Uzbekistan Silk Road: Self-Launched Tashkent to Khiva Adventure

Land at Tashkent International Airport (visa-free entry for UK/EU/US passports, 30 days). Take the official Yandex Go app taxi or the inexpensive airport bus (route 67/88, ~£0.40) into the centre and check into a small hotel or guesthouse near Chorsu or the Amir Timur area. If you arrive in the morning, self-orient with a wander through Chorsu Bazaar, the Khast Imam complex (Barak Khan Madrasa, the Uthman Quran) and the metro stations (Kosmonavtlar and Alisher Navoi are attractions in themselves — a 1,400 som token per ride). Optional: book a half-day city guide for ~£25-30 via GetYourGuide or arrange locally at your hotel. Grab plov or lagman for dinner at a chayhana in the old town (~£4-6).

🚌Airport taxi via Yandex Go ~£2-3; metro tokens ~£0.25 each

🛏Guesthouse or small 3-star hotel in central Tashkent (double/twin ~£22/night, dorm bed ~£8)

• →Chorsu Bazaar self-walk
• →Khast Imam complex
• →Tashkent metro architecture tour
• →Optional half-day city guide (~£25-30)

Early breakfast, then take the Afrosiyob high-speed train from Tashkent to Samarkand (2h05, book online at railway.uz or via the Uzbekistan Railways app roughly 2-3 weeks ahead; ~£10-15 second class). Drop bags at your guesthouse near the old town, then explore independently: Gur Emir Mausoleum (Timur's tomb, ~£3 entry), Registan Square with its three madrasas (~£5 combined ticket, best at golden hour), Bibi Khanym Mosque (~£2.50) and Siab Bazaar for bread, dried fruit and non. Evening: dinner at a local chayhana (~£5-7) and a night walk back to a floodlit Registan.

🚌Afrosiyob high-speed train Tashkent–Samarkand ~£10-15; local taxis/Yandex ~£1-2 per hop

🛏Guesthouse or small boutique-style hotel within walking distance of Registan (~£20-25/night)

• →Afrosiyob high-speed train
• →Gur Emir Mausoleum
• →Registan Square and three madrasas
• →Bibi Khanym Mosque
• →Siab Bazaar

Full day in Samarkand. Start early at Shahi Zinda necropolis (~£2.50) before tour groups arrive — the tiled mausoleum alley is the highlight of the city. Then Ulughbek Observatory (~£2.50) and the Afrosiab Museum with its 7th-century murals (~£2.50). In the afternoon take a taxi out to Konigil to see traditional Samarkand silk paper made by hand at the Meros workshop (free entry, ~£2 taxi each way). Optional: evening sound-and-light show at Registan if scheduled (~£3-5, check locally). Plenty of cheap plov and shashlik nearby.

🚌Yandex/taxi around town ~£1-3 per trip; taxi to Konigil ~£2 each way

🛏Same Samarkand guesthouse (~£20-25/night)

• →Shahi Zinda necropolis
• →Ulughbek Observatory
• →Afrosiab Museum
• →Konigil silk paper workshop
• →Optional Registan light show

Morning train Samarkand to Bukhara (Afrosiyob ~1h40, ~£8-12; the slower Sharq train is ~£4-5 if you're flexible). Check into a guesthouse inside or just outside the old city walls. Afternoon self-guided walking circuit: Lyabi Hauz plaza, the three trading domes (Taki Sarafon, Taki Telpakfurushon, Taki Zargaron), the Jewish quarter with its synagogue, then the Poi Kalyan complex — Kalyan Minaret and Mosque. Finish at the Ark Citadel (~£3) and the Ismail Samani and Chashma Ayub mausoleums. Optional alternative: a shared taxi or private car via Rabati Malik caravanserai and Gijduvan ceramics workshop (~£30-40 split, longer day).

