Uzbekistan Discovery: A Week of Wonders, Day by Day

Uzbekistan Discovery: A Week of Wonders is our classic seven-day route through the four cities most visitors come for — Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand. Its logic is simple: an early domestic flight takes you to the far west of the country on day 2, and from there you travel back towards Tashkent by road and train, so you never cover the same ground twice. Below is the route day by day, as it runs on the Uzbekistan Discovery 7-day tour.

Key facts

• Route: Tashkent – (flight to Urgench) – Khiva – Bukhara – Samarkand – Tashkent.
• Duration: 7 days, 6 nights, starting on any day; ask us about private or group travel.
• Transport: domestic flight Tashkent–Urgench, car or train Khiva–Bukhara, Afrosiyob high-speed trains Bukhara–Samarkand and Samarkand–Tashkent.
• Guided tours: Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent, each with a local guide.
• Free time: most of day 5 in Bukhara, plus free evenings.
• Good for: a first visit with a clear plan and few long road days.
• Prices: depend on the number of travellers and the season — see the tour page or contact us.

The route at a glance

The week moves from west to east. Khiva, the most remote of the classic cities, comes first, while you are fresh. Bukhara follows after a day crossing the Kyzylkum desert, and the high-speed train links Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent at the end, when you want short, comfortable transfers. If you prefer to travel in the opposite direction and spend two full days in Samarkand, compare it with the Silk Road Expedition across Uzbekistan.

Day by day

Day 1: arrival in Tashkent

Our staff meet you outside the arrivals terminal with a TravelBliss sign. Passport control and baggage claim usually take 20 to 60 minutes, and the drive to your hotel 20 to 40 minutes. The evening is for rest.

Day 2: fly to Urgench, walk through Khiva

After an early breakfast you fly to Urgench; our driver takes you the 30 km to Khiva. With a guide you then walk through Ichan-Kala, the walled inner town: the Ata-Darvaza gate, the Kunya-Ark citadel, the Muhammad Rahim Khan and Muhammad Amin Khan madrasahs, the unfinished Kalta Minor minaret, the Tash-Hovli palace, Allakuli Khan's caravanserai, the Islam Khodja minaret and the Juma Mosque and its minaret. Standard hotel check-in is at 14:00.

Day 3: across the Kyzylkum to Bukhara

The 475 km from Khiva to Bukhara take about seven hours by car through the Kyzylkum desert, with short stops. On days when the train fits the schedule, you can take it instead. The afternoon and evening in Bukhara are free.

Day 4: Bukhara on foot

A five- to six-hour walking tour covers the old town: Lyabi-Hauz with the Nadir Divanbegi Madrasah and the statue of Khoja Nasreddin, Magoki-Attori Mosque, Abdullakhan's Tim, the Saifuddin caravanserai, the three 16th-century trading domes, the Ulugh Beg and Abdulazizkhan madrasahs facing each other, the Poi-Kalyan complex and the Ark Fortress.

Day 5: a free day, then the train to Samarkand

The day is yours until mid-afternoon — for shopping in the domes, a second look at Poi-Kalyan or a visit to the Samanid Mausoleum. Then the Afrosiyob train takes you to Samarkand in under two hours, and our driver brings you to the hotel.

Day 6: Samarkand, then the train to Tashkent

A six-hour tour shows Gur-e-Amir, Registan Square with its three madrasahs, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, Ulugh Beg's Observatory and Siab Bazaar. In the late afternoon the Afrosiyob train takes you back to Tashkent in a little over two hours (as of October 2026).

Day 7: Tashkent and departure

The last day is a five- to six-hour tour of old and new Tashkent: Amir Timur Square, the Navoi Theatre, Independence Square, the Earthquake Memorial, the Khast Imam complex, Chorsu Bazaar and several decorated metro stations. Then you transfer to the airport for an evening flight.

Is one day in Samarkand enough?

For the main monuments, yes: the six-hour tour covers the sites most people come for. What you miss is Samarkand at a slower pace — an evening at the Registan, a second visit to Shah-i-Zinda or the craft villages nearby. If that matters to you, the 9-day Uzbekistan Discovery adds a free day in Samarkand and a night in a desert yurt camp.

Practical tips

• Day 2 starts very early because of the morning flight; pack the night before.
• On day 3, bring water, snacks and sun protection for the desert drive.
• Keep day 5 light: the free day is the easiest time for shopping and rest before two busy days.
• Bring your passport on every travel day — it is needed for the flight and the train tickets.
• Wear shoes that suit long walks on old paving; Khiva and Bukhara are seen on foot.
• Carry some cash in the local currency for bazaars and small purchases.

Plan it with TravelBliss

We book the domestic flight, the train tickets, hotels, transfers and local guides for the whole week of the Uzbekistan Discovery tour, and we adjust the train days to the current timetables. Prices depend on the number of travellers and the season — see the tour page or contact us with your dates.