Ambassador program

Become an Uzbekistan Trek Ambassador

Bring Uzbekistan to your campus. You coordinate your students. We give you the materials, the promotion techniques and support at every step, and you travel to Uzbekistan with your group.

Apply now How it works

The 2026 group in front of a blue-domed mausoleum — The 2026 group, Samarkand2026

Five students at the Registan — Friends at the Registan2026

The group in the snow at Amirsoy — In the snow at Amirsoy2026

Who we are

We are Jakhongir and Zokirjon, two Uzbek graduate students in Boston who love showing our country to classmates from around the world.

Founder

Jakhongir Sadiev

Harvard Kennedy School. Started the trek at Harvard in 2025: two treks, 95 travelers.

Read his story

Co-Founder

Zokirjon Khabibullaev

Boston University. Coordinates the ambassador program and the trek’s growth to new universities.

What you get

Everything we learned from two treks, ready for your university.

Ready-made materials
Info-session slides, a flyer, sample texts and a registration page for your group.
Promotion techniques
How we brought 95 travelers on two treks: where to share the trip, how to run an info session and how to turn interest into sign-ups.
Support at every step
We plan the trip with you, answer your classmates’ questions and prepare a quote and a day-by-day plan for your dates.
Travel with your group
You travel to Uzbekistan with your classmates. We plan and run everything on the ground.

How it works

No trek program at your university? You do not need one. Every trek starts with one student, a few interested classmates and our support.

Apply
Tell us about yourself, your university and the classmates you want to bring. It takes a few minutes.
Apply now
Get your kit
We talk through your plan and share the organizer kit: info-session slides, a flyer and sample texts.
Check the interest
Share a short note and a one-minute form in your class group chat. Aim for 10 or more classmates who say yes; fewer can still travel as a small group.
Use the sample note
Open sign-ups
We send a quote and a day-by-day plan for your dates. Hold a short info session and share the registration link. Everyone registers and pays through our page.
Use the sample announcement
Travel together
You travel to Uzbekistan with your group. We plan and run everything on the ground and host you there.
See the sample itinerary

Where to find your group

Your class or cohort group chat
Student clubs: regional, international affairs, policy, business
Your program’s student newsletter
The graduate student council
Professors who teach the region
Friends in other programs

Keep it student-led

Write as a classmate: say why you want to go and who you hope will come.
Team up with one or two classmates, and ask a student club to share the trip with its members. Clubs have the mailing lists you may not have.
Be open about how it works: Uzbekistan Trek plans the trip and handles registration and payments; you bring the group together.
Do not use your university’s name or logo as if the trip were an official program.

Sample texts you can copy

Step 3

Sample note to check interest

Send it before you ask for a quote.

Read the text

Subject: Uzbekistan over spring break? Quick interest check Hi everyone, I am thinking of organizing a trip to Uzbekistan for graduate students at [University], around [spring break or other dates]. Graduate students from Harvard and MIT went in 2025 and 2026: about a week in Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara, with Silk Road cities, great food and a day in the mountains. Uzbekistan Trek would plan and run the trip, and everyone would pay for their own place. I am only bringing the group together. If you might want to come, please fill out this one-minute form by [date]: [form link]. It is not a commitment. If 10 or more of us are interested, I will share the dates, the program and the price per person. More about the trek: [website link] [Your name]

Step 4

Sample announcement

Send it once you have your quote.

Read the text

Subject: Uzbekistan Trek for [University] graduate students: sign-ups are open Dear friends, We are organizing a trip to Uzbekistan for [University] graduate students, and you are invited! When: [dates] Where: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and the mountains near Tashkent Price: [price per person from your quote] Included: hotels with breakfast, lunches and dinners, city tours with licensed guides, cultural experiences, fast trains and transfers, museum entrance fees and a local SIM card Not included: international flights, travel medical and evacuation insurance, visa fees if your passport needs a visa, alcohol and personal expenses How to join: register by [deadline] at [registration link]. You pay through the registration page in three installments: a first deposit to hold your place, a second deposit, then the balance. Who can join: [University] graduate students, fellows and postdocs; partners when space allows More about the trek and past trips: [website link] Questions? Write to [your names and emails]. This is a trip organized by students; it is not an official [University] program. [Your names]

From the previous treks

In March 2025, 45 graduate students from Harvard and MIT traveled with us to Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand.
In March 2026, the second trek grew to 50 travelers.
Now Uzbek students at other universities can bring their own classmates, as Uzbekistan Trek ambassadors.

