Uzbekistan Itinerary: 7, 10 and 14 Days
Day-by-day routes for a first trip to Uzbekistan — Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva in a week, plus Shakhrisabz, a desert yurt camp and the Fergana Valley with more time.
Uzbekistan is easy to travel around: the great Silk Road cities lie on one line, and fast trains link most of them. Almost every first trip follows the same backbone — Tashkent → Samarkand → Bukhara → Khiva — and then adds side trips depending on how many days you have.
Below are three tried-and-tested routes. All of them work by train, with one domestic flight to save time at the end.
7 days: the classic Silk Road route
The essential Uzbekistan in one week. It is a busy pace, but you will see the three great old cities.
- Day 1 — Tashkent. Arrive, then visit the Khast Imam complex, the Chorsu bazaar and a few decorated metro stations. See our Tashkent guide.
- Day 2 — to Samarkand. Take the morning Afrosiyob train (about 2–2.5 hours). Afternoon at the Gur-e-Amir mausoleum, evening at the Registan.
- Day 3 — Samarkand. Shah-i-Zinda in the morning light, the Bibi-Khanym mosque and the Siab bazaar, then the Ulugbek observatory. More in our Samarkand guide.
- Day 4 — to Bukhara. Train to Bukhara (about 1.5–2 hours). Sunset at the Lyabi-Hauz pond and the trading domes.
- Day 5 — Bukhara. The Ark fortress, the Po-i-Kalyan ensemble with the Kalyan minaret, the Samanid mausoleum and the Chor Minor. See the Bukhara guide.
- Day 6 — to Khiva. Train or a 6–7-hour drive across the Kyzylkum desert to Khiva. Evening walk on the walls of Itchan Kala.
- Day 7 — Khiva, then home. Explore Itchan Kala, then fly from Urgench (30 km away) back to Tashkent for your flight home. See the Khiva guide.
10 days: slower, with Shakhrisabz and a desert night
Ten days let you stay a little longer in each city and add two highlights.
- Day 1 — Tashkent.
- Days 2–4 — Samarkand, including a day trip over the mountain pass to Shakhrisabz, Amir Timur's birthplace with the ruins of the Ak-Saray palace. See Shakhrisabz.
- Day 5 — Nurata and Lake Aydarkul. Drive into the Kyzylkum desert, visit Nurata's holy spring and spend the night in a yurt camp by the lake. See Navoi and Nurata.
- Days 6–7 — Bukhara. Continue to Bukhara from the desert and enjoy two full days in the old town.
- Days 8–9 — Khiva, with a half-day trip to the desert fortresses of Karakalpakstan.
- Day 10 — fly Urgench → Tashkent and home.
14 days: the full loop with the Fergana Valley
Two weeks let you see the crafts of the Fergana Valley and the mountains near Tashkent as well.
- Days 1–2 — Tashkent, with a day in the Chimgan mountains or at Charvak reservoir.
- Days 3–5 — Fergana Valley. Train over the Kamchik pass to Kokand and Margilan: the Khudayar Khan palace, the Yodgorlik silk factory and the ceramic workshops of Rishtan. See Fergana and Margilan.
- Day 6 — back to Tashkent, then continue to Samarkand by evening train.
- Days 7–8 — Samarkand and Shakhrisabz.
- Day 9 — yurt camp at Lake Aydarkul.
- Days 10–11 — Bukhara.
- Days 12–13 — Khiva and the desert fortresses.
- Day 14 — fly Urgench → Tashkent.
With more time, add the Buddhist sites of Termez in the far south or the Savitsky Museum in Nukus and the former Aral Sea at Moynaq.
Practical tips for the route
- Book trains early. The Afrosiyob between Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara sells out in spring and autumn. Read our guide to trains in Uzbekistan.
- Travel light. You will change hotels every one or two nights; a small suitcase makes trains and old-town lanes easier.
- Pick the season. April–May and September–October are the most comfortable; see the best time to visit.
- Carry some cash. Cards work in hotels, but bazaars and taxis want so‘m — see money in Uzbekistan.
Make it your own
Want a route built around your dates and interests? Try our free AI trip planner, or browse ready-made tours with local guides.