Spend seven days and six nights travelling from Tashkent to Samarkand and Bukhara, then return to Tashkent on day 6 before flying home on day 7. Stay two nights in each historic city: that gives you part of the arrival day and one full day of sightseeing, rather than two full days.
Choose the three train journeys before committing to hotel dates. A late arrival means fewer visits; the final night in Tashkent gives you time between the return journey and your flight, but still needs to fit your actual departure time.
Seven days and six nights at a glance
| Day | Travel and sightseeing | Stay that night |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Tashkent; settle in and choose one outing if time allows | Tashkent · night 1 |
| 2 | Train to Samarkand; Registan or Gur-e-Amir after arrival | Samarkand · night 2 |
| 3 | Shah-i-Zinda, Bibi-Khanym and Siyob, with substitutions if day 2 was short | Samarkand · night 3 |
| 4 | Train to Bukhara; a first Old Town walk | Bukhara · night 4 |
| 5 | Ark and the Old Town sights left from day 4 | Bukhara · night 5 |
| 6 | Train back to Tashkent; check in for the final night | Tashkent · night 6 |
| 7 | Leave for the airport; a short outing only if your flight allows it | No further night |
Book two separate Tashkent stays, on nights 1 and 6. Samarkand and Bukhara each need one two-night booking. If you land just after midnight and want a room immediately, read the hotel-date example below: an extra paid night changes this six-night plan.
Book trains for days 2, 4 and 6
Buy through 12go or directly on the Uzbekistan Railways website. Search each leg for its own travel date. For a high-speed journey, choose a departure explicitly named Afrosiyob; a route between these cities does not guarantee that train or an available seat.
Before paying, compare the departure and arrival dates, times, exact stations, class and full price for your passengers. A train arriving the following morning changes both the hotel night and the sightseeing day. If any of the three journeys does not fit, change the route before paying for non-refundable rooms. The train-ticket guide covers booking and preparing for the station.
Allow for the journey from each station to your hotel as well as the train itself. Save the property entrance pin and ask where a driver can drop you off, especially in Bukhara’s Old Town. Check luggage storage and early room access separately: arriving before check-in does not establish either arrangement.
Day 1: Arrive in Tashkent
Go to your accommodation first. After a late arrival, dinner and rest may be enough; do not book a distant outing simply to fill the day.
If you have time and want a market visit, make Chorsu and the surrounding Old City your first outing. Otherwise, choose a short walk near your accommodation and save the market for another visit. The Tashkent city guide gives the wider choice of sights.
For your first night, compare a base near the outing you want with the actual journey to the station on your day-2 ticket. For the final stay, weigh the day-6 arrival station and day-7 airport journey instead. The two nights need not be at the same hotel. Compare the Tashkent hotel locations and confirm late check-in if your arrival requires it.
Day 2: Travel to Samarkand, then visit Registan or Gur-e-Amir
After the train, take your luggage to the hotel or use storage you have arranged. Choose your first visit around the time left, rather than assuming the whole afternoon is free.
Make Registan the priority if its tiled madrasah ensemble is the main reason for your Samarkand stop. Choose Gur-e-Amir, Timur’s mausoleum, if you would rather start with that visit. With enough time and access, you can see both; if you arrive late, keep one and carry the other into day 3. Do not count on an interior visit after its closing time.
For the two nights, compare accommodation around the sights you want to revisit, then check the entrance and station transfer. The Samarkand guide helps choose between a Registan-side base and other areas; the boutique-hotel guide gives named properties and room questions.
Day 3: Shah-i-Zinda, Bibi-Khanym and Siyob
Start with Shah-i-Zinda for its tiled mausoleum ensemble, then pair Bibi-Khanym with the adjoining Siyob market. Choose whether to walk or take a taxi between Shah-i-Zinda and the Bibi-Khanym area according to your route, the heat and your energy. Decide which interiors interest you and leave time for lunch and a break.
If one of Registan or Gur-e-Amir remains from day 2, put it in place of Bibi-Khanym’s interior visit and keep Siyob only if time remains. If you saw neither on arrival, make today Registan plus a choice of Gur-e-Amir or Shah-i-Zinda, leaving Bibi-Khanym and Siyob out. The observatory and separate trips outside the centre are outside this week’s main programme.
