Route Nukus → Khiva → Bukhara → Shahrisabz → Samarkand → Tashkent Distance 1300 km, half of it desert Duration 9 days, ~35 hours in the saddle
5 riding days and a rest day at Samarkand Best Months April to May, or September to October
The Kyzylkum crossing is dangerous in high summer World Heritage Itchan Kala, Khiva
Historic Centre of Bukhara
Shakhrisyabz (on the danger list)
Samarkand – Crossroads of Cultures Parks & Protected Areas The Kyzylkum, the red sand desert
Aral Sea region, off to the north
A route of cities more than parks Signature Roads The A380 across the Kyzylkum
Takhtakaracha pass to Samarkand

Route Map

Open in Google Maps The Plan

Nine days along the old road, west to east, the way the caravans ran. Three of the great oasis cities – Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand – strung on a line with a day of open desert between the first two. Less a riding challenge than a pilgrimage, except for the long hot Kyzylkum crossing — which earns Bukhara from the desert, the way the caravans came.

Notes

Uzbekistan is visa-free for many passports, Indian ones included; others use a simple e-visa. Hotels register you automatically each night, so keep the little slips – they can be checked on the way out.

Fuel is the catch. Most cars here run on methane or propane, and petrol can be scarce, low-octane or sold from roadside cans. On the 450 km Khiva-to-Bukhara desert leg, fill right up and carry a reserve; riders report 200 km gaps between working pumps.

The roads are mostly good tarmac with patchy, potholed stretches on the desert run – no off-road, so any tourer will do. One long hot transit aside, this ride is about discipline with fuel and heat, not terrain.