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Beyond the walls of Itchan Kala

Fixed-date departuresKhiva, Bukhara and Samarkand, unhurried

Beyond the walls of Itchan Kala

Tashkent · Khiva · Bukhara · Samarkand

Days
11
Destinations
4
Guests (max)
8

From €4,900 per guest

Want to take this journey privately? Learn more

OverviewThe three great Silk Road cities at the pace they deserve, with evenings inside Khiva’s walls and a private dinner in a Bukharan merchant’s house.

Highlights

  • Two nights inside the walls of Khiva: Itchan Kala at dawn and after the last tour buses leave
  • A private dinner in a nineteenth-century Bukharan merchant’s house
  • The Registan in late-afternoon light, and again when the square is quiet
  • The desert road across the Kyzylkum, following the Amu Darya
  • Mornings with suzani embroiderers and the paper-makers of Konigil
  • Your host with you from arrival to farewell

Most visitors see Khiva in an afternoon. We give it two nights, so that you can walk Itchan Kala at dawn and again after the last tour buses have left.

From there the route follows the old caravan road east — through the Kyzylkum to Bukhara, then on to Samarkand by fast train — with time in each city to sit, look and be welcomed.

Why travel with XANAKA

  • Your host travels with you, from arrival to farewell
  • Small groups of up to 8 guests
  • Private access to homes, workshops and courtyards
  • Boutique hotels and historic guesthouses

Itinerary

Show on the map: TashkentTashkentShow on the map: KhivaKhivaShow on the map: BukharaBukharaShow on the map: SamarkandSamarkandShow on the map: Tashkent

Tashkent

Day 1Arrival in Tashkent

Your host meets you at the airport. An easy afternoon, then dinner in a garden restaurant in the old town.

Arrival in Tashkent
  • Overnight: Tashkent
  • Dinner

Day 2Tashkent, old and new

The Hast Imam complex and its Quran manuscript, Chorsu bazaar, and the modernist mosaics of the metro.

  • Overnight: Tashkent
  • Breakfast, Lunch

Khiva

Day 3Flight to Khiva

A short flight west. In the late afternoon, a first walk inside Itchan Kala as the walls turn gold.

Day 4Khiva at dawn

The inner town before the day visitors arrive; the Tash-Hauli palace; sunset from the Islam Khoja minaret.

Bukhara

Day 5Across the Kyzylkum

The desert road to Bukhara, following the Amu Darya, with a picnic lunch on the way.

Day 7A merchant’s house

A morning with suzani embroiderers; in the evening, a private dinner in a nineteenth-century merchant’s house.

Samarkand

Day 8Train to Samarkand

The fast train east. The Registan in the late afternoon light, before dinner.

Day 9Samarkand

Shah-i-Zinda, Bibi-Khanym and the Siab bazaar; lunch with a family in the mahalla.

Day 10Paper and silk

The paper mill at Konigil and a carpet workshop. A farewell dinner in a courtyard garden.

Tashkent

Day 11Departure

The fast train to Tashkent for your flight home, or an extension to the Fergana Valley.

  • Breakfast

Extensions

+3 days

Extend to the Fergana Valley

Silk in Margilan and the blue kilns of Rishtan, by train over the Kamchik pass.

+1 day

Arrive a day early in Tashkent

Rest after the flight and see the metro’s mosaics before the journey begins.

Like this route, but on your own dates?

Your host can shape it around you: your dates, your pace, your hotels.

Learn more

Where you stay

  • Khiva

    [Boutique hotel, Itchan Kala]

    [Partner hotel to confirm — two lines about the house and its rooms.]

  • Bukhara

    [Merchant’s house hotel]

    [Partner hotel to confirm.]

  • Samarkand

    [Courtyard hotel]

    [Partner hotel to confirm.]

A guest on this route

“[Guest quote, published with the guest’s written permission. Two to three sentences about the journey and the host.]”
[Guest name] · [Country]

Dates & prices

  • 8–18 October 2026

    Up to 12 guests · EN / FR

    From €2,100 per guest

    Waitlist only

  • 14–24 April 2027

    Up to 8 guests · EN / FR

    From €4,900 per guest

    Waitlist only

  • 22 September – 2 October 2027

    Up to 8 guests · EN / FR

    From €4,900 per guest

    Waitlist only

Journey details

Included

  • All accommodation in boutique hotels and guesthouses
  • Your host throughout the journey
  • Private transport and high-speed trains
  • Breakfast daily and the meals listed in the programme
  • Private experiences and entrance fees

Not included

  • International flights
  • Travel insurance (medical insurance with evacuation cover is required)
  • Visa fees, where applicable
  • Drinks and personal expenses

Activity level

●●●●●

11 days, 10 nights

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JourneyBeyond the walls of Itchan Kala

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