Samarkand & Silk Road Cities - With Khiva, Bukhara, Tashkent & Shakhrisabz

Martin Randall Travel is one of the most respected travel companies in the world, among both travellers and within the tourism community. We are committed to providing the best planned, the best led and altogether the most fulfilling and enjoyable cultural tours currently available.

We offer an unequalled range of tours and events focusing on art, architecture, music, archaeology, history, gardens and gastronomy. Our mission is to deepen your understanding and enhance your appreciation of the many civilizations around the world.

For over two decades we have been the most influential organisation in the field of intellectual travel. Pioneering and innovative, we have led the way with ideas and itineraries and by setting the benchmarks for customer service and administration.

Small groups, and congenial company

Most of our tours run with between ten and twenty participants. We strictly limit numbers, specifying the applicable maximum in each tour description. The higher costs of smaller numbers are outweighed by the benefits of manoeuvrability, social cohesion and access to the lecturer.

The small-group principle is diluted when there are private concerts or several speakers exclusively for our clients.

Not the least attractive aspect of travelling with MRT is that you are highly likely to find yourself in congenial company, self-selected by common interests and endorsement of the company’s ethos.

Health & safety

Martin Randall Travel and its management team attach the upmost importance to the health and safety of clients, tour leaders and employees travelling on our tours and events. It is our duty to comply with relevant health and safety legislation, and we take seriously our 'duty of care' to all who travel with us. Employees and tour leaders cooperate with the company in fulfilling our duty of care by following company rules on safety and codes of practice – which together form our Health and Safety Policy.

We allocate clear responsibilities and accountabilities to implement our Health and Safety Policy.

We set clear direction for the business to follow our Policy, supported by the Board and senior management.

We adopt and review health and safety management systems.

We make available suitable resources to meet our commitments.

We maintain consultation and dialogue with employees.

We assess travel-related risks faced by clients and staff.

We provide clients and staff with information to the risks they may face and the preventative and protective measures there are to control these risks.

Value for money, and no surcharges

The price includes nearly everything, not only the major ingredients such as hotel, transport and the costs of the lecturer and manager but also tips, drinks with meals and airport taxes.

We do not levy surcharges for fuel price increases, exchange rate changes, additional taxes or for any other reason. The price published here is the price you pay.

Travelling solo

We welcome people travelling on their own, for whom our tours are ideal, as many of our clients testify. There are usually several solo travellers on tour. On evenings when dinner is not included there is always the option of dining with the tour manager.

Hotels usually charge a supplement for single occupancy of a room, but we never add anything to this – indeed, most of the supplements we charge are subsidised by ourselves, sometimes by hundreds of pounds.

Where we are able to, we assign those travelling on their own to rooms which are normally sold as doubles.