14-Day Azerbaijan & Uzbekistan Silk Road Tour from Baku

Registan Square tour, Silk Road walk, historic sites, explore grand madrasahs and ancient trading domes

A 14-day private tour starting in Baku and crossing into Uzbekistan to explore the ancient Silk Road. You visit Azerbaijan's mountain towns and fire temples, then fly to Tashkent and travel overland through Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand, seeing UNESCO sites like Registan Square, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, and the Gur-e-Emir Mausoleum. An English-speaking guide and private car accompany you throughout, with flights between countries and 13 nights of accommodation included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to hotel

• Arrival transfer from airport to Baku

Day 2: Baku city tour

• Old city tour including Maiden Tower and Shirvanshah's Palace
• Walk through Nizami Street
• Visit Haydar Aliyev Center
• Explore Highland Park views
• Stroll along Baku Boulevard

Day 3: Qobustan and fire sites tour

• Explore Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape
• Ride to Mud Volcanoes in classic Lada cars
• Visit Ateshgah Fire Temple
• See natural flames at Yanardag

Day 4: Transfer to Shamakhi, Qabala, Sheki

• Visit Shamakhi Juma Mosque
• Explore Lahic mountain village
• Enjoy Nohurgol Lake surroundings
• Arrive and check-in at Sheki hotel

Day 5: Sheki city tour

• Tour Sheki Khan Palace
• Visit Upper Caravanserai
• Discover Caucasian Albanian Church in Kish
• Have lunch at Qaqarin restaurant
• Stroll Sheki’s sweet shop street

Day 6: Sheki to Qabala and back to Baku

• Visit Tufandag Mountain Resort
• Explore Biogarden eco-farm
• Drive back to Baku

Day 7: Flight to Tashkent and leisure

• Transfer from hotel to Baku airport
• Leisure time in Tashkent

Day 8: Tashkent city tour

• Explore historic Old City
• Visit Khast-Imom Complex
• Wander through Chor-Su Bazaar
• Ride Tashkent Metro
• Visit Amir Temur Square
• Discover Independence Square
• Explore Amir Temur Museum

Day 9: Tashkent to Khiva via Urgench

• Fly to Urgench
• Transfer to Khiva
• Visit Itchan-Kala Fortress
• See Madrasah of Mukhammad Amin-khan
• Visit Juma Mosque in Itchan-Kala
• View Minaret of Kalta-Minor
• Tour Tash-Khovli Palace
• Visit Pakhlavan Makhmud Mausoleum
• Explore Islam Khoja complex
• See Kunya-ark citadel

Day 10: Khiva to Bukhara drive

• Drive through Kyzyl-Kum desert
• Stop at Amu-Darya river views
• Arrive in Bukhara

Day 11: Bukhara city exploration

• Explore Kalyan Minaret and surroundings
• Visit Kalyan Mosque
• See Miri-Arab Madrasah
• Visit Magoki-Attori Mosque
• Explore Ulugbek Madrasah
• Visit Abdullazizkhan Madrasah
• Walk through trading domes
• Stroll Lyabi-Khauz ensemble
• See Chor-Minor Madrasah
• Visit Ark Citadel
• Explore Bolo-Khauz Complex
• Visit Mausoleum of Chashma-Ayub

Day 12: Bukhara to Samarkand transfer

• Check-out and drive to Samarkand
• Visit site of Emir Nasrullah Khan’s palace
• See Memorial Complex of Khoja Bakhouddin Naqshbandi
• Learn about Central Asian pottery craft
• View ruins of Rabat-i-Malik monument

Day 13: Samarkand city tour and transfer

• Visit Gur Emir Mausoleum complex
• Explore Registan Square
• Visit Bibi Khanum Mosque
• Walk through Siyob Bazaar
• See Shakhi-Zinda Necropolis
• Visit Ulugbek Observatory
• Explore Mausoleum of Saint Daniel
• Visit Konigil village

Day 14: Departure transfer from Tashkent

• Airport transfer

The experience

The tour opens in Baku with the Old City's Maiden Tower, Shirvanshah's Palace, and the Heydar Aliyev Center, then moves inland to Shamakhi's historic mosque and the mountain village of Lahic before settling in Sheki for two nights. From there you see the Sheki Khan Palace's stained-glass windows and the Upper Caravanserai, a rest stop for Silk Road merchants centuries ago. A side trip to Qabala's Tufandag Mountain Resort rounds out Azerbaijan before you fly to Tashkent.

