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

Walk the tilework and bazaars of four legendary cities in eight days

An 8-day private tour of Uzbekistan starting and ending in Tashkent, with stops in Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand. You travel by air-conditioned vehicle and domestic train, stay in centrally located 3–4 star hotels, and have a licensed guide in your chosen language for each city's sightseeing. The route covers the Silk Road's most intact medieval architecture: Registan Square, the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, and Khiva's walled old city with its 29-meter Kalta-minor minaret. Hotel pickup from Tashkent airport and round-trip airport transfers are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Tashkent and transfer

• Meet driver at arrival hall
• Transfer to hotel
• Overnight at hotel

Day 2: Tashkent sightseeing and fly to Urgench

• Tour theater exterior
• Visit Khazrati-Imam ensemble
• Visit Amir Timur Square
• Ride Tashkent metro
• Visit State Museum of Applied Art
• Transfer to Tashkent Airport
• Fly to Urgench
• Transfer to Khiva
• Overnight at hotel

Day 3: Khiva sightseeing and train to Bukhara

• Visit Ichan Kala
• See Kalta-minor minaret
• Tour Kunya Ark citadel
• Visit Pahlavan Mahmud mausoleum
• Visit Juma Mosque
• Visit Islam-Khodja complex
• Tour Tash-Khauli Palace
• Visit local silk carpet workshop
• Transfer to Khiva train station
• Train ride Khiva to Bukhara
• Overnight at hotel

Day 4: Sightseeing in Bukhara

• Visit Lyab-i Hauz Ensemble
• See Kalyan Minaret
• Tour the Ark fortress
• Explore old bazar
• Visit oldest mosque in Central Asia
• See Bolo Hauz mosque
• Overnight at hotel

Day 5: Free time or optional tour, train to Samarkand

• Free time or optional countryside tour
• Transfer to Kagan train station
• High speed train Bukhara to Samarkand
• Transfer to hotel
• Overnight at hotel

Day 6: Sightseeing in Samarkand

• Visit Registan Square
• Tour Gur Emir Mausoleum
• Visit Shakhi-Zinda Ensemble
• See Bibi-Khanym Mosque
• Explore Siab Bazaar
• Overnight at hotel

Day 7: Free time or optional tour, train to Tashkent

• Free time or optional half-day tour
• Transfer to train station
• High speed train Samarkand to Tashkent

Day 8: Departure from Tashkent

• Transfer to Tashkent International Airport

The experience

The tour opens with a driver meeting you at Tashkent airport and transferring you to your hotel. The next morning you see the city's landmarks (the Alisher Navoi Theater, the Khazrati-Imam ensemble in the old city, Amir Timur Square, and the State Museum of Applied Art with its 7,000 pieces of traditional folk art) before flying domestic to Urgench and driving 30 kilometers to Khiva. The pace is built around what each city holds: you spend a full day in Khiva's Ichan Kala, the walled inner town with its 26 hectares of intact medieval streets, then board an evening train to Bukhara.

Bukhara's sightseeing centers on the old bazaar, the Kalyan Minaret (45.6 meters tall, so striking that Genghis Khan refused to destroy it), the Ark fortress where rulers lived for over a millennium, and the Lyab-i Hauz ensemble. A high-speed train carries you to Samarkand in the afternoon, leaving the evening free. Samarkand's day is built around Registan Square with its three medreses, the Gur-Emir Mausoleum holding Tamerlane's tomb and the world's largest piece of jade, the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis of 44 tombs, and the Bibi-Khanym Mosque. You can spend the free morning exploring on your own or book an optional half-day tour to the Ulugbek Observatory. The high-speed train returns you to Tashkent for your final night and airport transfer.

Guides are licensed and speak English, French, German, Russian or two additional languages depending on your booking. Hotels are centrally located in each city. The vehicle is modern and air-conditioned. Domestic train tickets between cities and all ground transport are included. Domestic airline tickets from Tashkent to Urgench start at $70 per person if you choose that option. Museum entries, meals and tips for guides and drivers are separate. Children from age one are welcome, and infant seats are available.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off at Tashkent airport.
• six nights in centrally located 3–4 star or boutique hotels with twin rooms.
• air-conditioned vehicle transport in each city.
• domestic train tickets from Khiva to Bukhara and from Bukhara to Samarkand to Tashkent.
• licensed guide in your chosen language for each city's sightseeing.
• 24-hour customer service to assist with last-minute customizations.

Options for this experience

3 options

Eight-day tour of UzbekistanGuide in 6 languages · 07:00 and 08:00Includes pickup

Add a hotel for the last night in TashkentGuide in 6 languages · 07:00Tashkent hotel room with breakfast, pickup is included

4 star HotelsGuide in 6 languages · 07:00Hotels rated 4 star, 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 dayDepartures at 07:00 and 08:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (12 to 80 years) · Youth (7 to 11 years) · Child (3 to 6 years) · Infant (1 to 2 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French, German, 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$ 225

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Silk Tour Ltd

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want all four Silk Road cities connected by included trains within one itinerary, or book the customizable version if you'd rather add extra nights in specific cities.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

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

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (7 to 11 years); Child (3 to 6 years); Infant (1 to 2 years).

What are the main sights in Samarkand on this tour?

Registan Square with its three medreses, the Gur-Emir Mausoleum containing Tamerlane's tomb, the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis with 44 tombs across more than 20 mausoleums, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque built between 1399 and 1404, and the Siab Bazaar are the core stops. You have a free morning to explore further or book an optional half-day tour to the Ulugbek Observatory and Afrosiyob Museum.

How do you travel between the cities on this 8-day tour?

You fly from Tashkent to Urgench on a domestic flight, then travel by air-conditioned vehicle to Khiva. An evening train carries you from Khiva to Bukhara, and a high-speed train takes you from Bukhara to Samarkand. Another high-speed train returns you to Tashkent for your final night. All train tickets are included in the tour price.

What is Khiva's Ichan Kala and how much time do you spend there?

Ichan Kala is Khiva's walled inner city, built as a regular rectangle 650 by 400 meters and enclosed by brick walls up to ten meters high. It contains 26 hectares of medieval streets, palaces, mosques and minarets dating back over two millennia. You spend a full day sightseeing here, visiting the Kalta-minor minaret, Kunya Ark citadel, Pahlavan Mahmud mausoleum, the Juma Mosque with its 64 hand-carved columns, and the Tash-Khauli Palace, plus a local women's workshop for hand-woven Khiva silk carpets.

Are meals included in this tour?

Meals are not included in the tour price. You have the freedom to eat at restaurants near your hotel or explore local cuisine on your own. Your guide can recommend places to eat in each city.