Uzbekistan

A small group
journey through
one of the most surprising and accessible parts
of the Silk Road.

Join the waitlist
Join the waitlist

14 days across Uzbekistan,
following the Silk Road

There are places you go because they’re easy.
And then there are places you go that are a little off the beaten track. The places that stay with you for a long time.

Uzbekistan is the second kind.

I’ve spent time travelling through this part of the world. It sits on the ancient Silk Road. Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva. Names you may recognise but haven’t got around to visiting.

It’s not difficult to travel here. Just overlooked.

I’ve shaped this trip to be a little different, so that it’s easy, surprising, and rewarding.

Why this trip?

Uzbekistan isn’t on a lot of people’s lists because we don’t know much about it, and it feels out of the way.

Which is exactly why it’s worth going.

You get the scale and history you’d expect, but without the crowds. This trip is arranged so that you can explore somewhere new.

Uzbekistan will surprise you. It has modern infrastructure, tasty food, friendly people and architecture and landscapes that will blow your mind.

On this trip, we will stay a little longer in locations, so you’re not rushed. You’ll have conversations with the local people you didn’t expect to have.

What it feels like

Some mornings that start before the city day gets going.

In Samarkand, you’re there early. Before the groups arrive. The light is softer, the square is quiet, and the city feels like it’s just beginning to wake. Somewhere nearby, bread is coming out of the oven.

Tashkent shifts things. More modern than you expect. Wide streets, clean lines, a different pace altogether.

Then further out, it opens up again.

Sitting on the train between cities, watching the landscape change without needing to think about what comes next.

The group is small, and comes together quickly. By the time you’re sitting down in Bukhara, it already feels easy.

A night in the desert. The air is dry, mineral. You sit outside longer than you meant to. The sky stretches further than it should.

You sleep in a yurt, and forget about home for a little while.

And along the way, there are small details you don’t expect to notice. The weight of a silk carpet under your hand. The texture of places that have been lived in for a long time.

This is an old road. People have been moving through here for a long time.

How this trip works?

We don’t try to cover everything, just the parts that are worth spending time in.

We move through a handful of places properly, not quickly.

We take the high-speed train between cities, so the journey feels part of the experience.

We stay somewhere that feels like you’re actually there, not just passing through.

There’s a structure, but not a tight schedule.

You might find yourself at a football match in Tashkent. Or spending an evening at the ballet or opera. Another day, it’s a drive out into the hills to stand in front of the vast mirrored array of the Parkent Solar Furnace, a place of light and scale that feels improbable, almost otherworldly.

It’s not just about the blue domes and desert landscapes, but the moments that make a place feel lived in.

Time for the obvious things.
And time to be surprised.

A note on pace

On a lot of trips, you move quickly.

This one doesn’t.

We stay a little longer, move at a better pace, and leave space for the parts of travel that aren’t planned.

Kathryn will be available with considered recommendations for any down time if you want to explore a little further.

What’s included

We’ve taken care of the things that matter, so the trip feels easy rather than pieced together.

  • All accommodation throughout, with breakfast included

  • All transport within Uzbekistan, including internal flights and trains

  • Airport transfers on arrival and departure

  • Local guides in each city for the key experiences

  • Entry fees for everything we do together

  • Welcome and farewell dinners, plus a handful of well-chosen lunches along the way

  • A small group, hosted throughout by Kathryn


    You’ll have the freedom to explore and space to choose where and how you spend your time. That’s deliberate.

    Kathryn will always have good recommendations if you want them, or you can simply follow your own rhythm.

Who is this for?

People who are curious, but don’t want to overthink it.

You like the idea of going somewhere a little different, but you don’t want to organise every detail yourself.

You’d rather travel with a small group of interesting people rather than moving through a checklist with a larger group.

Upcoming trips

I’m planning trips for September this year, and again in May and September 2027.

I run each trip once or twice a year, rather than repeating them constantly.

I’ll share confirmed dates and itinerary details with those on the waitlist first.

Pricing

Pricing will sit around NZD9,500, depending on final details.
This trip is designed to be comfortable and well put together, rather than stripped back.

What to know

  • Yes. The places we travel through are well established and generally feel very safe for visitors. The old cities are easy to move around in, and people are welcoming and used to tourists.

  • We stay in boutique hotels with character. All hotels have been personally reviewed by Kathryn

  • A reasonable amount, but nothing extreme. The cities are easy to move around, and we keep the pace sensible. There’s always the opportunity to sit for a while in a tea room and watch the world go by.

  • Not at all. You just need to be curious and comfortable being somewhere a little different.

    Kathryn has travelled extensively through this area and has local guides available.

  • Meals are simple, fresh, and generous — grilled meats, salads, breads, and seasonal dishes.
    We’ll also have the chance to try local, home-style cooking along the way.

  • There’s a plan, but it’s not tightly scheduled. We leave space for things to unfold.

    Kathryn will provide recommendations on additional activities, restaurants and cafes during the trip.

  • People who are curious, reasonably independent, and looking for something a little different — but don’t want to have to organise it all themselves.

Thinking about it?

If you’re interested in coming to Uzbekistan with me in a small group, with the details all taken care of, leave your details below and I’ll send through dates and details as they come together.

I tend to run each trip once or twice a year, and keep groups small.