What are the participants saying?

How the trek started

Students lying in a circle under a painted dome — “After eight treks, Uzbekistan was the best one. By far!”2025 participant

A group of students under an arch in Bukhara — “Name something better than being guided around the beauties of the Silk Road by HKS classmates that truly love their country.”2026 participant

A dancer in traditional dress performing for the group — “Dancing at almost every meal, private access to Registan’s light show… Truly one of the most special weeks of my Harvard experience.”2025 participant

The 2026 group of graduate students at the Registan — 50 travelers at the RegistanMarch 2026

In the news

Uzbek TV, the national news agency, the Senate, ministries and universities covered both treks. Most coverage is in Uzbek.

2025March 2025, 45 travelers

2026March 2026, 50 travelers

Uzbekistan Trek moments

A group of students posing at the Registan — Registan, Samarkand2025

Plov ingredients layered in a kazan at the cooking workshop — Plov we cooked at the workshop2026

The 2025 group sitting with suzani textiles — Suzani workshop, Bukhara2025

Students lying in a circle under a gilded dome, faces up — Under the golden dome2026

A student rolling dough at the somsa cooking class — Somsa cooking class2026

Students in the snow at Amirsoy — Snow at Amirsoy2026

Students holding their paintings at a workshop — Painting class, Bukhara2025

Three students smiling on an electric cart in Bukhara — Old Bukhara by cart2026

The Lyab-i Hauz pond in Bukhara — Lyab-i Hauz, Bukhara2026

Charvak reservoir among hills — Lake Charvak2026

Sample itinerary

This is how our Harvard and MIT treks ran, shown for information. It is a starting point, not a fixed package: we can make it longer, add cities such as Khiva or the Fergana Valley, and shape every day around your group. Past treks ran over spring break, but a trek can run in any month.

A grand tiled portal with a blue carpet in Tashkent

A tiled portal, Tashkent

Stop 1 of 6

Tashkent

Day 1Arrival in Tashkent

Check-in and rest
Tashkent city walk

The Mir-i-Arab Madrasa with turquoise domes in late sun

Mir-i-Arab Madrasa, Bukhara

Stop 2 of 6

Bukhara

Day 2Fast train to Bukhara

Lyab-i Hauz
Old City
Kalyan Minaret

Day 3In Bukhara

Ark Fortress
Sitorai Mohi Hosa Palace
Mausoleum of Ismail Samani

The Registan lit up at night, reflected on the wet square

The Registan at night

Stop 3 of 6

Samarkand

Day 4Fast train to Samarkand

Registan and Shah-i-Zinda
Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Laser show at the Registan

Day 5Samarkand to Tashkent

Gur-e-Amir
Ulugbek Observatory

A mosque complex with blue domes in Tashkent

Blue domes, Tashkent

Stop 4 of 6

Tashkent

Day 6In Tashkent

Company and university visits
Chorsu Bazaar

A cable car over snowy slopes at Amirsoy

Amirsoy cable car

Stop 5 of 6

Tashkent mountains

Day 7By bus to the Tashkent mountains

Lake Charvak
Amirsoy cable car

A monumental building in silhouette at sunset in Tashkent

Tashkent at sunset

Stop 6 of 6

Tashkent

Day 8Departures from Tashkent

Tashkent International Airport

Make it yours

Any month, not only during the school break
Longer or shorter than eight days
Add Khiva, the Fergana Valley or a desert yurt camp
Visits shaped around your field of study

Sample itinerary from the Harvard and MIT treks, for information only. Every trek is tailored: dates, length, cities and visits are agreed with your group.

