A 7-day trip is tight but covers the essentials if you're efficient with transport and don't need downtime days.
Day 1: Tashkent - Arrive. Chorsu Bazaar + Khast Imam (Uthman Qur'an).
Day 2–3: Samarkand (morning Afrosiyob, 2h10) - Day 2: Registan + Gur-e-Amir + Bibi-Khanym + Siyob Bazaar. - Day 3: Shah-i-Zinda (dawn) + Observatory + afternoon free / crafts.
Day 4–5: Bukhara (Afrosiyob, 1h30) - Day 4: Poi Kalyan + Ark + Lyabi-Hauz lunch. - Day 5: Trading domes + Ismail Samani + Chor Minor + hammam afternoon.
Day 6: Khiva (private car, ~6h with stops) - Arrive mid-afternoon. Sunset walk of Ichan Kala walls.
Day 7: Khiva → Departure - Morning full Ichan Kala loop (Kalta Minor, Kunya Ark, Islam Khoja). - Afternoon fly Urgench → Tashkent → international.
If skipping Khiva (5 cities → 3 cities for a relaxed pace): - Give Samarkand 3 nights, Bukhara 3 nights, Tashkent 1 night. - Use freed time for: plov class, day trip to Shakhrisabz, evening Registan show, hammam.
Budget for 7 days (mid-range, per person): - Hotels: $50–100/night × 7 = $350–700 - Transport: ~$60–100 - Food + entry fees: ~$200–350 - Total: $600–1,150 per person
Uzbekistan in photos
A short visual companion to this entry — photographs from our Uzbekistan travel archive.
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90+ countries visa-free for 30 days (including US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan). Others eligible for a $20 e-visa at e-visa.gov.uz. Check /visa/<your-country> for specifics.
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