Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan: Samarkand, the Fann Mountains and the Seven Lakes
12 days from Tashkent: two nights in Samarkand, three in the Fann mountains with the Seven Lakes and Iskanderkul, Dushanbe, then Bukhara and Khiva.
12 days · Round trip from Tashkent · up to 12 guests
The Juma Mosque in Khiva, with more than 200 carved wooden columns Photo: Bgag, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Juma_Mosque_(Khiva)_01.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 12 days, 11 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Tashkent
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly easy city walking of 3 to 5 hours a day on paving and uneven old-town lanes, plus one mountain day: about 8 km round trip on a stony path from the sixth to the seventh of the Seven Lakes, with about 250 m of climbing at around 2,200 to 2,400 m. Every mountain walk has a shorter lakeshore option, and you can sit out any part.
- Meals included
- 11 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 5 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 860 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to September
Highlights
Why this trip
- Shah-i-Zinda at opening and the Registan's madrasas before the tour groups
- Walking across the Jartepa border into Tajikistan, then Sarazm and the Sogdian ruins of ancient Penjikent
- Two nights at a homestay in the Shing valley, with all seven of the Seven Lakes and the walk to Hazorchashma
- Iskanderkul at first light and the Fann Niagara waterfall
- Dushanbe's reclining Buddha at the National Museum of Antiquities
- Bukhara's Po-i-Kalyan and a gold-embroidery workshop
- Khiva's forest of carved columns in the Juma Mosque, and two nights within reach of the walls
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 860 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Tashkent
Tashkent International Airport to your hotel in central Tashkent
- Dinner
- Stay in Tashkent
- Drive about 15 min
Fly into Tashkent International Airport (TAS), where a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the short drive to a central hotel.
Morning
Uzbekistan's capital was largely rebuilt after the 1966 earthquake, so first impressions are wide avenues, fountains and parks rather than old lanes; the old city waits for tomorrow morning.
Evening
Arrive in time for the early-evening briefing, when your See Sight Tours guide walks the group through the days ahead: the train to Samarkand, what the border crossing into Tajikistan involves, what the mountain homestays are like and what to keep in your day bag. Then we sit down together to a welcome dinner of Uzbek dishes, with bread from the tandoor, salads, shashlik and plov, at a restaurant a short walk or drive from the hotel. If you land early, the Amir Timur Square and the gardens around it are an easy first stroll.
Included
- Pick-up at Tashkent International Airport (TAS)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Activity: Plan to land by about 4 pm to make the briefing; later arrivals are met and briefed in the morning.
Old Tashkent, then the fast train to Samarkand
Tashkent old city and Chorsu Bazaar, then the Afrosiyob train to Samarkand
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Samarkand
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
After breakfast we go to the Khast Imam complex in the old city, where a library holds the Uthman Quran, one of the oldest surviving copies, and the courtyard is calm before the day warms. Next door, Chorsu Bazaar sits under its great green dome: spice and dried-fruit stalls, a whole hall of bread and the morning trade in fresh produce.
Afternoon
We ride two or three of the decorated metro stations on the way back to the centre, then sit down to a plov lunch, Tashkent's signature rice dish, cooked in huge cauldrons through the morning. Early in the afternoon we board the Afrosiyob high-speed train for the run of about two to two and a half hours to Samarkand. After check-in, rest, then walk out after dark to see the Registan's three madrasas lit up, a first look before we go inside tomorrow morning.
Included
- Khast Imam complex and the Uthman Quran library
- Chorsu Bazaar
- A ride through several decorated Tashkent metro stations
- Plov lunch
- Reserved seats on the Afrosiyob train to Samarkand
- The Registan lit after dark
Free time: Evening free in Samarkand after the Registan walk
Activity: About 3 hours on foot in Tashkent; bags travel with us on the train.
