Start at the western end.

DAY 1 | Tashkent to Khiva

We meet in Tashkent and fly west to Urgench, then make the short drive to Khiva, one of Uzbekistan's best-preserved Silk Road cities.

Khiva is an extraordinary place to begin. Behind its old mud-brick walls is a compact city of turquoise-tiled minarets, palaces, mosques and narrow streets that have changed remarkably little in appearance over the centuries.

The first afternoon is for settling in and getting our bearings inside Itchan Kala, the walled old city. We'll have our first dinner together and, depending on our arrival time, take an evening wander when the buildings are beautifully lit and the daytime crowds have thinned.

Included today: Domestic flight, airport transfers and orientation walk.

Meals: Dinner

DAY 2 | Khiva properly

Today we explore Khiva with a local guide who can bring its history, architecture and stories to life.

We'll visit Itchan Kala, the UNESCO-listed old city, and see some of its most important landmarks. These include the unfinished but unmistakable Kalta Minor, covered in turquoise tiles; the Muhammad Amin Khan Madrasa; the remarkable Juma Mosque, with its forest of carved wooden columns; and Kuhna Ark, the former fortress and residence of Khiva's rulers.

There is a great deal packed inside Khiva's walls, but we won't spend the entire day moving from one monument to the next.

There will be time to explore the smaller courtyards and streets, browse workshops, find a rooftop view or sit somewhere with a cold drink and watch the city go by.

If one of Khiva's traditional dorboz rope-walking performances is taking place, we'll try to catch it. It's a centuries-old Central Asian tradition and quite something to see.

Meals: Breakfast · Lunch

Also possible: Sunset viewpoints · craft workshops · more time exploring the old city

STAY: Khiva · 2 nights

TRAVEL: Domestic flight and private transfer

PACE: Easy–moderate, with walking on uneven stone streets

A Silk Road city worth lingering in.

DAY 3 | Khiva to Bukhara

After breakfast, we take the train east across the desert to Bukhara.

This is a journey through a very different Uzbekistan. Beyond the historic cities are long stretches of open country, small settlements and the vast landscapes that once separated the Silk Road trading centres.

Once we've checked into our hotel, we'll take an introductory walk through Bukhara's old streets.

We might end up around Lyabi-Hauz, a historic square centred on a pool and shaded by old mulberry trees. It's a lovely place for an evening drink, people-watching or dinner at one of the surrounding restaurants.

There's no formal sightseeing programme this afternoon. Bukhara deserves more than a hurried introduction, and we have the next two days to explore it.

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 4 | The old city

Bukhara was one of the great centres of trade, religion and learning along the Silk Road. Much of its historic centre survives, and unlike some monumental cities, it still feels like somewhere people live and work.

We'll spend today with a good local guide, exploring the places that help tell its story.

These include Po-i-Kalyan, the remarkable ensemble of mosque, madrasa and towering minaret that dominates the old city; the Ark, the fortress that was once home to Bukhara's rulers; and the old trading domes where merchants sold textiles, jewellery and other goods.

Along the way we'll discover smaller mosques, madrasas, courtyards and streets that are easy to miss without someone who knows where to look.

We'll stop for a good local lunch, with time afterwards to wander independently or return somewhere that caught your attention.

Bukhara is particularly good for traditional crafts, textiles, carpets and ceramics, and there are plenty of interesting places to browse without having to buy anything.

Meals: Breakfast · Lunch

DAY 5 | A different side of Bukhara

Today is about food, local traditions and having time to enjoy Bukhara beyond its monuments.

We'll join a plov cooking experience, learning how Uzbekistan's best-known dish is prepared before sitting down to enjoy it together.

Plov is much more than rice, meat and carrots. It's an important part of Uzbek hospitality, served at celebrations and family gatherings, with different regional versions and plenty of opinions about who makes the best one.

The afternoon is yours to spend as you wish.

You might visit a traditional hammam, explore a carpet or textile workshop, try your hand at painting or miniature art, return to the markets or simply find a good place for coffee.

I'll have suggestions, but there's no need for everyone to do the same thing.

One of the pleasures of Bukhara is having enough time to enjoy it without constantly looking at the clock.

Meals: Breakfast · Lunch

Also possible: Traditional hammam · painting or miniature workshop · textiles and carpets · markets · independent shopping · an afternoon doing very little

STAY: Bukhara · 3 nights

TRAVEL: Train from Khiva

PACE: Easy–moderate

A very different night in the mountains.

Today we leave the Silk Road cities behind and travel by road into the Nurota Mountains.

The landscape gradually changes as we head towards Sentob, a small village tucked into a mountain valley.

We'll make a worthwhile stop along the way, rather than trying to turn the journey into another full day of sightseeing, and have lunch before continuing to the village.

Sentob offers a very different side of Uzbekistan. Life moves at a different pace here, with stone houses, small gardens, mountain paths and families who have lived in the area for generations.

There'll be time to explore the village or take a walk into the surrounding countryside before settling into our family-run guesthouse.

Tonight we eat with our hosts. Expect home-cooked food, local hospitality and music, rather than a formal restaurant dinner.

This is deliberately our simplest accommodation of the journey. The rooms and facilities are more basic than our city hotels, and bathrooms are shared, but that's part of the experience of staying in a small mountain village.

For me, this is one of the reasons to take the longer route between Bukhara and Samarkand. It gives us a chance to spend time somewhere that most visitors following the classic Silk Road itinerary never see.

Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

Also possible: A longer walk into the surrounding countryside, depending on the weather and how energetic everyone feels

STAY: Family-run guesthouse in Sentob · 1 night

TRAVEL: Private road transfer from Bukhara

PACE: Easy–moderate, with an optional longer walk

The city at the heart of the Silk Road.

DAY 7 | From the mountains to Samarkand

We'll enjoy a relaxed morning in Sentob, with time for breakfast, a short walk or another look around the village before travelling onwards to Samarkand.

For centuries, Samarkand was one of the great cities of Central Asia, a meeting place for merchants, scholars, craftsmen and travellers moving between China, Persia and the Mediterranean world.

Today it's famous for its enormous blue-domed buildings and intricate tilework, but there's much more to the city than its monumental architecture.

Once we've arrived and checked into our hotel, we'll head out for a first look around.

There's something quite special about seeing the Registan for the first time. Its three magnificent madrasas, covered in elaborate blue and gold tiles, form one of the most recognisable architectural ensembles in Central Asia.

We'll have time to enjoy the atmosphere without immediately launching into a formal guided visit. That comes tomorrow.

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 8 | The Samarkand you came to see

Today we'll explore Samarkand's great monuments with a local guide who can explain the history and people behind them.

We'll start with the Registan, the grand square that once stood at the centre of the city. Its three madrasas are among the finest examples of Islamic architecture anywhere in the region.

We'll also visit Gur-e-Amir, the richly decorated mausoleum of Timur, the 14th-century conqueror who made Samarkand the capital of his empire.

At Shah-i-Zinda, we'll walk through an extraordinary avenue of mausoleums, where centuries of tilework create an almost continuous display of turquoise, blue and intricate patterns.

We'll see Bibi-Khanym Mosque, built on a monumental scale during Timur's reign, and spend time at nearby Siyob Bazaar, where local people come to buy bread, dried fruit, nuts, spices and everyday supplies.

It's a full day, but we'll stop for lunch and take the time needed to appreciate what we're seeing.

These buildings are impressive in photographs. Standing in front of them, and understanding something of the history behind them, is another experience altogether.

Meals: Breakfast · Lunch

DAY 9 | Beyond the monuments

Today is our opportunity to explore a different side of Samarkand.

There are several possibilities, and we'll shape the day around what interests the group.

We might visit the remains of Ulugh Beg's Observatory, built in the 15th century when Samarkand was an important centre of astronomy and scientific learning.

Nearby Afrasiab offers an insight into the ancient city that existed long before Timur's Samarkand.

For something different, we could arrange a wine tasting, spend time with a local craftsperson, explore neighbourhoods away from the major sights or return to a favourite place from yesterday.

Samarkand also has interesting contemporary restaurants, shops and cafés, and you may simply prefer an afternoon to yourself.

This is the benefit of spending three nights here. We can see the important monuments properly and still have time for the other things that make a city interesting.

We'll come together again in the evening for an included dinner at one of Samarkand’s best restaurants.

Meals: Breakfast · Dinner

Also possible: Ulugh Beg Observatory · Afrasiab · wine tasting · craft workshop · photography · shopping · more time at the Registan

Additional visits and experiences on this flexible day can be arranged according to the group's interests. Any extra costs will be discussed beforehand.

STAY: Samarkand · 3 nights

TRAVEL: Private road transfer from Sentob

PACE: Easy–moderate

Finish in the Uzbekistan of today.

DAY 10 | Samarkand to Tashkent

After breakfast, we take the Afrosiyob fast train to Tashkent, Uzbekistan's capital.

It's a comfortable way to travel and an interesting contrast to the older Silk Road routes we've followed.

Tashkent feels very different from Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand. Much of the city was rebuilt following the devastating 1966 earthquake, leaving a fascinating mix of Soviet-era architecture, broad avenues, leafy parks, modern developments and older neighbourhoods.

Once we've checked into our hotel, the rest of the day is free.

You might want to explore nearby, find a good restaurant, do some shopping or simply relax before our final full day together.

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 11 | Tashkent today

Our last full day takes us beyond the Silk Road monuments and into the everyday life of modern Uzbekistan.

We'll visit Chorsu Bazaar, one of Tashkent's great markets, with its enormous domed trading hall and surrounding streets filled with food stalls, spices, bread, fresh produce and people going about their daily business.

This is a good place to discover Uzbek food beyond the restaurant menu.

We'll have lunch together, trying some of the breads, samsa, plov and other dishes that make the market such an interesting place to eat.

If the right arrangement is available, we'll also include a visit or demonstration showing how traditional Uzbek bread is made.

We'll explore parts of Tashkent's remarkable metro, where many stations are decorated with elaborate lighting, mosaics, marble and artwork.

There'll also be time to see some of the city's Soviet and modern architecture, explore neighbourhoods and discover places that don't usually feature on a first-time visitor's itinerary.

Depending on what's happening while we're there, we might be able to catch a football match, a ballet or opera performance, or another local event.

We'll finish the journey with a farewell dinner.

Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

Also possible: Football · ballet or opera · museums · more Soviet architecture · shopping · rooftop drinks

DAY 12 | Onward

After breakfast, our hosted journey comes to an end.

I'll help with your onward airport transfer, whether you're heading home or continuing your travels elsewhere in Central Asia.

For those who aren't quite ready to leave, there are plenty of possibilities for extending the journey into Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan or Turkmenistan.

We can discuss those arrangements well before departure.

Meals: Breakfast

STAY: Tashkent · 2 nights

TRAVEL: Afrosiyob fast train from Samarkand, local transport and departure transfer

PACE: Easy–moderate