A unique country with unique architecture. A country that should be high on the bucket list. This itinerary makes a loop. It starts in Tashkent. You will visit the silk route cities Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and will finish again in Tashkent.
Tashkent
Spend one full day in Tashkent. Start your day at the Corsu bazaar, which is good for food and clothes shopping. Once finished shopping, make your way over to the metro station (Corsu station).
The metro station in Tashkent is very beautiful. All the stops have a different theme. Up until 2018 it was forbidden to take photo’s inside the station as it also served as a nuclear bomb shelter. The fee is 2000 UZS (0,16 USD). With this ticket you can get off at every stop. As long as you don’t walk out of the station the ticket is still valid. Get off at the Kosmonavtlar stop. Once finished viewing this stop, hop on the next metro and get off at Bodomzor.
From Bodomzor, walk to the TV tower (375 meters high) to enjoy the panoramic view of Tashkent. Have lunch at the revolving restaurant.
After lunch make your way to the statue of Amir Temur. Behind the statue is hotel Uzbekistan, a hotel built during the Soviet era.
Have dinner and buy some snacks for the train before travelling to Khiva. It is possible to buy drinks at the train station and on the train, but there is no wide selection. Click here to check more about the trains in Uzbekistan. There are also flights from Tashkent to Urgench. Turkish airlines and Uzbekistan airlines operate from Tashkent to Urgench. The flight only takes 1.5 hours, but doesn’t operate daily.
Where to eat? Mahmood Kabob (also serves vegetarian food)
Khiva
Khiva, also called Ichan Kala, meaning “inside the city walls,” is a city that many people skip because it is so far away. Arrival in Khiva by Soviet train is around 11 a.m. Click here to see what to do in this small open-air museum. You could easily spend two nights in this beautiful city.
There are two options to get to Bukhara. The first and most comfortable option is by train. It takes seven hours to get from Khiva to Bukhara by train, which departs in the morning and sometimes only in the evening. The second option is to organize a taxi from Khiva to Bukhara. The taxi can be booked through the hotel (85–110 USD). The taxi leaves early in the morning and can stop at three fortresses if you’re interested.
The first fortress is Topraq-Kala. The second fortress is Kyzyl-Kala, which is more impressive from the outside than the inside. The last fortress is Koi Krylgan Kala. After visiting the fortresses, it’s another five-hour drive. The roads can be really bad, so make sure to bring water and snacks for the road, or stop for lunch at one of the restaurants along the way. The view on the way to Bukhara is not that exciting.
Where to stay? Stay at the Arkanchi hotel.
Bukhara
Bukhara attracts many international visitors. The small, narrow streets make it feel like a quiet place. Get up early and enjoy a morning stroll. At that time, there aren’t many people around, and most shops are still closed, giving you a peaceful opportunity to explore and take photos. Check out the highlights to see in Bukhara. Stay two nights in Bukhara, and then take the Afrosiyob train to Samarkand. The journey takes 1.5 hours.
Feel like a cup of chai (tea)? Go to the Silk road teahouse. For 70.000 UZS (5,50 USD) per person you can try all the teas and coffees. Three local sweets are also included. My favorite were the cinnamon coffee and ginger tea.
Samarkand
Samarkand is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan. One of the places I was most excited about was Registan. If you arrive in the afternoon or early evening, visit Registan then. The buildings light up around 7 p.m. During the summer, it’s possible to watch music performances inside the Sher-Dor Madrasah. You can get tickets from the ticket office for 65.000 UZS (5,10 USD) per person. Shops, cafes, and restrooms are located inside the buildings.
Unfortunately, I got sick while in Samarkand, so I didn’t get to see much. However, I did visit Shah-i-Zinda, which means “Tomb of the Living King.” It’s a necropolis with beautiful blue tombs and is one of the most famous burial sites in Central Asia. Many royals are buried here, including relatives of Timur and Kusam ibn Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. Because of this, Shah-i-Zinda is a sacred pilgrimage center. The entrance fee is 60.000 UZS (4,70 USD). Dress conservatively; scarves are available if your shoulders and knees aren’t covered. If you’re short on time, make sure to visit Shah-i-Zinda.
Spend at least two nights in Samarkand. Take the Afrosiyob train to Tashkent.
How to get around?
By train
Uzbekistan has done a great job promoting international tourism by developing an excellent train network. The Afrosiyob (high-speed train) runs between Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara, while the Passenger train operates between Tashkent and Khiva. The Passenger train is an old Soviet model, but it covers the longer distances. Click here to book tickets for the train in Uzbekistan.
By 2026, Uzbekistan will launch a new high-speed train service between Tashkent and Khiva.
By plane
There are no direct flights from Amsterdam to Tashkent, so you’ll need a stopover in either Istanbul (with Turkish Airlines) or Riga (with Air Baltic).
Flying domestically? There are domestic flights from Tashkent to Urgench if you’re planning to visit Khiva.
By taxi
Before traveling to Uzbekistan, download the Yandex Go app (similar to Uber). The app allows you to see the cost of your ride in advance.
For the trip from Khiva to Bukhara, we organized a taxi through the hotel for 110 USD. The drive took six hours, with stops at three fortresses. Alternatively, you can take the train from Khiva to Bukhara, but it doesn’t run every day.
Budget in Uzbekistan
Hotels
Hostels: from 9 Euro per night.
Hotels: from 20 Euro per night.
Food
Dinners are usually around 15 Euro for two people.
Flights
Most likely you will fly to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. There are no direct flights from Amsterdam to Tashkent.
Return flights are from 600 Euro.
Visiting other countries in Central Asia?
Curious about other countries in Central Asia? Here are itineraries for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
