From
$1,555 USD
Essential Uzbekistan by Train
Tour overview
Every leg on the fast train — no long drives at all
- Trip code
- PT-ESS7
- Days
- 7
- From
- Tashkent
- To
- Tashkent
- Country visited
- Uzbekistan
- Group size
- 1–10
- Min age
- 6+
- Physical
- Guide languages
- 18 languages
Seven days between Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand with every transfer on the Afrosiyob high-speed train — the classic cities without a single long drive.
If you dislike long car journeys, this is your itinerary. Every city-to-city leg runs on the Afrosiyob: Tashkent to Bukhara in four hours, Bukhara to Samarkand in an hour forty, Samarkand back to Tashkent in two sixteen. There is no desert crossing and no five-hour drive between anywhere.
What you give up is Khiva, which cannot be reached this way in a week. What you gain is time actually inside the cities rather than looking at them through a windscreen, and a trip that works for travellers who would rather not spend a day in a minivan.
Groups are capped at ten, and lunch is left free every day so you can eat where you feel like eating — the guide will point you at the right places.
Inclusions & activities
What’s included
Destinations
Tashkent · Bukhara · Samarkand
Meals
Breakfast
Transport
High-speed train · Private vehicle · Walking
Accommodation
3* or 4* hotel in Tashkent · Hotel in Tashkent · Hotel in Bukhara old town · Hotel in Samarkand
Included in the price13
- Hotel accommodation on a twin/double sharing basis
- Breakfast every morning at the hotel
- Air-conditioned private vehicle with a professional driver
- Licensed English-speaking guide for all sightseeing
- Entrance fees to every monument named in the itinerary
- 1 litre of bottled water per person per day
- Hotel and city tourist taxes
- Arrival and departure transfers
- 24/7 support from our Samarkand office during the trip
- Economy-class trains Tashkent–Bukhara, Bukhara–Samarkand and Samarkand–Tashkent
- Luggage handling at hotels from eight travellers
- A souvenir gift for every traveller
- Pre-departure planning and 24/7 support on the ground
Not included11
- International flights to and from Uzbekistan
- Visa fees where a visa is required
- Travel and medical insurance
- Lunches and dinners unless listed as included
- Drinks, including bottled water at restaurants
- Photo and video permits at monuments
- Tips for the guide and driver
- Porterage at airports, stations and hotels
- Personal expenses and anything not listed as included
- Early check-in and late check-out
- A drinks package
Optional, at local prices5
- Uzbek ballet at the Navoi theatre — 190,000 UZS (~$15) · Depends on the date and the repertoire
- Evening dance and costume show at the Nodir Devonbegi madrasah — 315,000 UZS (~$25) · In the madrasah courtyard
- Bukhara spiced tea tasting — 250,000 UZS (~$20) · In a traditional tea house
- Ancient hammam with massage — 505,000 UZS (~$40) · Almond oil and ginger honey
- El Merosi historical costume theatre — 315,000 UZS (~$25) · Central Asian dress through the centuries
Your contact for this trip
Muzaffar Shermamatov
Founder
“Write to me with any question. I reply within 24 hours and will adjust the route to you.”
Route & itinerary
Tashkent → Bukhara → Samarkand
Tashkent
Day 1 of 7
Flight
Day 1 Arrive in Tashkent
Met on arrival in the morning and driven to the hotel to rest. Nothing scheduled — the trip starts properly tomorrow.
Light
Stay
3* or 4* hotel in Tashkent
Getting around
Flight · Airport transfer, 30–40 minutes
Road
Day 2 Tashkent
The capital, where the East and the twentieth century sit on top of each other. Hazrati Imam square with the Barak Khan complex, the Kaffal Shashi mausoleum, the Friday mosque and the Muyi Muborak madrasah with the Uthman Quran. Then Chorsu, the covered bazaar under its blue dome. After lunch, the Museum of Applied Arts in the former palace of the Russian diplomat Alexander Polovtsev, the Tashkent metro, and Independence square with the memorial to the dead of the Second World War.
Light
- Hazrati Imam square
- Chorsu bazaar
- Museum of Applied Arts
- Tashkent metro
- Independence square
Stay
Hotel in Tashkent
Getting around
Road · Full day, city driving between sites
Breakfast included
Optional, at local prices
Uzbek ballet at the Navoi theatre · Depends on the date and the repertoire190,000 UZS (~$15)
Train
Day 3 Tashkent to Bukhara by train
The 08:23 Afrosiyob, into Bukhara at 12:29. Drop your bags and eat, then walk: the Lyabi-Hauz complex around its pool, the Kukeldash and Nodir Devonbegi madrasahs, and the odd little Chor Minor gate hidden in the back lanes. Then the Magoki-Attori mosque, built over a Zoroastrian temple; the jewellers’ dome of Toki Zargaron; the Tim Abdulla Khan covered market, where the hand-woven silk is; the Ulugh Beg and Abdulaziz Khan madrasahs; and Poi-Kalon square with the Miri Arab madrasah, the Kalon mosque and the minaret.
