17 of the best Silk Road tours

Main photo: Samarkand, Uzbekistan (Getty Images)

Video: The Times’ Adrian Phillips takes an escorted tour in Tenerife with G Adventures

Times Travel has partnered with Tourhub to bring our readers a wide selection of escorted tours from trusted travel partners. Here, we’ve selected the very best Silk Road tours. For a bigger selection, visit Tourhub.

1. Uzbekistan Silk Road tour, Wild Frontiers

Offered as a small group or private tour (for an additional charge), this trip introduces two of the Silk Road’s most captivating cities — Bukhara and Samarkand — as well as the vibrant capital of Tashkent, and some of the more rustic villages at the heart of the Nuratau Mountains. You’ll visit dazzling blue-tiled mosques, browse bizarre bazaars, explore the ruins of ancient desert forts, and watch performances of the region’s traditional music and dance. The price includes accommodation in hotels and homestays, all meals, transfers, internal transport, entrance fees and local guides. See all the highlights of Uzbekistan in one trip.

Group size 4-12
Price £££

2. The five Stans of the Silk Road, Explore

If you want a proper taste of the Silk Road in Central Asia, this comprehensive three-week trip is for you. You’ll visit all five of the Stans on a varied and inspiring tour that includes scaling mountains and visiting some of the most dramatic lakes you’ll find anywhere in the world. The tour is accompanied by a tour leader and driver, and features mountain walks, and visits to Samarkand, Khiva and Bukhara. The cost of the tour includes accommodation in hotels, guesthouses and a yurt, and some meals. Flights excluded, but can be added. Tours run May to October.

Group size 4–16
Price £££

3. Silk Road odyssey, Wild Frontiers

Ever get that sense that your trip isn’t long enough? It’s a common feeling when visiting the endlessly absorbing and diverse Silk Road. This mega tour — lasting 29 days — gives you a decent chance to see many of the highlights. You’ll be introduced to the region’s semi-nomadic cultures, its awe-inspiring mountain scenery and its burgeoning food scene. You’ll visit Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, see ancient Merv, the centres of Bukhara, Khiva and Samarkand, Tian Shan (Mountains of Heaven), and the futuristic architecture of Ashgabat and Almaty. Price includes accommodation in small hotels and homestays, and most meals, but not flights.

Group size 4-12
Price £££

4. The great Silk Road, Intrepid

This epic, 32-day Silk Road adventure goes all the way from Beijing to Tashkent, heading west across China, into Kyrgyzstan and on to the heartland of Uzbekistan. You’ll explore the rainbow-coloured, Unesco-listed landscape of Zhangye, see the “other terracotta warriors” in Xi’an’s Han Yang Ling Mausoleum, enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of Kashgar’s Sunday Market, pass nomadic herdsmen and their livestock at Song Kol Lake, and watch traditional Kyrgyz horseback sports. Regular departures from April are all led by a local guide. The price includes accommodation (hotels, sleeper trains, homestays and a yurt), some meals, and guides, but not flights.

Group size 1-12
Price £££

5. Kyrgyzstan: Tian Shan gorge trek, Exodus Travels

Dig out those hiking boots for a 15-day tour past waterfalls, meadows and nomadic herders. You’ll cross Kyrgyzstan’s remote gorges and enjoy fabulous views of Lake Issyk Kul and the peaks of the Tian Shan mountain range. The itinerary features eight days of point-to-point trekking, some of it challenging; this tour is for travellers of at least 16 years old and with a suitable fitness level. As well as hiking, you’ll have the chance to soak in thermal baths, visit sites such as the Cholpon-Ata Petroglyphs, explore Bishkek and cook a traditional meal with a local family. Price includes flights, accommodation (hotels, camping and yurts), most meals, a tour leader and all activities.

Group size 6-16
Price £££

6. The five Stans of the Silk Road, G Adventures

Kyrgyzstan’s capital of Bishkek, and Ashgabat in Turkmenistan, are among the highlights on this self-explanatory, properly immersive 26-day trip through Central Asia. You’ll browse the bazaars and historical sites of the cities, explore dramatic landscapes — from mountains to lakes — and learn about the lives of nomads in the region. Homestay and yurt overnights bring you as close as possible to the local people and their traditions, and you can even camp under the stars near the Darvaza crater. The cost of the trip includes local transport, accommodation, some meals, guides and tours, though you’ll need to pay extra for your international flights.

