joellebohringerIf you want to plan an trip to Uzbekistan but have no where to start, this article is for you. Plan the perfect Uzbekistan itinerary, including all the best things to do.
Once the center of an important trading route on the Silk Road, Uzbekistan is absolutely filled with history and culture to explore. Yet, it can be difficult to figure out how to navigate the country and spend your time in order to see all that this amazing country has to offer.
This itinerary isn’t very long; it doesn’t see every site in every city, but it allows you to see the most important cities and tourist destinations in the country – including the Aral Sea!
This guide is perfect for anyone looking to explore all of the must-see sites in Uzbekistan in one week.
Uzbekistan Itinerary Essentials
- You may need an e-visa to visit Uzbekistan. The country is visa free for most Europeans, as well as residents of the United Arab Emirates, but Americans under the age of 60 need to apply for an e-visa in advance. The process is very easy and costs $20. Be sure to apply at least 3 days in advance of your trip. The link to apply is here.
- Uzbekistan uses the Uzbek Som as currency. 1 USD is roughly 12,500 UZS (as of March 2024). Card payments are relatively rare, so it is recommended that you carry cash everywhere. I found the exchange center at the airport to have a very good rate. Additionally, there are ATMS located inside major cities that accept foreign cards. They may have small withdrawal fees, but otherwise offer a good rate.
- I recommend having an Uzbek Sim card while you travel. If you would like to get an Esim, I recommend downloading the Uzbekistan Esim from the Airalo app. Use the code JOELLE0025 to recieve $3 off your first Esim from Airalo. Alternatively, you can also purchase a SIM on arrival at Samarkand Airport. My husband bought a physical SIM with a whopping 40 GB of data for 50,000 UZS (around $4). However, unlike my Esim, he was unable to use his phone to hotspot his other devices.
- The travel plug type in Uzbekistan is Type F, which is similar to the plug type used in most of the European Union. I recommend purchasing a universal plug adapter, as you can use it on any trip around the world, and it has easy-to-use USB charging kits.
- It is important to get travel insurance before any trip. I personally use and recommend EKTA travel insurance, as it allows me to purchase both short-term and long-term travel insurance plans, and it allows me to customize my plan based on what activities I will be doing.
What to Wear in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is a Muslim-majority country, so it is important to remember to dress fairly modestly. Having lived in many Muslim countries, Uzbekistan is definitely less strict than many other Muslim countries, but it is still advisable for men and women alike to cover their shoulders and knees in order to be respectful. I recommend that female travellers bring a scarf with them in their bag in order to cover their hair when entering one of Uzbekistan’s many beautiful mosques. I personally love this lightweight chiffon scarf as it looks elegant, is wide of enough to fully cover my hair, and takes up almost no space in my bag!
Uzbekistan is also notorious for having very hot summers and very cold winters. Check the weather before travelling and be sure to plan ahead. When travelling in the hot summer, long and light dresses and skirts can be the perfect way to stay cool while respecting local dress.
Uzbekistan Itinerary Overview
- Day One: Arrive in Samarkand, explore Samarkand, take overnight train to Khiva
- Day Two: Arrive in Khiva, explore Khiva, overnight in Khiva
- Day Three: Day trip to the Aral Sea, overnight in Khiva
- Day Four: Day trip to the ancient fortresses of Khorezm, overnight in Bukhara
- Day Five: Explore Bukhara
- Day Six: Return to Samarkand and fly out
Uzbekistan Itinerary: Where to fly into Uzbekistan
If you are coming through the Middle East, it is likely that you will land in Samarkand. We flew through Wizz Air from Abu Dhabi, and our tickets were only $40 each way.
If you are flying from Europe, Asia, or North America, it is likely that you will arrive in Tashkent. While this itinerary starts and ends in Samarkand, it is easy to add an additional day on to the itinerary and travel by train from Tashkent to Samarkand to start the itinerary.
How to Get Around Uzbekistan
For trips within the city, I highly recommend using the app Yandex Go to call taxis in Uzbekistan. It works just like Uber, and it allows you to call taxis at an affordable rate with no negotiations or risk of being scammed.