Shah-i-Zinda at opening and Timur's Samarkand
Samarkand: Shah-i-Zinda, the Registan, Bibi-Khanym and Gur-e-Amir
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Samarkand
- Drive about 30 min
We are at Shah-i-Zinda when it opens, while the light is soft and the narrow avenue of tiled mausoleums is nearly empty; the blue tilework here spans several centuries, from Timur's family to later nobles. From there it is a short walk to Bibi-Khanym, the vast mosque Timur ordered after his Indian campaign, and Siyob Bazaar beside it, where we pick up dried apricots and Samarkand bread.
Morning
We go inside the Registan's three madrasas mid-morning, before the heat, and your guide explains how Ulugbek, Timur's grandson, built the first of them as a place of learning.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a local restaurant, then the afternoon is free. Late in the day we visit Gur-e-Amir, Timur's own mausoleum, with its ribbed dome and gold-leaf interior, and walk back through the tsarist-era new town past the Orthodox Cathedral of St Alexis. Samarkand was listed by UNESCO in 2001.
Included
- Shah-i-Zinda at opening
- Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Siyob Bazaar
- The Registan: the Ulugbek, Sher-Dor and Tilya-Kori madrasas
- Gur-e-Amir, Timur's mausoleum
- A walk through the new town past the Cathedral of St Alexis
- Lunch in Samarkand
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 4 to 5 hours on foot in two parts, with the hot middle of the day free.
Across the border to Penjikent and up to the Seven Lakes
Samarkand to the Jartepa border, Sarazm and Penjikent, then up the Shing valley to Marguzor
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Seven Lakes (Marguzor)
- Drive about 4 h
Morning
We leave Samarkand after breakfast and drive about 45 km east to the Jartepa border. Your guide stays with you through both sets of formalities as we walk across to Sarazm, where our Tajik driver is waiting. Sarazm itself is right beside the post: a proto-urban settlement more than 5,000 years old, listed by UNESCO in 2010, with excavated houses and a small museum. A few kilometres on, Penjikent's ancient town on the bluff above the Zeravshan was a Sogdian city until the Arab conquest in the 8th century; we walk its ruined streets and temples and see the Rudaki museum in the modern town.
Afternoon
After lunch in Penjikent we turn south into the Shing valley, about 65 km and two to two and a half hours on a narrow, rough road, passing the first lakes, Mijgon, Soya, Gushor and Nofin, each a different shade of blue and green.
Evening
We reach our homestay near Marguzor for dinner.
Included
- Jartepa to Sarazm border crossing with your guide
- Sarazm archaeological site and museum
- Ancient Penjikent and the Rudaki museum
- Lunch in Penjikent
- The first four of the Seven Lakes on the drive up
- Dinner at the homestay
Easier option: Stay in the vehicle or at the visitor shelter at Sarazm and Penjikent while the group walks the ruins; both sites are seen from the edge in a few minutes.
Free time: Evening at the homestay after dinner
Activity: Border time varies from under an hour to two hours. You carry your own bag across, a walk of a few hundred metres.
The walk to the seventh lake
Marguzor to Hazorchashma and back on foot
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Seven Lakes (Marguzor)
- Drive about 30 min
A full day in the valley, with no packing.
Morning
After an early breakfast at the homestay we drive the short way to the end of the road at Marguzor, the sixth of the Seven Lakes, and set off on foot while the path is still in shade. The trail follows the river past orchards and stone houses and climbs steadily to Hazorchashma, the seventh lake, a small, still pool fed by springs, at about 2,400 m. It is roughly 8 km there and back with about 250 m of climbing; we take it slowly and stop often.
Afternoon
A picnic lunch by the water, made by our hosts, comes before the walk down. The afternoon is free at the homestay: sit in the garden, walk along the lakeshore or watch the village bring its animals in.
Evening
Dinner tonight is cooked over the fire, and the sky here is very dark.
Included
- Guided walk from Marguzor (lake 6) to Hazorchashma (lake 7) and back
- Picnic lunch by the lake
- Dinner at the homestay
Easier option: Walk the flat shore of Marguzor lake with a local guide, then rest at the homestay; the vehicle can drop and collect you.