Light
- Lyabi-Hauz complex
- Chor Minor
- Magoki-Attori mosque
- Trading domes
- Poi-Kalon square
Stay
Hotel in Bukhara old town
Getting around
Train · Train 08:23–12:29, 4h06
Breakfast included
Optional, at local prices
Evening dance and costume show at the Nodir Devonbegi madrasah · In the madrasah courtyard315,000 UZS (~$25)
Bukhara spiced tea tasting · In a traditional tea house250,000 UZS (~$20)
Ancient hammam with massage · Almond oil and ginger honey505,000 UZS (~$40)
Train
Day 4 Bukhara, then the train to Samarkand
The rest of Bukhara in the morning: the Ismail Samani mausoleum, the oldest monument in the city and among the oldest brickwork in Central Asia; the Chashma Ayub mausoleum; the Bolo Hauz mosque with the twenty pillars of its terrace; and the Ark citadel, fortress of the emirs. After lunch, the 15:44 train to Samarkand, in at 17:27.
Light
- Samanid mausoleum
- Chashma Ayub
- Bolo Hauz mosque
- Ark citadel
Stay
Hotel in Samarkand
Getting around
Train · Train 15:44–17:27, 1h43
Breakfast included
On foot
Day 5 Samarkand
Registan square first — the country’s calling card, three madrasahs around what was the central marketplace — then Gur-e-Amir, built as a madrasah by Tamerlane’s grandson and turned into his tomb. After lunch, the Afrosiab museum for the pre-Islamic frescoes, the mausoleum of the prophet Daniel in the old city, and Ulugh Beg’s observatory.
Light
- Registan square
- Gur-e-Amir mausoleum
- Afrosiab museum
- Mausoleum of the prophet Daniel
- Ulugh Beg observatory
Stay
Hotel in Samarkand
Getting around
On foot · Full day, short drives
Breakfast included
Optional, at local prices
El Merosi historical costume theatre · Central Asian dress through the centuries315,000 UZS (~$25)
Train
Day 6 Samarkand, then the train back to Tashkent
Shah-i-Zinda in the morning — a row of mausoleums that reads like a single piece of jewellery, and the best short course in Islamic architectural decoration in the country. Then Bibi-Khanym mosque, the largest in Central Asia when it was built, and the Siab bazaar next door for the smell of it. The 17:37 train reaches Tashkent at 19:53.
Light
- Shah-i-Zinda
- Bibi-Khanym mosque
- Siab bazaar
Stay
Hotel in Tashkent
Getting around
Train · Train 17:37–19:53, 2h16
Breakfast included
Flight
Day 7 Depart Tashkent
Breakfast, then a transfer to the airport for your return flight.
Light
Getting around
Flight · Airport transfer, 30–40 minutes
Breakfast included
Tashkent
Day 1 of 7
Read this first
Before you book
Uzbek railways release seats 60 days before departure and no earlier, so we need full passport details at least 62 days ahead to ticket you. In peak season Afrosiyob seats are occasionally withdrawn for government use; if that happens we move you to the Sharq train or a domestic flight at no extra cost to you.
Hotel check-in is 14:00 and check-out 12:00. Early check-in on arrival day is included only where the itinerary says so. Most Uzbek hotels are low-rise conversions without lifts, and the local star rating is not the European one — every hotel we use has en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning and daily housekeeping.
A note on photography: cameras are charged for at most monuments, phones and tablets are free. Domestic flights and international tickets, if we book them for you, are paid in full at the time of booking.
Before you book
Questions about this trip
Why is there no Khiva on this trip?
Because there is no fast train to it. Reaching Khiva means either a seven-hour desert drive from Bukhara or a domestic flight to Urgench, and neither fits a seven-day trip built entirely around rail. If Khiva matters to you, take one of our eight-day routes instead.
How big is the group?
Never more than twelve travellers. Group departures run from two people; if a date sells beyond twelve, we open a second group with its own guide rather than enlarge the first. On a private tour the group is just your own party.
Is this a private trip or a group departure?
The price shown is for a private trip run for your party alone, on the dates you choose. Where fixed departure dates are listed, you can also join those and share the guide and vehicle with other travellers, which brings the per-person price down.
When is the best time to do this trip?
April to early June and September to early November are the two sweet spots: 20–28°C, clear light on the tilework, and fruit in the bazaars. July and August regularly pass 40°C, so summer departures start earlier and keep the middle of the day for museums and lunch. Winter is cold but empty — Registan without a crowd is worth the coat.
Do I need a visa for Uzbekistan?
Citizens of most of Europe, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Turkey and much of Latin America enter visa-free for 30 days. Everyone else can apply online at e-visa.gov.uz, which takes two to three working days. Your passport must be valid for six months beyond the date you arrive. We will confirm what applies to your nationality when you book.
Can I join as a solo traveller?
Yes. Solo travellers pay a single supplement for their own room, which we quote with the trip. On group departures we do not pair strangers in a room unless both of you ask us to.
What if I am vegetarian or have allergies?
Tell us when you book. Uzbek cooking is meat-heavy but every restaurant we use can produce good vegetarian food — the salads, breads, pumpkin manti and vegetable stews are excellent — and we brief each restaurant ahead of your arrival. Gluten-free is harder because bread is central, but it is workable with notice.
Payment, date changes and cancellation
- Nothing to pay until 60 days before the start — the booking holds without a card.
- Change your dates free of charge up to 60 days ahead; from day 59, 20% of what you have paid.
- Cancel 60 days or more ahead and nothing is kept.
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Regular price $1,42529% off
From $1,000 USD
on 17 Nov 2026
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