For travel between cities, Uzbekistan railways are modern, clean and work very well. Additionally, your guesthouse owner is likely to help arrange affordable transit for you between cities if you cannot make the train timings. Read more below for more details about how to travel between cities.
Ultimate Uzbekistan Itinerary
Uzbekistan Itinerary Day One- Samarkand
We arrived in Uzbekistan in the morning. At the airport, it is important to exchange some money to local Uzbek Som. From there, the official taxi stand in the airport actually has very good rates. We paid 50,000 UZS (about $4) for a 20 minute taxi ride into the city center.
When we arrived, we were very tired, so we booked a cheap guesthouse in the city center for $20 to grab a few hours of rest before we began exploring.
For lunch, I highly recommend enjoying lunch at one of the terrace cafes offering looking Registan square. We ate at Emirhan restaurant. It is slightly more expensive than a normal mid-range Uzbek meal, but it served delicious food and local wine and beer with an incredible view over Registan square.
In the afternoon, I recommend exploring Registan Square. This is undoubtedly the BEST attraction in Samarkand. It is comprised of 3 madrasas (Islamic schools) built between the 13th and 15th centuries during the Timurid Empire. It is an absolutely gorgeous destination that you can easily spend many hours exploring.
At the ticket booth, there are English speaking guides available to hire. It costs about $25 for a tour. We ended up hiring a guide, and we learned so much about Registan that we otherwise would not know!
Taking the Train to Khiva
In the evening of day one, it is time to travel to Khiva! Uzbekistan offers modern and clean night trains, and these are the perfect way to travel across the country while also saving money on accommodation.
The night train between Samarkand and Khiva leaves Samarkand around 11:45 pm and arrives the next day in Khiva around 10:30am.
Tickets in a 4 person, 2nd class berth cost around $20 per person. It is essential that you book the train ahead of time, as these routes often sell out. You can book your tickets on the Uzbek Railways Site. They have an option to translate the page to English, and you can pay using foreign Visa or Mastercards. Once you’ve booked your tickets, you will receive them in your email.
Overall, the trains are comfortable, clean, and a great way to see the countryside of Uzbekistan. As my husband and I are huge sleeper train enthusiasts, we really enjoyed the train. Make sure you get to the train station an hour before departure, and I recommend stopping at a local market beforehand to get some snacks for the journey.
Uzbekistan Itinerary Day Two – Khiva Old City
Once you arrive in Khiva around 10:30 am, it is time to check into your hotel and explore! Khiva is an old, fortified city, and it is incredibly easy to see everything within walking distance of your hotel.
We stayed at Guest House Orzu, and I cannot recommend it enough! The guest house is located within the old city of Khiva, and it is absolutely immaculate. Even more so, the hosts were so helpful in helping to arrange tours for us at an incredible rate!
After checking in, I recommend getting lunch. We had lunch at Yasavul Boshi Restaurant. It is located in a gorgeous ancient building, and it offers a great taste of traditional Uzbek food.
As for exploring Khiva, there are so many incredible things to see that I recommend just simply walking around. If you are staying at a hotel in the city center, you technically do not have to pay to walk around the old city. However, if you want to enter any of the amazing mosques and madrasas (Islamic Schools), you’ll have to purchase a ticket from the Khiva tourism board. The ticket is about $15 per person, and it allows you entrance to more than 17 museums and sites within the old city. The pass lasts for 2 days and can be bought at the entrance to the old city.
Some of the places I most recommend checking out in Khiva include the Kalta Minor Minaret, Tosh Hovli Palace, the Juma Mosque, the Pahlavan Mahmoud Mausoleum, and the Islam Khoja Minaret.
Uzbekistan Itinerary Day Three – Chilpyk Tower of Silence, The Aral Sea, Mizdakhan Necropolis, and Nukus.
Visiting the Aral Sea had always been on my bucket list, yet it can be an incredibly difficult place to organize transport to. Luckily, our incredible hosts at Guest House Orzu arranged an incredible day trip for us to visit numerous sites in the north of Uzbekistan including the Aral Sea.