More active option: Continue above Hazorchashma on a shepherds' path for wider views over the valley, with a local guide, and rejoin the group for the walk down.
Free time: Afternoon free in the village
Activity: About 8 km round trip and 250 m of climbing at about 2,200 to 2,400 m, on a stony path. Bring shoes with grip, a warm layer and sun protection.
Down the Zeravshan and over to Iskanderkul
Marguzor down the Shing valley, east along the Zeravshan to Ayni, then up the Fan Darya to Iskanderkul
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Iskanderkul
- Drive about 4.5 h
Afternoon
Today is the longest drive in the mountains, about 160 km and four and a half hours, because there is no good place to sleep between the two valleys; we break it with stops and a proper lunch. We leave after breakfast, stopping at the lower lakes for the morning light we missed on the way up, then follow the Shing river down to the Zeravshan and turn east along it. Lunch is in Ayni, where the river meets the Fan Darya, at a local teahouse. From there we head south into the Fann mountains and up the side road to Iskanderkul, a turquoise lake at about 2,195 m whose name recalls Alexander the Great, who is said to have passed this way.
Evening
We arrive mid-afternoon, with time for a short walk along the shore before dinner at our guesthouse or homestay.
Included
- Stops at the lower Seven Lakes in the morning light
- Lunch at a teahouse in Ayni
- Iskanderkul lakeshore walk
- Dinner at the guesthouse or homestay
Easier option: Stay at the teahouse in Ayni for a longer rest, or sit out the lower-lake stops in the vehicle; the shore walk at Iskanderkul is optional.
More active option: Walk a longer stretch of the Iskanderkul shore with the guide before dinner, about an hour on an easy path.
Free time: Arrival evening free at Iskanderkul: time on the shore or a rest before dinner
Activity: The longest mountain drive, broken by photo stops and a sit-down lunch.
Iskanderkul at first light, then Dushanbe
Iskanderkul to the Fann Niagara waterfall, then through the Anzob tunnel and the Varzob valley to Dushanbe
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Dushanbe
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
Get up for first light on Iskanderkul, when the water is still and the peaks reflect in it. After breakfast we walk to the Fann Niagara, a waterfall of about 38 m where the lake's outflow drops into a gorge, and to the small, reed-fringed Snake Lake nearby.
Afternoon
Then we drive back down to the main road and south through the Anzob tunnel, about 5 km long, and down the green Varzob valley to Dushanbe, about 140 km and three and a half hours, with lunch on the way. In the afternoon we see the Tajik capital's centre: the National Museum of Antiquities, home to a reclining Buddha about 13 m long excavated at Ajina Tepa, then Rudaki Park and the wide avenue of Rudaki Prospect.
Evening
The evening is free; Dushanbe has good Tajik and Uzbek restaurants within a short walk of the hotel.
Included
- Sunrise at Iskanderkul
- Walk to the Fann Niagara waterfall and Snake Lake
- Lunch on the way to Dushanbe
- National Museum of Antiquities and its reclining Buddha
- Rudaki Park and central Dushanbe
Easier option: Watch the waterfall from the upper viewpoint near the road instead of walking down, and rest in the museum café in Dushanbe.
Free time: Evening free in Dushanbe
Fly to Bukhara and an evening at Lyabi-Hauz
Dushanbe to Bukhara by air, then Bukhara old town
- Breakfast
- Stay in Bukhara
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
A slower morning in Dushanbe, then our driver takes us to the airport for the flight back into Uzbekistan, to Bukhara. It saves two long days on the road and a second border crossing by land. The flight is direct where one is scheduled for your date, otherwise it connects in Tashkent; we tell you which when we confirm. Our Uzbek driver meets us on arrival for the short run to a hotel in the old town.
Afternoon
Lunch today is yours, at the airport or on arrival. In the late afternoon, when the heat eases, your guide takes you on a first walk: Lyabi-Hauz, the pool under old mulberry trees with the Nadir Divan-Begi madrasa beside it, then the domed trading arcades. Bukhara's historic centre was listed by UNESCO in 1993.
