Afrosiyob (named after Samarkand's pre-Islamic royal citadel) is the Uzbek rail brand for the Talgo 250 bullet trains, in service since 2011. The Talgos are made by the Spanish manufacturer Patentes Talgo and reach a top speed of 250 km/h on the Tashkent-Samarkand-Bukhara main line.
Routes and times:
| Route | Duration | Frequency (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tashkent ↔ Samarkand | 2 h 10 | 6–8/day |
| Tashkent ↔ Bukhara | 4 h 00 | 2–3/day |
| Samarkand ↔ Bukhara | 1 h 30 | 4–5/day |
| Tashkent ↔ Khiva (through Samarkand + Bukhara) | ~13 h overnight | 1/day |
Classes: - Economy — 2+2 seating. Modern, air-conditioned. ~$10–15 Tashkent-Samarkand. - Business — 2+1 seating with more legroom. ~$20–25. - VIP — private compartments, complimentary tea and snacks. ~$35.
Booking: - Online at railway.uz (Uzbek Railways). Interface has an English toggle. - Foreign card payments sometimes reject at checkout; try a different card or use a local booking agent. - Passport details are printed on the ticket; carry the physical ticket + passport when boarding. - Book in advance: high-season weekend seats sell out 2–3 weeks ahead. Off-season, next-day tickets are available.
Onboard: - Complimentary bottle of water and small snack in Business and VIP. - No luggage weight limit in practice, but carry-on space is limited above seats. - Photography allowed. The Chirchik river bridge crossing about 40 min out of Tashkent is scenic.
The Afrosiyob is the single best way to move between the main tourist cities. It's faster, more comfortable and often cheaper than flying (given check-in and transfer times).
Uzbekistan in photos
A short visual companion to this entry — photographs from our Uzbekistan travel archive.
Related entries
- Plan
How to get around Uzbekistan
Afrosiyob bullet trains (Tashkent–Samarkand 2h10, Samarkand–Bukhara 1h30), domestic flights (30 min Tashkent–Bukhara), shared taxis (cheap, flexible), private drivers ($60–100/day).
- Places
The Registan in Samarkand: history and layout
The Registan is a public square framed by three grand madrasas built between 1420 and 1660 — Timurid architecture at its zenith.
- Places
Poi Kalyan: Kalyan Minaret, Mosque and Mir-i-Arab
The heart of medieval Bukhara: a 47-metre 12th-century minaret Genghis Khan spared, a Timurid Friday mosque, and the still-functioning Mir-i-Arab madrasa.
- Tips
Getting around Tashkent
Metro for most routes (cheap, fast, air-conditioned). Yandex Go app for direct taxis. Walking works for tight clusters of sights. Buses functional but slow.
- Do
Best photography spots in Samarkand
Six key spots at specific times: Registan at sunset from the west, Shah-i-Zinda in early morning, Bibi-Khanym reflection at midday, Gur-e-Amir at blue hour, Siyob at 8 am, and Ulugh Beg Observatory in golden hour.
- Do
Bukhara after dark
Yes — the entire old city is illuminated from sunset to 23:00. Poi Kalyan, Lyabi-Hauz and the trading domes each have distinct lighting schemes. Best photography window is 30 min after sunset.