Uzbekistan · PRIVATE
Good private tours fill up in spring and autumn, and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes, and where they differ.
Private Samarkand city tour with hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, major Silk Road sights, photo stops, and dried fruit tasting.
“We had a blast! Amin was very knowledgeable and accommodating. He taught us so much about Uzbekistan. We learned facts about all of the places we visited and cool legends. We would absolutely recommend this tour with Amin if you visit Samarkand!”
Full-day private Seven Lakes trip from Samarkand with border crossing, mountain lakes in Tajikistan, and a short UNESCO stop at Sarazm.
“The mountains were majestic, the guide excellent, and we felt very welcome in Tajikistan. So glad we did this tour. The road to the final lake was a bit scary because of the steep drops, but the driver was very skilled, careful and confident, which helped us not worry. The final views of snow capped mountains mirrored in crystal clear lake were definitely worth it. I can't praise the guide enough! Not only was he a lovely person to talk to, but he also bought us some local lunch. At first, this tour seemed very complicated to me, as British citizens need visas and we would have to cross the…”
Private 5 to 7 hour Bukhara Old Town walking tour with a local guide, major monuments, bazaars, and photo stops.
“Our local guide, Shaxnoza, picked us up at our hotel and was super nice since the beginning. We took a taxi to the city center and from there we started our walking tour around the most iconic places in Bukhara. Shaxnoza is very knowledgeable about the city’s history and its importance in the Silk Road. We visited around 10-12 important landmarks, she showed us around the old Jewish quarter and a synagogue from the XVI century. We also visited the merchant domes, along with their caravan sarai, madrasah and mosque and we were able to picture how things worked back then. We were also taken to a few artisan workshops…”
Private 6-hour walk through Bukhara’s UNESCO Old City: minarets, mosques, madrasas, Ark fortress, and bazaar shopping with a licensed guide.
“We loved our trip with Yulduz, she felt like an old friend who took us around Bukhara and explained the history as well as interesting points about Uzbeki culture and the culture of Bukhara. The entire trip was even paced and Yulduz was very patient in answering all our questions. This is a must do if you are in the city!”
Private guided walk through Bukhara’s Old City, from the Kalyan complex to the Ark, Lyabi-Hauz, madrasas and domes, with tickets included.
“Amazing city, amazing tour and one of the best guides I have ever had! Shakhnoza was very kind, pleasant, knowledgeable and fun. I recommend her and this tour 100%!”
A 6-day private Silk Road route through Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand with guides, hotels, breakfast, and entrance tickets included.
“everything arranged very comfortable, tour guide is knowledgeable and nice. hotel is at old town, it is very convenience.”
Private guided day trip from Samarkand to Shahrisabz, seeing Kok Gumbaz Mosque, Hazrati Imam, Dorut Tilavat, and Timur’s Ak-Saray Palace.
“Il posto è assolutamente da visitare (anche se ricostruito/ristrutturato per lo più) ma il prezzo è assolutamente troppo alto per l’attività. Abbiamo pagato più di 70€/persona (gruppo da 4) per sostanzialmente un transfer A/R. Le attrazioni non sono incluse nel prezzo e vanno pagate singolarmente. La cosa è specificata nelle condizioni ma per il prezzo pagato è abbastanza scandaloso. La guida (Bob) è stata simpatica e parlava anche un discreto italiano ma sostanzialmente ci ha dato poche informazioni oltre ai nomi dei monumenti e l’anno di costruzione. Qualche informazione era anche inesatta. Sicuramente la giovane età gioca un ruolo importante ma un minimo di preparazione in più ed una magg...”
Private 8-day Uzbekistan route covering Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand with guides, hotels, trains, and key entrances included.
“Well organized tour with nice hotels and very good guides. Amazing Islamic architecture. The old town section of Khiva is out of this world. Uzbekistan is a safe and clean country, the locals are honest and proud with no harassment to buy gooRead more”
Private 7-hour Tashkent tour by premium car: Hast Imam Complex, Chorsu Bazaar, Metro stations, plov lunch, Amir Temur sites, TV Tower views.
“I absolutely loved this tour! got to see all the key locations in Tashkent including the TV tower, riding the metro, the bazaar and magic park. My tour guide Makhzuna was amazing and very helpful and informative. we visited the plov centre and tried amazing food too. highly recommend this tour to anyone!”
6-hour private Samarkand tour with hotel transfers, UNESCO landmarks, Ulugh Beg, and silk paper making, plus helpful guide.
“Esmira was a wonderful and knowledgeable guide. I enjoyed my tour very much and can recommend her tours wholeheartedly.”
A private day trip from Samarkand to Shahrisabz, with mountain-pass views and major Amir Timur monuments, plus a bazaar and tea stop.
“Excellent tour of this small town. With its Mosques and Mausoleums. A garden city with its greenery. Tour guide was excellent with her local knowledge and her 2 assistant students.”
Private 9-hour road trip from Khiva or Urgench to 7 Khorezm fortresses, with hotel pickup, audio materials, and a river-food stop.
“We booked a private tour to see all of the Kalas. The tour was good. We ended up with another group travelling in a separate car but with the same guide. This wasn't really what we booked and meant we didnt have the amount of time Read more”
Private Khiva day tour of UNESCO Ichan-Kala, madrasas, mosques and minarets. Learn local stories, climb for views, with guide.
“We had a great experience. Our guide Farida was just exceptional. She is very competent, speaks fluent Italian and engaging. She is professional, nice and well educated. Grazie Farida per questa esperienza meravigliosa!”
One-day private Old Town Bukhara tour with a guide, air-conditioned ride, and key monuments like Ark, Poi Kalon, and craft domes.
“Generally I prefer to visit monuments and towns by myself reading book guides in order to dedicate more or less time to each single thing to see according to my interest... but the decision to hire a professional guide in Bukhara was really the best decision of my trip in Uzbekistan! Shokhrukh (but "Sho" is easier to remember) was very well prepared and with a huge knowledge of the heritage and history of his amazing country. The level of English was very professional like his preparation on Bukhara and beyond. I appreciated a lot the flexibility of Sho that picked me up in Bukhara Airport in the morning and dropped…”
Private 3-day Silk Road tour linking Tashkent, Bukhara, and Samarkand with included bullet trains, guided monuments, hotels, and breakfast for $500 pp.
“Great trip and some amazing sites to see in each city. Ms Malika was my guide in Bukhara for 2 days and spoke excellent English and had lots of interesting knowledge. Again for Samarkand my guide was Mr Max whose English was also excellent and again had plenty of knowledge about the city. I had a great time. Many thanks!!”
Every kind of day out, and the best of each.
