Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan holds the densest concentration of Silk Road architecture anywhere: tiled madrasas, caravanserais and desert fortresses across Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. High-speed trains link the main cities, visas were dropped for many nationalities, and costs remain low. Summer heat is extreme in the desert belt, which makes spring and autumn the practical seasons.

Cities

Bukhara

Bukhara's old town is a lived-in medieval centre rather than a set of monuments: trading domes, a working madrasa quarter and the Ark fortress, all walkable. It feels older and quieter than Samarkand and most sites are within ten minutes of the Lyabi-Hauz pool. Caravanserai guesthouses are the characteristic place to stay.

Khiva

Khiva's Itchan Kala is a walled desert city kept almost entirely intact, small enough to walk in a couple of hours and best at dawn and dusk when the mud walls turn orange. A single ticket covers most monuments inside the walls. It is the most remote of the three main Silk Road cities and the most atmospheric at night.

Samarkand

Samarkand is the headline Silk Road city, built around the Registan's three facing madrasas and the Timurid mausoleums of Shah-i-Zinda and Gur-e-Amir. The monuments are heavily restored but the scale and tilework are unmatched. Two nights is enough, and the fast train from Tashkent takes just over two hours.

When to go

See all seasons

• Spring: Warm days, blossom in the valleys, the best month range overall.
• Summer: Over 40°C in Bukhara and Khiva; sightseeing limited to early and late.
• Autumn: Clear, warm and the melon and grape season.

Entry & visas

Entry rules for this country aren't published here yet.

Always confirm entry rules with the official source before you book.