Our 16-night textiles and arts tour of Uzbekistan checks another fabulous adventure off your bucket list! Uzbek people are welcoming and generous. The country is modern and safe, yet also packed full of exquisitely embellished architectural wonders.
Uzbekistan once held the most important trade centers on the Silk Road, the ancient trade route that linked the Mediterranean to China. The country is home to large numbers of talented artisans creating exquisite, hand-embroidered suzanis and hand-dyed, handwoven ikat textiles. We will meet many of these welcoming artisans and watch them at work.
In the historic area, stunning 15th century tiled mosques and madrasas compose a UNESCO World Heritage site. Detailed tile mosaics decorate these stunning ancient buildings inside and out. Bright turquoise tiled domes top most of the sites.
The recent, modern part of the capital has many sleek glass and steel buildings, sprinkled among Soviet-style apartment blocks. Cranes signaling new construction are everywhere in the flourishing capital city. The restaurants are superb and would be at home in any modern country, with the great variety of fresh and healthy foods.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
- Visit exquisite blue-tiled madrasas, mosaic-covered mosques, and fascinating museums.
- Meet silk ikat dyers and weavers, and embroidery and ceramic masters.
- Buy hand-woven ikat patterned fabric for gorgeous quilting, clothing or pillows.
- Savor fresh produce and delicious breads that make up the heart of Uzbekistan cuisine.
- Shop in the bustling markets and handicraft bazaars for handmade treasures, like vintage suzanis.
- Stroll the historical neighborhoods of ancient Samarkand and Bukhara to see UNESCO Heritage sites.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
An Overview of Your Journey
Beautiful Tashkent City
The trip Uzbekistan part of the tour begins and ends in the booming city of Tashkent, the Uzbek capital. Our driver will meet you at the airport with a sign with your name, and he will take us our modern hotel for a good night’s sleep. Next day, we’ll head out to explore some of Tashkent’s most interesting sights. In this appealing city, big sycamores line the wide avenues and mosaic-decorated apartment blocks alternate with sleek new glass and steel edifices. One day we’ll go underground to admire the amazing Soviet-era Metro stations, true artistic masterpieces, each with a theme.
In Tashkent’s old city, we’ll admire historical buildings with iconic turquoise-tiled domes, such as the 16th Barak-Khan Madrasa complex. We’ll also visit the home/studio of a famous embroiderer’s workshop and school, and see her beautiful jackets and other pieces.
We’ll be sure to see the Museum of Applied Arts which showcases some of the best historical artistic examples of the arts of Uzbekistan, in the mansion of the Imperial Russian diplomat Alexander Polovtsev. He built the intricately decorated mansion expressly to display his extensive collections of unique handicrafts and textiles. After the Soviet revolution, the government nationalized his cherished home and opened it to the public as a museum. Polovtsev’s rare examples of folk art such as vintage ceramics, handmade rugs, and wood carvings are on display in the wondrous house with its colorfully decorated ceilings.
Ferghana Valley of Ikat
Next we’ll head for the Ferghana Valley in SUVs because vans are not allowed on the mountain routes. After 4 hours, we’ll stop in Kokand, to visit the incredible Khudayarkhan Palace and the Juma mosque.
Then we continue to Margilan, an ancient Ferghana Valley city, and home of glowing resist-warp dyed (ikat) fabrics, the most renowned of Uzbek textiles. Margilan town was well-known in antiquity for the superb quality of silk created here. We’ll meet ikat dyers and weavers who are the most skilled in Central Asia. Over the course of our days there, we’ll visit ikat masters to see thread binders, weavers, and dyers. Stunning ceramic plates and bowls will be available at the master ceramicist’s studio we’ll visit. All the pieces are intricately hand-painted.
A highlight will be the Kumtepa Bazaar, one of the best places to buy inexpensive ikat fabrics (with resist-dyed warp) which are the most renowned textiles of Uzbekistan. It’s a great local market with an area devoted to local textile crafts. Here you can buy ikat yardage to make robes, quilts or pillows, and other textile treasures.
Later we’ll visit an ikat dyeing workshop and will see how the warp threads are bound to make the bold patterns. We’ll visit the Yodgorlik Margilan silk factory where we can see the entire process from reeling the silk cocoons to the finished ikat.
Along the route to Ferghana, we’ll stop several times, for lunch and to visit the bakers slapping dough rounds onto the walls of fiery domed ovens.
