We're arriving in Bukhara by the Afrosiyob train and are looking at hotels. Accommodation near the station seems a bit cheaper, while most boutique hotels are inside the Old Town. Is it really worth paying more to stay in the historic centre, or is it better just to take a taxi into town each day?
For us, staying inside the Old Town completely changed the experience.
During the day Bukhara is busy with visitors exploring the monuments, but early in the morning and again after sunset the atmosphere becomes something entirely different. We could leave our hotel and reach Lyabi-Hauz or Poi Kalyan within a few minutes on foot. Walking through the quiet streets before breakfast, when shopkeepers were just opening their doors, felt like discovering another side of the city.
If we'd stayed near the station, I don't think we'd have experienced those moments.
Were the narrow streets difficult with luggage? That's my only concern.
Not really. Most hotels arranged a small electric cart or helped us from the nearest road where taxis can stop. Even when we walked the last few hundred metres ourselves, it wasn't a problem.
After checking in, we hardly thought about transport again because almost everything we wanted to see was within walking distance.
We actually stayed near the railway station on our first visit because we had an early departure the following morning.
It was perfectly practical, but every evening we found ourselves taking a taxi back from the Old Town later than planned because we didn't want to leave. The historic centre becomes wonderfully atmospheric after dark. The monuments are illuminated, the cafés around Lyabi-Hauz fill with people, and it's simply enjoyable to wander without looking at the time.
On our second trip we stayed inside the Old Town and realised what we'd missed the first time.
If your plan is to arrive, visit the main monuments and leave the next morning, then staying outside the centre is perfectly reasonable.
But if you enjoy photography, cafés, evening walks and exploring small streets without any particular destination, I'd absolutely choose accommodation inside the Old Town.
Bukhara isn't just a collection of monuments—it's one of those cities where simply walking around becomes part of the attraction.
to stay in the historic centre, or is it better just to take a taxi into town each day?
the greatest charm of Bukhara is experienced early in the morning and after sunset, when the crowds thin out and the old city becomes quiet and atmospheric.
Most of the major sights—including Lyabi-Hauz, Poi Kalyan, Magoki-Attori, Trading Domes and the Ark Fortress—are easily explored on foot from hotels inside the Old Town. This allows visitors to experience Bukhara at a relaxed pace rather than relying on repeated taxi journeys.