Getting in and out of Khiva

Quick links: Khiva city guide – Khiva accommodation

Train

Previously you had to get off at Urgench, but since 2019, Khiva is connected to the Uzbek railway network with its own train station (Gmaps / OSM). A daily train runs to Tashkent, with stops in Bukhara, Navoi and Samarkand.

However, we have noticed an extra 2 hours waiting time for some trains in the station of Urgench. That’s annoying. In this case, it might be better to take a taxi for the short ride to Urgench, rather than wait in the train for 2 hours.

If booking a ticket online did not work for you, the tourist info office opposite the Kalta Minor will buy the ticket for you for 20 000 sum if you don’t fancy the journey to the train station.

More details on timetables, routes, tickets and more on the Uzbek train page.

Bus and shared taxi

Most traffic to and from Khiva goes via Urgench. If you are trying to get directly to eg. Nukus without passing Urgench, it’s best to arrange it in advance or pay for the whole car rather than hoping someone else will come by to fill up a shared taxi.

Shared taxis to Urgench gather at the North Gate of the Ichan Qala (OSM). Here you can also hop on the trolleybus, which brings you to Urgench at a snail’s pace. Trolleybuses leave Urgench every 30 minutes during daytime and the journey takes about 60 minutes.

In Urgench, the shared taxi stand is at the Urgench Bazaar next to the Dynamo Stadium. Near the train station you can also find taxis.

Flight

Urgench airport serves Khiva. It’s a small regional airport with daily flights to Tashkent, and less frequent flights to Ferghana and Termez. Internationally, regular flights serve Moscow and several other Russian cities.

Destinations

Bukhara & Samarkand

It takes 6 hours to get to Bukhara by train from Urgench (see our reservations about the train from Khiva in the train paragraph above). By shared taxi it also takes 6 hours, but it will be infinitely less comfortable. Samarkand is an extra 2 hours on the train.

The road between Bukhara and Khiva is new, but it is still a long and boring ride: shared taxis take 6h, a seat costs ~70 000 sum.

Tashkent

You can take the direct sleeper train to Tashkent (14h from Urgench), or take a flight (1 hour).

Nukus

There is no marshrutka or shared taxi going from Khiva to Nukus directly. Taxis will drive you there directly for 30$. If that’s too rich for your blood, get a shared taxi to Urgench bazaar and from there, another shared taxi to Nukus for 50 000 sum / seat. Expect the whole process to take around 3 hours.

Turkmenistan

Dashoguz is nearby, but taxi drivers are not keen on getting you to the border cheaply. All info on crossing the border at Turkmenistan border crossings.

Getting around Khiva

Taxis don’t run in the Ichon Qala, so you will have to walk. Since the inner city is so compact, it’s very easy to take a leisurely stroll. Outside of the walled city, you can get a taxi for a tiny sum to anywhere nearby.