In Uzbekistan, the route follows the Silk Road in reverse. Tashkent's Khast-Imom Complex holds the Quran of Caliph Uthman, and the Chor-Su Bazaar sprawls with spices and local goods. A domestic flight takes you to Urgench, then a drive through the Kyzyl-Kum desert to Khiva, where you walk inside the Itchan-Kala Fortress and see the Kalta-Minor Minaret, the Tash-Khovli Palace, and the Pakhlavan Makhmud Mausoleum. The overland journey to Bukhara crosses the Amu-Darya river. Once there, you spend a full day among the Kalyan Minaret and Mosque, the Miri-Arab madrasah, the Lyabi-Khauz ensemble with its reservoir and ancient trees, and the Ark Citadel.

Samarkand closes the loop with Registan Square's three madrasahs, the Gur-e-Emir Mausoleum of Timur, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the Shakhi-Zinda Necropolis, and the Ulugbek Observatory. A final night in Tashkent precedes your airport transfer. Private transportation, an English-speaking guide, and all domestic flights are arranged. You choose the pace through each city's bazaars and monuments.

What’s included

• English-speaking guide and private car throughout.
• domestic flight from Baku to Tashkent.
• domestic flight from Tashkent to Urgench.
• accommodation for 13 nights.
• airport transfers in Baku and Tashkent.
• all private transportation for the planned itinerary.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 to 85 years) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Azerbaijanguide.az

Is this one for you?Fourteen days is the span needed to move through both countries without rushing the major sites (a full day each in Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand, plus time in Baku and Sheki), but it leaves no room for detours beyond the Silk Road corridor or for lingering in any single city. Choose this tour if you want the arc of the ancient trade route without adding days.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What is the Registan Square and why is it in Samarkand?

Registan Square is the centerpiece of Samarkand, a vast plaza surrounded on three sides by three grand madrasahs with ornate portals and tilework. Built over centuries starting in the fifteenth century, it became the spiritual and cultural heart of the city and earned Samarkand its UNESCO World Heritage status in 2001.

Can I visit the Ateshgah Fire Temple and the mud volcanoes on the same day in Azerbaijan?

Yes. The Ateshgah Fire Temple, an ancient Zoroastrian site with eternal flames, and the Mud Volcanoes are both visited on day three of the tour, along with the Gobustan Rock Art site and Yanardag's natural burning hillside, all within the Baku region.

How long do I spend in Khiva, and what can I see there?

You have one full day in Khiva after arriving from Tashkent. The Itchan-Kala Fortress contains the Kalta-Minor Minaret, the Tash-Khovli Palace with its three courtyards, the Juma Mosque, the Pakhlavan Makhmud Mausoleum, the Islam Khoja complex, and the Kunya-Ark citadel, all within the walled old city.

What happens on the drive from Khiva to Bukhara?

You travel through the Kyzyl-Kum desert with stops to view the landscape and the Amu-Darya river before arriving in Bukhara. The journey takes a full day and crosses one of Central Asia's largest deserts.

Is the Sheki Khan Palace accessible, and what makes it special?

Yes, the Sheki Khan Palace is toured on day five. It is renowned for its intricate stained-glass windows and detailed frescoes, reflecting the craftsmanship of eighteenth-century Caucasian architecture. You also visit the nearby Caucasian Albanian Church in Kish village on the same day.

Do I need to arrange my own visa or flights to and from the region?

Visas and your international arrival and departure flights are not included and must be arranged separately. The tour includes the domestic flight from Baku to Tashkent and the flight from Tashkent to Urgench, as well as all ground transport within the two countries.