Uzbekistan Train Tour

Arrive in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital. Transfer to the hotel, where check-in begins at noon, and have a rest after your flight. Free day. First night of your Uzbekistan Train Tour. Overnight in Tashkent.

After breakfast, your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel to begin your private Tashkent city tour. Check-out at noon. The program includes: Old City Exploration, featuring the Khazret-Imam Architectural Complex, home to the world’s oldest known Quran. The complex also includes the 16th-century Barak-Khan Madrasah, Tillya-Sheykh Mosque, Juma Mosque, and the Mausoleum of Abu Bakr Kaffal Shashi (15th century). Visit to Chorsu Bazaar, Tashkent’s most iconic marketplace, offering traditional Uzbek ceramics, jewelry, clothing, handbags, and more. A ride on the Tashkent Metro, each decorated with unique mosaic and ceramic designs. A walk-through Amir Timur Square, dominated by the impressive statue of Tamerlane and Independence Square, featuring the Mourning Mother Monument and the Eternal Flame. Drive to the Sacred Heart Cathedral, a beautifully designed Roman Catholic church with Gothic architecture and stained-glass windows. Tour of the Applied Arts Museum, showcasing Uzbekistan’s finest handicrafts housed in an exquisitely decorated traditional villa. Tour duration: 5 hours.

Transfer to the railway station and take the overnight train to Khiva (13h). Overnight on the train.

Arrive at Khiva railway station and transfers to the hotel. Upon arrival, this open-air museum city welcomes you with its timeless charm. Check-in and 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.

After 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). Pick-up from Samarkand train station and transfer to the hotel. Free time. Overnight in Samarkand.

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.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, followed by a leisurely day to explore the timeless charm of Samarkand, one of the most atmospheric cities of the Silk Road. Wander through its ancient lanes, visit artisan workshops, or simply relax in Registan Square. Check-out at noon. Transfer to the train station for your train to Tashkent (320km). Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. Check-in and free time. Overnight in Tashkent.

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