Uzbekistan Cultural & Desert Tour — 7 Days, Khiva to Tashkent
Overview
Our flagship route as a private trip, one day shorter: fly into Urgench, start inside Khiva’s walls, cross the desert past the Khorezm fortresses, then Bukhara, Gijduvan, Samarkand and a last day in Tashkent. Your own guide and car throughout, hotels inside the old towns, starts any day of the year.
It is the itinerary we recommend when a couple or a family asks for ‘the whole country in a week’.
Highlights
Is this trip for you?
- Couples and families who want all four cities on their own dates
- Travellers who prefer a private guide to a group
- Winter and summer travellers — the pace adapts to the season
- You want two nights in Samarkand (add a day — we will quote it)
- You are on a tight budget and happy with a group
Our honest opinion
- Day 1 in Khiva is the calmest possible start
- Hotels upgrade easily to boutique on a private trip
- Day 3 is 6–7 hours on the road
- Tashkent gets only a morning
Add the Shakhrisabz day between Samarkand and Tashkent if you have an eighth day.
The trip in numbers
Your route
Line style shows how you travel each leg: solid = train, dotted = car, dashed = flight.
Day by day
Urgench airport pickup and a 30-minute drive to Khiva; evening in the walled city with your guide.
A full day in Itchan-Kala: Kunya-Ark, the Juma mosque, Tash-Hauli palace, the Pahlavan Mahmud mausoleum and the Islam-Khoja minaret, plus the craft workshops.
Ayaz-Kala and Toprak-Kala, then the desert road with a chaikhana lunch; Bukhara by late afternoon.
The Ark, Poi-Kalyan, the Samanid mausoleum, Chor-Minor and the trading domes; folklore dinner.
Pottery workshop and family lunch, then Samarkand; the Registan at dusk.
Registan, Shah-i-Zinda, Bibi-Khanym, Gur-Emir and the bazaar; evening Afrosiyob to Tashkent.
Khast-Imam, Chorsu bazaar and the metro, then the airport.
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.
- TashkentArt Deluxe
- SamarkandZilol Baht
- BukharaAl Hayat
- KhivaZarafshon Boutique
- TashkentIchan Qala
- SamarkandBibikhanum Hotel
- BukharaKomil Boutique
- KhivaOrient Star Madrasah
Traveller reviews
What guests wrote
“Lovely trip, fantastic driver (Rustam), the yurt night by Aydarkul lake was fun and the camel ride short enough to stay fun. One star off because Khiva deserved two nights rather than one. Good value for a fully private tour.”
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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