Uzbekistan Itinerary: Sample Routes for 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14 Days

For a first trip to Uzbekistan, 7 to 10 days is the sweet spot: enough for Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva at a comfortable pace. With 3 to 5 days you can still see Samarkand and Bukhara well, thanks to the fast Afrosiyob train. With two weeks you can add a yurt camp in the desert, a night with a village family in the Nuratau Mountains and a day trip to Shakhrisabz. Below are sample day-by-day routes for each trip length, each one based on a real tour we run.

Key facts

• The classic route: Tashkent – Samarkand – Bukhara – Khiva, in this order or in reverse.
• Minimum for the highlights: 3 days for Tashkent and Samarkand; 4–5 days to add Bukhara.
• Best length for a first visit: 7–10 days, which leaves time for Khiva.
• Getting around: the high-speed Afrosiyob train links Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara; Khiva is usually reached by a domestic flight to Urgench or by road through the Kyzylkum Desert.
• Extras: yurt camp near Aydarkul Lake, Nuratau village homestays, Shakhrisabz, and the Seven Lakes in Tajikistan as a day trip from Samarkand.
• Every itinerary below can be done privately, on your own dates; some also run as small-group tours on fixed dates.

Uzbekistan in 3 days: Tashkent, the mountains and Samarkand

Three days is short, but it works if you base yourself in Tashkent and use the morning fast train for a full day in Samarkand. This is the route of our Uzbekistan 3-day tour:

• Day 1 – Chimgan Mountains: drive from Tashkent into the mountains, a view over Charvak Lake, the Chimgan cable car or the Amirsoy resort, and ancient petroglyphs near the Ugam River.
• Day 2 – Samarkand by fast train: morning Afrosiyob train to Samarkand, then Gur-Emir, Registan Square, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Shah-i-Zinda and Siyob Bazaar; evening train back to Tashkent.
• Day 3 – Tashkent city tour: Amir Timur Square, Independence Square, the Opera House square and the Earthquake Memorial, old and new parts of the city.

We have a full guide to this route, with tips on what to expect each day: Uzbekistan in 3 days.

Uzbekistan in 5 days: Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand

Five days is enough for the three big names on the fast-train line. The trick is to go to the far end first — Bukhara — and work your way back to Tashkent. This is our Explore Uzbekistan 5-day tour:

• Day 1 – Tashkent: arrival, Khast-Imam complex, Kukeldash Madrasah, the Museum of Applied Arts, metro stations, Amir Temur Square and Chorsu Bazaar.
• Day 2 – Tashkent to Bukhara: fast train to Bukhara, then the Samanid Mausoleum, Chashma-Ayub, Bolo-Hauz Mosque, the Ark Fortress and the Poi-Kalon complex.
• Day 3 – Bukhara to Samarkand: Lyabi-Hauz, Chor-Minor, Magoki-Attari Mosque and the trading domes; afternoon train to Samarkand.
• Day 4 – Samarkand to Tashkent: Gur-Emir, Registan, Bibi-Khanym, Siyob Bazaar and Shah-i-Zinda; evening fast train back to Tashkent.
• Day 5 – Departure from Tashkent.

Only four days? Our Bukhara and Samarkand 4-day tour follows the same idea, starting with the early train to Bukhara. It also runs as the Samarkand & Bukhara Express small-group tour on Wednesdays.

Uzbekistan in 7 days: all four Silk Road cities

One week lets you add Khiva, the walled city in the far west. The fastest way there is a morning domestic flight from Tashkent to Urgench, about 30 km from Khiva. This is our Uzbekistan Discovery 7-day tour:

• Day 1 – Arrival in Tashkent: airport pick-up and a free evening.
• Day 2 – Fly to Khiva: morning flight to Urgench, then a walking tour of Ichan-Kala: Kunya-Ark, Kalta-Minor, Tash-Hovli Palace, Islam-Khoja Minaret and the Juma Mosque.
• Day 3 – Khiva to Bukhara: a drive of about 7 hours (475 km) across the Kyzylkum Desert, or the train on days when it runs.
• Day 4 – Bukhara: a 5–6 hour walking tour: Lyabi-Hauz, the trading domes, the Poi-Kalon complex and the Ark Fortress.
• Day 5 – Bukhara to Samarkand: a free morning in Bukhara and the afternoon Afrosiyob train to Samarkand.
• Day 6 – Samarkand: Gur-Emir, Registan, Bibi-Khanym, Shah-i-Zinda, Ulugh Beg Observatory and Siyob Bazaar; evening train to Tashkent.
• Day 7 – Tashkent: city tour of the old and new parts of the capital.

If you have 8 days, our Silk Road Expedition does the loop the other way — Samarkand first, Khiva last — with two full days in Samarkand and a flight back from Urgench. The same route runs as the Classic Silk Road small-group tour on Saturdays. Wondering what to cut if a week feels tight? Read 7 days in Uzbekistan: what could you skip.

