Set at the crossroads of the ancient Silk Road, Uzbekistan is famed for its stunning historical architecture and beautiful mosques and madrassas, alongside Soviet modernism, a flourishing arts and crafts scene, a rich traditional culture, and the genuine hospitality of local people.
A Total Trip: What I spent on an ambitious six-day group tour across Uzbekistan
15.09.2023 - 06:51 / lonelyplanet.com
There’s no better feeling than checking the trip of a lifetime off your bucket list – which I got to do last summer, when I explored Uzbekistan.
Central Asia and the cities that made up the Silk Road had fascinated me ever since I heard the 1977 Roberto Vecchioni recording of the Italian song “Samarcanda.” So when ExplorHer, an Italian travel project aimed exclusively at women and girls, announced a trip to Uzbekistan, I knew I had to be a part of it.
My payment to the agency for this trip was €2250, which covered everything from airfare – a direct flight from Milan Malpensa to Urgench, and another back from Tashkent’s Karimov Airport – to the entrance tickets for pretty much all major tourist attractions, from the madrassas of Bukhara to the Ulugbek Observatory in Samarkand.
A tour leader from Italy and an Italian-speaking Uzbek guide accompanied us throughout our trip. We moved from one city to the other in a private minivan with a local driver.
The fee included all accommodations: one night at the Zarafshon Boutique Hotel in Khiva, two at the Amelia Boutique Hotel in Bukhara, two at the Grand Samarkand Superior Hotel in Samarkand and a final one at the Inspira-S Hotel in Tashkent. Finally, it covered our second dinner in Bukhara, which was spent inside the Nadir Divanbegi madrassah, where we watched a show of typically Uzbek folk music and dance.
Subtotal: €2250
Lunch: The first occasion to spend my newly exchanged Uzbek currency came when we stopped for lunch after a morning exploring the incredible Ichon-Qala, the old citadel of Khiva. At a local restaurant, we dug into Uzbek cuisine – I went for some freshly fried gumma meat pies – as well water and soft drinks. At the end of the meal we also ordered a plate of watermelon slices, which would become a staple of our diet on the trip. We split the bill eight ways; my share came to €5.20.
Activities: During our action-packed day in Khiva, we explored the old Juma Mosque and the blue-tiled courtyards of the Kuhna Ark fortress. My favorite activity was climbing up the walls around the West Gate late in the afternoon to watch the sun set over the entire citadel. The steps leading up the walls are very much a feat for your knees and sense of balance – but what waits at the top is worth it, especially if there are no clouds obstructing the sun. (The ticket that includes access to the walls is around €11, which our group had paid months in advance.)
Dinner: For dinner, we sat down at Tapas Restaurant, which has a beautiful view of the Kalta Minor Minaret. I ordered Uzbekistan’s national dish, plov rice, plus a couple of beef skewers, as well as water, soft drinks and a final plate of watermelon and white melon. My share of the bill came out to €8, which turned
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