The tour was 16 hours and included a private driver. It costs $98 for the entire private tour, and I cannot recommend it enough!
Chilpyk Tower of Silence
The first stop on the tour is the Chilpyk Tower of Silence. Built more than 2200 years ago, the Tower of Silence is part of the Zoroastrian religion’s funerary tradition. Since Zoroastrians believe that human bodies would essentially contaminate the ground, their funeral traditions included leaving their dead on top of the Tower of Silence to be eaten by vultures. The tradition ended in Uzbekistan at the advent of Islam in Central Asia, but the tower still stands and is incredibly interesting to visit.
Muynak Ship Cemetery
The second stop is at the ship cemetery of Muynak on the Aral Sea. The Aral Sea was a massive inland sea until the 1960s, when the USSR started draining it intensively for agricultural production. This had devastating ecological impacts, and the sea essentially disappeared completely.
The town of Muynak was originally a large fishing town. However, once the sea dried up, all of its fishing boats simply ended up abandoned in the now-vast desert. These boats are incredibly interesting to sea, and the trip also includes a visit to the Muynak museum, where you can learn about the drying of the Aral Sea.
Mizdakhan Necropolis
The third stop is at the Mizdakhan Necropolis. Mizdakhan is an ancient cemetery where the inhabitants of Uzbekistan have been laying their dead to rest since the 4th century BC. It is an absolutely massive necropolis compound, and you can easily spend hours exploring Zoroastrian, Christian, and Muslim burial sites, all scattered along the same hillside.
Local legends even claim that Adam, the original human, was buried here, and today, many locals still continue to request burial in the Necropolis.
Nukus
The fourth stop is in the city of Nukus. Nukus is the capital of an autonomous region of Uzbekistan known as Karakalpakstan, which is comprised of people of the ethnic group known as the Karakalpak. They have a unique culture and language, and many wish for Karakalpakstan to be independent from Uzbekistan.
Nokus feels quite different to other cities in Uzbekistan, and it is home to the world-renouned Nokus Art Museum, which is home to the second largest collection of Russian avant-garde artwork in the world. Even though avant-garde art is not my biggest interest, it is still worth checking out!
Afterwards, your driver will take you back to your hotel in Khiva.
Uzbekistan Itinerary Day Four– Desert Castles of Ancient Khorezm and Bukhara
Our amazing hosts at Guest House Orzu also helped arrange a trip to see the desert castles of Khorezm as well as transport to Bukhara.
Outside of Khiva, there are more than 50 ancient fortresses and castles that have been excavated. These castles were part of the ancient Khorezm Empires, and they are many of them date from as early as 4th century BC.
Our host arranged for a tour of a few of the most spectacular castles as well as transport to the city of Bukhara with a private driver for $65.
Uzbekistan Itinerary Day Five– Bukhara
We spent our fourth day simply warning around Bukhara. Bukhara is a 2,000 year old city that was incredibly important to both the Silk Road and the development of Islam. The entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it is not to be missed.
Some sites especially worth seeing include the Po-I-Kalyan Complex, the Ark of Bukhara, and the Ulugh Beg Madrasah.
Something I regret not doing is checking out the 14th century Hammam Bozori Kord, where you can still enjoy a traditional Hammam bath for about $10.
Uzbekistan Itinerary Day Six– Return to Samarkand
On day four, I recommend returning to Samarkand to catch your flight via Uzbekistan railways.
Instead of choosing the slower sleeping train, you can take a high speed train known as the Afrosiyob. There are multiple high speed trains per day between Bukhara and Samarkand. The journey takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes, and the train ticket costs about $12. You can book tickets on the same Uzbek Railways Site used to book sleeping trains. You can pay using foreign Visa or Mastercards. Once you’ve booked your tickets, you will receive them in your email.
Overall, the Afrosiyob trains are incredibly modern, comfortable, and fast! Once you reach Samarkand, you can easily take a taxi via the Yandex app from the station to the airport.
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