Uzbekistan in 10 days: the four cities plus the desert

We do not have a fixed 10-day tour, so here is an honest suggestion built on our Uzbekistan Discovery 9-day tour, with one extra day in Samarkand. The 9-day route already includes a night in a yurt camp between Bukhara and Samarkand:

• Day 1 – Arrival in Tashkent.
• Day 2 – Fly to Khiva and walk around Ichan-Kala.
• Day 3 – Khiva to Bukhara by road across the Kyzylkum Desert, or by train on days when it runs.
• Day 4 – Bukhara walking tour of the old town.
• Day 5 – Bukhara to the yurt camp: the Gijduvan pottery workshop, the Rabat-i-Malik caravanserai and sardoba, then Aydarkul Lake and a night in a yurt.
• Day 6 – Yurt camp to Samarkand: a slow morning at the camp, then the drive to Samarkand.
• Day 7 – Samarkand city tour.
• Day 8 – Extra day (our suggestion): a day trip to Shakhrisabz and Langar-Ota, or across the border to the Seven Lakes in Tajikistan.
• Day 9 – Samarkand free day; evening fast train to Tashkent.
• Day 10 – Tashkent city tour and departure.

Another way to fill 10 days: take the 8-day Silk Road Expedition and add the 2-day Nuratau village homestay, which links Samarkand and Bukhara through the mountains instead of the train. The yurt camp and village stays are seasonal (roughly spring to late autumn), so tell us your dates and we will check.

Uzbekistan in 14 days: the full Silk Road and village life

Two weeks lets you slow down and see the country beyond the big monuments. Our Grand Uzbekistan 14-day tour is private; the same route runs as the Grand Uzbekistan small-group tour, departing on the first Saturday of the month for up to 12 travellers.

• Day 1 – Arrival in Tashkent.
• Day 2 – Flight to Khiva and a full-day tour of Ichan-Kala.
• Day 3 – Khiva to Bukhara by road, with stops in the Kyzylkum Desert and at the Amu Darya River.
• Day 4 – Bukhara city centre: Lyabi-Hauz, Kalon Minaret, Mir-i-Arab Madrasah and Bolo-Hauz Mosque.
• Day 5 – Bukhara outskirts: Sitorai Mohi-Hosa Palace, the Bahauddin Naqshband complex and the Ismail Samani Mausoleum.
• Day 6 – Bukhara to Nurata and the yurt camp near Aydarkul Lake.
• Day 7 – Ashraf village homestay in the Nurata area, with a host family.
• Day 8 – Village walk and transfer to Samarkand.
• Day 9 – Samarkand: Gur-Emir, Registan, Bibi-Khanym and Siyob Bazaar.
• Day 10 – Shakhrisabz day trip: Ak-Saray Palace ruins, Dorus-Saodat and Dorut-Tilovat.
• Day 11 – Samarkand: Shah-i-Zinda, Ulugh Beg Observatory and the Konigil paper workshop.
• Day 12 – Imam al-Bukhari complex and the afternoon train to Tashkent.
• Day 13 – Tashkent: Khast-Imam, Chorsu Bazaar, the metro and Amir Temur Square.
• Day 14 – Departure.

How many days do you need in Uzbekistan?

• 3 days: Tashkent and a day in Samarkand. Good as an add-on to a trip to Central Asia, but you will miss Bukhara.
• 4–5 days: Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara. The best short trip.
• 7–8 days: all four cities — Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand — without rushing.
• 9–10 days: the four cities plus the desert, a village or a day trip from Samarkand.
• 14 days: the full picture, with time for village life and a slower pace.

One practical point: Khiva is far from the other cities, so it takes at least a day and a half to include. If you have less than a week, it is usually better to see Samarkand and Bukhara properly than to rush to Khiva.

Moving between cities: the Afrosiyob train

The Afrosiyob high-speed train is the backbone of almost every Uzbekistan itinerary. On our tours the ride from Tashkent to Samarkand takes about 2 hours, and Samarkand to Bukhara about an hour and a half. Seats on popular dates can run out, so it is wise to book early; on our tours we buy the tickets for you. Read our Afrosiyob train guide for classes, stations and booking tips, and see Samarkand to Bukhara by car or train if you are weighing the road option.

Where to add mountains, villages and Tajikistan

• Seven Lakes, Tajikistan: a long day from Samarkand across the border to the lakes of the Fann Mountains and Panjakent — see our Seven Lakes day tour, or stay overnight on the 2-day Pendjikent & Seven Lakes tour. Bring your passport and check the entry rules for your nationality before you travel.
• Yurt camp: fits naturally between Bukhara and Samarkand. Try the one-day yurt camp tour from Samarkand (March to October) or the 2-day yurt camp and Aydarkul Lake tour (March to November). More in our yurt camp guide.
• Nuratau villages: a homestay with a mountain family, also between Samarkand and Bukhara: 2 days, 3 days or 4 days with a yurt night, all March to November.
• Shakhrisabz: the birthplace of Amir Timur, a day trip from Samarkand over the mountains. See our Langar-Ota and Shakhrisabz day trip.

Private tour or small group?

A private tour runs on your dates, at your pace, with your own guide and driver, and every day can be changed — more time in Bukhara, a later start, an extra day trip. A small-group tour runs on fixed dates and suits solo travellers and couples who enjoy company. Our small-group departures are the Samarkand & Bukhara Express (4 days, Wednesdays), the Classic Silk Road (8 days, Saturdays) and the Grand Uzbekistan (14 days, first Saturday of the month).

Plan your itinerary with TravelBliss

We arrange private tours, guides, trains, flights within Uzbekistan and transfers, and we are happy to reshape any route above around your dates and interests. Tell us how many days you have and what you most want to see, and we will send you a day-by-day plan.