A Journey through the Silk and Spice Road and the many Narratives of Uzbekistan
Global Leader in Socially Conscious Travel.
Discover Uzbekistan
Tour Dates:
May 15 - 24, 2025 (waitlist only)
October 9 - 18, 2025
Register by: June 9, 2025
May 14 - 23, 2026
Register by: January 14, 2026
Starting at $2,995 USD per person*
*Prices are based on double occupancy. Single room supplements are available. See itinerary for pricing details based on tour dates.
Embark on a captivating 10-day journey through Uzbekistan, discovering its rich cultural heritage and historical wonders. Your tour Experts, Aziz Abu Sarah and Mark Bauman, will expose you to multiple narrative intersections driven by the region’s rich history as one of the great centers of the Silk and Spice Roads where intellectuals of Sunni and Shia Islam came together for centuries and have alternately clashed and embraced each other, as well as the famous Jews of Bokhara, and the complex influences of the Kremlin to the north. Explore stunning UNESCO-listed ancient sites featuring well-preserved madrasas, vibrant bazaars, finely woven carpets, and delectable Central Asian cuisine. Delve into medieval Islamic architecture, participate in a cooking class, and learn about Jewish and Islamic heritage.
“MEJDI Exclusive” Socially Conscious Experiences:
Our socially conscious model focuses on the human element of destinations—the diversity of its people and their stories—in a way that benefits local communities around the world. We specially design our itineraries to immerse you in these cultures. So you don’t just visit new places; you become part of them. These human experiences and how we treat the people we meet are what sets MEJDI apart.
Hear a Russian Expat and a local Uzbek in dialogue about the complicated relationship between the two countries throughout history and during the current Ukraine war
Enjoy a local cooking class, visit spice markets and traditional tea houses
Have a lecture given by Jewish and Muslim experts, discussing these religious communities living in the area today / historically
Visit UNESCO-Heritage sites and meet with a Suni Scholar to dive deep into the Suni/Shia differences
Have a cultural excursion with a visit to a Yurt camp
TRIP INCLUDES
9 nights’ accommodation at the following hotels (double occupancy), or similar hotel as necessary: The Shahar, Tashkent Polvon Qoriy Boutique Hotel, Khiva Labi Rud Hotel Premium, Bukhara L'Argamak, Samarkand
1 Local English Speaking Guide for 10 days
2 MEJDI-Expert Tour Leaders for 10 days
9 days of private bus transportation, including 2 one-way train tickets (Bukhara-Samarkand & Samarkand-Tashkent)
1 One-way domestic flight Tashkent-Khiva
Meals listed in the itinerary
Entrances, sites, and honorariums for speakers
Water on bus throughout tour
Customary tips for drivers, guides, and hotel staff
Dedicated pre-trip customer service and on-ground support
Per person
$2,995
Interested but not ready to deposit? Click the “Request Info” we can keep you updated on the tour status.
TRIP DOES NOT INCLUDE
International airfare
Travel Insurance-HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Meals not mentioned in the itinerary
Individual airport transfers outside of the group transfers
Anything not explicitly mentioned in the included section
Before you Register
Read through the Terms and Conditions
Do not book your flight until you receive the tour confirmation email from us. This tour requires a minimum number of travelers to run and we will send out the tour confirmation (and update this note on the webpage) as soon as we have met that number.
Check out travel insurance options.
Some plans and policies [Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) or coverage for pre-existing conditions] may only available for a limited time (approximately 2 weeks) following your date of deposit.
Tour Registration
Click to see all available tour dates. Select your preferred tour date to complete the registration process and pay the deposit.
About Your Group Leader
Mark Bauman
Mark Bauman served as the Executive Vice President of Television and Chairman of the Cross-platform Committee at National Geographic. He was based in Moscow for ABC News during both coups; and fell in love with Central Asia, its people, spice markets, cuisine, and cultures. He has covered war and genocide in Central Africa, Lebanon, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Iraq for many of the best print and broadcast media outlets in the world. He and Aziz first met at National Geographic, and have collaborated on several projects in the West Bank, most recently at the Church of the Nativity. Mark is Jewish. His great-grandmother, who died when he was in college was in a Yiddish theater troupe in Cairo in the 1920’s.
Aziz Abu Sarah
Aziz Abu Sarah, co-founder of MEJDI Tours, is a Palestinian author, peacemaker and entrepreneur with a background in conflict resolution and tourism development. To date, he has implemented transformative education and peace initiatives across more than 65 countries, including Afghanistan, Syria, Israel and Palestine. His journey from seeking revenge for his brother’s death at the hands of Israeli soldiers to becoming a peacemaker underscores a decades-long mission to foster cross-cultural understanding.
Throughout his career he has pioneered innovative approaches to tourism and education that promote empathy, sustainability and bridge-building between communities.
Gallery
All the trips we take are educational and geared towards cultural immersion, and that’s true of MEJDI. But none are so first hand and intentionally personal as the MEJDI tour guides are.
You come away hopeful because the tour guides can have such different backgrounds and experiences and opinions and still respect each other, And, they introduce you to groups that are working to spread that throughout the world.
Kim
Happy Customer
MEJDI was one of the first global tour companies to earn B Corp Certification back in 2014, long before B Corp became widely recognized beyond sustainability circles. For us, this certification is a transparent way to demonstrate that we stand by our values: we ensure local vendors are paid fair wages, prioritize small, locally-owned businesses, and treat our partners and staff with dignity and respect. This deep commitment to social change drives MEJDI’s mission: “We exist to create a more peaceful and interconnected world through travel.”