Uzbekistan Solo Questions

I'm answering only because you haven't received any replies, even though I have not visited Uzbekistan, or anywhere in Central Asia. I'm a dedicated solo traveller myself (though I can't give the perspective of a female traveller), yet a few years ago I considered breaking my habit and joining a tour for Uzbekistan. My main reason was, as with you, the language issue -- I've studied Turkish, which is closely related to Uzbek, but my Turkish is barely manageable even in Turkey; I doubted that I could have gone very far with it in Uzbekistan. But finally, I finally decided the tour cost more that I was willing to spend on a single trip, and turned it down.
Anyway, if even a determined solo traveller like me was willing to consider a tour for Uzbekistan, you may seriously want to consider the same, especially if as you admit, you have rarely travelled solo. That said, I know from my reading that the cities on your proposed itinerary are fascinating places to see, so I would encourage you to find a good tour if you're really interested in making the trip.

Finally, if you haven't done so, you may want to consider posting your query on another travel forum, since this one attracts mainly Europe tourists. Trip Advisor may be best; you could consider Fodor's as well.

I have not traveled to Uzbekistan. I can give you some observations about solo travel and foreign languages. My judgment and interpretation of reality is that it is polite to learn certain words and phrases in the main local language of a place you visit. Intuitively I feel like it is an embarrassment to try talking English to strangers in a non-English speaking location. Most of the time you can keep quiet. When I worked at a grocery store my boss and supervisor kept reminding me to smile and greet customers... Americans are obsessed with "service with a smile"; a lot of Americans think they have to make small talk when buying stuff. I have been to Europe 6 times. The amount of talking the staff expect from you is less, possibly much less, than what the staff expect in some other countries. Americans probably keep thinking they will have to do a lot of talking in other countries. Look up the phonology of Uzbek and look up International Phonetic Association (IPA) symbols. A few words and phrases of Uzbek (or Russian) pronounced right probably help more than learning a lot of the language but pronouncing it only with the nearest phonemes in your English.

I suggest doing a lot of research and planning carefully before your trip. Try to figure out how a completely solo trip would be possible. I like the idea of traveling solo versus being escorted around in a tour group for my whole trip. I have not traveled anywhere with a who-trip guided tour. Are you sure Uzbekistan is that much harder to visit versus places I have been to like Greece, Italy, Belgium, or England?

I did those 4 places on a tour of the Stan’s (actually 4 of the 5) about 9 years ago. We were a family of 4 and traveled independently. Being 4 was slightly easier since we used cabs for the long distance coverage between cities. I did take the train between Bukhara and Samarkand. However, I did have help from an Uzbek to book the train tickets.

Do a search on this forum and you will find my write up. Then come back with further questions

I am planning to visit Uzbekistan in 2024.
Gate 1 Travel has a good 12 day itinerary that might interest you.

https://www.gate1travel.com/small-groups/small-group/2023/small-groups-uzbekistan-12duz23.aspx?Brand=DISCOVER

I traveled to Uzbekistan solo 10 years ago. Surprisingly, I had very few difficulties getting around, and my itinerary was similar to the OP. I found that most people working in the hotels knew enough English to get by, and in restaurants I'd speak the little Russian/Uzbek I had picked up and it was generally enough to make myself understood.

In some cases, I was a bit lucky. For instance, I had just learned that a train service from Bukhara to Urgench (the dropping off point for Khiva) had very recently resumed the week I was going. Otherwise, it would have been a 8 hour taxi ride through the desert.

Uzbekistan and its famous Silk Road towns are amazing, and I'd highly recommend it. Getting from city to city (as per your proposed itinerary) is easy enough with regular train services. Language may pose a bit of a barrier in some cases, but a few phrases in Russian or Uzbek can go a long way!