8-Day Uzbekistan Cultural Tour with Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand

The old town of Khiva retains more than 50 historic monuments and 250 old houses.

Having an English-speaking and professional tour guide lead us through the beautiful streets makes all the difference in our day. The most spectacular area of Khiva is called "Ichan Kala."

This is the walled inner area of the town. Since 1990, it has been protected as a World Heritage Site.

The clustered array of mosques, madrassahs (religious colleges), and tiled minarets within an area of less than 3 kilometers (almost 2 miles) gives us a sense of how bustling this town historically was. Expect to see striking examples of Islamic architecture built over the span of 600 years.

• Qibla Tozabog Palace (located on the outskirts of town)
• Tash Darvoza (a.k.a. Stone Gate or South Gate) and views from atop
• Bikajon Bika Madrasa
• Baggcha Darvoza (a.k.a. Garden Gate or North Gate) (located on the outskirts of town)
• Qosha Darvoza (a.k.a. Twin Gate) (located on the outskirts of town)
• Sayyid Muhammad Makhiruy Mausoleum (located on the outskirts of town)
• Abdallah Bobo Mosque
• Polvon-Qori Madrasa (now a hotel)
• Nurullaboy Saroyi Palace (located on the outskirts of town)
• Ata Darvoza (the town's main gate)
• Mohammed Amin Khan Madrasa (now a hotel with a pleasant courtyard)
• Sayid Alauddin Mausoleum
• Zindan: this used to be a jail.
• Kunya-Ark Citadel (a.k.a. Kurinish Khana): it houses a courtyard, mosques, a fascinating throne room, and a tower, the last of which offers views of the town.
• Mohammed Rakhim Khan Madrasa (now a history museum)
• Pakhlavan Mahmoud Mausoleum (a.k.a. Palvan Pir)
• Shergazi-Khan Madrasa
• Islam Khoja Madrasa (now the Museum of Applied Arts)
• Juma Mosque (a.k.a. Polvon Qori)
• Tach Khaouli Palace: it houses an old public court, a celebration room, and a historic carriage.
• The cupolas and shopping area of Alla Kuli Khan Caravanserai and Alla Kuli Khan Tim
• Allakuli Khan Madrasa
• Hojashberdibiya Madrasa (a.k.a. Khoja Berdibai Madrassa): now full of stalls selling crafts
• Anush-Khan Bathhouse (now a café) and Ak Mosque (now a carpet shop)
• Palvan Darvoza (a.k.a. Warriors' Gate or East Gate)
• Sayid Niaz Shalikarbai Mosque and Madrasa
• Kutlug-Murad Inaka Madrasa

• Bahoutdin Architectural Complex (outside of the city and reached via a 20-minute drive)
• Sitori-i-Mokhi Khosa Palace (now houses the Museum of Applied Arts) (located on the outskirts of the city)
• Chor Bakr Memorial Complex (located around 20 minutes outside of the city): it is home to the necropolis of family tombs as well as courtyards enclosed with walls.
• Nearby is a popular restaurant/cafe called, unsurprisingly, Chor Bakr. Let your guide know if you would like to purchase a kebab there.
• Fayzulla Khodjaev House Museum. Note that this attraction is closed on Wednesdays.
• Chor Minor (a.k.a. Madrasa of Khalif Niyaz-Kul)
• Qo'sh Madrasa Ensemble: home to (A) Abdullah Khan Madrasa and (B) Modari-Khan Madrasa
• Samani Park: home to (A) Ismail Samani Mausoleum (there is a famous tomb inside), (B) Markazi Bazaar (the vibrant central market), (C) the Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum (a museum dedicated to Bukhara's water supply), and (D) the Memorial Complex of Imam Al Bukhari
• Bolo Hauz Mosque
• The Water Tower (now a café offering nice views of the city)
• Western Gate, entrance into the Ark Fortress: home to (A) Jome Mosque (now containing a small calligraphy and literature exhibition), (B) the Kush Begi Complex (a.k.a. the prime minister's residence), and (C) a courtyard called Nagora Khana
• Hoja Zayniddin Mosque
• Zindan (an 18th-century jail)
• Lyab-i Hauz (a popular area with a pond): home to (A) Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasa, (B) the statue of Hodja Nasruddin, (C) Kukeldash Madrasa (a.k.a. the Literary History Museum) (outside only, as the inside isn't particularly impressive), and (D) Khanagha Mosque (ceramic museum) (outside only, as the inside isn't particularly impressive)
• Toqi Sarrafon: semi-enclosed shops (a.k.a. trade dome)
• Magoki Attor Mosque (now the Museum of the History of Carpet Weaving) (outside only, as the inside isn't particularly impressive)
• Museum of Fine Arts (located in a repurposed Tsarist bank building) (outside only, as the inside isn't particularly impressive)
• Toqi Telpak Furushon: semi-enclosed shops
• Tim Abdulla Khan: semi-enclosed shops
• Abdulaziz Khan Madrassah (wood museum)
• Ulugh Beg Madrasa (now the Museum of History of Bukhara Calligraphy)
• Toqi Zargaron: semi-enclosed shops
• Po-i-Kalyan Complex (no internal access is allowed)
• Mir-i-Arab Madrasa

• Gur-i Amir Mausoleum
• Oksaray Mausoleum
• Bibi-Khanym Mosque
• Bibi-Khanym's Mausoleum
• Hazrat Khizr Mosque: resting on a mountaintop with great views surrounding it
• Shah-i Zinda Necropolis: contains the (A) Mausoleum of Kusam-ibn-Abbas, (B) Tomb of Tumanaga, (C) Tomb of Amir Burunduk, (D) octagonal mausoleum built by Ulug Beg, (E) Alim Nesefi Mausoleum, and (F) Tomb of Timur's once-slave (a.k.a. 'Wet Nurse'). Just outside the necropolis are the ruins of a bathhouse built by Ulug Beg.
• Siyob Bazaar (a.k.a. Siab Bazaar or Central Market). Note that this attraction is closed on Mondays.
• Ulugh Beg's Observatory & Museum
• Samarkand Regional Museum of Local Lore (a.k.a. Kalantarov Museum or Jewish Museum)
• Samarkand State University: one of its administrative buildings is attractive.
• The Registan: contains the (A) Ulugh Beg Madrasa and its minaret (great views from atop, but access is sometimes denied to the public), (B) Sher-Dor Madrasa, and (C) Tilya-Kori Madrasa (featuring a must-see golden dome on the interior).