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🇺🇿 Itinerary · Uzbekistan · 14 days

2-week Uzbekistan itinerary 2026: the complete Silk Road

14 days for the four Silk Road cities: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, by fast train and desert train. Detailed budget, travel times and tips.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

14 days

Stops

5 places

Average budget

€1,500-2,400

Total distance

~1,800 km

Profile

Versatile

Season

Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

Tashkent 3d · Samarkand 3d · Shahrisabz 1d · Bukhara 3d · Khiva 3d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

Uzbekistan 2-week itinerary map: Tashkent, Samarkand, Shahrisabz, Bukhara, Khiva

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

14 days, day by day

1

~€60/pers

Tashkent · Arrival and capital

  • Morning Airport arrival, Yandex taxi to the center (15 min, €3). Rest.
  • Afternoon Ornate metro (Kosmonavtlar, Alisher Navoi stations), Independence Square.
  • Evening Plov dinner at the Central Asian Plov Center.
🛌 🛌 Center · e.g. Hotel Uzbekistan (3 nights)·🚇 Metro and Yandex taxis·Uzbekistan guide →
2

~€45

Tashkent · Old town and bazaars

  • Morning Hazrati Imam complex and its ancient Quran, Tilla Sheikh mosque.
  • Afternoon Chorsu bazaar under its dome, Rishtan ceramic workshop in a shop.
  • Evening Coffee and modern vibe in the Mirabad district.
3

~€40

Tashkent · Museums and applied art

  • Morning Museum of Applied Arts, then the Timurid History museum.
  • Afternoon Relax, last purchases, prepare for departure.
  • Evening Night train or early Afrosiyob booked for Samarkand.
4

~€55

Samarkand · The Registan

  • Morning Afrosiyob Tashkent → Samarkand (2h08, ~€37). Check-in.
  • Afternoon Registan square: three madrasas and their blue mosaics.
  • Evening Sunset over the Registan, golden facades.
🛌 🛌 Old town · e.g. Hotel Bibikhanum (3 nights)·🚄 Afrosiyob Tashkent → Samarkand
5

~€45

Samarkand · Mausoleums

  • Morning Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, an avenue of tiled mausoleums.
  • Afternoon Bibi-Khanym mosque, Siyob bazaar, Gur-e-Amir mausoleum.
  • Evening Dinner facing the lit-up Registan.
6

~€40

Samarkand · Observatory and countryside

  • Morning Ulugh Beg observatory, Hazrat Khizr mosque.
  • Afternoon Konigil silk paper workshop, made the medieval way.
  • Evening Quiet evening, rest before the day trip.
7

~€50

Shahrisabz · Tamerlane's hometown

  • Morning Road to Shahrisabz over the Tahtakaracha pass (90 min by taxi).
  • Day Ak-Saray palace ruins, Dorut Tilavat complex, Tamerlane's birthplace.
  • Evening Back to Samarkand, last night.
🚖 Day taxi over the pass
8

~€55

Samarkand → Bukhara

  • Morning Afrosiyob to Bukhara (1h40, ~€32). Check-in at Lyab-i-Hauz.
  • Afternoon First steps in the old town: trading domes (Taki).
  • Evening Dinner under the mulberry trees of Lyab-i-Hauz.
🛌 🛌 Old town · e.g. Hotel Komil (3 nights)·🚄 Afrosiyob Samarkand → Bukhara
9

~€45

Bukhara · Monumental core

  • Morning Ark fortress, Bolo Hauz mosque with its forty wooden columns.
  • Afternoon Kalon minaret (47 m), Mir-i-Arab madrasa, Ulugh Beg madrasa.
  • Evening Dance show in a former madrasa.
10

~€40

Bukhara · Details and crafts

  • Morning Ismail Samani mausoleum (10th c.), Job's spring (Chashma Ayub).
  • Afternoon Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa summer palace, 4 km from the center.
  • Evening Engraver and weaver workshops near the Taki.
11

~€60

Bukhara → Khiva · The desert crossing

  • Morning Train to Khiva across the Kyzylkum desert (6 to 7 h).
  • Afternoon Arrival in Khiva, check-in inside Itchan Kala, the walled city.
  • Evening Sunset from the ramparts or the Islam Khodja minaret.
🛌 🛌 Itchan Kala · e.g. Orient Star (3 nights)·🚆 Train Bukhara → Khiva (desert)
12

