I’ll ask not to throw slippers at me: I know this is a forum for independent travelers, and I consider myself one. )) But with Uzbekistan, I started considering the services of a local agency, mainly because this time we decided to bring our elderly parents, who are over 70. The six-day itinerary includes Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, with all the standard sights. I read reviews, analyzed prices, and began to think. If the difference between traveling independently and booking a tour package was about $100-200, I’d be more tempted to put myself in the hands of the local agency. But the savings are much more significant – a tour for one person costs $400, while based on what I’ve read here, people on average spent around $450 for two people, almost half the price.
My parents are old-fashioned, used to some discomfort, but there are two concerns I have with organizing the trip independently:
The Bukhara to Khiva transfer. I’d really prefer to make it more comfortable for them, so I’m wondering if anyone has contacts for a driver with a good car (most reports mention that the cars are often old, beaten-up Daewoo Nexias)?
Local guides. Reports say they can be found locally, but I’ve had terrible luck with local guides—usually, it’s better to go without one. I’ll politely ignore any advice to read everything myself—specifically in Uzbekistan, I want to listen to local guides who have lived there and love their city.
What do you think? Is it realistic to sort out these two issues in advance to ensure my parents enjoy the trip? Or, since it’s important to me that the trip leaves a good memory, should I not be stingy and let the agency handle everything, guiding us wherever needed?
Hello. My advice depends on the itinerary you’ve chosen. If it’s Samarkand-Bukhara-Khiva, I recommend taking the "Shark" train from Samarkand to Bukhara. The cost is about $8 per person. It’s quite a comfortable train (average speed is about 100-120 km/h), and the trip takes around 3.5 hours. From Bukhara to Khiva, you can take a tourist shuttle bus. The journey takes about 3-4 hours. As for a guide, the average cost is about $15-25, or you can download the mobile audio guide "guideuz" on Google Play.
Share your itinerary, and we'll think it through. Otherwise, besides Nexias, there are plenty of Cobalts and Lacettis available for taxis now
@megalaktik Thank you! The itinerary is as follows:
Day 1: Arrive early in the morning in Samarkand, rest a bit, then visit the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum, Registan Square, and Bibi-Khanym Mosque. Next, the Shah-i-Zinda Ensemble and Ulugh Beg Observatory.
Day 2: Visit anything we missed yesterday, then take a taxi in the evening to Bukhara (since the cost of the train and taxi is about the same, we’re thinking of not being tied to a schedule and just taking the car. Azus, why do you think the train is better? Is it more comfortable?).
Day 3: Outskirts of Bukhara. Visit the Bahauddin Naqshbandi Mausoleum (12 km east), the Sitorai Mohi Khosa Palace (4 km north), and the Por-Bari Ensemble (8 km west).
Day 4: Bukhara. Visit Lyabi-Haouz, Kalon Minaret, Ark Citadel, Ismail Samani Mausoleum, and Chashma-Ayub.
Day 5: Travel from Bukhara to Khiva.
Day 6: Khiva.
Day 7: In the morning, travel to Urgench, then fly to Moscow.
If you have any comments or recommendations, I’d be very happy to hear them! 
Day 1: Arrive early in the morning in Samarkand, rest a bit, then visit the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum, Registan Square, and Bibi-Khanym Mosque. Next, the Shah-i-Zinda Ensemble and Ulugh Beg Observatory.
Day 2: Visit anything we missed yesterday, then take a taxi in the evening to Bukhara (since the cost of the train and taxi is about the same, we’re thinking of not being tied to a schedule and just taking the car. Azus, why do you think the train is better? Is it more comfortable?).
The train is definitely better, because you can get up anytime, go wherever you need, sleep comfortably, and so on. As for the distance and road quality, it’s not exactly top-notch.
Day 3: Outskirts of Bukhara. Visit the Bahauddin Naqshbandi Mausoleum (12 km east), the Sitorai Mohi Khosa Palace (4 km north), and the Por-Bari Ensemble (8 km west).
Day 4: Bukhara. Visit Lyabi-Haouz, Kalon Minaret, Ark Citadel, Ismail Samani Mausoleum, and Chashma-Ayub.
