10 days · Tashkent + Samarkand + Bukhara
Uzbekistan in 10 days
Uzbekistan in 10 days: Tashkent + Samarkand + Bukhara (+ Khiva lite). Silk Road without transfer overload.
Three jewels, not the whole desert
In 10 days: Tashkent (1–2) + Samarkand (3) + Bukhara (3–4) + Khiva only if a night/train remains. Don’t stack Nukus + Aral + Fergana + all three cities.
When
Apr–May / Sep–Oct
Ideal shoulder: walkable squares, less extreme heat than July.
Jun–Aug
Strong heat; early Registan and siestas. Serious hydration.
Nov–Mar
Cold; fewer crowds; shorter hours. Layers and tea.
Budget / day
€35–90
Hotel
€12–30
Food
€15–50
Train/tickets
€70–150
Total
10 days
Days 1–2Tashkent
Metro, Chorsu, one museum or modern neighbourhood, then Afrosiyob train to Samarkand. Don’t spend half the trip here.
- Book Afrosiyob ahead in high season.
Days 3–5Samarkand
Registan (dawn or dusk), Shah-i-Zinda, Bibi-Khanym, Siab. One “light and tea only” day without three madrasas at noon.
- Hotel near the historic centre — less taxi, more evening walks.
Days 6–8Bukhara
Po-i-Kalyan, Ark, bazaars, one hammam or slow afternoon. Bukhara is for walking — don’t treat it as an express checklist.
- Samarkand–Bukhara train: more comfortable than a long road.
Days 9–10Khiva lite or return
If train/night fits: Ichon-Qala in Khiva (1–2 nights). If not: more Bukhara + return Tashkent for the flight. Don’t force a 14 h drive “because you must”.
- Khiva is a jewel — not worth arriving destroyed.
Practical
Trains
Afrosiyob Tashkent–Samarkand–Bukhara when seats exist. Official app/station. Reserved seats at peak.
Where to stay
Samarkand: near Registan/centre · Bukhara: old town · Khiva: in or by Ichon-Qala.
Visa & cash
Check current e-visa/exemption. Som + cards in cities; cash in bazaars. Insurance useful.
Food
Plov · shashlik · laghman · non · green tea. Plov centres and chaikhanas > tourist-only menus facing the madrasa.
Tips
Registan at dawn
Light and fewer people. August noon is another planet.
Three cities in three nights
Samarkand and Bukhara need breathing room. Cut Tashkent or Khiva.
Stone shoes
Lots of cobbles and sun — real socks and a hat.
Aral desert “because it’s close”
It’s not close in time. Another trip.
Checklist
Uzbekistan on TripMatches
Build Tashkent + Samarkand + Bukhara (+ Khiva lite), share train nights and align pace with your group.
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