Evening
The evening is free, and the cafes around the pool are the place to be.
Included
- Flight from Dushanbe to Bukhara
- Airport transfers in Dushanbe and Bukhara
- Evening walk: Lyabi-Hauz, the Nadir Divan-Begi madrasa and the trading domes
Free time: Evening free in Bukhara
Activity: Flight times are confirmed with your final itinerary.
Bukhara from the Samanids to the emirs
Bukhara: the Ismail Samani mausoleum, the Ark, the Po-i-Kalyan and a gold-embroidery workshop
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Bukhara
- Drive about 30 min
We start early, while the brick is cool, at the Ismail Samani mausoleum, a 10th-century cube of patterned brick and one of the oldest monuments in Central Asia, then cross to the Bolo-Hauz mosque with its tall painted wooden columns. Next is the Ark, the fortress where Bukhara's emirs lived until 1920, and then the Po-i-Kalyan ensemble: the Kalyan minaret of 1127, the mosque beside it and the Mir-i-Arab madrasa facing it.
Afternoon
After lunch at a local restaurant, rest through the hottest hours. Late in the afternoon we visit a workshop where gold embroidery, zardozi, is still done by hand, and walk to Chor Minor, the small gatehouse with four blue-domed towers tucked among the houses.
Evening
The evening is free to come back to the trading domes or sit by Lyabi-Hauz.
Included
- Ismail Samani mausoleum
- Bolo-Hauz mosque
- The Ark
- The Po-i-Kalyan: the Kalyan minaret, the Kalyan mosque and the Mir-i-Arab madrasa
- A gold-embroidery (zardozi) workshop
- Chor Minor
- Lunch in Bukhara
Free time: Midday rest and evening free
Activity: About 4 hours on foot, split into a morning and a late-afternoon walk.
Across the Kyzylkum to Khiva
Bukhara to Khiva across the Kyzylkum Desert, by daytime train or by road
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Khiva
- Drive about 6.5 h
Evening
This is the one long travel day of the trip, and it goes over our four-hour driving cap because there is no way round it: Bukhara and Khiva are about 450 km apart across the Kyzylkum, the Red Sands, with nowhere worth a night between them. On dates when the daytime train runs we take it, with seats reserved, and the desert slides past the window. Otherwise we go in our own air-conditioned vehicle, about six and a half hours of driving, and break it with a sit-down lunch at a roadside restaurant and a stop where the road meets the Amu Darya, the river the ancient Greeks called the Oxus. Either way we leave after breakfast and reach Khiva in the late afternoon. Check in, then walk out to the western gate of Itchan Kala as the walls turn gold, and keep the evening free.
Included
- Bukhara to Khiva by daytime train with reserved seats, or in our vehicle
- Lunch on the way
- A view of the Amu Darya on the road route
- Sunset walk to the walls of Itchan Kala
Free time: Evening free in Khiva
Activity: Over the 4-hour cap: about 6.5 hours by road, or roughly 6 to 7 hours by the daytime train (timetable not confirmed), with a lunch stop and breaks. We confirm which for your date.
A full day inside Itchan Kala
Khiva: Itchan Kala on foot
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Khiva
Khiva's walled inner town, Itchan Kala, was the first site in Uzbekistan listed by UNESCO, in 1990, and it is small enough to walk end to end in fifteen minutes. We start early with your guide at the Kalta Minor, the squat, unfinished minaret wrapped in green and blue tile, then the Kuhna Ark, the khans' fortress, and its watchtower view across the flat roofs. The Juma Mosque is next: a single hall of more than 200 carved wooden columns, some of them centuries older than the building.
Afternoon
After lunch and a rest through the heat, we see the Tosh-Hovli palace and its tiled harem courtyard, the Pahlavon Mahmud mausoleum and the Islam Khoja minaret, the tallest in Khiva, which you can climb.
Evening
We finish with a farewell dinner on a terrace as the last light catches the minarets.
