6-day Uzbekistan tour: Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand

You travel between four ancient cities by train, not by rushing through them in a van.

A 6-day private tour of Uzbekistan starting and ending in Tashkent, visiting Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand along the Silk Road with a local licensed guide in each city, accommodation in 3-star or boutique hotels, air-conditioned transport, and train tickets between cities included. You choose whether to travel Khiva to Bukhara by train or car. Flights between Tashkent and Urgench, single rooms, tips and museum entries are optional at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Tashkent

• Arrive in Tashkent
• Transport to hotel

Day 2: Fly to Urgench and Khiva sightseeing

• Transfer to Tashkent Airport
• Fly Tashkent to Urgench
• Transfer Urgench to Khiva
• Explore Ichan Kala old city
• Visit Kunya Ark citadel
• See Pahlavan Mahmud mausoleum
• Visit Khiva's Juma Mosque
• Explore Islam-Khodja complex
• Tour Tash-Khauli Palace
• See Kalta-minor minaret

Day 3: Travel Khiva to Bukhara

• Free time in Khiva
• Travel Khiva to Bukhara by train or car
• Free time in Bukhara

Day 4: Bukhara sightseeing and train to Samarkand

• Visit Lyab-i Hauz Ensemble
• See Kalyan Minaret
• View Bolo Hauz mosque exterior
• Tour Ark Fortress
• Transfer to Bukhara train station
• Train to Samarkand
• Transfer to hotel in Samarkand

Day 5: Sightseeing in Samarkand

• Visit Gur Emir Mausoleum
• Explore Registan Square
• Tour Bibi-Khanym Mosque
• Visit Siab Bazaar
• See Shakhi-Zinda Ensemble
• Visit Ulugbek's Observatory

Day 6: Train to Tashkent and city tour

• Transfer to Samarkand train station
• Train Samarkand to Tashkent
• Meet guide and start Tashkent sightseeing
• See theater building exterior
• Visit Khazrati-Imam ensemble
• Tour Tashkent metro stations
• Visit Amir Timur Square
• Tour State Museum of Applied Art
• Transfer to Tashkent International Airport

The experience

You arrive in Tashkent and transfer to your hotel to settle in. From there the tour moves through the four cities that shaped Central Asia: Khiva's walled old town with its 26-hectare Ichan Kala, Bukhara's bazaars and medieval squares, Samarkand's Registan and the tombs of Shah-i-Zinda, and back to Tashkent for final sightseeing before your departure flight. A local guide meets you in each city to walk the major sites. The Gur-e-Emir Mausoleum where Tamerlane is buried, the Kalyan Minaret that survived Genghis Khan, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, and the State Museum of Applied Art with over 7,000 pieces of traditional Uzbek craft.

The itinerary uses trains to move between cities rather than long drives, which gives you real time in each place instead of hours on the road. You take a domestic flight from Tashkent to Urgench, then transfer by car to Khiva. After Khiva, you board a 6-hour train to Bukhara (or choose a car transfer if you prefer). From Bukhara, an afternoon train carries you to Samarkand, and an early morning train returns you to Tashkent on the final day. Each overnight is in a centrally located 3-star or boutique hotel, and the air-conditioned vehicle waits for city sightseeing and transfers to stations.

Your guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French or one of four other languages, and the operator notes this tour is customizable: email your preferred changes and they'll adjust the itinerary at no extra cost or a small one. Pickup is included. You can also arrange entry to museums at checkout if you want to go inside rather than view exteriors.

What’s included

• Accommodation in twin rooms at 3-star or boutique hotels in Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand.
• air-conditioned vehicle with driver for all city sightseeing and transfers.
• train tickets for Khiva to Bukhara, Bukhara to Samarkand, and Samarkand to Tashkent.
• local licensed guide in each city speaking English, Spanish, Italian, French or another language.
• airport and station transfers in each city.

Options for this experience

2 options

Standard PriceGuide in 8 languages · 08:00Includes pickup

Extend the stay with one extra night in Tashkent, making it a 7-day tourGuide in 8 languages · 08:00Hotel rated 3 to 4 stars in Tashkent. Duration: 1 day. Breakfast included. Includes pickup.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (12 to 80 years) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Turkish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 20 pickup points.

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

Paid on siteUS$ 275

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Silk Tour Ltd

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to spend real time in each Silk Road city instead of racing through them. The train journeys between Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand mean you're not sitting in a van for six hours. You're traveling like a traveler, with time to rest and think between stops. If you prefer to drive the whole route or stay longer in one city, email the operator about customizing the itinerary before you book.

Traveler reviews

4.94★★★★★★★★★★

48 verified traveler reviews

5 ★46

4 ★1

3 ★1

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Japanese and Turkish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3).

What exactly is inside the walled old city of Khiva that I'll see?

Ichan Kala, Khiva's inner town, spans 26 hectares and is enclosed by brick walls up to ten meters high. You'll walk past the Kunya Ark citadel, the Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum with its blue-tiled dome, the Juma Mosque, the Islam-Khodja complex with its minaret, Tash-Khauli Palace built in the 1830s, and the Kalta-minor, a short minaret covered entirely in glazed tile and majolica that was meant to rise over 70 meters but stopped at 29.

Do I have to take the train between cities or can I drive instead?

Between Khiva and Bukhara you choose: a 6-hour train or a 6-hour car transfer. The flights between Tashkent and Urgench, and the trains from Bukhara to Samarkand and Samarkand back to Tashkent, are part of the standard itinerary. If you prefer different transport for any leg, email the operator about customizing it.

What's included in the hotel stays and what's the standard?

Twin rooms in high-rated 3-star or boutique hotels centrally located in each city are included. You can add a single room supplement at checkout if you need one. All hotels are in the heart of the old towns, close to the main sights.

Will I have the same guide the whole 6 days?

No, each city has its own local licensed guide who knows that place. A guide meets you in Tashkent on arrival, another in Khiva, another in Bukhara, and another in Samarkand. Your driver stays with you throughout for transport and transfers to stations.

Are museum entries included, or do I pay extra to go inside?

Museum entries are not included in the base tour price. You can add them at checkout if you want to enter sites like the State Museum of Applied Art or other attractions. Many stops, like the Registan and Shah-i-Zinda, can be viewed from outside, and your guide will explain what you're seeing.

What happens if I arrive in Tashkent and want a day to rest before the tour starts?

You can add one extra night in Tashkent at checkout, which extends the tour to 7 days. This gives you a full day to recover from travel before flying to Urgench and starting the Silk Road route.