Silk Road Mountains & Monuments, Uzbekistan reviews
Read holiday reviews by Mountain Kingdoms travellers.
A brilliant interesting, adventure holiday - with the bonus of comfortable accommodation in good locations. A perfect mix of sightseeing and culture, and two completely different treks. The colours of the architecture took my breath away. I'd looked at photos in travel brochures and magazines for so many years, but seeing the historical monuments for myself, far surpassed my expectations. Importantly, the local agent arranged gluten free meals for me for the whole tour, which I really appreciated.
As previous clients have mentioned, this is a full-on trip but what an interesting experience! The nice thing about this holiday was the alternating of Silk Road sight-seeing and trekking which provided variety for us. The hotels were of a good standard, particularly the hotel in Tashkent. We had two exceptionally good cultural guides during the trip who were able to adjust things as appropriate for the group. Food is plentiful (if somewhat oily) and we were taken to a wide variety of delightful restaurants. The minibuses used were generally comfortable and appropriate for the trip. Highly recommend the extension to Fergana, we did two nights to make it less exhausting and caught an early morning train back to Tashkent.
The holiday was a fascinating insight into the culture and history of Uzbekistan. The itinerary was well thought out and presented by experienced and knowledgeable guides. The additional days we spent in the Fergana Valley and visiting Shakribasz were excellent.
Everyday was a new adventure from breath-taking architecture to meeting locals who made us feel at home especially in the home stays. The walking element of this trip whilst graded gentle/moderate was made more challenging because of the high temperatures we experienced. This trip is not for the faint hearted there is not a lot of down time but if you want an immersive experience then this is the way to do it.
Good holiday, despite the hot temperatures. Probably liked Bukhara the best, but Khiva & Samarkand also good. However, the mountain walks were the best bit, and the friendliness of Nurata was not to be missed. Saw lots of interesting birds including bee-eaters, rollers and a blue whistling thrush.
This was a very enjoyable trip combining the cultural highlights of the famous Silk Road cities interspersed with the slightly more relaxed pace of moderate walks in two different mountain areas, where the local families hosting us were very welcoming. The standard of accommodation and quality of the meals was better than we expected. We would recommend going out a day early as the pace of the trip over the first few days is pretty full on.
Uzbekistan is an amazing country with stunning old cities, fascinating history and a great variety of scenery. We saw all the best bits: flat deserts, snow capped Himalayan peaks and beautiful architecture. This a great trip, combining culture and nature, with good accommodation and a great group of fellow travellers.
We loved the contrasts of the historic monuments and the more modern history, as well as the varied topography of the country. From deserts to mountains, from ancient to modern cities, all accompanied by first rate guides. The ex-Soviet train ride was exciting, but for us the highlight was staying with a village family. Conditions were very basic, but we had the warmest of welcomes, ate very well, and experienced a slice of real rural Uzbek life. The flora & fauna of the hikes was unforgettable too. The Silk Road monuments blew us away! We highly recommend this unique holiday.
We most enjoyed: periods spent in mountain meadows; sight and scent of flowers and herbs, as much as gained views (despite abscence of tulips and irises). Friendliness of Uzbekistanis and of our expert guides (and happenstance of friendly helpfulness of our group members). Visits to ancient Silk Roads cities including museums etc as well as incredible architecture of mosques and madrassas.
What an amazing holiday! Tashkent, Bukhara, Khiva and Samarkand are fascinating cities and we learnt much about their history and culture thanks to the knowledgeable, engaging and friendly guide. The mountain areas are spectacular, and it would have been lovely to have done more walking.