3-day private train tour Tashkent to Samarkand: Registan Square

Three days on the Silk Road by train, from Tashkent's old bazaars to Samarkand's turquoise domes

A 3-day private train tour from Tashkent through Bukhara to Samarkand, traveling on Uzbekistan's fastest trains and staying in central hotels. You visit the Ark citadel, Poi Kalon complex, Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, Bibi-Khanym mosque, Gur-e-Emir mausoleum and Registan Square, the latter lit at night, plus six more sites across the three ancient cities. Hotel pickup in Tashkent is included; a local guide leads sightseeing in Bukhara and Samarkand; all train tickets and accommodations are booked for you.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Train to Bukhara and city sightseeing

• Hotel pickup in Tashkent
• Travel by train to Bukhara
• Meet driver and transfer to hotel
• Meet local guide and start sightseeing
• Visit the Citadel Ark
• Explore Poi Kalon complex
• Visit Magoki-Attari Mosque
• See Labi Hauz Complex
• Visit XVI century Synagogue (if open)
• See Statue of Hodja Nasruddin

Day 2: Bukhara visit and train to Samarkand

• Morning free time or optional tour
• Transfer to Bukhara train station
• Train to Samarkand
• Meet driver and transfer to hotel

Day 3: Samarkand sightseeing and return

• Check out hotel and start sightseeing
• Visit Ulugbek Observatory
• Explore Shahi Zinda complex
• Visit Bibi Hanim mosque
• See Gur-Amir mausoleum
• Visit Registan square
• Travel by train to Tashkent
• Meet driver and transfer to hotel

The experience

The driver picks you up from your Tashkent hotel at 7 a.m. and takes you to the train station for the journey to Bukhara. Upon arrival, you meet your local guide and begin exploring the old town: walking through streets that feel like stepping into the 16th century. You visit the Citadel Ark, a fortress dating back to the 1st millennium BC and rebuilt through the 18th and 20th centuries; the Poi Kalon complex, a 12th-to-16th-century ensemble of mosque, madrassah and minaret that once amazed Genghis Khan; the Magoki-Attari Mosque, Central Asia's oldest surviving mosque, now housing a carpet-weaving museum; and the Labi Hauz complex built around 1620. You also see the 16th-century synagogue in the Jewish Quarter and the statue of Hodja Nasruddin, the philosopher and humorist claimed by Uzbeks as their own. You stay overnight in a centrally located 3-star or boutique hotel.

On day two, you have the morning free or can take an optional tour to four sites outside Bukhara. In the late afternoon, you transfer 15 km to the train station and catch the train to Samarkand. After arrival, you transfer to your hotel for the night.

Day three begins with checkout and sightseeing in Samarkand. You visit the Ulugbek Observatory, built in the 15th century by Amir Temur's grandson; Shah-i-Zinda, a 12th-to-20th-century necropolis and one of Uzbekistan's most spiritual places; the 15th-century Bibi-Khanym mosque, built for Temur's chief wife; the Gur-e-Emir mausoleum from the 15th century; and Registan Square, the 15th-to-17th-century architectural ensemble with Islamic designs and calligraphy etched into its facades. You see this at night when the light transforms it. In the late afternoon, you board the train back to Tashkent and are transferred to your hotel upon arrival.

What’s included

• Entrance tickets to all monuments.
• air-conditioned vehicle for transfers.
• train tickets from Tashkent to Bukhara, Bukhara to Samarkand, and Samarkand back to Tashkent.
• two nights in a 3-star or central boutique hotel (double or twin shared room).
• local tour guide for sightseeing in Bukhara and Samarkand.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Tashkent.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to2d before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 15 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Samaria Travel

Is this one for you?The tour moves at a steady pace with walking at each site and early starts on days one and three. If you prefer a slower rhythm or want to linger longer in one city, the optional morning tour on day two gives you flexibility to explore Bukhara further instead.

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Top questions

What is the Registan Square and why is it worth seeing at night?

Registan Square is a 15th-to-17th-century architectural ensemble in Samarkand covered in fantastic Islamic designs and calligraphy. The tour times your visit for evening, when the light on the facades creates an effect the daylight does not offer.

Do I need a visa to travel to Uzbekistan on this tour?

Visa requirements depend on your nationality. After booking, you will need to send a copy of your passport so the operator can arrange your train tickets and hotels. This is also the time to confirm any visa requirements for your country.

What should I wear when visiting the mosques and religious sites?

Both men and women should wear clothing that covers shoulders and knees and avoid tight or transparent clothing. Women should cover their hair with a headscarf or shawl when entering holy places.

Are meals included in the tour price?

Breakfast is included with your hotel stay. Lunch and dinner are not included, so you can choose where and what to eat. The guide can recommend local restaurants.

What kind of train will I travel on?

The tour uses Uzbekistan's fastest train. In high tourist season when the high-speed train is unavailable, the operator substitutes the most comfortable class of regular train available.

What time does the tour start each morning?

Pickup from your Tashkent hotel is at 7 a.m. on day one, though the exact time can shift based on train schedules. Hotel check-in at your destinations is after 2 p.m., so you have time to settle before evening sightseeing.