Denver is Colorado’s biggest city and home to a major international airport. As such, it’s a popular jumping-off point for quick getaways and longer trips into the Rocky Mountains and beyond.
28.07.2023 - 21:15 / lonelyplanet.com
For at least two millennia, Uzbekistan has been the setting for some of Asia’s most important road trips, following the network of Silk Roads that once formed the major highway between east and west.
Today the roads to Samarkand may be made of tarmac not gold, but there are still some superbly evocative and scenic road trips to be had in Uzbekistan, through the heart of Central Asia.
Getting around Uzbekistan is easy. Trains and shared taxis will get you to every corner of the country, but to roam off the beaten track and explore lesser-visited historical sites, nothing beats the freedom of hiring a taxi or a car with a driver for a day. For a road trip to remember, it's even possible to rent your own car and drive yourself along the Silk Road. Here are the top routes to consider.
Best road trip for Silk Road dreamers Samarkand–Bukhara; 270km (168 miles); allow one day
If you’ve ever fancied road-tripping along the Silk Road, this is the itinerary for you. The roads are in good repair and there are plenty of off-the-beaten-track historical and architectural detours to explore en route, as you travel between Central Asia’s two most storied Silk Road cities.
After spending a couple of days ogling the architectural glories of Samarkand, drive northwest out of the city, stopping to join pilgrims at the Imam Al-Bukhari Mausoleum, then continue along the M37 highway through the oasis-like Zeravshan Valley. Get your first Silk Road fix with a stop at the roadside Rabat-i-Malik Caravanserai, once an overnight stop for trade caravans, today just past Navoi airport.
At Gijduvan, an hour or so before Bukhara, stop off to see the 15th-century Ulug Beg Madrassah and the nearby pottery workshop of ceramics master Abdullo Narzullaev. About 15km (9 miles) further down the road, detour 1km (0.6 miles) off the highway to admire the towering 39m-tall (128ft) Vabkent Minaret, dating back to 1196. You’ll almost certainly have all these unsung Silk Road sights to yourself, before you rejoin the tourist circuit at handsome, historic Bukhara – Central Asia’s holiest city.
Planning tip: An excellent alternative return route from Bukhara back to Samarkand will take you via the ancient Hepthalite city of Erkurgan – the highway runs straight through the ruined city walls – to the historic city of Qarshi, with its medieval madrassas, mosques and epic WWII Soviet-era War Memorial.
Best road trip for getting off the beaten track Samarkand–Termez; 380km (236 miles); allow two days
From Samarkand, it’s an exciting, zigzagging drive up and over the Kitob (Takhta-Karacha) Pass to eventually reach Shakhrisabz, the home town of 14th-century empire-builder Timur (Tamerlane). Highlights here include the epic towers and blue tiles of
Denver is Colorado’s biggest city and home to a major international airport. As such, it’s a popular jumping-off point for quick getaways and longer trips into the Rocky Mountains and beyond.
Uzbekistan is the Central Asian destination that you’ve been dreaming about. Magnificent blue-domed mosques, towering minarets, atmospheric Silk Road cities and ancient bazaars are coupled with the region’s best accommodation, easiest transportation and great value for money. It’s the most visited of the Central Asian republics and with good reason.
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Locked in the heart of Central Asia, Uzbekistan is both a museum to the ancient Silk Road and a country shaking off its Soviet past while striving to develop its place within the modern world. This concoction of old and new is what makes it so special – go for the history and you’ll undoubtedly fall for the distinctive culture and friendly people.