Samarkand to Bukhara

Michael Portillo’s railway tour through Uzbekistan continues in the lush oasis surrounding the historic city of Samarkand. Here, he uncovers the Central Asian origins of the apple, a fruit that travelled to Europe along the Silk Road. Exploring vast orchards, he witnesses how millions of apples are grown and processed here each year.

Boarding a high-speed train along the old Trans-Caspian Railway, Michael hears how the Russians toiled to build this remarkable line through the shifting sands of Uzbekistan’s steppe.

In Bukhara, he explores the faded magnificence of an abandoned Russian imperial palace. He then enters the city’s Islamic heart, and standing in the shadow of the Ark, the city's striking fortified citadel, he unearths the deadly intrigue between Britain and Russia in what became known as the Great Game and discovers the fate of two British officers thrown into an infamous bug pit.