Uzbekistan classic small group tour

Planet

Direct flights from the UK to Uzbekistan aren’t daily so we have timed this tour to work to the schedules instead of taking indirect flights and generating more carbon, it’s also a nicer start and finish to your holiday for you.

Throughout the tour you will be transferred in a bus – there will be plenty of space but we keep the bus size small to reduce the emissions. We also ask drivers to turn the engine off while you are at sights instead of keeping the air conditioning running. Where possible in the cities you will have walking tours to reduce emissions too, plus you can see so much more than looking out of a window all the time.

Longer journeys will be made by train, by using the railways we reduce emissions and your journeys are quicker (and less bumpy!) you also get the chance to meet local people and we know that there are plenty of you who enjoy taking a train in a new country! We do have one flight in the itinerary, the short hop from Urgench to Tashkent at the end, we are looking at altering this to the overnight train though and are taking feedback from our clients – we will welcome yours after you return!

Few hotels in Uzbekistan have much of an environmental policy other than not washing your towels each day – so we will send out pre-departure information reminding you of how you can protect resources and keep waste to a minimum, you might also want to think about a Water to Go filter bottle, this will enable you to drink the tap water and reduce the amount of plastic bottles used, taking a cloth bag for any souvenir purchases will save on plastic bags as well.

Meat is a main part of the diet in Uzbekistan but if you let us know in advance our guides will arrange vegetarian or vegan meals. We use local restaurants in Uzbekistan which serve Uzbek cuisine, these dishes will use seasonal produce from the local area instead of importing foods from other countries and therefore keeping food miles to a minimum, you benefit from some great fresh produce too. There are a couple of wineries in Uzbekistan, trying the local wine is another way to buy local.

People

Tourism in Uzbekistan is developing quickly with large numbers of travellers visiting (pre-covid), many new hotels have opened up and it is a large part of the economy. In order to keep the tourist money in Uzbekistan, our partners are an Uzbek company, they have an excellent workforce who are provided with training and fair wages, we also work with them to discuss and promote responsible practices in Uzbekistan, working with rural communities and minimising the negative impacts of our tours. International hotels are available in Uzbekistan but we prefer to offer our clients local, independent hotels, you get a more authentic experience and again, we can boost the local economy. We also know that while no one wants to be taken on a shopping tour you will still want to buy some souvenirs, so our guides will point you in the direction of where you can buy local handicrafts made by those who are selling them or by local co-operatives. Tourism has given a huge boost to many of the ancient crafts in Uzbekistan, more and more young people are signing up as apprentices for calligraphy, pottery and miniature painting, by supporting them, even just by visiting it reduces unemployment and keeps these crafts alive.