Group size Maximum of 16 (average 12)
Price £££

7. The Silk Road, Exodus

Take a fast-paced two-week expedition in the footsteps of Marco Polo through Central Asia to see the best of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, from Bukhara and Samarkand — two of the Silk Road’s great cities — to the natural wonders of the Tian Shan Mountains. Marvel at the towering mountain scenery, visit Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk Kul — one of the world’s deepest lakes — and relax with a coffee in a leafy street in Kazakhstan’s Almaty. This is a trip that will introduce you to the region’s fabulous architecture and its deep-rooted traditions. The price includes flights, local transport, accommodation (including a night in a yurt), services of tour leaders, and some meals.

Group size 4-16
Price £££

8. The Golden Road to Samarkand, Jules Verne

Take an 11-night small-group tour along the Silk Road to Samarkand, ancient Khiva and Bukhara. This is a trip that is aimed at more mature travellers (couples and singles), and the itinerary includes the chance to join a local family in Samarkand, where you can hear about life here, and learn how to cook the traditional Uzbek dish of “plov”. There are regular departures between March and November, and the price includes flights, transfers, hotel accommodation (half board), excursions and guides. Note, there’s no single supplement on selected departure dates.

Group size 4-25
Price ££

vjv.com

9. Uzbekistan and the Silk Road photography tour, Light and Land

Instagram feed feeling a bit lacklustre? It won’t be after this one-week photography tour of Uzbekistan and the Silk Road. Taking place in October, it is suitable for photographers of all abilities. The tour visits photogenic ruins, dried-up rivers and bustling bazaars. You’ll travel with photography tutor Astrid and local guide Yuri, and — as well as the natural and architectural highlights — you’ll get to grips with the country’s diverse cultures with visits to the homes of Jewish, Iranian and Gypsy families. Price includes all accommodation and meals, but not flights.

Group size 6
Price £££

lightandland.co.uk

10. Samarkand and Silk Road cities, Martin Randall

This 12-day trip offered by cultural-travel specialists, Martin Randall, visits the top sites of Uzbekistan and some of the best Islamic architecture anywhere in the world. You’ll travel by private coach and high-speed rail from Tashkent to Samarkand, Shakhrisabz, Bukhara and Khiva, passing through unspoilt landscapes and along the way stopping at mosques and madrassas, ancient squares and buildings adorned with beautiful wall tiles. Tours are led by an expert lecturer, as well as a local guide and a tour manager, and include flights, all meals (with wine), good hotels and entrance tickets. Departures in April, May and September.

Group size 10-22
Price £££

martinrandall.com

11. Silk Road to Samarkand, Mountain Kingdoms

This two-week guided trip includes the must-see sights of the Silk Road through Uzbekistan, moving at a leisurely pace that allows you to really take in the cultures, landscapes and architecture. You’ll explore the world heritage site of Ichan Kala, Khiva’s inner fortress, as well as ancient castle ruins in the Kyzylkum Desert, the bazaar, workshops and Kalyan Minaret at Bukhara, and Samarkand’s domed mosques and splendid madrassas. There’s plenty of free time to make your own discoveries, or just soak up the atmosphere. Price includes comfortable accommodation, most meals, and the services of a local guide. Flights are extra. You can also add on a visit to the Fergana Valley, east of Tashkent. Departs in May, June, August, September and October.

Group size 4–12
Price ££

mountainkingdoms.com

12. Kyrgyzstan: Mountains, Lakes and Nomads, Ffestiniog Travel

Get properly off the beaten track on a rail trip along the Old Silk Road through Kyrgyzstan. This mountainous country bordering China is probably the most untouched destination on Ffestiniog Travel’s list, and offers the chance to experience the remote way of life of the region’s nomadic rural population and enjoy some breathtaking landscapes. You’ll have the services of a tour leader and an expert Kyrgyz guide during your 11-day trip, allowing you to learn about the history of Central Asia generally. Stays in family-run or locally owned accommodation means you’ll get a proper taste of the culture. The price includes flights, all rail travel and other internal transport, accommodation, meals and entrance fees. Departs in July.

