Take the Kids to Uzbekistan for a Trip Along the Ancient Silk Road

This year a 10-day private family tour with Silk Road Treasure Tours will acquaint your family with Uzbekistan, a destination so special you’re not likely to ever forget it.

A camel ride under the stars in the Kyzil Kum desert, a night in a Nomadic yurt, dining in a  local home and participating in local events and ceremonies are some of the activities featured on the Uzbekistan Silk Road Discovery Family Tour, specifically designed as a family adventure.

The immersive tour provides opportunities to visit ancient sites, participate in community work, watch master craftspeople at work, cook with a local family and learn firsthand about the ancient Central Asian country on the fabled Silk Road.

The Uzbekistan tour begins and ends in the ancient city of Tashkent, where families can explore its 2,000-year-old Chor-Su Bazaar, a large marketplace selling all types of exotic food; visit the Abdul Kasim craft center; and ride the city’s modern metro. The next stop is Ayaz Kala, in the Kyzil Kum desert, where family members can experience ancient Uzbek life with a camel ride, dinner under the stars and a night at a nomadic Yurt camp. Following a sunrise photography hike, families then embark on a drive to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Khiva, home of some of Uzbekistan’s best-preserved architecture, including the Tash Hauli Palace, the bazaar and the blue-tiled minarets surrounded by high adobe walls.

Domes of stalls in Bukhara, bazaar, market in Old Town of Bukhara, Uzbekistan, Silk Road. Photo: Allenkayaa | Dreamstime.com

Throughout the Uzbekistan tour, children can interact with local residents and participate in cultural activities. They will also meet Silk Road Treasure Tours “Young Guides-Our Ambassadors,” who speak English and are learning to share their local culture and history with same-age visitors. Kids also participate in cooking classes with local families, visit schools, explore ancient ruins, hike to scenic outlooks, learn to play the local Doira drum, play sports and experience traditional Uzbek home hospitality.

In addition to the overnight in the yurt camp in the Kyzil Kum desert, accommodations include a night in Khiva, two nights in Bukhara and three nights in Samarkand.

The private family tour is priced at $3,446 per person, double occupancy, and includes accommodations in 4-star and boutique hotels; all domestic transportation, including air, ground and high-speed rail; transfers; English-speaking guides; activities; entrance fees; and wine tasting. Also included are cooking classes, master crafts classes, daily breakfasts, two lunches with local families and special dinners.