The Afrosiyob high-speed train at a station platform — The fast train2026

The gilded dome of the Tilla-Kari Madrasa seen from below — Tilla-Kari, Samarkand2026

What the trek includes

Included in the cost

Accommodation with breakfast
Meals (lunches and dinners)
City tours in Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara
Cultural experiences with guides, such as Nowruz in March
Transportation (fast trains and transfers)
Local guide, museum entrance fees and a SIM card

Not included

International flights
Travel medical and evacuation insurance
Visa fees, if your passport needs a visa
Alcohol and personal expenses
Anything not listed as included

Dates and payment

Most groups travel during a school break, but a trek can run in any month. Every trek is quoted for its group, dates and length, so we do not publish a single price.

Payment in three installments

First deposita fixed amount to hold your place
Second deposita fixed amount, closer to the trip
Remaining balancepaid before departure

Your quote lists the exact amounts and due dates.

Three friends smiling in a mountain cafe — Hot drinks at the top2026

A baker and a student at a clay tandir oven — Baking in a clay tandir2026

FAQ

For ambassadors

Who can become an ambassador?

Uzbek graduate students, fellows and postdocs at universities outside Uzbekistan. You do not need experience organizing trips: we give you the materials and support at every step.

What does an ambassador do?

You bring your classmates together: you share the trip, hold an info session and keep your group informed. We plan the trip, run registration and payments, and host your group in Uzbekistan.

Who is funding the travel?

The students themselves. Each traveler pays for their own place on the trek, through our registration page, and books their own international flights.

My university has no trek program. Can I still start one?

Yes. You do not need one. Every trek starts with one student and a few interested classmates. See how it works.

How can I check the demand at my university?

Send a short note with a one-minute form to your classmates. You do not need a mailing list: a class group chat or a student club is enough.

Use our sample note, and see how it works for the next steps.

I am not Uzbek. Can I bring my classmates?

Yes. Plan a big group trek for 10 or more travelers, or a small group trip for fewer than 10.

For travelers

Who can join?

Graduate students, fellows and postdocs. The trek is open to citizens of all countries. Partners can join when space allows. We do not run trips for undergraduates.

Do I need a visa?

The trek is open to citizens of all countries. US citizens can enter Uzbekistan without a visa for up to 30 days (since January 1, 2026).

For other passports, check the official visa page: Visa to the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Is Uzbekistan safe?

The US State Department rates Uzbekistan Level 1, its lowest advisory level, with the advice to exercise normal precautions (advisory issued January 26, 2026). Every group gets a safety briefing before departure.

Are international flights included?

No. Trips are land-only, so you book your own flights.

Uzbekistan Airways flies nonstop between New York (JFK) and Tashkent a few times a week, in about 13 hours. You can also connect through hubs such as Istanbul or Dubai.

What is not included in the cost?

International flights, travel medical and evacuation insurance, visa fees if your passport needs a visa, alcohol and personal expenses, and anything not listed as included.

How does payment work?

In three installments: a fixed first deposit, a fixed second deposit, and the remaining balance before departure. Your quote lists the exact amounts and due dates.

Can a trek run outside spring break?

Yes. Most groups travel during a school break, but we can run a trek in any month and for any length.

Will we meet government officials?

The standard program focuses on companies, universities and/or culture (subject to approval). Formal government meetings are not part of it.

Is there a refund if I withdraw?

You can transfer your place to another graduate student with our approval. Refund terms are set out in the booking terms you accept when you pay. We strongly recommend trip cancellation insurance.

Is this run by my university?

No. Groups organize themselves, and Uzbekistan Trek is not affiliated with any university. Please do not present the trip as an official university program.

Apply to become an ambassador

Tell us about yourself and the classmates you want to bring. We get back to you by email or Telegram.

Who can apply

Uzbek graduate students, fellows and postdocs at universities outside Uzbekistan
No experience organizing trips needed
Your classmates can be from any country

Already have a group?

Clubs, cohorts and friends can also travel with us directly. Pick your group size.

10+travelersBig group trekFull package on your dates.Full package on your dates.Plan a big group trek 1–9travelersSmall group tripJoin a departure or go private.Join a departure or go private.See small group options