~€40

Khiva · Itchan Kala

  • Morning Turquoise Kalta Minor minaret, Kunya Ark fortress.
  • Afternoon Tash Hauli palace, Islam Khodja madrasa, Juma mosque with its 200 columns.
  • Evening Dinner in a madrasa courtyard turned restaurant.
13

~€35

Khiva · Quiet in the museum city

  • Morning Wander Itchan Kala emptied of day-trippers, carpet workshops.
  • Afternoon Ramparts in low light, last purchases of silk and ceramics.
  • Evening Final evening in the museum city.
14

Flight

Khiva → Return

  • Morning Transfer to Urgench airport, 35 km from Khiva (40 min).
  • Afternoon Flight Urgench → Tashkent (1h30, ~€55) for the connection.
  • Evening Return flight to Paris via Istanbul or a Gulf hub.
✈️ Domestic + international flight

How much

Itinerary budget (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€1,500

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €550
  • 🏨 Guesthouse: €18/night
  • 🍜 Plov and chaikhanas: €9/day
  • 🚄 Trains + domestic flight: €200
  • 🎫 Site entries: €130
Recommended

Comfort

€2,000

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €650
  • 🏨 Boutique hotel: €50/night
  • 🍽️ Mixed restos: €22/day
  • 🚄 Trains + flight + taxis: €280
  • 🎫 Local guide 2 days: €130

Premium

€3,800

per person

  • ✈️ Upgraded flight: €1,100
  • 🏨 4-5★: €130/night
  • 🍽️ Fine dining: €45/day
  • 🚖 Private driver over 14 d
  • 🎫 Private English-speaking guide: €500

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

1 week

1 week

Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara. The golden triangle.

You're here

2 weeks

2 weeks

The four Silk Road cities, Khiva included.

1 month

1 month

The grand tour, Fergana Valley and the Aral Sea.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

This itinerary combines three fast Afrosiyob trains, a desert train to Khiva, a taxi day trip to Shahrisabz and a return flight from Urgench. All for ~€250 of transport over 14 days.

🚄

Afrosiyob Tashkent → Samarkand

~€37 · 2h08 · book 1 month ahead

🚄

Afrosiyob Samarkand → Bukhara

~€32 · 1h40 · Talgo 250

🚆

Train Bukhara → Khiva

from €19 · 6 to 7 h · Kyzylkum crossing

🚖

Shahrisabz day trip

~€50 · day taxi over the Tahtakaracha pass

✈️

Flight Urgench → Tashkent

~€55 · 1h30 · for the return connection

Adapt by season

Spring or autumn for the desert

This itinerary crosses the Kyzylkum desert to reach Khiva. From April to June and September to October, 20 to 28°C make the crossing and the sightseeing pleasant. In July-August, the thermometer tops 42°C in Khiva and Bukhara: schedule visits early morning and late afternoon. Winter is dry but cold, ideal for empty sites.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In October 2024, the Bukhara-to-Khiva train left at 10pm and arrived at dawn: berth booked, I slept the whole way and gained a full day of sightseeing.
  • • The Shahrisabz day trip over the Tahtakaracha pass: the mountain road is worth as much as the ruins.
  • • Keep 3 nights in Khiva: the city empties once the day-tours leave, and that's when it's most beautiful.
  • • The Konigil silk paper workshop near Samarkand, little known and fascinating.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Cut Tashkent to 2 nights if you'd rather have more time in Khiva.
  • • Do the desert leg overnight in a berth rather than by day: you gain a day.
  • • Skip Bukhara's summer palace if short on time, it's out of the center.
  • • Add a night in Nukus (Savitsky museum) if the Aral Sea tempts you.

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Is two weeks too long for Uzbekistan? +
No, it's the ideal format: the four Silk Road cities without rushing, with Shahrisabz as a bonus. You truly enjoy each site instead of racing through.
How do you reach Khiva from Bukhara? +
By train across the Kyzylkum desert (6 to 7 h, from €19). Prefer the overnight train in a berth: you sleep and gain a day. A new fast train is gradually shortening this leg.
Do you need an English-speaking guide? +
Not essential, but a guide for one or two days (Samarkand, Bukhara) deepens the reading of the monuments. Count €60 a day for a local guide.
What budget for 14 days? +
Count around €1,500 backpacker, €2,000 comfort and €3,800 premium, flight from Paris included, per person.
What's the best period? +
April to June and September to October. Avoid July-August: Khiva and Bukhara top 42°C, hard for long visits in full sun.
Can you pay by card everywhere? +
In hotels and large restos, yes. Keep som in cash for bazaars, taxis and site entries. ATMs are present in all four cities.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

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