The Silk Road’s three great oasis cities in one week — Samarkand’s turquoise-tiled Registan, Bukhara’s walled old town frozen since the 16th century, and Khiva’s mud-brick fortress rising straight out of the desert — linked by the Afrosiyob high-speed train and a private crossing of the Kyzylkum Desert, all from one Tashkent arrival.
Day 1
Arrive in Tashkent
Land at Tashkent International Airport and settle into a central hotel before the Silk Road cities begin tomorrow.
🚕 Private Transfer — Tashkent (TAS) to City Center
~30–40 minutes · From $25 USD per vehicle, up to 3 people
A pre-arranged sedan meets you in arrivals for the short drive into central Tashkent — no haggling with taxi touts after a long-haul flight.
Advantour · +998 78 150 30 20 · advantour.com
🛎️ Overnight — Wyndham Tashkent
From $93 USD / night, for 2 people
A modern 4-star tower near Alisher Navoi Metro and the closest full-service hotel to Tashkent International Airport — a comfortable, central base for your one Tashkent night.
Wyndham Tashkent · +998 78 120 3700 · wyndhamhotels.com
🍽️ Dinner in Central Tashkent
Est. $20–35 USD / person
On your own — the streets around Amir Timur Square and Sailgokh (“Broadway”) are full of Uzbek and international kitchens within walking distance of the hotel.
Day 2
Tashkent City Tour & High-Speed Train to Samarkand
A morning in the capital, then a bullet train across the steppe to the most famous Silk Road city of them all.
🧭 Half-Day Tashkent City Tour
~3.5 hours · From $90 USD / person
A private guide covers the Khazrati Imam Complex, the ornately tiled Tashkent Metro stations, and Chorsu Bazaar’s domed market halls before the early-afternoon train.
Advantour · +998 78 150 30 20 · advantour.com
🚄 Afrosiyob High-Speed Train — Tashkent to Samarkand
~2 hours 10 minutes · Economy from $22 USD · Business from $34 USD / person
Uzbekistan’s flagship bullet train covers 344 km across the steppe at up to 250 km/h — book at least a few weeks out, as seats sell out fast in high season.
O’zbekiston Temir Yo’llari (Uzbekistan Railways) · eticket.railway.uz
🛎️ Overnight — Emir Han Hotel
From $65 USD / night, for 2 people
A boutique 4-star hotel a short taxi ride from the Registan, with a courtyard restaurant and a loyalty program well-liked by returning guests.
Emir Han Hotel · +998 90 190 40 00 · hotelemirhan.uz
🍽️ Dinner near the Registan
Est. $15–25 USD / person
On your own — Samarkand’s old town is dense with plov houses and shashlik grills a few minutes’ walk from the hotel.
Day 3
Samarkand: Registan, Gur-e-Amir & Shah-i-Zinda
A full day through the monuments that put Samarkand on the Silk Road map.
🕌 Full-Day Samarkand City Tour
~6 hours · From $100 USD / person
A private guide walks the three madrasahs of the Registan Ensemble, Timur’s mausoleum at Gur-e-Amir, the Shah-i-Zinda tomb corridor, and Bibi-Khanym Mosque, with a stop at Siab Bazaar in between.
Advantour · +998 78 150 30 20 · advantour.com
🍽️ Dinner in Samarkand
Est. $15–30 USD / person
On your own — try Samarkand-style plov, the dish the city claims as its own, at one of the restaurants ringing Registan Square.
Day 4
Train to Bukhara
A short, scenic rail hop between two of the Silk Road’s great oasis cities.
🚄 Afrosiyob / Sharq Train — Samarkand to Bukhara
~1 hour 35 minutes · Economy from $14 USD / person
The fastest of the three rail legs, crossing flat farmland in time for an afternoon arrival in Bukhara.
O’zbekiston Temir Yo’llari (Uzbekistan Railways) · eticket.railway.uz
🛎️ Overnight — Boutique Hotel Minzifa
From $45 USD / night, for 2 people
A family-run guesthouse on a quiet lane near Lyab-i Hauz, built around a traditional courtyard — the property takes cash on arrival, so book ahead through a major booking platform.
Boutique Hotel Minzifa · Eshoni-Pir 63, Bukhara · booking.com
🍽️ Evening at Lyab-i Hauz
Est. $12–22 USD / person
On your own — Bukhara’s 17th-century plaza pool is ringed with terrace restaurants, best at dusk when the mulberry trees light up.
Day 5
Bukhara: Ark Fortress, Poi Kalyan & the Trading Domes
A full day inside Bukhara’s walled old town, one of Central Asia’s best-preserved.
🕌 Full-Day Bukhara City Tour
~6 hours · From $70 USD / person
A private guide covers the Ark Fortress, the Poi Kalyan minaret and mosque complex, Bolo Hauz Mosque, and the covered Trading Domes still selling carpets, ceramics, and suzani embroidery.
Advantour · +998 78 150 30 20 · advantour.com
🍽️ Dinner in the Old Town
Est. $15–28 USD / person
On your own — Bukhara’s old town has some of Uzbekistan’s best home-style cooking, served in restored merchant houses near the Trading Domes.
Day 6
Private Transfer to Khiva via the Kyzylkum Desert
A long but classic Silk Road crossing to the most remote of the three cities.
🚙 Private Transfer — Bukhara to Khiva
~6.5–7 hours (450 km) · From $160 USD per vehicle, up to 3 people
A private driver crosses the Kyzylkum Desert with a stop along the way — pack snacks and water, and start early to arrive in Khiva by early evening.
Advantour · +998 78 150 30 20 · advantour.com
🛎️ Overnight — Orient Star Khiva
From $64 USD / night, for 2 people
A converted 19th-century madrasah inside the walled city of Itchan Kala, with simple rooms built around the original student cells and a courtyard restaurant.
Orient Star Khiva · Pakhlavon Makhmud 1, Khiva · booking.com
🍽️ Dinner inside Itchan Kala
Est. $12–20 USD / person
On your own — the walled city’s rooftop restaurants look out over the Kalta Minor minaret, especially striking once it’s lit at night.
Day 7
Khiva Sightseeing & Depart
A morning inside the walled city, then the flight back to Tashkent to connect onward.
🏰 Itchan Kala Walking Tour
~3 hours · From $50 USD / person
A guide leads you through the turquoise-tiled Kalta Minor, the Kunya-Ark fortress, Juma Mosque’s forest of carved wooden columns, and the harem quarters of Tosh Hovli Palace.
Advantour · +998 78 150 30 20 · advantour.com
🚙 Private Transfer — Khiva to Urgench Airport (UGC)
~35 minutes · From $15 USD per vehicle
A short hop across the oasis to Urgench’s small airport for the connecting flight to Tashkent.
Advantour · +998 78 150 30 20 · advantour.com
✈️ Domestic Flight — Urgench (UGC) to Tashkent (TAS)
~1 hour 35 minutes · From $75 USD / person
Uzbekistan Airways runs several daily domestic flights connecting Urgench back to the capital in time for an onward international departure.
Uzbekistan Airways · uzairways.com
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