Hello! Can anyone tell me if there are any group tours around Itchan Kala in Khiva? Like a shared tour — one guide for many people. Just a general overview, we don’t need a private one. We can admire the beauty ourselves, just need a bit of historical context. Preferably today. Both Russian and English-language tour would work, if that’s what’s available.
We booked such a group tour in English through Booking. At the entrance to Itchan Kala, there are girls sitting there who offer tours.
So yours was actually a group tour, with other people? How much did it cost?
Yes, with other people. It was about 20 or 25 euros per person.
Oh, that’s expensive! 😲
Well, it was through an agency.
Tell me, during that tour, did you go inside any of the buildings (the paid ones)?
Of course. You buy a ticket for Itchan Kala — it’s a single ticket for all the museums inside. It’s valid for two days. We visited some places with the guide, and then later walked around on our own. At the entrance, guides sit and offer their services.
So you buy the ticket separately. The ticket that gives access to the museums and such costs 250,000, right? If I understand correctly? We’re mainly interested in the tower, to go up and see the view from above. But I’ve heard that’s a separate fee, yes? And we don’t need to pay for entry to Itchan Kala itself — we’re staying inside it 😄
Yes, that’s right. Going up the tower costs extra, I think around 40,000 soums. The guide can go inside the paid museums.
One more question: where exactly is that building/tower/wall where you pay the 40,000 and go up (around sunset)?
You need to pay at the ticket office where they sell tickets for Itchan Kala — they don’t sell tickets directly at the tower. The tower is visible; it’s on the left side from the main entrance if you’re facing away from the gate. Just ask any staff member there, and they’ll show you where to enter to go up.
But I’d actually recommend doing something else (that’s what we did): book a table at the “Terrassa” restaurant and have dinner there with an amazing sunset view.
It can get really crowded up on the tower (depends on your luck).
At the restaurant, it’s delicious, relaxing, there’s music — and the view is fantastic.
We went to Terrassa in Setember (in Khiva). 👍 We really liked it. The food was truly delicious. There was live music (though that’s a matter of taste). Excellent service, great views, wonderful atmosphere. And they don’t charge a service fee. The tomato soup was divine — I can’t remember when or where I’ve ever had one that good. Maybe I never have. You'll be laughing but I still remember its taste 😁
Be very careful! I’ve already been scammed several times with so-called “excursions” in Uzbekistan. Here’s one of the schemes: In Khiva, inside Itchan Kala, I was visiting one of the palaces without a guide. A lady who was checking tickets offered me a tour. I really wanted one, so I asked how much it would cost. She said, “As much as you want, whatever you decide yourself.” I agreed. Then this same attendant gave me about five minutes of information — the kind you can find on Wikipedia. (“This is the palace of so-and-so, built in such-and-such year. This is the reception hall. This is the room where foreign guests waited for an audience.”) That was it. And her Russian was poor. Then she said, “That’ll be 100,000 soums.” 😂😂😂😂 Apparently, she thought I’d be too embarrassed to refuse. But I can assess the value of a service, so I told her it was too expensive and that I wouldn’t pay that much. I pulled out a few small bills and gave them to her just not to ruin my mood — though her story wasn’t even worth twenty rubles. Be very careful!
But I want to add right away — she wasn’t pushy. It wasn’t like in Egypt; she didn’t argue, get offended, or demand money. When I said the price was unreasonable, she immediately backed off and said something like, “Then pay whatever you think my work is worth.” So there was no scene or conflict. It’s just one of those little local ways to earn a tip.
Well… did you happen to notice the big monument standing right in the center of Bukhara — the one of the trickster Hodja Nasreddin? 🤣 🤣 🤣 Just kidding, of course. But in recent years I’ve traveled quite a lot, so I’ll say this: our Uzbek prices are generally lower than in many other countries, including those in the post-Soviet region. Even three-star hotels here are often better than their counterparts in places like Montenegro or Turkey. But yes, I agree — your situation wasn’t pleasant. At least you still managed to enjoy yourself.