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Tashkent to Khiva via Samarkand & Bukhara: Route Guide

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The tiled madrasahs of Samarkand's Registan square
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

A four-city Silk Road journey with the railway doing the long-distance work. Begin among Tashkent's market life, give Samarkand's Registan and Shah-i-Zinda real time, walk Bukhara's trading-city core, then finish inside Khiva's walled Itchan Kala. Each leg is a separately checked and reserved train; no permanent departure time or uninterrupted service is promised.

Tashkent to Khiva via Samarkand & Bukhara is a 1000 km one-way journey (rail). It works best as 7–9 days; the plan below is the 8-day version for April, built from 244 verified places, with published scheduled journey times, opening hours and daylight checked.

7–9
days
1000km
distance
4
Stops
244
curated stops

Plan your own version → 7-day plan · 8-day plan · 9-day plan · best time to go

The route

Tashkent→ 300 kmSamarkand→ 270 kmBukhara→ 430 kmKhiva

What you'll see

Kukeldash Madrasah
See the grand yellow-brick courtyard and historic hujras.
Tashkent
Gur-e-Emir Mausoleum
Marvel at the final resting place of the legendary warlord Timur.
Samarkand
Ark Citadel
Walk through the historic heptagonal fortress walls and grounds.
Bukhara
Itchan Kala
Wander through the ancient walls of Khiva's historic inner town, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Khiva
State Museum of the Temurids
Explore the legacy of Timur through gripping exhibits and artifacts.
Tashkent
Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Witness the grand yet troubled architecture of Timur's era.
Samarkand
Magok-i-Attari Mosque
Explore a sunken mosque turned captivating carpet museum.
Bukhara
Ak Mosque
Worship under a grand dome in a hall of wooden aiwans.
Khiva

Choose your length

7-day plan23 stops · 12.1 h transit3.3 stops/day · 1.7 h transit/daySee the full plan →8-day plan26 stops · 12.5 h transit3.2 stops/day · 1.6 h transit/daySee the full plan →9-day plan29 stops · 11.7 h transit3.2 stops/day · 1.3 h transit/daySee the full plan →

When to go

Best months: March, April, May, September, October

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable periods for long outdoor visits; reserve every dated train before fixing the city sequence.

See the month-by-month breakdown →

Similar journeys

Plan your own version →