Uzbekistan Train Journey

Arrive at Urgench International Airport and transfer to Khiva (35 km). Upon arrival, this open-air museum city welcomes you with its timeless charm. Enjoy breakfast and leave your luggage at the hotel. Check-in is available at noon. Free time to explore at your own pace. Overnight in Khiva.

You may visit the following sights independently – all located within walking distance inside the fortified walls of Itchan-Kala: Kalta Minor Tower, Muhammad Amin-Khan Madrasah, Muhammad Rahim-Khan Madrasah, Juma Mosque, Tash-Hauli Palace, the Necropolis of Pahlavan Mahmud, and the Minaret and Madrasah of Islam Khodja, the personal advisor of the last khan.

AAfter breakfast, enjoy a free morning in Khiva – UNESCO World Heritage Site. Check out from the hotel and transfer to the train station for your train journey to Bukhara (6-7h). Upon arrival, transfer to hotel. Overnight in Bukhara.

Breakfast at the hotel. Start walking tour with your local guide - explore the timeless streets of Bukhara, a city where centuries of Silk Road history still echo through its lanes. Your walking tour leads you deep into the Old City, unveiling its most treasured landmarks. Begin at the serene Lyabi-Hauz Ensemble, centered around Bukhara’s largest medieval reservoir. Surrounded by the Khanaka, Kukeldash, and Nadir Divan-Beghi madrasahs, this square has been a gathering place for travelers and scholars since the 16th century. From here, we wander to Magoki-Attori, Bukhara’s oldest surviving mosque, whose foundations reach back to the 12th century. Nearby rise the Trade Domes, the centuries-old bazaars where silk, spices, jewelry, and ceramics sell. Our path then brings us to the majestic Poi Kalyan Ensemble. The soaring Kalyan Minaret, the grand mosque, and the surrounding madrasahs form the symbolic heart of Bukhara – an architectural masterpiece shaped between the 12th and 16th centuries. We continue to see the paired splendors of Ulugbek and Abdulazizkhan Madrasahs, two remarkable religious schools standing opposite one another, each revealing its own era’s artistry and ambition. Rising ahead is the imposing Ark Fortress, once the royal residence and the ancient seat of Bukharan rulers. Today, its walls shelter a small yet engaging museum that brings the city’s long history to life. A short walk away, beneath graceful plane trees, stands the Bolo-Hauz Complex, with its elegantly carved wooden pillars reflected in the waters of a historic reservoir.

Tour duration: 6 hours. Overnight in Bukhara.

After breakfast, enjoy a free morning in Bukhara – Silk Road city. Check out from the hotel and transfer to the train station for your train journey to Samarkand (280km). Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Samarkand.

After breakfast, begin your private tour of Samarkand, a city at the crossroads of world cultures. Your private city tour unfolds under the guidance of an experienced local expert who brings Samarkand’s stories to life. Together, you explore the city’s most iconic landmarks, each revealing a different layer of its Silk Road legacy. We begin at Gur Emir, the majestic mausoleum of Tamerlane and Mirzo Ulugbek. Its ribbed azure dome and rich interior decoration set the tone for the architectural splendor that defines Samarkand. A short walk away lies the incomparable Registan Square – the historic heart of the city and one of Central Asia’s greatest masterpieces. Standing before the trio of Ulugbek, Sher-Dor, and Tilla-Kori Madrasahs, you’ll witness centuries of craftsmanship captured in shimmering mosaics, soaring portals, and golden domes. We continue to the Bibi Khanum Mosque, once among the largest mosques in the Islamic world, built by Tamerlane in honor of his beloved wife. Its monumental scale and intricate stonework hint at the empire’s enormous ambition. Nearby, the bustling Siab Bazaar offers a feast for the senses. This multi-level marketplace invites you to browse colorful spices, sweets, fruits, and Samarkand’s famously fragrant bread fresh from the tandir. Our journey then carries us to the sacred necropolis of Shakhi-Zinda. Here, a procession of over twenty blue-tiled mausoleums lines a rising pathway – a breathtaking corridor of color and spiritual heritage dating from the 9th to the 14th centuries.

Tour duration: 6 hours. Overnight in Samarkand.

Breakfast and transfer to the train station for your train journey to Tashkent (320km). Upon arrival, transfer to hotel. Check-in and free time in the capital city. Overnight in Tashkent.

You can spend your time visiting the following locations: Visit Chorsu Bazaar and Khazret-Imam Architectural Complex. Ride on the Tashkent Metro. Walk through Amir Timur Square and Independence Square. Tour of the Applied Arts Museum, an informative collection of Uzbekistan’s finest handicrafts housed in an ornately decorated villa.

After breakfast at the hotel, check out and transfer to Tashkent International Airport for your departure flight. End of Uzbekistan Train Journey.