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…
Uzbekistan in 8 Days with a Seven Lakes Day Trip: Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and the Fann Mountains of Tajikistan
The four Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan by high-speed train, plus a day across the border at Tajikistan's Seven Lakes. Private guides, 3–4★ hotels with breakfast, trains, transfers and the 4×4 day in the mountains included. Starts any day except Saturday.
About this trip
Eight days, four great cities and one mountain day. You ride the new high-speed train across the desert to Khiva, continue to Bukhara and Samarkand, and from Samarkand cross into Tajikistan for a day at the Seven Lakes of the Fann Mountains. On the last day the Afrosiyob takes you back to Tashkent for the city before your flight.
The whole trip is private: your own guide in every city, your own car for every transfer, and a 4×4 with an English-speaking driver-guide on the Tajik side.
The route at a glance
| Days | Where | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tashkent | Arrival |
| 2 | Khiva | High-speed train across the desert, Ichan Kala |
| 3–4 | Bukhara | Lyab-i Hauz, Kalyan minaret, the Ark |
| 5–6 | Samarkand | Registan, Gur-e-Amir, Shah-i-Zinda |
| 7 | Seven Lakes, Tajikistan | Day trip by 4×4, lunch by the lakes |
| 8 | Tashkent | Old town, metro, departure |
What is included
Seven nights in 3–4★ hotels or boutique guesthouses with breakfast, private guides in Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent, four train journeys, every transfer by private car, the Seven Lakes day with a 4×4, an English-speaking driver-guide and lunch, and entrance tickets to the monuments on the itinerary.
Good to know
- Start day: any day except Saturday, because the high-speed train to Khiva does not run on Sundays. Please book at least 30 days ahead: train tickets sell out, and we ask for each traveller's passport details after booking.
- The Seven Lakes: the mountain day runs from 1 May to 15 October. From mid-October to April, or if your passport needs a visa for Tajikistan that you prefer not to get, day 7 becomes a day trip to Shakhrisabz, Amir Timur's hometown, at the same price.
- Visas: you leave Uzbekistan for the day and come back the same evening. Most nationalities need no visa for either country; if you need an Uzbek e-visa, it must allow two entries. Read our guides to Uzbekistan visa rules and Tajikistan visa rules.
- The last day: most flights from Tashkent leave in the evening or at night. If yours leaves earlier, we can end the trip in Samarkand instead; just tell us your flight.
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. Have an early night: tomorrow's train leaves at 7:00.
- High-speed train to Khiva
Your driver takes you to the station for the 07:00 high-speed train across the Kyzylkum desert to Khiva (about 7 h 40 min). In the afternoon, Ichan Kala with your guide: the Kalta Minor minaret, the Kunya-Ark, the Juma Mosque with its carved wooden columns and Tash Hauli palace, ending with the sunset from the city walls.
- Train to Bukhara
The morning train from Khiva to Bukhara (about 4–5 hours). In the afternoon, a first walk with your guide around Lyab-i Hauz, the old trading domes and the Magoki Attori mosque. Evening tea by the pool under the mulberry trees.
- Bukhara
A full day in the old city: the Kalyan minaret and mosque, the Mir-i Arab madrasah, the Ark fortress, the Bolo Hauz mosque, the 10th-century Samanid mausoleum and the four towers of Chor Minor.
- Afrosiyob train to Samarkand
The Afrosiyob high-speed train to Samarkand (about 1 h 30 min). In the afternoon, Gur-e-Amir, the tomb of Amir Timur, and the Registan in the late afternoon light.
- Samarkand
The tiled avenue of Shah-i-Zinda, the vast Bibi-Khanym mosque, Siab Bazaar for bread and dried fruit, and Ulugh Beg's 15th-century observatory. The evening is free.
- Day trip to the Seven Lakes, Tajikistan
An early start for the one-hour drive to the Jartepa–Sarazm border, which you cross on foot. Your English-speaking driver-guide meets you on the Tajik side with a 4×4 for Panjakent bazaar and the drive up the Shing valley past the turquoise lakes, normally as far as the seventh, Hazorchashma. Homemade lunch near Marguzor, the sixth lake, and a stop at the 5,500-year-old site of Sarazm on the way back. Back at your Samarkand hotel in the evening (about 10–11 hours).
- Afrosiyob to Tashkent and departure
The morning Afrosiyob to Tashkent (about 2 h 10 min). Your guide shows you the Hazrati Imam complex, Chorsu Bazaar and the most beautiful metro stations, then your driver takes you to the 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, 1 in Khiva, 2 in Bukhara and 3 in Samarkand
- Private English-speaking guides in Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent (other languages: see the options)
- Train tickets, Economy class: Tashkent–Khiva (high-speed), Khiva–Bukhara, Bukhara–Samarkand and Samarkand–Tashkent (Afrosiyob)
- All airport, station and hotel transfers by private car
- The Seven Lakes day: car to and from the border, a 4×4 with an English-speaking driver-guide in Tajikistan, and lunch
- Entrance tickets to the monuments on the itinerary
- Bottled water
Not included
- International flights
- Lunches and dinners, except lunch on the Seven Lakes day
- Visas or e-visas, if your passport needs them
- Single room, unless you add it as an option
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Travel insurance — required for every traveller
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