Bukhara - Urgench or Samarkand to Urgench (then Khiva)

[Carafa]

Hello,

I'm looking for a bit or itinerary advice.

Originally, I was looking at going from Tashkent to Samarkand, then, if possible, going to Sentyab ( I also noticed there was a hiking tour from Samarkand to Bukhara) then to Bukhara, and onwards to Urgench/Khiva.

I heard that the road to Khiva is not great and it is better to go to Bukhara, then Samarkand ( then to Sentyab), then perhaps back to Samarkand and on to Urgench, Khiva, and then Nukus, then back to Tashkent.

So, I'm a bit torn between going to Bukhara from Tashkent or Samarkand.

I want to go to the following:

Bukhara, Samarkand, Sentyab , Khiva, Nukus (perhaps a trip to Aral sea), then will have to come back to Tashkent. I may or not add anything else on, but those are the main places.

[leela]

How are you travelling? I noticed you mentioned concern about the roads. Are you self driving?

[Carafa]

Not sure yet.. But I head that it's better to go Tashkent - Bukhara - Samarkand - Khiva.. As the road from Bukhara to Khiva is not great, so the itinerary is better that way?

[Carafa]

Sorry, I meant, no, I will not be self driving, but I meant, even as a passenger, it is a longer journey and that if I want to go by train, it is better to do it another way.

[Lutnistas1969]

Last year - end of october

Tashkent - Samarkand ( Afrosiyob train - speed 230 km/h - price about 10 $ or less )
If you have time visit Shahrisabz ( from Samarkand marschrutka or car with driver/we payed 25 $ - there and back )
Samarkanda - Bukhara ( Afrosiyob train - speed 230 km/h - price about 10 $ or less )
Bukhara - Khiva - shred taxi - the whole road it not so great, but the long part is a quit new highway ( build by Germans )
Khiva - Moynak ( Aral See ) - Khiva - we flay back from Urganch Airport via Moscow ( Siberian Arline / S7 )

[steven]

Hello,

I'm looking for a bit or itinerary advice.

Originally, I was looking at going from Tashkent to Samarkand, then, if possible, going to Sentyab ( I also noticed there was a hiking tour from Samarkand to Bukhara) then to Bukhara, and onwards to Urgench/Khiva.

I heard that the road to Khiva is not great and it is better to go to Bukhara, then Samarkand ( then to Sentyab), then perhaps back to Samarkand and on to Urgench, Khiva, and then Nukus, then back to Tashkent.

So, I'm a bit torn between going to Bukhara from Tashkent or Samarkand.

I want to go to the following:

Bukhara, Samarkand, Sentyab , Khiva, Nukus (perhaps a trip to Aral sea), then will have to come back to Tashkent. I may or not add anything else on, but those are the main places.

There is now a train between Urgench and ukhara so you no longer need to take the long road, it does not matter how you get to Khiva, either from Bukhara or from Samarkand or Tashkent is all doable by rail.

Sentyab is between Bukhara and Samarkand/Tashkent. Here is one possible route that I can recommend.

Tashkent - Samarkand - Nukus - Khiva - Bukhara - Sentyab - Tashkent.

[Carafa]

Thanks Steven!

[mvdn]

Is it possbile to buy a train ticket from Bukhara to Khiva in Tashkent?

[AreWeThereYet?]

Is it possbile to buy a train ticket from Bukhara to Khiva in Tashkent?

I did buy my tickets in Tashkent and Bukhara, including routes not departing from either. A tip, if like me you don't speak the lingo, is to write down the trains you'd like to take, including dates and class of travel (I'd forgotten the names of the various plazkart etc so went for 'economy' which worked!) on a piece of paper. In both cases the ticket agents were able to communicate with me using this medium, and that included finding new trains as the Afrosyob were, inevitably, full (that thing is a toy train, it's really small and all you need is a busload of tourists for it to fill up).

[Lutnistas1969]

I'm not sure if it's the best idea to go from Bukhara to Khiva by train. You need to go from Bukhara to Navoi, than to Urgench and than to Khiva.
That takes a very long time. You can go by shared-taxi and it takes about 5 / 6 hours. Here you can see the photos from this road. It's not so horrible.