Included
- Guided day in Itchan Kala: the Kalta Minor, the Kuhna Ark, the Juma Mosque, the Tosh-Hovli palace, the Pahlavon Mahmud mausoleum and the Islam Khoja minaret
- Lunch in Khiva
- Farewell dinner
Easier option: Skip the afternoon visits and rest at the hotel until the farewell dinner.
More active option: Climb the Islam Khoja minaret, about 45 m, for the view over the whole walled town.
Free time: Midday rest
Activity: About 4 to 5 hours on foot on paving and dirt lanes inside the walls.
Fly to Tashkent and depart
Khiva to Urgench airport, flight to Tashkent, then Tashkent International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1 h
A last early walk inside the walls if you want it, while the lanes are empty and the sellers are still setting out their hats and carpets.
Morning
After breakfast our driver takes us about 35 km to Urgench airport for the flight of about an hour and a half back to Tashkent, so you leave from the country's main international airport rather than fitting a connection around a regional flight. Your guide travels with you, sees you through to Tashkent International Airport and checks your onward flight before saying goodbye.
Evening
If you would like more time in Tashkent, we can book an extra night at the group's hotel and you can spend the afternoon at the Museum of Applied Arts or the Alisher Navoi Theatre square. Lunch today is your own. Book an onward flight leaving Tashkent after about 4 pm.
Included
- Transfer to Urgench airport
- Flight from Urgench to Tashkent
- Drop-off at Tashkent International Airport (TAS)
Optional experiences
- An extra night in Tashkent, booked at the group's hotel
Activity: Book an onward flight from Tashkent leaving after about 4 pm; we confirm the Urgench flight time with your final itinerary.
- Tashkent1 night
- Samarkand2 nights
- Seven Lakes (Marguzor)2 nights
- Iskanderkul1 night
- Dushanbe1 night
- Bukhara2 nights
- Khiva2 nights
- Tashkentend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: June to September is the mountain season: the Shing valley road is open and the lakes are at their clearest colours. The plains are hot, often near 40 C in Bukhara and Khiva in July and August, so we walk the cities early and late and rest at midday. Mountain nights at 2,000 m and above are cool.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the great Silk Road cities and real mountain days in one trip
- Walkers happy with a moderate lakeside hike at about 2,400 m
- Travellers curious about village life, glad to sleep in a homestay for three nights
- Anyone who prefers flights to backtracking on long roads
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who need an en-suite bathroom every night: the mountain homestays usually share one
- Step-free access: old towns, border walks and mountain paths are uneven
- Anyone who struggles in heat: July and August are very hot in Bukhara and Khiva
- Travellers wanting nightlife and bars every evening
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
11 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Tashkent1 night
- Samarkand2 nights
- Seven Lakes (Marguzor)2 nights
- Iskanderkul1 night
- Dushanbe1 night
- Bukhara2 nights
- Khiva2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 11 nights: 1 in Tashkent, 2 in Samarkand, 2 in a village homestay near Marguzor in the Seven Lakes, 1 in a guesthouse or homestay at Iskanderkul, 1 in Dushanbe, 2 in Bukhara's old town, 2 in Khiva inside or at the gates of Itchan Kala
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard in the cities
- Homestay rooms for your party only, never shared with other guests
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement; in homestays without a single room, solo guests share with another solo guest of the same gender
- Hotels named when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Tashkent International Airport (TAS)
- Reserved seats on the Afrosiyob high-speed train from Tashkent to Samarkand
- Our own vehicle and driver in Uzbekistan, and a Tajik vehicle and driver suited to the mountain roads from the Sarazm border to Dushanbe
- The Jartepa to Sarazm border crossing with your guide
- Flight from Dushanbe to Bukhara
- Bukhara to Khiva by daytime train or in our vehicle
- Flight from Urgench to Tashkent
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 12, in both countries, including on the train and the flights
- Licensed local guides in Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva where sites require them, and a local guide for the Seven Lakes walk
Activities
- Tashkent: the Khast Imam complex, Chorsu Bazaar and a metro ride
- Samarkand: the Registan lit at night and its three madrasas, Shah-i-Zinda at opening, Bibi-Khanym, Siyob Bazaar, Gur-e-Amir and the new town