Samarkand
From Margilan we go back to Tashkent for one night then board the air-conditioned fast train to Samarkand. Seasoned travelers consider Samarkand as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, not only for the stunning historical monuments but also for the tree-shaded avenues and lovely green city parks. It was an important trade stop along the Silk Road and was at the forefront of early Islamic architecture.
We’ll visit the mausoleums of Shah-i-Zinda, where Tamerlane built elaborate tiled mosaic tombs for his favorite wives, his wet-nurse and his sisters, among others. We can visit a silk carpet factory, the Afrosiab museum and the fascinating Observatory of visionary astronomer, Ulughbek. We’ll see the towering tomb of Emir Timur (Tamerlane), founder of the Timurid Empire. Prominent landmarks include the iconic Registan, a plaza bordered by three ornate, majolica-covered madrasas dating to the 15th and 17th centuries.
Registan Square is fun to visit at night when it is lit with floodlights and looking magical. Modern Samarkand is a unique city: it combines the spirit of modernity with old historical grace. The western part of the city is more modern, with architecture reflecting 19th and 20th c. European design and style, influenced by the Russian aesthetic – as well as 21st c. towering modern glass and steel buildings.
Next Stop Bukhara!
Next we’ll visit the ancient city of Bukhara, another UNESCO World Heritage site. Bukhara remains an exciting place to explore the architecture and textiles of Uzbekistan. It was a major medieval center for Islamic theology and culture. It still contains hundreds of well-preserved mosques, madrasas, bazaars and caravanserais, dating largely from the 9th to the 17th centuries. Blue-tiled mosques and textile bazaars abound in this fabulous historical city. It has many pedestrian streets so it’s fun to stroll around and hard to get lost!
The age-old caravanserai and madrasas have often been converted into artists’ studios and workshops. And the huge ancient, domed bazaar here offers carpets, suzanis (embroidered panels), ikat clothing and jewelry. We’ll explore these as well as an artisan center where we can learn how some typical crafts are made.
While in Bukhara, we’ll go through the Emir’s summer palace, Sitorai Mohi Hosa. It’s an ‘over-the-top Russian/Central Asian confection built far out of town, in 1911.’ The palace houses the excellent Bukhara Museum of Decorative Arts where the superb suzani collection will enthrall the embroidery lovers among us. Exquisite suzanis of different sizes and embroidery techniques cover the walls and are such a treat to be able to admire. The main building with its tall ceramic fireplaces houses treasures such as royal furniture of the 19th – 20th centuries, palace artifacts from Russia, and jewelry by well-known Bukharan masters.
On to Khiva!
Onward from Bukhara to Khiva! This is a long drive, but the desert landscape is compelling: vast steppes, shepherds and their flocks, odd villages, military outposts and unusual vegetation. We’ll skirt the Kyzylkum or Red Sand Desert, to see Khiva’s wondrous architecture. We’ll cross the Amu Darya River, known as the Oxus in ancient times. Ichan Kala, the walled, ancient, inner city of Khiva made an important stop on the Silk Road. It’s also the largest surviving walled city in the central part of Asia. Tiled and mosaic-encrusted treasures of Khiva’s old town include stunning palaces, mosques, minarets and pillars.
Textiles abound in Khiva. We’ll visit several grand architectural wonders here. There is a particularly wonderful carpet shop in Khiva also. Hand-knotted examples here show patterns that were inspired by the designs of the tiles and doors of the city. At the end of our adventure, after seeing hundreds of gorgeous suzanis, stunning ikat coats, bolts of ikat fabric, and furry hats, we’ll drive to nearby Urgench for early flights back to Tashkent. The rest of this day is free to relax and pack up for your flights home the next day.
Where You Will Be Staying
Hotel in Samarkand TBA
A cozy family-owned hotel conveniently located on a quiet residential street of Samarkand. Rooms are comfortable and have contemporary bathrooms. The breakfast buffet is very good, with lots of choice. Registan Square is within easy walking distance so we can visit when it’s lit up at night.
Private Home, Margilan
This new and comfortable two-story homestay sits at the back of a lovely garden. Cozy rooms decorated with glorious ikat fabrics are situated around a large living/dining room area. Each room has a modern bathroom attached. Breakfast is simple but plentiful and good.
Additional Details & Experiences
Bread In Uzbekistan
Bread is considered sacred by Uzbek people. The traditional round and flat bread, called non or lepeshka, is baked in a tandoor (round clay oven), after which it comes out toasted and crispy. Bread of each region has its own particular method of leavening, its own baking techniques and its own inimitable taste. For instance, delicious flaky bread – katlama non – typifies the Fergana Valley version. Some yummy breads called lepeshkas are prepared with onion or meat baked inside the dough.
