Classic Uzbekistan: Tashkent to Khiva in 9 Days
Overview
The same four cities as our flagship, run from the capital westwards and with a whole day for Shakhrisabz, the mountain town where Tamerlane was born. Start with Tashkent’s bazaars and metro, take the fast train to Samarkand, then go by road through the pottery town of Gijduvan to Bukhara and across the desert to finish inside Khiva’s walls.
Nine days gives each city the time it deserves — two nights in Samarkand, two in Bukhara, two in Khiva — and the departure dates are guaranteed to run from four travellers.
The route also runs as a private tour on your own dates; ask us for a quote.
Highlights
Is this trip for you?
- Travellers who want two nights in every city and no rushed mornings
- Anyone flying home from Urgench or continuing into Turkmenistan
- History lovers — Shakhrisabz adds the Timurid story the other tours skip
- You only have a week — our 8-day Classic is the tighter version
- You want to end in Tashkent for the flight home (choose the 8-day route instead)
Our honest opinion
- The Shakhrisabz day is a real highlight, not padding
- Ending in Khiva means the quietest city comes last, when you want it
- The desert crossing falls on day 7 — a long day late in the trip
- Shakhrisabz is a 3-hour round trip over a mountain pass
If you can only choose one Uzbekistan group tour and have the extra day, choose this one.
The trip in numbers
Your route
Line style shows how you travel each leg: solid = train, dotted = car, dashed = flight.
Day by day
Met at the airport, private transfer to your hotel. In the evening your guide walks you through the old town to a chaikhana for the first plov of the trip and a briefing on the days ahead.
Khast-Imam complex and the Osman Quran, Chorsu bazaar with its bread stamps and spice pyramids, Amir Timur square and the chandeliered metro stations at Kosmonavtlar and Alisher Navoi. Afternoon free.
Morning Afrosiyob train (2h10). Registan Square and Gur-Emir in the afternoon, then the Siab bazaar; your guide times the Registan for the evening light.
Day trip over the Takhtakaracha pass to Shakhrisabz: the giant gateway of the Ak-Saray palace, the Kok-Gumbaz mosque and the Dorus-Saodat complex where Tamerlane meant to be buried. Lunch in a family house in the mountains on the way back.
Shah-i-Zinda and Bibi-Khanym in the morning, then the road to Bukhara with the pottery workshop and lunch in Gijduvan. Evening around the Lyabi-Hauz pond.
The Ark, Poi-Kalyan, the Samanid mausoleum, the trading domes and Chor-Minor on foot. Folklore dinner in a madrasa courtyard.
The Kyzylkum road with a picnic lunch, then Ayaz-Kala and Toprak-Kala before Khiva. Check in inside the walls and watch the sunset from the ramparts.
The whole walled city on foot, from Kunya-Ark to the Islam-Khoja minaret, with time in the carpet and woodcarving workshops. Farewell dinner on a roof terrace.
Transfer to Urgench airport for your flight home or on to Tashkent.
What’s included
What’s not included
Where you’ll stay
Or equivalent, depending on season. Hotels are inside or beside the historic centres wherever the town has one.
Choose your hotel category
Same itinerary, same guide — pick the comfort level that suits you. The price switch is in the booking box.
- TashkentMarwa
- SamarkandShahristan Art
- BukharaEmerald
- KhivaAnor Qal'a
- TashkentSwissotel
- SamarkandMovenpick
- BukharaMisgaron
- KhivaMercure
Traveller reviews
What guests wrote
“Chose the 9-day over the 8-day for the extra Samarkand night and I am glad we did — it gave us a slow morning at Siab bazaar and the paper mill in Konigil, which turned out to be one of my favourite stops. Our guide Nilufar was superb with the children (ours are 10 and 13), turning Timur into a story they still talk about.”
“Très beau circuit, rythme parfait, guide francophone sur demande (Sherzod, excellent). Les hôtels de Boukhara et Khiva sont charmants, celui de Tachkent plus standard. Le train rapide est une excellente idée.”
Good to know
Most nationalities enter Uzbekistan visa-free for 30–90 days. If your passport needs an e-visa, it takes 2–3 working days online — we check your case and guide you at booking.
The local currency is the Uzbek som (UZS). Visa and Mastercard work in city hotels, restaurants and supermarkets; keep some cash for bazaars, taxis and tips. ATMs dispense som and sometimes USD.
April–June and September–November are warm and clear — ideal for walking the old cities. July–August afternoons exceed 35°C; winter departures run at reduced prices.
Uzbekistan uses European plug types C and F, 220V. Travellers from the UK, US and Asia need a standard Euro adapter — one per device is enough, hotels have plenty of sockets.
Everyday dress is relaxed across all four cities. Inside mosques and madrasas, shoulders and knees should be covered; headscarves for women are only needed in a few active mosques — your guide will tell you when.
Your included eSIM is activated on arrival, so you’re online from the airport. Hotel Wi-Fi is reliable in all four cities; your coordinator stays reachable on WhatsApp or Telegram throughout.
Free cancellation up to 30 days before departure. 50% refund up to 15 days before; after that the booking is non-refundable, but you can move to another date once for free.
Medical insurance for the tour days is included. We still recommend personal travel insurance covering cancellation and baggage — we can suggest trusted providers.
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