Group size Maximum of 20
Price £££

ffestiniogtravel.com

13. China’s Silk Road by train, Bamboo Travel

Take a fascinating 20-day tour along China’s ancient Silk Road. The high-speed rail line from Lanzhou to Urumqi in China’s Far West allows you to travel the route in real comfort. Starting in the old capital of Xi’an, this is a journey of a lifetime across Western China. Witness otherworldly landscapes at Zhangye, stand at the end of the Great Wall at Jiayuguan, and visit the resting place of Xinjiang’s past kings in Turpan, before heading on to Kashgar, where eastern and western cultures meet, and finishing in Xinjiang’s capital Urumqi. This is a tour aimed at adventurous couples or small family groups interested in history. It departs March to June and September to November and the cost includes flights, accommodation (including an overnight train), some meals and private tours.

Group size Minimum of 2
Price £££

bambootravel.co.uk

14. Heart of the Silk Road by private train, Regent Holidays

Join a luxurious private train for a special ten-day journey to the ancient cities of Uzbekistan. The Orient Silk Road Express goes in a loop from capital Tashkent into the Kyzylkum desert, before stopping in Samarkand, Bukhara and the museum-city of Khiva. It’s a route that features some of the Silk Road’s most breathtaking architecture and sights, including the necropolis of Shah-i-Zinda and the Samanid Mausoleum. In between the cities you’ll see mountain landscapes and visit rural Uzbek villages where traditions remain strong. Price includes choice of compartments on the train and good hotels, most meals, excursions and transfer. Flights excluded.

Group size Maximum of 20
Price ££

regent-holidays.co.uk

15. Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan — along the Pamir Highway, Undiscovered Destinations

Running every July and August, Undiscovered Destinations’ 16-day tour along the Pamir Highway is perfect for adults who are reasonably fit. It goes through the mountains of Central Asia, along the fabled Pamir Highway between Dushanbe and Bishkek. You’ll see a landscape of roaring rivers and high lakes, and hear tales of discovery and conflict. You’ll visit ancient Silk Road forts and stay as guests with remote communities. Experience the drive along the Wakhan Corridor, see ancient Osh and the vast lake of Issyk Kul. This is a trip for adventurous spirits. Price includes stays in comfortable guesthouses and hotels, most meals and guides, but not flights.

Group size 4-12
Price ££

undiscovered-destinations.com

16. Uzbekistan: The Golden Road to Samarkand, Cox and Kings

This ten-night culture-focused tour — led by Islamic expert Diana Driscoll or William Taylor — includes some of the most impressive cities on the famous Silk Road. You’ll get beneath the skin of Samarkand, Uzbekistan’s second-largest city, admire the medieval architecture of Bukhara, with its blue domes, and the jade-green city of Khiva, as well as Nukus, where the art collection of Igor Savitsky was once hidden from the Soviets. The itinerary features a tour of the Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art in Nukus, visits to ceramics workshops and demonstrations of silk weaving. Price includes flights, four-star accommodation, some meals and guides.

Group size Maximum of 18 (average 12)
Price £££

coxandkings.co.uk

17. Uzbekistan — jewel of the Silk Road, Titan Travel

Titan Travel’s 11-day escorted tour visits the museums, palaces, mosques and madrassas of Uzbekistan. This is a trip rich in culture, with guided tours of Tashkent (including the Khast-Imam Complex and Museum of History), Khiva, Bukhara, Shakhrisabz and Samarkand. In the desert region of Karakalpakstan, you’ll see the ruins of the fortified palace of Toprak-Kala, as well as the ancient burial place of Chilpyk Kala (or Tower of Silence). There are folklore shows, a class in traditional cooking, and lunch at a yurt camp. Price includes flights, accommodation, excursions and most meals. Departs in March.

Group size 24
Price ££

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