Uzbekistan in 8 Days: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva
The four great Silk Road cities in one week, in the order the road runs: licensed guides, 3–4★ hotels with breakfast, every transfer and the monument…
Desert and Mountains in 3 Days: Aydarkul Yurt Camp and Hayat Village, from Samarkand to Bukhara
Three days between Samarkand and Bukhara: a night in Hayat, a village in the Nuratau mountains, with a hike and a plov cooking class, and a night in a desert yurt camp by Aydarkul Lake, with a camel ride and music around the campfire. Private car, either direction.
About this trip
Two very different landscapes in one short trip. In the Nuratau mountains you stay with a family in Hayat, a village of stone houses and walnut trees, hike the slopes above it with a local guide and learn to cook plov, the national dish. Then you go down into the Kyzylkum desert to a yurt camp by Aydarkul, a long lake in the sand, for a swim, a short camel ride and an evening of folk music around the campfire. On the last day you visit the holy spring of Nurata and the Silk Road caravanserai of Rabati Malik.
The trip runs in both directions: choose your start under the title. A private car with a driver takes you the whole way, and all meals are included from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on day 3.
The route at a glance
| Day | From Samarkand | From Bukhara |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samarkand – Hayat village | Bukhara – Rabati Malik – Nurata – Aydarkul yurt camp |
| 2 | Hayat – Aydarkul yurt camp | Aydarkul – Hayat village |
| 3 | Nurata – Rabati Malik – Bukhara | Hayat – Samarkand |
Good to know
- When: April to October. The lake is warm enough to swim from about June to September.
- Car: one sedan takes up to 3 travellers with medium-size luggage; 4 travellers go in two sedans. For more people, or an SUV, message us.
- The hike in Hayat takes about 2 hours on village paths and hillsides, with a local guide who speaks basic English. Bring walking shoes.
- Guide: a professional English-speaking guide can come with you at extra cost: message us before you book.
- Where you sleep: a family guesthouse in Hayat and a shared traditional yurt at the camp; simple, clean and warm.
- Drive times: Samarkand to Hayat is about 3–3.5 hours.
Day by day
- Samarkand – Hayat village in the Nuratau mountains
Pick-up at your hotel in Samarkand at 08:30 for the drive to Hayat, about 3–3.5 hours. Check in to the family guesthouse around 12:00 and have lunch. At 15:00 a local guide takes you on a 2-hour hike: mountain views, old village houses, forest paths and a chance to see wild animals on the slopes. At 17:00 you cook Uzbek plov with your hosts, and dinner is at 19:00. Night in the guesthouse.
- Hayat – Aydarkul yurt camp
Breakfast at 08:00 and departure at 09:00 down to the desert. You reach the yurt camp by Aydarkul around 12:00 and have lunch. In the afternoon, swim in the lake or relax on the shore; at 18:00 a short camel ride. Traditional dinner at 19:00, then folk music and dance around the campfire. Night in a yurt.
- Nurata and Rabati Malik, on to Bukhara
Breakfast at 08:00 and departure at 09:00. In Nurata you visit the Chashma complex, a holy spring full of fish beside an old mosque, below the ruins of a fortress said to have been founded by Alexander the Great. On the way to Bukhara you stop at Rabati Malik, the ruins of an 11th-century royal caravanserai on the Silk Road. Arrival at your hotel in Bukhara in the afternoon.
- Day 1
Bukhara – Rabati Malik – Nurata – Aydarkul yurt camp
Departure from your hotel in Bukhara at 09:00. Visit Rabati Malik, the ruins of an 11th-century royal caravanserai on the Silk Road, and the Chashma complex in Nurata, a holy spring full of fish beside an old mosque. You reach the yurt camp by Aydarkul around 15:00: swim in the lake, take a short camel ride at 18:00, then a traditional dinner and folk music and dance around the campfire. Night in a yurt.
- Day 2
Aydarkul – Hayat village in the Nuratau mountains
Breakfast at 08:00 and departure at 09:00 for Hayat, where you check in to the family guesthouse around 11:00. Lunch at 13:00, then at 15:00 a 2-hour hike with a local guide: mountain views, old village houses, forest paths and a chance to see wild animals on the slopes. At 17:00 you cook Uzbek plov with your hosts, and dinner is at 19:00. Night in the guesthouse.
- Day 3
Hayat – Samarkand
Breakfast at 08:00 and departure at 09:00. You reach your hotel in Samarkand around 12:30, after a drive of about 3–3.5 hours.
What's included
- Private car with driver for the whole route (one sedan for up to 3 travellers with medium-size luggage; two sedans for 4)
- 1 night in a traditional yurt camp, with lunch, dinner and breakfast
- 1 night in a village guesthouse in Hayat, with lunch, dinner and breakfast
- A local mountain guide for the Hayat hike (basic English)
- A short camel ride (up to 10 minutes)
- The plov cooking class
- The folk music and dance show
Not included
- A professional guide (available at extra cost: message us)
- A longer camel ride (an option when you book)
- Hotels in Samarkand and Bukhara
- Drinks, tips, travel insurance and personal expenses
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