Overview
Follow the caravan road from the modern capital to the walled desert town of Khiva. This private journey links Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva with Afrosiyob high-speed trains, a scenic crossing of the Kyzylkum desert and a quick domestic flight back, so you spend your time in the old towns rather than on the road.
Expect turquoise domes and tiled madrasahs in Samarkand, living bazaars and trading domes in Bukhara, and the mud-brick lanes of Ichan-Kala at sunset. Lunches are taken in family-run restaurants, and a local licensed guide meets you in every city.
Your trip is organised by Khikmatilla, a licensed Uzbek tour guide and founder of Tashkentguide DMC, with local licensed guides in every city.
Highlights
- Registan, Gur-Emir and the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis in Samarkand
- Poi-Kalon ensemble, the Ark fortress and Lyabi-Hauz in Bukhara
- Sunset over the walls of Ichan-Kala, Khiva
- Two Afrosiyob high-speed train rides and a Kyzylkum desert crossing
- Chorsu bazaar, Khast Imam and the palatial Tashkent metro
Prices are per person, private tour, and fall as your group grows. Single room supplement: US$215.
What's included
- 7 nights in 4* hotels (DBL/TWIN) with breakfast
- Afrosiyob economy train tickets Tashkent–Samarkand and Samarkand–Bukhara
- Economy flight Urgench–Tashkent
- 6 lunches at local restaurants
- Entrance fees to the sights listed
- Welcome pack (water, sanitiser, small gift)
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver for all transfers and sightseeing
- Licensed English-speaking local guide (other languages on request)
- 0.5 L bottled water per person per day
- 24/7 support from our Tashkent team during the trip
- International flights and visa fees (many nationalities enter Uzbekistan visa-free)
- Dinners and drinks unless listed
- Camera/video fees at monuments
- Early check-in and late check-out (standard check-in 14:00)
- Tips and personal expenses
- Travel insurance
Meeting and pickup
Tashkent airport or your hotel in Tashkent
Tashkent
Pickup from your hotel or the airport in Tashkent.
Itinerary
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1
Day 1 · Arrival in Tashkent
Meet-and-greet at Tashkent airport and transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon, a first look at the capital: the Khast Imam complex with its ancient Quran manuscript, the domed Chorsu bazaar, a ride on the ornate metro and Amir Timur square. Overnight: Qushbegi Plaza 4* or similar.
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2
Day 2 · Tashkent – Samarkand (Afrosiyob train)
Morning transfer to the station for the Afrosiyob train 768 (08:04–10:22). Lunch, then Gur-Emir, the tomb of Amir Timur, and Registan square with its three facing madrasahs – Ulugbek, Sherdor and Tilla-Kori. Overnight: Medina Hotel 4* or similar.
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3
Day 3 · Samarkand
A full day in Samarkand: the vast Bibi-Khanym mosque, the colourful Siab bazaar, the avenue of tiled mausoleums at Shah-i-Zinda and the 15th-century observatory of Ulugbek. Optional stop at the Konigil paper mill to see mulberry paper made by hand. Overnight: Medina Hotel 4* or similar.
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4
Day 4 · Samarkand – Bukhara (Afrosiyob train)
Train 770 (11:03–12:46) to Bukhara. After lunch, start at the Lyabi-Hauz pool with the Nadir Divan-Begi and Kukeldash madrasahs, then stroll through the trading domes where jewellers and money-changers once worked. Overnight: Plaza Luxury 4* or similar.
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5
Day 5 · Bukhara
Discover the Poi-Kalon ensemble with the 12th-century Kalyan minaret, the Ark citadel of the emirs, the wooden-pillared Bolo-Hauz mosque, the brick lace of the Samanid mausoleum and the four little towers of Chor-Minor. Overnight: Plaza Luxury 4* or similar.
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6
Day 6 · Bukhara – Khiva (road, approx. 450 km)
A day on the road through the Kyzylkum desert, following the Amu Darya river for part of the way, with photo and tea stops en route. Arrive in Khiva in the late afternoon and check in inside or next to the old town. Overnight: Art Minor Hotel 4* or similar.
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7
Day 7 · Khiva – Urgench – flight to Tashkent
Walking tour of Ichan-Kala: Kalta-Minor, the Kunya-Ark fortress, the Juma mosque with its forest of carved columns, Tash-Hauli palace and the Islam-Khoja minaret. Evening transfer to Urgench airport for flight HY054 (20:15–21:35) to Tashkent. Overnight: Qushbegi Plaza 4* or similar.
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8
Day 8 · Departure
Breakfast and transfer to Tashkent airport for your flight home.
Cancellation policy
- Cancel at least 24 hours before departure: 100% refund.
- Less notice than that, or a no-show: 0% refund.
Times are local Tashkent time (UTC+5).