What are the traditional foods of Uzbekistan?
We’ll eat delicious food everywhere and learn about the local cuisine in at least one cooking class. Popular foods include vegetable, chicken or beef skewers, fresh salads and dishes such as rice pilaf or plov (above), with beef or lamb. Meat-filled pastries called somsas are common too. Vegetarians will have no trouble at all; many salads such as grated carrots or beets with walnuts, or tomato and cucumber are popular and found in most restaurants.
The Ismail Samani Mausoleum
The Samanid Mausoleum is an architectural wonder, a perfect cube of unglazed tan bricks, with decorative basket-weave patterns inside and out. It’s located in the northwestern part of Bukhara, just outside its historic center. It was built in the 9th-10th centuries AD as the resting place of the powerful and influential Islamic Samanid dynasty. The mausoleum is extremely important from an art historical perspective as it is the earliest example of an Islamic tomb to survive in Central Asia.
Previous Adventures in Uzbekistan
Your Trip Leaders
Mirza
Mirza taught English at the Tashkent Law College before becoming a professional guide in 2006. His easy-going personality is a large part of why trips with him are so delightful! He explains just the right amount of the complicated history of his country and its architecture. He’s also friends with many of the textile and ceramic artisans and understands their working techniques, which makes those encounters more interesting.
Cynthia LeCount Samaké
For decades Cynthia has led small groups of textile fanatics and friends all over the world. Desiring some new locations and new types of textiles, she has branched out and found wonderful connections and many destinations for her tours. Now the repertoire includes Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, places where artisans dye and weave stunning silk ikat designs. She still accompanies as many trips as she can each season.
Check Trip Availability
Trip signups are accepted on a first-come, first serve basis. Please provide your details below and we’ll be in touch to confirm whether spaces are still available for this trip. If you need to get in contact, please email: info@btsadventures.com
Registration Information
Dates: October 10- 25, 2027
Fly Home: October 26, 2027
Deposit: $500
Tour Cost: $5975
Single Supplement: $760
For more information:
E-mail: info@btsadventures.com
Read: Frequently Asked Questions
Travel Plans
Most people fly into Istanbul from their home airport, then connect with Turkish Air for the flight to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. For Americans living in cities served by Turkish, it is usually less expensive to take Turkish Airlines for the whole flight itinerary.
Visas
NO visa needed for Uzbekistan!
What’s Included
- 16 nights accommodation in double rooms with private bathrooms
- Expert Uzbek English-speaking textile expert guide
- All breakfasts in the hotels
- All lunches and dinners
- Transportation by air-conditioned Van or Minibus
- Entrance fees to all sites and monuments
- Flight from Urgench-Tashkent
- All Tashkent airport transfers
- Train travel between Tashkent and Samarkand, Samarkand and Bukhara.
- All train station transfers – Samarkand, Bukhara, etc.
- Bottled water included and all drinks with meals; alcoholic beverages not included.
- Cooking master class
- Ikat textile weaving demonstration
- Fascinating Velveteen ikat demonstration!
- Info about foods and typical dishes to come
- (Card fees included if you pay by card.)
What’s Not Included
- International flights to and from Uzbekistan
- MANDATORY travel insurance–for trip cancellation, etc. Suggestions later.
- Tips for guide and driver; amounts will be suggested.
- Alcoholic beverages,
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
What information will I receive after registering?
Once you sign up for a trip, we will e-mail a general itinerary, lists of Suggested Reading, what to take, cultural considerations, weather charts, etc.
How can I get a detailed itinerary for a tour?
A day-to-day itinerary will be sent once you sign up for a trip. If you need specific information about the flow of the trip and the pace of the specific activities, before committing to the trip, get in touch with your questions and we will be happy to fill you in.
What sort of clothing should I bring?
When you sign up for a tour, you’ll receive detailed lists of what to bring to your destination, as well as weather info, to more easily coordinate your wardrobe with the heat or cold.
We will also include suggestions for appropriate clothing for dressing in conservative countries. Basically, you’ll need modest clothes that cover your shoulders and legs. Being well-dressed will show the locals that we respect them and their society. We will visit private homes on several occasions when it’s important to look ‘nice.’ Uzbek women wear dresses or skirts with blouses and sweaters.
Are laundry services available?