🚌Train Samarkand–Bukhara ~£8-12; walking city; occasional taxi ~£1

🛏Old-town guesthouse in Bukhara, courtyard style (~£18-22/night)

• →Lyabi Hauz
• →Trading domes (Taki Sarafon, Telpakfurushon, Zargaron)
• →Jewish quarter and synagogue
• →Poi Kalyan complex
• →Ark Citadel
• →Ismail Samani and Chashma Ayub mausoleums

Take a marshrutka or Yandex (~£1-2) out to Sitorai Mohi Xosa summer palace (~£2.50) and then the Bahauddin Naqshbandi mausoleum and necropolis, 10km from town — a major pilgrimage site and a peaceful contrast to the old city. Return for a slow afternoon in the bazaars. In the evening, treat yourself to a traditional Bukhara hammam (~£8-12) and either a folk music and dance show at Nadir Divan Begi Madrasa (~£5-8) or dinner with a local family arranged through your guesthouse (~£8-10).

🚌Shared marshrutka or Yandex out to Sitorai Mohi Xosa and Naqshbandi ~£1-3 total

🛏Same Bukhara guesthouse (~£18-22/night)

• →Sitorai Mohi Xosa Summer Palace
• →Bahauddin Naqshbandi mausoleum and necropolis
• →Bukhara hammam
• →Folk music and dance show at Nadir Divan Begi
• →Optional local family dinner

The long transfer day. Cheapest option: shared taxi or minivan from Bukhara to Urgench/Khiva (~500km, 6-7 hours, ~£15-20 per seat, or ~£45-55 to charter a car — arrange via your guesthouse the night before). Train alternative: the Afrosiyob Bukhara–Urgench runs ~3 hours on some days (~£10-14) — check railway.uz and book early. Arrive in Khiva and check into a guesthouse inside the Ichan Kala walls for the full atmosphere (or a converted madrasa-style small hotel, ~£20-28/night). Evening: first stroll along the illuminated walls, dinner of Khorezm-style shivit oshi (green noodles, ~£4-6). Optional yurt-camp detour to Ayazkala (~£25-35 with dinner and breakfast if booked via your Khiva guesthouse) instead of a Khiva night.

🚌Shared taxi/minivan Bukhara–Khiva ~£15-20 per seat (or Afrosiyob train ~£10-14 if running)

🛏Guesthouse or small character hotel inside Ichan Kala, Khiva (~£20-28/night)

• →Desert transfer across the Kyzylkum edge
• →Evening walk of the Ichan Kala walls
• →Optional Ayazkala yurt camp night

A full day inside the walled Ichan Kala. Buy the combined ticket (~£8-10) covering the Juma Mosque with its carved wooden pillars, the Pahlavan Mahmud mausoleum, the Tosh Hovli Palace, the Kunya Ark and the minarets. Climb the Islam Khoja minaret for the rooftop view (~£1.50). Browse the local workshops — wood carving, suzani embroidery, felt making — and haggle gently for a carpet or chapaan. The city is compact and walkable; pace it with tea stops. Evening: dinner on a rooftop terrace (~£5-7) or an optional show-and-dinner at the Allakuli Khan Madrasa (~£8-10).

🚌Everything walkable; no transport needed

🛏Same Khiva guesthouse (~£20-28/night)

• →Ichan Kala combined museum ticket
• →Juma Mosque wooden pillars
• →Pahlavan Mahmud mausoleum
• →Tosh Hovli Palace and Kunya Ark
• →Islam Khoja minaret climb
• →Local craft workshops

Morning transfer to Urgench airport (30-40 min by taxi or shared car, ~£4-6). Uzbekistan Airways flies Urgench–Tashkent in about 1h30 (~£45-65 booked direct or via a local agent; book a few weeks ahead — luggage allowance is typically 20kg checked plus 8kg cabin). Alternatively, the overnight train or a long day train back to Tashkent is far cheaper (~£10-18) if you have time. Connect to your international departure from Tashkent, or add an extra night in Tashkent (~£22) if your flight is late.

🚌Taxi Khiva–Urgench airport ~£4-6; domestic flight Urgench–Tashkent ~£45-65

🛏None — onward flight (optional extra Tashkent night ~£22)

• →Urgench airport transfer
• →Domestic flight to Tashkent
• →Optional last-minute Chorsu bazaar souvenir stop