4.9
4.9
Choose your route
Bukhara → Uhum → Asraf → Samarkand
A night in a mountain village on your way to Samarkand.
- Pick-up:
- Your Bukhara hotel, morning
- Drop-off:
- Samarkand, evening of day 2: your hotel, the train station or the airport
- Tour type:
- private only: your car, your driver, your party
- No payment now
- Free cancellation 24 h before
- We reply within 12 hours
One extra day, a different journey
The train from Bukhara to Samarkand takes a morning and shows you the country through a window. This trip takes one day more. On the way to the mountains you meet the Gijduvan potters and see the Rabat-i Malik caravanserai, and you reach Uhum for a late lunch. In the evening you cook and eat with the family you stay with. The next morning a local guide walks with you over the mountain to Asraf, about 3–4 hours. After lunch the road takes you over the pass to Samarkand.
- A night with a village family
- A 3–4 hour mountain hike
- Rabat-i Malik and Gijduvan
At a glance
- Start
- Your Bukhara hotel, morning
- Finish
- Samarkand, evening of day 2
- Duration
- 2 days / 1 night
- Night
- Guesthouse in Uhum with a local family
- Hike
- Day 2, Uhum → Asraf: 3–4 hours with a local mountain guide
- Guide
- Driver only; guide on the hike only
- Meals
- 1 breakfast, 2 lunches, 1 dinner
- Season
- All year
Highlights
- A pottery workshop in Gijduvan
- The Rabat-i Malik caravanserai
- Dinner and a night with a family in Uhum village
- A 3–4 hour morning hike from Uhum to Asraf with a local guide
- Lunch with a family in Asraf after the hike
Day by day
Day 1 · Bukhara – Gijduvan – Rabat-i Malik – Uhum village
Guesthouse- Pick-up at your Bukhara hotel
- A pottery workshop in Gijduvan
- The Rabat-i Malik caravanserai; short stop
- Drive into the Nuratau mountains to Uhum village; late lunch with your host family
- Evening cooking class and dinner with the host family (whatever is on the menu that day); night in the guesthouse
Day 2 · Uhum – Asraf – Samarkand
End of tour- Breakfast
- Hike from Uhum to Asraf with a local mountain guide: about 3–4 hours on a mountain path; your luggage goes by car
- Lunch with a host family in Asraf
- Drive to Samarkand over the mountain pass (about 220 km, about 4 hours)
- Arrival in Samarkand in the evening; drop-off at your hotel, the train station or the airport
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Where you sleep
- Village guesthouse
- With a local family, with hot water.
- Bathrooms
- Shared: one shower and toilet for 2–3 rooms.
- Wi-Fi
- Yes, at the guesthouses. Mobile internet may be limited in the mountains.
- Meals
- 1 breakfast, 2 lunches, 1 dinner; you cook dinner with the host family.
Which Nuratau tour?
- 2 days / 1 nightVillages Homestay
- Nights: 1 village guesthouse
- Between Asraf and Uhum: On foot, 3–4 hours
- Rabat-i Malik and Gijduvan: Yes
- Season: All year
- 2 days / 1 nightHorse Riding
- Nights: 1 village homestay
- Between Asraf and Uhum: On horseback (horse included)
- Desert, camel ride and yurt: No (views of Aydarkul Lake from the ride)
- Nurata (Chashma spring): No (the drive passes near it)
- Season: Daily, all year
- 3 days / 2 nightsMountains Homestay
- Nights: 2 village homestays
- Between Asraf and Uhum: On foot, about 12 km, 4–5 hours
- Nurata (Chashma spring): Yes, both directions
- Season: All year
- 4 days / 3 nightsVillages & Desert Yurt
- Nights: 2 village homestays + 1 yurt camp
- Between Asraf and Uhum: On foot, with a local mountain guide
- Desert, camel ride and yurt: Yes, near Aydarkul Lake
- Nurata (Chashma spring): Samarkand → Bukhara only
- Rabat-i Malik and Gijduvan: Yes
- Season: March – November (yurt camp season)
What’s included and what to bring
- 1 night in a village guesthouse
- Meals: 1 breakfast, 2 lunches, 1 dinner
- Private car, Bukhara to Samarkand
- Cooking class with the host family
- Mountain guide who shows the way (no English)
- Not included: Entrance fees
- Not included: Guide throughout the tour
- Not included: Horse or donkey rides (optional, paid locally)
- Not included: Other personal expenses
What to bring
- A small overnight bag, so the main luggage can stay in the car
- Flip-flops or slippers for the courtyard and the shared shower
- A quick-dry towel if you prefer your own
- A warm layer: evenings and mornings in the mountains are cooler than in the cities
- Good hiking shoes, water, a hat and sun cream
Good to know
- You sleep in Uhum and hike to Asraf the next morning with a local mountain guide.
- Day 2: a 3–4 hour hike, then about 4 hours of driving to Samarkand.
- Take your shoes off when you enter the house; your hosts will show you where. Ask before photographing family members.
Questions
- Can we start in Samarkand?
- Yes. The same tour also runs from Samarkand to Bukhara: choose Samarkand → Bukhara at the top of the page.
- Where do we sleep?
- In a village guesthouse with a local family, with hot water. Bathrooms and showers are shared: one shower and toilet for 2–3 rooms.
- Is there Wi-Fi?
- Yes, at the guesthouses. Mobile internet may be limited in the mountains.
- How hard is the hike?
- A moderate 3–4 hour hike on a mountain path. Wear good shoes, drink plenty of water and take breaks.
- Is there a guide?
- No guide travels with you. A local mountain guide only shows the way on the hike; he speaks little English.
- Is this a private tour?
- Yes. The car, the driver and the bookings are for you and your party only. There is no group option.
- How do I book and pay?
- Send a booking request on our website or write to us on WhatsApp. There is no payment when you book: we contact you to confirm the details. You can pay in cash or by bank transfer.
- Can we bring children?
- Yes. In the booking form, travellers aged 6 and older count as adults, and children under 6 are listed separately.
- Can I cancel or change the date?
- Yes. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the tour, and changing the date is free.
