Between main tourist cities (Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva):
| Route | Best option | Duration | Cost (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Tashkent → Samarkand | Afrosiyob train | 2h10 | $10–35 |
| Samarkand → Bukhara | Afrosiyob train | 1h30 | $8–25 |
| Bukhara → Khiva | Shared taxi or private | 7h by road | $15–60 |
| Tashkent → Bukhara | Afrosiyob train | 4h | $15–35 |
| Tashkent → Khiva | Overnight train or fly | 13h train / 2h flight | $20–80 |
| Tashkent → Fergana | Shared taxi | 4h (via Kamchik pass) | $10 |
| Tashkent → Nukus | Fly | 2h | $50–80 |
Trains: book at railway.uz. Afrosiyob is the premium bullet service. Regular trains are slower but have overnight sleeper options.
Shared taxis: depart from designated stands when full (usually 4 passengers). Fast, cheap, flexible. No booking needed — show up, state your destination.
Private driver: $60–120/day depending on vehicle and route. Includes stops at roadside sights. Book through hotels or tour agencies.
Domestic flights: Uzbekistan Airways and Qanot Sharq. Short and cheap but schedules shift. Book at uzairways.com.
Self-drive: possible with international driving permit. Roads are generally good between cities. Not recommended for first-time visitors — police stops are frequent and Uzbek driving culture is aggressive.
Uzbekistan in photos
A short visual companion to this entry — photographs from our Uzbekistan travel archive.
Related entries
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Afrosiyob high-speed train
Uzbekistan's Spanish-built Talgo bullet trains link Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva at up to 250 km/h. Tashkent-Samarkand takes 2h10, tickets $10–35 depending on class.
- 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.
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7-day Uzbekistan itinerary (short trip)
Yes — Tashkent (1 night) → Samarkand (2 nights) → Bukhara (2 nights) → Khiva (1 night) covers the essential Silk Road cities. Skip Khiva if you'd rather slow down.
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Classic 10-day Uzbekistan itinerary
Tashkent (2 nights) → Samarkand (3 nights) → Bukhara (2 nights) → Khiva (2 nights) → fly home from Urgench or back to Tashkent.
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Day trips from Tashkent
Chimgan mountains (hiking/skiing, 80 km), Charvak Lake (swimming, 90 km), Samarkand (by Afrosiyob, 2h10 each way), or Fergana Valley highlights (4h each way).
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Uzbekistan entry requirements overview
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.