Cycling In Uzbekistan - Samarkand To Bukhara

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Uzbekistan – Samarkand to Bukhara (275 km) We started at the Antika GH, near the Bibi Amor Mausoleum. Go up Dakhbet Yo'li Ko'ch (back the way you came when you entered Samarkhand) 710m high When you reach the big junction turn left, this road takes you to Bukhara, although there are two routes, one more direct but less fast through many villages, the other is the big road.

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If you are on the correct road you will meet a roundabout with a sign saying Tashkent right, Bukhara straight on.

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River, from here many small places to stop but none by the road, all involve a short detour.

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Road starts to deteriorate, concrete sections sometimes badly resurfaced with tar

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Road gets worse and then improves after a while.

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Some restaurants set back from the road – tables outside

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River/drainage/irrigation, possible to camp, but not ideal

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More restaurants cafes set back – like the previous ones, you could ask to camp behind or in front of them

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Restaurant by side of road (350m above sea level)

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Irrigation channel – ideal places to camp. After this the road improves again, becoming perfect smooth tar.

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Trees providing good camping spots

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Irrigation channel, if you go down the track just after it you are led to a small grassy area ideal for camping, with some mud buildings used by farmers occasionally.

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Big sign, Bukhara 120 + road to Navoi (14km to left)

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Town on road

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Another sign for road to Navoi off to left

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Caravanserai – ideal for camping in the flat grassy areas behind the reconstructed front wall

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Junction (turn right) Sign says 60km to Bukhara and 207km back to Samarkhand. There are several restaurants and small shops selling drinks on the bend or just past it. The road from here is generally good with occasional poor sections

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Junction, left Termiz, right to Ashgabat, straight on Bukhara, cycle down this road for a while until you reach a big junction. You are now in Bukhara (300m above sea level)

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At this big junction, turn left by initially turning right and going around the 'roundabout' to get on the opposite side. Ignore the Lonely Planet map if you have it, the streets have different names and the route from the main road is also different.

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Go down this road and turn right at the second traffic light After a few hundred metres you reach a large empty junction, turn right, you are now on Bakhautdin Naqshband Road (correctly named on the LP map) There is an internet cafe near this junction

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Go down this street past Bella Italia Restaurant, go past the Mehtar Ambar hotel. AT a fork in the road, go down the left choice down a narrow one lane cobbled road. You are now heading to hotel world. When you reach a larger square there are cheap hotels down the roads to the left.

Extra Information Camping is easy if you ask, harder if you want to do stealth camping. Your choice, There are lots of towns along the road for picking up food, so most aren't mentioned above.