Uzbekistan in 8 Days: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva
The four great Silk Road cities in one week, in the order the road runs: licensed guides, 3–4★ hotels with breakfast, every transfer and the monument…
Classic Uzbekistan in 8 Days: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva by High-Speed Train
The four great Silk Road cities in one week: Tashkent, two nights in Samarkand, two in Bukhara and two in Khiva, with the fast trains between them and back to Tashkent. Private guides, 3–4★ hotels with breakfast, trains, transfers and monument tickets included.
About this trip
The classic Silk Road route through Uzbekistan in eight days. You travel the way the country does today: the Afrosiyob high-speed train to Samarkand and Bukhara, the new high-speed line across the desert to Khiva and the same train back to Tashkent for your flight home.
The whole trip is private: your own guide in every city, your own car for every transfer, and a pace that leaves you time to wander.
The route at a glance
| Days | Where | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Tashkent | Old town, Chorsu Bazaar, metro |
| 2–4 | Samarkand | Registan, Gur-e-Amir, Shah-i-Zinda |
| 4–6 | Bukhara | Lyab-i Hauz, Kalyan minaret, the Ark |
| 6–8 | Khiva | Ichan Kala, sunset on the walls |
| 8 | Tashkent | High-speed train back, departure |
What is included
Seven nights in 3–4★ hotels or boutique guesthouses with breakfast, private guides in Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, four train journeys, every transfer by private car, and entrance tickets to the monuments on the itinerary.
Good to know
- Start day: any day except Monday, because the high-speed train from Khiva back to Tashkent does not run on Mondays. Please book at least 30 days ahead: train tickets sell out, and we ask for each traveller's passport details after booking.
- The last day: the train reaches Tashkent in the afternoon, in time for evening and night flights. If you prefer, we can end the trip in Khiva and you fly home from Urgench airport, 30–40 minutes away.
- Visas: most nationalities need no visa for Uzbekistan. Read our guide to Uzbekistan visa rules and our guide to trains in Uzbekistan.
- Longer? Our 11-day classic adds Shakhrisabz and the desert fortresses of Khiva, and our 8-day tour with a Seven Lakes day trip adds a day in the mountains of Tajikistan.
Travelling alone, or want 4★ hotels throughout? Message us on WhatsApp.
Day by day
- Arrival in Tashkent
Your driver meets you at Tashkent airport with a name sign and takes you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free; if you arrive early, take an evening walk along Amir Timur Square and Broadway.
- Tashkent, then the Afrosiyob to Samarkand
A morning with your guide: the Hazrati Imam complex, home of one of the oldest Qurans in the world, Chorsu Bazaar under its blue dome and a ride on the metro to its most beautiful stations. In the afternoon, the Afrosiyob high-speed train to Samarkand (about 2 h 10 min).
- Samarkand
A full day with your guide: the Registan and its three madrasahs, Gur-e-Amir, the tomb of Amir Timur, the vast Bibi-Khanym mosque, Siab Bazaar for bread and dried fruit, and the tiled avenue of Shah-i-Zinda.
- Samarkand, then the train to Bukhara
In the morning, Ulugh Beg's 15th-century observatory and the Konigil workshop where silk paper is still made by hand. In the afternoon, the Afrosiyob to Bukhara (about 1 h 30 min) and an evening by Lyab-i Hauz.
- Bukhara
A full day in the old city: the trading domes, the Magoki Attori mosque, the Kalyan minaret and mosque, the Mir-i Arab madrasah, the Ark fortress, the Bolo Hauz mosque and the 10th-century Samanid mausoleum.
- Train to Khiva
A morning look at the four towers of Chor Minor, then the train across the Kyzylkum desert to Khiva (about 4–5 hours). Your driver takes you to your hotel inside or beside the walls, in time for the sunset over Ichan Kala from the city walls.
- Khiva
Ichan Kala with your guide: the unfinished Kalta Minor minaret, the Kunya-Ark citadel, the Juma Mosque with its forest of carved wooden columns, Tash Hauli palace and the Pakhlavan Mahmud mausoleum. The late afternoon is free to wander the lanes or climb the Islam Khoja minaret.
- High-speed train to Tashkent and departure
The morning high-speed train from Khiva to Tashkent (about 8 hours, arriving in the afternoon). Your driver meets you at the station and takes you to Tashkent airport for your flight.
What's included
- 7 nights in 3–4★ hotels or boutique guesthouses, twin or double room, with breakfast: 1 in Tashkent, 2 in Samarkand, 2 in Bukhara and 2 in Khiva
- Private English-speaking guides in Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva (other languages: see the options)
- Train tickets, Economy class: Tashkent–Samarkand and Samarkand–Bukhara (Afrosiyob), Bukhara–Khiva and Khiva–Tashkent (high-speed)
- All airport, station and hotel transfers by private car
- Entrance tickets to the monuments on the itinerary
- Bottled water
Not included
- International flights
- Lunches and dinners
- Visa, if your passport needs one
- Single room, unless you add it as an option
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Travel insurance — required for every traveller
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