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 historic atmosphere. 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.

After breakfast, enjoy a free morning in Khiva, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Check out from the hotel and transfer to the train station for your train journey to Bukhara (450 km, 6-7h). Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Bukhara

Breakfast at the hotel. Start a walking tour with your local guide and explore the historic streets of Bukhara, a city where centuries of Silk Road history remain visible in its architecture. Your walking tour leads you through the Old City and its principal landmarks. Begin at the Lyabi-Hauz Ensemble, centred around Bukhara’s largest medieval reservoir. Surrounded by the Nadir Divan-Beghi khanaka and the Kukeldash and Nadir Divan-Beghi madrasahs, this square has been a gathering place since the 16th century. From here, we continue to Magoki-Attori, Bukhara’s oldest surviving mosque, whose earliest layers date back to the 12th century. Nearby stand the Trade Domes, the historic bazaars where silk, spices, jewellery, and ceramics were traditionally sold. Our route then brings us to the Poi Kalyan Ensemble. The Kalyan Minaret, the grand mosque, and the surrounding madrasahs form the symbolic heart of Bukhara and an architectural ensemble developed between the 12th and 16th centuries.

We continue to the Ulugbek and Abdulazizkhan Madrasahs, two religious schools standing opposite each other and reflecting different periods of architectural design. Ahead rises the Ark Fortress, the former royal residence and administrative centre of Bukharan rulers. Today, its walls house a small museum illustrating the city’s past. A short walk away stands the Bolo-Hauz Complex, with its carved wooden columns reflected in the waters of a historic reservoir.
Overnight in Bukhara.

Tour duration: 6 hours

After breakfast, enjoy a free morning in Bukhara. Check out from the hotel and transfer to the train station for your train journey to Samarkand (280 km, 3h). 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 takes place under the guidance of an experienced local expert. Together, you explore the city’s key landmarks, each representing a different stage of its Silk Road history.

We begin at Gur Emir, the mausoleum of Tamerlane and Mirzo Ulugbek. Its ribbed azure dome and richly decorated interior illustrate the architectural traditions characteristic of Samarkand. A short walk away lies Registan Square – the historic centre of the city. Standing before the Ulugbek, Sher-Dor, and Tilla-Kori Madrasahs, you will observe centuries of craftsmanship expressed in mosaics, portals, and domes. We continue to the Bibi Khanum Mosque, once one of the largest mosques in the Islamic world, built by Tamerlane in honour of his wife. Its scale and decorative stonework reflect the ambitions of the Timurid period. Nearby, the Siab Bazaar offers a traditional market atmosphere, with spices, sweets, fruits, and Samarkand bread baked in a tandir.

Our route then leads to the Shakhi-Zinda Necropolis. A sequence of more than twenty blue-tiled mausoleums lines a rising pathway, forming an important ensemble of religious architecture dating from the 9th to the 14th centuries.
Overnight in Samarkand.

Tour duration: 6 hours

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

You can spend your time visiting the following locations: Chorsu Bazaar and the Khazret-Imam Architectural Complex; a ride on the Tashkent Metro; a walk through Amir Timur Square and Independence Square; and a visit to the Applied Arts Museum, which houses a collection of Uzbekistan’s traditional handicrafts.

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