along the way. Routes can take you up some of the mountains or between the villages stopping at ruins of fortresses. Donkeys are available to hire either to ride or to carry water and picnics.
How to book a trip
Where to stay in Uzbekistan
Minzifa Hotel
Bukhara
The Minzifa is a small stylish guesthouse located in the old town. Built in traditional Uzbek style around a central...
Asia Ferghana Hotel
Ferghana
Ideally located downtown, just 10 minutes from the airport and close to the city's administrative offices, this 3 star...
Hotel Club 777
Ferghana
Built in 2002, this hotel is located near the centre of Ferghana city and within 3 km of the airport. There are 32...
Hotel Grand Samarkand
Samarkand
The newly built traditional Grand Samarkand Hotel is one of the best hotels in Samarkand, located in a tree-lined...
Hotel Zarina
Samarkand
The Hotel Zarina is a traditional-style hotel in the heart of Samarkand. As part of a private family home you have the...
Intercontinental Tashkent
Tashkent
The InterContinental Tashkent is modern hotel located 5 minutes drive from the city centre overlooking the Japanese...
Komil Hotel
Bukhara
Ideally located in the heart of old Bukhara and only a few minutes' walk to the lively Lyabi-House square, this...
Malika Bukhara
Bukhara
Opened in 2005 as part of the eponymous Uzbek hotel chain, the Malika Bukhara enjoys an ideal location only minutes...
Malika Kheivak Hotel
Khiva
The Malika Kheivak, formerly known as the Lolita Hotel, was bought and fully renovated in 2008 by the reputable Malika...
Malika Khiva Hotel
Khiva
Newly built in traditional Uzbek style in 2004, the Malika Khiva Hotel is located next to the Ata Darvaza, the main...
Malika Khorezm Hotel
Khiva
The Malika Khorezm Hotel enjoys a convenient location opposite the Urgench Darvoza entrance gates to the ancient city...
Malika Prime Hotel
Samarkand
Newly opened in 2008, the Malika Prime Hotel sits just by the Gur Emir Mausoleum and within walking distance of...
Park Turon Hotel
Tashkent
The Park Turon Hotel is a modern hotel situated in the city centre. The spacious guest rooms are spread over 11 floors...
Samarkand Plaza Hotel
Samarkand
A short drive to the town centre and its landmarks, the Samarkand Plaza is one of the best hotels in the city....
Tashkent Palace
Tashkent
The Tashkent Palace Hotel (former Le Meridien) is ideally located in the heart of Tashkent, opposite the famous Alisher...
Sasha & Sons
Bukhara
This is one of our favouite boutique hotels in BukharaConstructed in the national style Sasha & Son was a Jewish...
How to book a trip
Suggested Itineraries
How to book a trip
Uzbekistan Travel Guide
Bukhara
Bukhara was a major staging point on the Silk Road. By about 500BC, it was already an important centre, defended by a citadel that has stood in one form or other ever since. Today it is the site of the Ark Fortress, residence of the former Emirs of Bukhara, which occupied an area of about 13 hectares. Many of Bukhara‘s buildings were constructed during the Kharakhanid era (992 - 1211) and there are more than 150 monuments in the city. With its narrow alleyways and bustling bazaars, Bukhara is the quintessential Silk Road city.
Shakrisabz
Shakhrisabz is one of the most ancient cities of Middle Asia. In certain periods through its long history, it appeared as the centre of some of the most important events in world history - sometimes glorious, sometimes tragic. But Shakhrisabz would not be as famous if on 9 April 1346, in the village of Hodja-llgar a certain individual known and Tamerlane had not been born. Wherever destiny took him, Shakhrisabz remained Tamerlane’s native city, the place where he spent his childhood and youth. Notable places of interest include the remains the once vast Ak-Saray palace - parts of the portal remained and are evidence of the scale of construction, the Dorus-Syadot mausoleum where Jahangir - the most beloved son of Amir Temur, was buried; and Dorut-Tilavete. Surrounded by the high Gyssar mountain range Shakrisabz is much greener than other Uzbek cities and a few degrees cooler than Samarkand.
Ferghana
Known as the "garden of Uzbekistan" the Fergana Valley lies in the eastern part of Uzbekistan between the Tian Shan (Heavenly Mountains) and the Pamir Alay range and is shared with neighbours Kyrgyzstan and Tadjikistan. It is the most fertile and populous area of Uzbekistan. Fergana, the largest town in the valley, with its Russian colonial architecture and streets shaded with plane and poplar trees, makes a good base from which to see the older and more interesting towns of Kokand and Margilan.
Nukus
Nukus is now the 6th largest city in Uzbekistan but it grew from a small settlement. However, the city's isolation made it host to the Red Army's Chemical Research Institute. The State Museum has artifacts recovered from archaeological investigations, traditional jewelry, costumes and musical instruments, but more interestingly, displays of the area's now vanished or endangered flora and fauna. The Art Museum is noted for its collection of modern Russian and Uzbek art from 1918-1935. Stalin tried his best to eliminate all non Soviet art from this period, and sent most of the artists to the gulag. The collection at Nukus survived because of the city's remoteness.
Samarkand
Samarkand is the mythical, evocative name of one of the key trading cities of the ancient Silk Road. With a history dating back 2700 years, Samarkand became famous as the capital of the vast state created by Timur Lang (known in English as Tamerlaine) and later ruled by his grandson Ulugbek in the 14th and 15th centuries. Some of the most magnificent architecture in the Islamic world can be found in Samarkand with some wonderful mosques. mausoleums and madrassahs. Samarkand sits on the banks of the Zerafshan River and to the northeast of the modern town is Afrosiab the site of the most ancient parts of the city, from where the Sogdians, the masters of Silk Road trade ruled.