Most hotels have a laundry service and prefer that you don’t wash clothes in the bathroom sinks. If there is no laundry service, and you don’t want to wash your jeans and wait a day or two for them to dry, asking at the hotel desk is a good place to start.
Please note that it is considered demeaning to wash someone else’s underpants, so we ask that you wash your own undies. Hang them to dry discreetly in the bathroom.
Are laundry services available?
Most hotels have a laundry service and prefer that you don’t wash clothes in the bathroom sinks. If there is no laundry service, and you don’t want to wash your jeans and wait a day or two for them to dry, asking at the hotel desk is a good place to start.
Please note that it is considered demeaning to wash someone else’s underpants, so we ask that you wash your own undies. Hang them to dry discreetly in the bathroom.
Do I need any vaccinations or immunizations?
This varies with each country. Make an appointment with your travel doctor/clinic and take your tour itinerary with you. Some areas of certain countries require malaria pills and others do not; same with Yellow Fever and others, such as Cholera and Typhoid. The travel nurse or physician will have all the latest requirements at hand.
OR You can consult the CDC.gov (Center for Disease Control) website information pages for your specific destination so that you have the latest official information.
For all travel, you should be current on your typical childhood and international travel shots such as Polio and Tetanus. Some countries require proof of Yellow Fever vaccination for entry, if you are coming from a country that has yellow fever.
Behind the Scenes Adventures requires you to have had at least two COVID vaccinations. We won’t ask for proof; this requirement is on the Honor System. We recommend you have all available boosters as well.
How much physical activity is involved during the trip?
Each trip has different activity levels that will be fully explained in the specific tour material. But no activities or events are mandatory, and you are always welcome to sit at the bottom of the stairs to a temple or wait in the van while others ascend or visit a particular place. Walking sticks are fine to bring if they help you. We cannot accept wheelchairs or walkers.
For most tours, you’ll need to be able to walk the distance of 4-5 city blocks on your own, with sturdy shoes. Please note that sidewalks in many countries are full of big holes and broken cement chunks, with bits of re-bar sticking out, and you must constantly be alert to these dangers. In urban areas where distances are greater, the group will take taxis and/or get help from local assistants. If you need a personal taxi or additional special aid, that will be at your expense.
What will the weather be like?
Our Uzbekistan trips are planned for temperate weather with little or no rain, in April-May and September-October. Summer temperatures are far too hot! Average daytime temperatures are usually in the 70s and nights can be cooler, in the 50s. With global warming, it is much harder to predict but we will send Weather Charts with your pre-departure info.
Meals & Accommodations
What sort of hotels will we be staying in?
Hotels that we choose in Uzbekistan are usually in traditional style with carved wood decor, typically new and up-to-date. Our hotel in Tashkent is semi-ttraditional, with comfortable, well-lit rooms, good beds and linens. It has modern bathrooms, a good restaurant at lobby level, and an elevator. The hotel in Samarkand is more modest. The new, private, homestay in Margilan belongs to the family of the most famous ikat weavers; it’s a treat to stay there, surrounded by textiles! Before we depart, we will send you a list of all hotels with contact information in case someone at home needs to contact you.
What kind of money will we be using?
Purchases are made either in local money, Uzbek SOM for example, or in US dollars. US dollars are stable and the most widely accepted foreign currency, and they are what you should bring. Euros are also accepted. Canadian dollars are not often accepted so you are safer with US dollars. Other currencies are either not accepted, or the rates are not correctly calculated.
Bring US dollars in clean, new-ish, unmarked, unripped bills. $100 bills are fine, but you could bring about a dozen $20s also just in case you want to buy smaller items, in places that accept dollars. I will hand out currency exchange charts when we meet.Purchases are made either in local money, Uzbek SOM for example, or in US dollars. US dollars are stable and the most widely accepted foreign currency, and they are what you should bring. Euros are also accepted. Canadian dollars are not often accepted so you are safer with US dollars. Other currencies are either not accepted, or the rates are not correctly calculated. Bring US dollars in clean, new-ish, unmarked, unripped bills. $100 bills are fine, but you could bring about a dozen $20s also just in case you want to buy smaller items, in places that accept dollars. I will hand out currency exchange charts when we meet.
Do NOT count on using ATMs, although their service is much better nowadays. They exist but can be out of money, or the systems are down, etc.
Credit cards might be accepted for large purchases with a surcharge at more modern shops, but definitely will not be accepted for small items in markets, and small shops.
