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

Four centuries of Islamic architecture across Central Asia's Silk Road cities

A 6-day guided tour of Uzbekistan connecting Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva by train and air. You visit Registan Square's three grand madrasahs, Shah-i-Zinda's avenue of turquoise-tiled mausoleums, Bukhara's Samanid Mausoleum and Ark Fortress, and Khiva's walled Ichan-Kala with its unfinished Kalta Minor minaret. The tour includes accommodation in 3–4 star hotels, all entrance tickets, train travel between cities, a live English-speaking guide (available in 14 languages), and the return flight from Khiva to Tashkent.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Tashkent and hotel check-in

• Transfer from airport to hotel
• Check in at hotel

Day 2: Tashkent city sightseeing tour

• Visit Hazrati Imam Complex
• Explore Dzhuma Mosque
• Tour Abdulkasym Medrese
• Walk through Chorsu Bazaar
• See Amir Timur Square
• Visit Independence Square
• Explore Tashkent City Park
• Tour Museum of Applied Arts
• Visit Amir Timur Museum

Day 3: Travel to Samarkand and city tour

• Train from Tashkent to Samarkand
• Check in at hotel
• Visit Gur Emir Mausoleum
• Explore Registan Square
• Walk through Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis
• Visit Ulugh Beg Observatory
• Tour Bibi-Khanym Mosque
• Explore Siab Bazaar

Day 4: Travel to Bukhara and sightseeing

• Train from Samarkand to Bukhara
• Check in at hotel
• Visit Lyabi-Hauz and Magoki-Attori Mosque
• Tour Chor Minor
• Walk through Trading Domes
• Explore Ulugh Beg and Abdullazizkhan Madrasahs
• Visit Ark Fortress
• See Samani Mausoleum

Day 5: Travel from Bukhara to Khiva

• Train from Bukhara to Khiva (6 hours)
• Check in at hotel

Day 6: Khiva city tour and departure

• Visit Ichan Kala Fortress and watchtower
• Tour Muhammad Amin Khan Medrese
• See Kalta Minor Minaret
• Visit Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum
• Climb Islam Khodja Minaret
• Explore Juma Mosque
• Tour Tash Hauli Palace
• Visit Allakuli-Khan Caravanserai
• Flight to Tashkent and overnight at hotel

The experience

The route moves you through four cities in six days, each one a different chapter of Central Asian history. You start in Tashkent with the Hazrati Imam Complex, its 16th-century mosaics and the Uthman Quran, the world's oldest, housed in the Muyi Muborak Library. From there, the high-speed Afrosiyob train carries you 2 hours 15 minutes to Samarkand, where Amir Timur's empire left its mark. Registan Square holds three madrasahs built between 1417 and 1436, their facades covered in geometric tilework that has survived five centuries. Shah-i-Zinda runs as a narrow avenue of mausoleums dating back to the 9th century, each one decorated in blue and turquoise tiles. The Gur-Emir Mausoleum, completed in 1404, holds Timur himself.

A 1 hour 30 minute train ride takes you to Bukhara, where the rhythm shifts to bazaars and fortress walls. The Ark Fortress rises from the 5th century. Inside are courtyards, museums, and the chambers where khans ruled. The Samanid Mausoleum, built around 905 AD entirely from baked bricks in geometric patterns, stands as one of the oldest structures in Central Asia and a UNESCO site. Chor Minor's four blue-domed towers date to 1807. The trading domes, Toki, have sold silk and spices since the 16th century and still do. You walk through them with a guide who explains what merchants once moved along these routes.

A 6-hour train journey brings you to Khiva, the final stop. Ichan-Kala, the walled inner city, contains everything from the 10th century onward: the Juma Mosque with 213 carved wooden columns (some over 1,000 years old), the Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum with its turquoise dome, and the Islam Khodja Minaret at 56.6 meters tall, which you can climb for a view across the old city. Kalta Minor, the unfinished minaret started in 1851, rises only 26 meters but was meant to reach 70: construction stopped when the khan died. From Khiva, you fly back to Tashkent. Hotels include breakfast and Wi-Fi. Your guide speaks English and is available in 13 other languages. Pickup is included at each city.

What’s included

• Accommodation in 3–4 star hotels with breakfast and Wi-Fi.
• entrance tickets to all historical monuments and museums.
• high-speed train tickets between Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara.
• return flight from Khiva to Tashkent.
• guided tours at each site with a live English-speaking guide (available in 14 languages).
• local transportation and transfers at each city.
• all fees and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to3h before

GroupUp to 25

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, MNP, Russian and Turkish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 30 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Assalam Travel

Is this one for you?This 6-day itinerary suits travelers who want to see the major Silk Road cities without rushing. Each destination gets a full day of guided exploration. The fixed schedule and included train travel mean no planning logistics. The tour moves you through four cities in sequence, so you experience how each one built on the last. If you prefer a slower pace or want to spend more time in one city, look for the 8-day version of this route.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Hindi, Russian, Korean, Japanese, Turkish and MNP.

What is the Uthman Quran and where do I see it on this tour?

The Uthman Quran is the world's oldest Quran, housed in the Muyi Muborak Library inside the Hazrati Imam Complex in Tashkent. Your guide will take you there on day two of the tour.

How do I travel between the four cities on this tour?

You travel by high-speed Afrosiyob train from Tashkent to Samarkand (2 hours 15 minutes), then from Samarkand to Bukhara (1 hour 30 minutes), then by train from Bukhara to Khiva (6 hours). The return journey from Khiva to Tashkent is by air. All train and flight tickets are included.

Can I climb the Islam Khodja Minaret in Khiva?

Yes. The Islam Khodja Minaret stands 56.6 meters tall and has a narrow spiral staircase with 118 steps to the top, where you get a panoramic view of Ichan-Kala and the historic center of Khiva.

What makes Registan Square in Samarkand worth visiting?

Registan Square holds three grand madrasahs built between 1417 and 1436, each one covered in intricate blue and turquoise mosaics and geometric tilework. The square served as a center of education and public life for centuries and is one of the most photographed sites in Central Asia.

What is inside the Ark Fortress in Bukhara?

The Ark Fortress, built from the 5th century onward, contains courtyards, mosques, barracks, a treasury, and museums. It was the royal residence and seat of power for Bukhara's emirs and khans, and your guide will walk you through its structures and explain its history.

Is there time to shop for souvenirs in the bazaars?

Yes. The tour includes visits to Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent, Siab Bazaar in Samarkand, the trading domes in Bukhara, and Allakuli-Khan Caravanserai in Khiva, where you can browse and purchase traditional Uzbek textiles, ceramics, spices, and handicrafts.