- Tajikistan: Sarazm, ancient Penjikent and the Rudaki museum
- The Seven Lakes and the guided walk to Hazorchashma
- Iskanderkul, the Fann Niagara waterfall and Snake Lake
- Dushanbe: the National Museum of Antiquities and Rudaki Park
- Bukhara: Lyabi-Hauz, the trading domes, Ismail Samani, Bolo-Hauz, the Ark, the Po-i-Kalyan, Chor Minor and a gold-embroidery workshop
- Khiva: the Kalta Minor, the Kuhna Ark, the Juma Mosque, Tosh-Hovli, the Pahlavon Mahmud mausoleum and the Islam Khoja minaret
- All entrance fees for included sights
Meals
- 11 breakfasts
- 9 lunches: plov in Tashkent, Samarkand, Penjikent, a picnic at the seventh lake, Ayni, on the way to Dushanbe, Bukhara, on the way to Khiva and Khiva
- 5 dinners: a welcome dinner in Tashkent, three dinners in the Fann mountains and a farewell dinner in Khiva
Not included
- International flights to Tashkent and home
- The Tajik e-visa and any Uzbek visa your passport needs
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as the extra night in Tashkent
- Camera fees charged at some sites
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 860 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Eleven nights in central hotels and mountain homestays, 11 breakfasts, 9 lunches and 5 dinners, airport transfers, the high-speed train to Samarkand, both internal flights, the border crossing with our guide, our own vehicles and drivers in both countries, a See Sight Tours guide throughout, local guides where needed, and every entry fee for the visits in the day plan.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That fits two mountain vehicles and one homestay, keeps the border crossing quick, and means everyone can hear the guide inside the madrasas.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from arrival in Tashkent to departure, on both sides of the border, including on the train and flights. Licensed local guides join in Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva where sites require them, and a local guide walks with us to the seventh lake.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately fit. City days mean 3 to 5 hours on foot, split around a midday rest. The hardest day is the walk to the seventh lake, about 8 km round trip with 250 m of climbing at about 2,400 m. You can walk the flat lakeshore instead, or sit out any part.
I am travelling solo. What will I pay?
You pay the same trip price as everyone else, plus a single supplement from CAD 860 for a room of your own in the hotels. In the mountain homestays you get a room to yourself where the house has one; where it does not, you share only with another solo guest of the same gender, and we tell you before you book.
What are the homestays like?
Village homes in the Shing valley and a simple guesthouse or homestay at Iskanderkul. Rooms are for your party only, often with mattresses on the floor, and bathrooms are usually shared, with hot water depending on the house. Meals are home-cooked and generous. We send exact details when we confirm your dates.
Do I need visas for Uzbekistan and Tajikistan?
Check the current rules for your passport: Uzbek and Tajik visa rules change and differ by nationality, and we confirm what you need when you book. If an e-visa is required, apply online a few weeks ahead. No GBAO permit is needed, because the Fann mountains are outside Gorno-Badakhshan.
How does the border crossing work?
We cross on foot at Jartepa, east of Samarkand, into Sarazm near Penjikent. Your guide stays with you through both posts, and our Tajik driver waits on the far side. There are no porters, so you carry your own bag a few hundred metres. Allow up to two hours.
When is the best time to go?
June to September. The mountain road to the Seven Lakes is reliably open, the lakes are at their brightest and homestay nights are mild. Bukhara and Khiva are very hot in July and August, often near 40 C, so we walk them early and late and rest at midday.
Why fly from Dushanbe to Bukhara?
It saves two long days of driving and a second land border. The flight is direct where one is scheduled for your date, otherwise it connects in Tashkent; we confirm which when we book. Our Uzbek driver meets you in Bukhara.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. Prices are per person sharing a room, taxes included: the small group from CAD 5,695 and a private trip from CAD 10,250 per person.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicles. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same route with drivers and local guides.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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