Day 5: Travel from Bukhara to Khiva.
Day 6: Khiva.
Day 7: In the morning, travel to Urgench, then fly to Moscow.
So, why would you need to hire a guide separately? At each attraction, there are people who will happily tell you about the specific place you’re interested in, usually for just a few coins. Why pay extra?
The problem is that the train departs at 12:00 (you need to be at the station by 11:00). So, in Samarkand, you only get one day after a sleepless flight night and the early morning of the next day, while in Bukhara, you get 2.5 days. You could leave a day later, which would give you two full days in Samarkand, but only 1.5 days in Bukhara (and considering that a whole day is needed for the outskirts of Bukhara, you'd have only half a day for the city itself). With the taxi option, you'd get two full days in Samarkand and two days in Bukhara. I personally prefer the train too, but if it only left a bit later...
But if you do go with the train, which option would be better: 1 day in Samarkand and 2.5 in Bukhara? Or 2 days in Samarkand and 1.5 in Bukhara (including the outskirts)?
For the first time one day was enough for me in Samarkand
It’s better to spend 1 day in Samarkand and 2 days in Bukhara.
In Samarkand, there are about 18 major historical buildings and structures, of which you should definitely see at least the following, ranked by importance:
In Bukhara, there are about 40 major buildings and structures, and at least 20 of them must be visited. If you’d like, I can write a list. And definitely make sure to visit the women’s bathhouse.
In Samarkand, the buildings are located along the main street, which is about 7 km long. In Bukhara and Khiva, the main buildings and structures are mostly situated close to each other, except for the country palace of the Khan.
In Khiva, there are over 44.
In Bukhara and Khiva, you will step back in time. It feels as though time has stopped there.
In Khorezm, I recommend seeing the ancient remains of fortresses and settlements that are over 2,000 years old.
We’re also planning to follow a similar route at the same time. And we also had one big question—1 day in Samarkand and 2 in Bukhara, or the other way around?))))
Hartley, thank you very much for your post. Could we ask you to share your thoughts on what’s worth seeing in Bukhara? We’ve also started leaning towards leaving Samarkand for Bukhara by train in the afternoon.
There are many things to see in Bukhara:
For those who is still planning their trip , I'd like to share how it turned out for us in the end. We were also undecided about whether to spend one day in Samarkand and two days in Bukhara, or the other way around. We decided to figure it out on the spot.
We arrived early in the morning in Samarkand and went straight to the hotel, where we rested a little until 9 AM. (The hotel called us the day before our departure to confirm everything and offered to meet us and check us in early for a symbolic fee)))) We agreed to this.
Since we were staying right by the walls of the Guri Emir Mausoleum, we immediately went to explore it, then walked along the "tourist trail." We were very tired after the overnight flight and didn't make it to the Ulugh Beg Observatory. But we saw quite a lot. Looking back, I think I would do it differently now. I would visit the Guri Emir Mausoleum and then take a taxi to the farthest point, gradually working my way back towards the hotel. It would have been a bit easier. Instead, we walked from the Guri Emir Mausoleum, saw the Rukhabad Mausoleum, Registan Square, Bibi-Khanum Mosque, wandered through the market, had lunch, and after exploring the Shah-i-Zinda complex and Hazrat Khizr Mosque, we started heading back towards the hotel. We didn't have the strength to continue to the observatory and other sites. By the time we were on our way back, it was already dark, and we stopped to admire the illuminated Registan Square.
We had the "Around the World" app on our phone, which offers a free audio tour of Samarkand. It's very convenient. There are two options—follow a set route or a "free" tour. With GPS enabled, the app detects your location and starts speaking about the place you're at. I also had the Guide Uz app, but I didn't like it. It's better to print information from the internet and read it on-site.
The next day, the weather worsened, and it started raining, so we decided to leave Samarkand for Bukhara by train, which departs at 12 PM. In the morning, we visited the Aksaray Mausoleum in the rain and then left for Bukhara. But in the end, we still didn’t have enough time for Samarkand. I think it’s better to leave on the evening train, which arrives in Bukhara around 1:30 AM. Then, you can just sleep in a bit longer in the morning. Bukhara is more compact, and it's easier to walk around there.
In the evening of our arrival in Bukhara (by the time we arrived and checked in, it was already 5 PM), it was also raining. We only managed to visit Chor Minor (which was near our hotel, as we stayed near Lyabi-Hauz) and take a walk around Lyabi-Hauz.
The next morning, we took a taxi and visited three countryside sites: the Bahauddin Naqshbandi Complex, the Sitorai-Mohi-Khosa Palace, and the Chor-Bakr Necropolis. After lunch, we got out of the taxi near the Samanid Mausoleum. This took us half a day, though we weren't in a rush and took our time exploring everything. In the remaining time, we were able to see almost everything planned for Bukhara. But honestly, it was a bit too much. It would be better to split it up. However, we had plans for the following day that later changed, so we didn’t have to rush on the first day.
The next day, when our plans were canceled, we again walked around Bukhara, but since we'd already seen almost everything the day before, this day felt a bit empty. The weather was still chilly, so options like going to the lake weren’t really appealing.
So, in the end, we didn’t have enough time for Samarkand, but we had more than enough for Bukhara. On the evening of the second day, we took the night train to Tashkent, but unfortunately, we didn’t manage to see much there because of a heavy downpour. I guess Tashkent will have to wait for another time.
By the way, it was cheaper to buy train tickets locally. But we traveled at a time when buying tickets wasn’t a problem. Perhaps it’s more difficult during the high season, but I’m not sure.
If you're planning an independent trip through Uzbekistan, don't miss Shahrisabz. It's located not far from Samarkand, just a couple of hours' drive through the stunning Gissar Nature Reserve. The air is incredible, and the high-mountain landscapes are breathtaking. There's not much to see in Shahrisabz itself, but I was particularly impressed by the remnants of the Ak-Saray, the residence of Timur. I found it even more impressive than the Bibi-Khanym Mosque in Samarkand. It's more authentic, more ancient—still untouched by restoration or the fresh whitewashing that often strips ancient buildings of their spirit.
I was also incredibly lucky to meet an unexpected guide—an artist selling paintings at the entrance to Ak-Saray. He turned out to be a graduate of the Institute of Arts, and his thesis was devoted to the restoration of Ak-Saray. This young man had recreated a three-dimensional, hand-painted model of the palace out of paper! He spoke about the ruins in such a way that ancient scenes seemed to come to life before my eyes, the stunning colors of the mosaic in the baths danced in my mind, and he showed me the differences between the layers of the palace... Listening to him was an experience in itself—and then we returned to Samarkand, driving back through the beautiful mountain pass.
You can also visit the Plateau of the Demons, a mystical place not far from Samarkand.
@holdsworthjoseph29 Yes, I agree with you: a good guide is very important. That's why I started this thread in the first place. But here, unfortunately, you can't always predict it. We considered going to Shahrisabz, but the majority of reviews here weren't exactly glowing, and we were running out of time, so we decided not to go. Although we probably should have—it felt like we were just short of experiencing that natural beauty, which might have been compensated for by the beautiful road through the pass.
It depends on why you're going to Shahrisabz and which guide you'll have. I've seen Samarkand multiple times, but I went to Shahrisabz for work and didn't expect to see anything impressive there (to be honest, I wasn't particularly moved by Samarkand either, except for a couple of monuments). However, the road through the Kitab Pass and the Gissar Nature Reserve was absolutely breathtaking! And even though we’ve visited Chimgan, Beldersay, and have gone up to the mountains near Tashkent several times—so mountain landscapes aren't new to me—the Gissar Mountains are different. They’re just... otherworldly. And really amazing. The views on the road in Chimgan aren't like that, and the feeling there is different too. You simply can’t compare them. As for Shahrisabz... if I hadn't met that guide, I wouldn’t have been able to say anything about its monuments.
P.S. I’ve listed different names in the text. If you're planning a trip, google them, check out the views, and decide if it’s something you’re interested in.
I would appreciate your help in choosing evening tour routes in Tashkent, Bukhara, Samarkand, and Khiva. Which streets and landmarks are beautifully illuminated, and perhaps there are musical fountains as well?