Tashkent
Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan, with a population of more than 2 million, is the major economic, political and cultural centre of the Republic. Its history spans over two millennia, although few monuments from ancient times have survived here. Wars and natural calamities have swept most of the old buildings from the face of the ancient city. Among the survivors are: The Kukeldash Madrassah 16th century, the Sheikhantaur Endemble 15th century, the Yunus-Khan Mausoleum 15th century and the Khazrati-Imam Complex. After a disastrous earthquake in 1966, Tashkent was almost totally rebuilt. Modern apartment houses, administrative buildings, new architectural complexes and theatres decorated with traditional tilework make Tashkent an attractive and interesting city.
Khiva
Khiva is a fascinating medieval desert town which has been perfectly preserved. It came to prominence in the 16th century as the capital of the Khans of Khiva whose territory stretched from the Caspian Sea to India and was famous for its religious fervour and slave markets. Khiva's inner walled city or "Ichan Kala" has been described as an open-air museum (or perhaps an abandoned film set). It consists of a maze of narrow medieval streets lined with madrassahs, mosques, caravanserais and palaces.
Kokand
Kokand has existed since at least the 10th century, when it was known as Khavakend and was located on a caravan route between India and China. Destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century, present city began as a fort in 1732 on the site of another older fortress called Eski-Kurgan. In 1740 it became the capital of an Uzbek khanate (a state ruled by khans) that reached as far as Qyzylorda to the west and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to the northeast. Kokand was the major religious centre of the Fergana Valley under the khans and at one time it had more than 300 mosques. Russian imperial forces captured the city in 1876. The palace of Khudayar Khan sits in the center of the city. Built by the last Khan of Kokand, Khudoyar, it was completed in 1873 - three years before the tsar's troups arrived, abolished the Khan and blew up his fortifications.
Nurata Mountains
The Nurata mountain range is home to the Nurata Nature Reserve and many lush green river valleys as well as the ancient town of Nurata, founded by Alexander the Great. Rural Tajik and Uzbek villages are dotted through the valleys and the traditional way of life is very much preserved here, the natural hospitality of the villagers gives visitors the chance to experience the culture first hand. The area is home to an endangered species of mountain sheep, and the many habitats provide an array of flora, rare endemic tulips and over 300 species of birds. Historic fortress ruins can be found and explored in many of the villages, which lie close enough together to trek between. Lake Aydar lies to the north, a serene and peaceful place for bird watching or swimming.
How to book a trip
Uzbekistan Travel Information
Visa Information
UK Passport holders require a visa to visit Uzbekistan.
Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the end of your trip, and it must have at least one blank page for each visa required. Please ensure the passport details we hold for you are correct.
Please note it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa documentation when starting your trip. Country entry regulations can alter daily and it is always best to check with the relevant embassies for any changes.
You can also use a visa company such as::
Travcour (UK)
Tempo House
15 Falcon Road Battersea
London
SW11 2PJ
Tel: 020 7223 5295
Fax: 020 7738 2617
Email: info@travcour.com
Website: www.travcour.com
Whether you are using a company or applying for the visa yourself you will require the following:
• Letter from your employer confirming you have taken the time from work for holiday.
• An authorisation letter from Wild Frontiers, which we will apply for and forward on to you a couple of months prior to departure.
• To inform us in the office which embassy you intend to apply for your visa from, as pertinent information needs to be forwarded there from us prior to your application.
• To inform us of your occupation title and the name of your employer.
• To provide us with a scanned copy of your passport photo page.
If you are travelling on a non-UK passport, please contact your nearest consulate/embassy for up to date visa information.
Insurance:
Insurance that provides cover for emergency repatriation in case of a medical emergency is compulsory for all tours.
You should be aware that many standard insurance policies may not cover you adequately for all aspects of a Wild Frontiers trip and so we strongly recommend that you purchase a suitably designed insurance policy.
One such policy is the "Wild Frontiers" policy underwritten by Ace European Group Limited (ACE " firm reference 202803), which is available to EU residents (which excludes Norway & Switzerland) through our website or via the insurance company direct on 0845 345 3456. Under this policy there are two different levels of cover available.
Standard policy: a comprehensive travel insurance policy that provides cover for all Wild Frontiers activities, including trekking up to 6,000m. This policy does not provide cover for travel to areas where the FCO is advising against all or all but essential travel.
Elite policy: provides the same comprehensive level of cover as the standard policy. In addition the Elite policy also provides cover for travel to areas where the FCO is advising against all or all but essential travel. The policy will not provide cover for any claims arising from or relating to the reasons why the FCO is advising against travel.
If purchasing the Elite policy you also have the option to extend the cover provided by the policy to include cover for claims arising from a terrorist act in an area where the FCO is advising against travel. You can add this cover to your policy when purchasing online or over the telephone.
These policies are only available to those travelling on a Wild Frontiers holiday.
For more information and to purchase your policy online please visit the Insurance section of our website.
The cover is underwritten by Ace European Group Limited (ACE), and is arranged by Travel & General Insurance Serv
Health and Vaccinations:
There are no mandatory immunisations for travellers to Uzbekistan, although you should be up-to-date with Typhoid, Tetanus, Polio and Hepatitis A. We recommend you seek advice from your local GP or travel centre as to the correct immunisations and preventative treatments.
We also recommend:
• A dental check-up prior to travelling.
• You inform us of any pre-existing medical conditions or medication.
To be on the safe side you can also check on www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk
