I recently spent three wonderful nights in Khiva and wanted to share some insights for those planning a visit.
We took a flight from Tashkent to Urgench with Uzbekistan Airways, which lasted about 1.5 hours. Upon arrival at Urgench airport, we took a taxi to our bed and breakfast located in Ichan Qala, a journey that took nearly an hour. One thing to note is that our luggage took quite a while to arrive at the airport. Before our trip, we had already purchased a SIM card and exchanged some money in Tashkent, so I didn’t pay much attention to the availability of these services at Urgench.
For our transfer from Urgench airport to our accommodation in Khiva, we opted for a pre-arranged taxi through Islambek Tours and Travels, which cost us $15. However, there were plenty of taxis available outside the airport, and we later realized that pre-booking wasn’t necessary, as we could have easily found a ride without the hassle of negotiating a fare.
We stayed at the Khiva Bibimaryam, a charming family-run guesthouse conveniently located near the Kalta Minor and the western gate of the old city. Since our accommodation was inside the walled city, we didn’t need tickets to enter or exit.
The entry fee for Khiva is UZS 200,000 per person, which is valid for two days. However, keep in mind that certain attractions require separate fees: the Islam Khodja minaret (UZS 100,000), the tower near the Ark (UZS 100,000), walking the city walls (UZS 20,000), and the Pahlvun Mohammed Mausoleum (UZS 25,000). We felt that the views from the Islam Khodja Minaret and the city walls weren’t worth the price, especially if you’re on a budget. The tower near the Ark offers better views of the city and the sunset, plus it remains open later than the other attractions.
Khiva truly comes alive in the evening when the monuments are beautifully illuminated. We spent two leisurely days exploring the city, including a visit to the Nurullaboy Palace just outside the walls, which offered a delightful contrast to our experiences in Bukhara.
Before our trip, we exchanged some USD for sums at Tashkent airport at a great rate (1 USD = 12,700 sum). We found that many places, including entrance fees and the Gastronom supermarket, accepted credit cards. Additionally, souvenir vendors were more than happy to take USD at a rate of about 12,500 sum.
Getting around Ichan Qala was easy; it’s a small area, and we walked everywhere. The only time we needed a taxi was to get to the Khiva railway station for our train to Bukhara. Our guesthouse arranged a metered taxi for us (you can call 1262 or 1504), and the fare to the station was just 12,500 sum.
Thank you for sharing such an informative report! We're planning to visit Khiva in mid-May, and I have a few questions:
Thanks in advance for your help!
We picked up a Ucell SIM card at Tashkent airport for 60,000 sum. It was valid for a month and came with 22GB of data. There was also a Beeline counter, so you might want to compare the options available. I paid for the SIM with my card, but do keep in mind they added a 1.5% surcharge. If you want, you can exchange some currency first and then buy the SIM.
As for the airport transfer, I’d recommend taking the $15 offer instead of dealing with the hassle of negotiating a taxi fare. For instance, when we arrived in Bukhara, the taxi drivers at the railway station were quoting outrageous prices to take us to our hotel in the old city. Luckily, I had the Yandex Go app installed, and I managed to get a taxi for just 28,000 sum.
The Khiva railway station is only about 2-3 kilometers from Ichan Qala, which is why the fare was much lower. Additionally, there’s a local taxi service that operates on a meter. Just so you know, Urgench airport is about 40 kilometers from Ichan Qala.
Thank you so much for the information! I’m really looking forward to our trip in mid-May.
Just a little about Khiva. We spent a full 2.5 days there, and that was enough to see all the sights at a relaxed, easy pace.
We also took a trip out to the Kyzylkum Desert (our driver offered to take us for $45).
The official entrance fee to the fortress is 250,000 soums – that ticket includes access to pretty much all the attractions.
We entered through the North Gate and didn’t pay anything – no one asked us for tickets either.
As for the fortress: climbing up to the wall costs 40,000 soums. There’s a South side of the fortress too, and honestly, we thought it was more interesting than the North side.
If you don’t feel like paying to get on the fortress wall, you can climb up from the South side through the tombs. There’s also a viewpoint there with amazing views.
To avoid crowds, we’d head out around 6 AM and stroll around until 9–10 AM, when it was still quiet.
And here are a few photos of Khiva!
We stayed inside the fortress, just 50 meters from the gates, at a guesthouse. A local woman named Saodat showed us around the main sights, and we really soaked in the atmosphere of this ancient place. Our stomachs were happy too – the local food was amazing.
Highly, highly recommend visiting Khiva – we never once regretted making time for this city!
@Bridie, did you explore on your own or with a guide? Could you send me contact info in a private message, please?
Also, where would you recommend for lunch?
There are lots of great places to eat in Khiva – Khiva Moon, Tapas, Mirzaboshi, Sultan, and Ayvon are all worth trying.Also, where would you recommend for lunch?
There are lots of great places to eat in Khiva – Khiva Moon, Tapas, Mirzaboshi, Sultan, and Ayvon
I also recommend Khiva Moon, and don’t miss Terrassa.
At Khiva Moon we had fish – it was amazing, super tender, juicy, and a big portion.
At Terrassa everything was top-notch, and dessert lovers will be thrilled – their sweets are incredible.
It’s best to reserve a table at Terrassa in advance – sometimes there’s no availability.
I also recommend Khiva Moon
We didn’t really like Khiva Moon – it felt like they took an hour just to cook our food…
We actually liked the Minor restaurant more, especially dinner on the terrace.
It’s pricey though – they charge a 20% service fee, not 15% like most places.
Although maybe our bill was high because of the wine, who knows...
But the view of Khiva lit up at night from the terrace – absolutely beautiful.
Bukhara doesn't impress at all after Khiva. And they say Samarkend is even less impressive than Bukhara... Seems one have to start the journey through Uzbekistan starting from Samarkand and then all the way to Khiva through Bukhara.
Here is majestic Khiva
And just my personal opinion...
This place’s beauty is so undeservedly overlooked by our fellow countrymen... Meanwhile, people from France, Poland, Germany… seem to give this city way more attention. 🙁
It’s atmospheric, cozy, and feels totally unreal (you forget about work and home by the third step…).
Also, it’s cheaper, by the way.
So I highly, highly recommend visiting!
I’ve been to Bukhara, Khiva, and Samarkand.
Personally, I’d recommend Khiva. We spent three days there, but honestly, two days is enough.
It’s very small, cozy, and compact – like an open-air museum.
All the sights are within walking distance.
We only paid the entrance fee to climb the fortress wall – 40,000 soums – and got into everything else for free.
All three cities are very different from one another.
All of Khiva’s main attractions are located inside the Ichan Kala fortress. It has several gates for entry, but they only check tickets at one of them.
We stayed near the North Gate and could go in and out freely. There are turnstiles at the gates, but we just walked past them.
If someone does ask for a ticket, you can just say you’re going to your hotel.
But just speaking from our own experience – we used different gates to go in and out, and no one ever asked us for tickets.
We also went to the desert to see the Ayaz Kala and Toprak Kala fortresses on our own. Left at 4 PM and got back to Khiva around 10 PM.
We didn’t want to go during the heat of the day. Arranged with a driver for $45 – he took us out to the desert and to both fortresses.
You can also do a trip to the Aral Sea to see the abandoned ships. That would take pretty much a full day.
Khiva is super compact – in 2 days we managed to stroll all around Ichan Kala and also visit the Nurullabay Palace.
There are way fewer tourist crowds in Khiva, so you can take your time and really soak everything in. There are plenty of souvenirs too, though in my opinion, Bukhara has a bit more variety.
Thanks to our travel companion, we learned a lot of fascinating stuff about local history and traditions – by the way, the locals here belong to a different ethnic group. We saw various crafts and learned techniques unique to this region – like distinctive jewelry styles and wood carving. One piece really amazed us – a wooden book stand that unfolds into 10 different positions.
We also learned about the symbolism in their jewelry – they use local coins in the designs. There was a folk dance performance, and the dancer did this finger-snapping thing in some secret local way!
We watched carpet weaving in action, I tried on a paranja, we joined a silk-making workshop, climbed a minaret, had delicious food, and even tried a glass of local wine called Carmen (our first time having wine in Uzbekistan!) at the Terrace restaurant. Highly recommend it – great food and amazing views. Best to make a reservation in the morning, you can also have breakfast there.
We also went to Khiva Moon and tried a local dish – dumplings with egg. And we stopped by the Safina pastry shop – they have both local sweets and European-style desserts.
All in all, Uzbekistan really surprised and impressed us – the beauty, the kindness of the people. I honestly can’t say which city I liked best. We were exhausted because our trip was packed, didn’t even make it to the market – but for us, that wasn’t a big deal.
and here are some photos of Khiva from our trip. Also check the dance on the video, look how the dancer performs with her fingers.
