MT Sobek
Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan Silk Road Cultural Discovery Experience the best of East and West on this extraordinary journey through Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Delight in the natural beauty of the northern Silk Road route's immense deserts and rich cultural heritage. Explore some of the region's most stunning ancient and modern cities, from Tashkent and Samarkand to Bukhara and Khiva. Visit bustling bazaars; explore mosques, mausoleums, and palaces; take in local folk performances; and sample traditional regional cuisine. Let MT Sobek guide you on this adventure of a lifetime along the Silk Road!
- Travel through the heart of the northern Silk Road - one of world's great cultural crossroads
- Explore Bukhara's UNESCO-listed old quarter brimming with ancient mosques and caravansaries
- Visit the marbled city of Ashgabat with its legendary bazaar and marvel at minarets in Khiva
Internal Airfare: $335
Minimum Age: 13
Featured Destinations
Tashkent
Tashkent
The capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent has a growing population of 3 million people. Tashkent preserves its European architecture from old Turkestan and because of its multi-ethnic population Oriental and Arabic touches makes this city a modern and medieval wanderlust.
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Destination Guide
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Samarkand
Samarkand
Built around the same time as Babylon and Rome, the city of Samarkand has seen the conquests of Alexander the Great, Genghis-Khan and Tamerlane's. Centuries of development melted cultures from Arabia and Asia with poets and historians calling it "Rome of the East, The beauty of sublunary countries, The pearl of the Eastern Muslim World." Samarkand is a wealth of ancient architecture with spiritual value making it listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Famous monuments to visit is the Registan Mosque, Bibi-Khanum Mosque, and Guri Amir Mausoleum and the Shahi-Zinda Necropolis.
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Destination Guide
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Bukhara
Bukhara
The ancient Persian city of Bukhara, located on the Silk Road in Uzbekistan, is more than 2,000 years old. Often visited for its famous tomb of Ismail Samani and a large number of 17th century madrasas, Bhukara is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to being one of the best examples of 10th century Islamic architecture in the world.
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Destination Guide
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Mary
Mary
Mary (pop. 95,000) is an oasis and cotton-growing center on the Murghab River. According to tradition, the region around Mary was the original Paradise, though it hardly resembles paradise today. The main (and perhaps only) reason to go to Mary is to see the nearby ruins of ancient Merv. The archaeological site covers a huge area and several different periods. Dating back 4,000 years, it's one of the oldest Silk Road cities and the best historical site in Turkmenistan. Highlights include the impressive 12th-century mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar, the Ark (citadel) and several sections of the ancient walls. We recommend you hire a guide when visiting the site. Before or after you visit Merv, be sure to stop by the Historical Museum in Mary, which has a nice model of Merv and artifacts found there. Mary's Hame-dani Mosque is also interesting, and there's a Sunday market on the edge of town, with lots of carpets. 190 mi/300 km east of Ashgabat.
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Destination Guide
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Merv
Merv
An ancient oasis city that served as the gateway to Central Asia is located near the river of Murghab. Filled with rich monuments, the city of "Mary" or Merv was famous for its trade and politics and once was the seat of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. Having been destroyed and rebuilt through many centuries, this once-upon-a-time megacity transpired immortal ideas from great poets, scientists and philosophers. It now serves as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is marveled at by those who seek ancient cultures and vanished civilizations.
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Khiva
Khiva
This ancient city, a trading center on the Silk Road has been a caravan stop since the 10th century. People gather from both east and west not only to trade, but for its tasty and cool water. Legend has it that the city was built around the well that was dug up in the old part of Khiva. This well can be visited today. Once a bustling city with a scarred past, Khiva is now a peaceful open-aired museum clustered with mosques, madrassahs and tiled minarets.
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Destination Guide
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View Full Itinerary
Valid Date Ranges
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September 2024
| 09/08/2024 |
09/19/2024 |
$5,995 per person
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| 09/20/2024 |
10/01/2024 |
$5,995 per person
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May 2025
| 05/05/2025 |
05/16/2025 |
$5,995 per person
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