It’s easy! BRING plenty of CASH dollars, and just take home what you don’t spend. You will keep your US bills in your secret waist pouch or your wallet. You can lock extra money inside your suitcase in the hotel also; we know and trust the hotels where we stay.
How do I change money to buy textiles and other items if I need local money?
We will go as a group to a currency exchange place when we arrive in each country, to change our clean, new-ish, unmarked, unripped US dollar bills into SOM or other local currency. Some places that we shop will accept dollars or credit cards but since there is a high fee for them, merchants greatly prefer cash – dollars or local money.
How much money should I bring for the trip?
Since your trip fee includes all the necessities, you will need spending money only for alcoholic drinks, guide and driver tips, and textiles and souvenirs that you decide to buy.
There are many exciting and beautiful textiles, yardage, and fashionable clothes to take home with you! Bring as much cash as you can afford to spend, or that you’ve budgeted for, and plan on using a credit card for any large unplanned purchases like rugs or vintage suzanis. You can always return to the US with any extra, un-spent dollars.
What sort of food will we be eating?
Uzbek food is fresh and delicious. There is an excellent variety of salads without lettuce, including grated carrots, beets, and other fresh choices. Chicken or beef kebabs are popular and delicious. There are some good hot and cold soups, such as a cold yogurt and cucumber version, so refreshing in warmer months. Lagman is a delicious thick noodle soup with bits of beef.
Other popular dishes are samosas, meat or vegetable-filled pies baked in a round tandoor oven, and the Uzbek national dish called Plov. Typical blue-collar lunch plov mixtures served from huge cauldrons are greasy but other healthier and delicious plov versions include lots of yellow and orange carrots, garbanzos, and raisins. Uzbekistan is famous for fresh-baked bread and bakeries. Every meal starts with fresh bread, sometimes with grilled onions incorporated (my favorite!).
Will I be able to accommodate my dietary needs?
If you have any special dietary, health, or nutrition issues, restrictions, etc, there is no guarantee that
Behind the Scenes Adventures will be able to accommodate your special diets in foreign countries.
Please contact us before departure, and bring sufficient alternative foods. Travelers with severe peanut allergies or other life-threatening allergies cannot be accepted. Vegan diets are possible but with much less variety than at home. Vegetarian or gluten-free diets are often fairly easy to accommodate, but also with less variety than what is available at home. Note that the guide and tour leader cannot cater to your special diet in a group; you’ll be responsible for choosing foods you can eat.
Flights & Travel
Will I need a visa for connecting countries?
It is very rare to need a visa for a connection if you stay in the Transit area. This will be regulated by the connecting country and the airline will send information as to this requirement.
Will I be met at the airport?
Yes! A driver (and the guide if possible) will meet you with a sign – beariing your name and/or Behind the Scenes Adventures. The driver will have your flight schedule and he will know that you need time to pick up your luggage. Wait for him in the terminal, right outside the Arrivals area, and don’t go with any other drivers that don’t have your name on a placard.
For each trip, we’ll send more specific info about the exact pick-up spot. The driver will help with your luggage and a small tip of $5 USD would be appreciated anywhere..
What are the requirements for my passport to be valid?
Your passport needs to have one blank page for your visa, although, with an E-Visa, you will have just a piece of paper to show, and don’t need room for anything except Immigration stamps in your passport.
What is the best airline to fly to the country?
Turkish Airlines is the easiest, depending on where you live….You will need to get to Istanbul, Turkey, then connect to Tashkent. There are non-stop flights to Istanbul’s fabulous new airport (code IST) from SFO and LAX, and perhaps other major cities. Try to get a non-stop flight; it’s much easier not to have to change planes. Some flights connect in Istanbul for an hour or two, then continue directly to Tashkent – easy!
I found good deals on Expedia.com with Turkish Airlines which is very good; they are a partner of United. Turkish and United are the airlines I always use but from your home airport, there may be other deals with other airlines such as Delta and Air France, etc.
What will we use for transportation?
We use a Mercedes Sprinter for most interior transportation. It is high-topped and spacious, and our luggage is stored in the back, or on top if we amass extra bags along the way. (This is another reason we must start with a luggage limit.)
With a small group, we may use a Chevrolet SUV (made in Uzbekistan!) for the whole trip. Vans and buses are not allowed on the route from Tashkent to Ferghana Valley, so we will go in Chevy SUVs. And we will take the modern high-speed train, from Tashkent to Samarkand and on to Bukhara.
We will also fly on two interior/domestic flights.