In hot weather, shorten the outdoor visits and return to your hotel for a break if its location makes that practical. Choose the monument you most want to see before adding another stop; the seasonal travel guide helps decide when to travel.
Day 4: Travel to Bukhara and walk the Old Town
Arrange the journey from the station on your ticket to your accommodation, including the closest vehicle drop-off point. Confirm who will let you in if the train arrives late. An Old Town address alone does not tell you where to meet the driver or carry your luggage.
Once you have settled in, start at Lyabi-Hauz, the ensemble around the pond. With time left, continue through the trading-dome area towards Poi-Kalyan. If arrival leaves only time for dinner and a short walk, keep the longer sequence for day 5.
For two nights, choose a property near Lyabi-Hauz if you want to return to the pond-side area in the evening, or compare the Poi-Kalyan side if that is your priority. Check the actual entrance and room position; a courtyard or Old Town label does not guarantee a quiet room. The Bukhara guide connects the walking route with hotel choices.
Day 5: Visit Ark and explore more of Bukhara
Visit Ark if you want to explore the citadel, and complete the central Old Town stops left from day 4. If yesterday was mostly travel, give Lyabi-Hauz, the trading domes and Poi-Kalyan their place today before adding a separate detour. Establish what your admission includes when choosing an interior visit.
The Samanid Mausoleum is an option for its brickwork; Chor Minor offers a different architectural stop. Choose one in place of another visit if it interests you more, or leave both out. Allow separate time for either visit away from the main Old Town walk.
Before your last Bukhara night, agree the station pickup for day 6 and settle checkout arrangements. Keep the ticket and hotel entrance details available offline.
Day 6: Return to Tashkent
Take the return train you chose for day 6 and check in for your separate final Tashkent night. Confirm the hotel entrance and late-arrival access before leaving Bukhara. If checkout and departure are far apart, arrange luggage storage rather than assuming you can keep the room.
Make any evening outing optional. Repack, confirm the airport journey and check the flight’s local departure date and time. A flight just after midnight on day 7 may require leaving the hotel on the evening of day 6; you may not use the final overnight stay at all. Adjust that booking instead of paying for a night you do not need.
Day 7: Departure
For an early flight, leave the day for the airport journey. For a later flight, choose one short visit or meal near your accommodation only after arranging luggage, checkout and the airport transfer. Do not make the flight depend on finishing another full sightseeing day.
Change the sightseeing plan if the trains do not fit
| What changes | What to do with the sightseeing |
|---|---|
| Day 2 leaves one Samarkand priority unseen | Replace Bibi-Khanym’s interior on day 3 with that visit; keep Siyob only if time remains |
| Day 2 leaves no time for a major visit | On day 3, choose Registan and either Gur-e-Amir or Shah-i-Zinda; omit Bibi-Khanym and Siyob |
| Day 4 leaves little time in Bukhara | Use day 5 for the central walk and an Ark decision; omit Samanid and Chor Minor |
| The day-6 return does not fit your flight | Choose another departure or shorten the route before fixing hotels; do not substitute an overnight arrival on day 7 without changing the plan |
If the Afrosiyob you want is unavailable, compare other trains or dates for the same leg. Use that train’s actual arrival when adjusting visits and hotel nights; a different service does not automatically take the same time. If no suitable journey is available, fewer stops are preferable to a connection your bookings cannot support.
What to leave out of this week
Khiva, a mountain outing and a yurt stay each need travel time of their own. Replace part of the three-city route or extend the trip if one is a priority. Do not fit them into the gaps between these train journeys while keeping the same six hotel nights.
For a longer trip, start with the city and trip-length choices. Within this week, spending longer at one monument or market is a valid use of the time left after a train.
FAQ
Which hotel night should I book for an arrival after midnight?
Suppose you land at 02:00 on the 10th and want a room straight away. A booking that starts on the 10th does not itself give you access at 02:00: agree early access with the property, or reserve from the night of the 9th and tell the hotel when you will arrive. Paying for the 9th as well as the six nights from the 10th through the 15th means seven paid nights before departure on the 16th. Count the extra night or early-access charge separately.
What changes if I fly home from Bukhara?
Remove the day-6 train back to Tashkent. If your flight still leaves on day 7, spend night 6 in Bukhara instead; if you leave on day 6, shorten the trip and count fewer hotel nights. Confirm an actual flight for your date before changing the route, then recalculate the hotel and transport costs.