Bukhara is the most completely preserved old city in Uzbekistan. In Samarkand the monuments are scattered through the city, whereas here the old centre is all in one place and is walked entirely on foot. Most of those travelling from Baku come here after Samarkand and usually like it more. Below I have written the two days and the train question.
Poi-Kalon and the Ark fortress in Bukhara
Poi-Kalon square is the heart of the city. The Kalon minaret has stood for more than nine hundred years and, according to the legend, Genghis Khan did not raise a hand to destroy it. The Mir-i Arab madrasa opposite is still a working religious school, so going inside is restricted.
The Ark fortress is the city’s oldest structure and was the residence of the emirs. Inside it there are the throne court, a mosque and museum sections. From the top of the walls the roofs of the old city are visible, and this looks best in the morning light.
Lyab-i Hauz, the trading domes and Chor Minor
Lyab-i Hauz is the square around an old water pool and in the evening it is the liveliest place in the city. The mulberry trees at its edge are four hundred years old, and the teahouses are right at the water’s edge. This is the best place for dinner.
The trading domes are covered bazaars remaining from the Silk Road period, each belonging to one trade: hatmakers, jewellers, money changers. Now carpets, miniatures and knives are sold there, and haggling is considered normal. Chor Minor is a small building with four different minarets and is among the city’s most photographed places.
The Samanid mausoleum and outside the city
The Samanid mausoleum remains from the tenth century and is among the earliest examples of Islamic architecture in Central Asia. The pattern is created with the brick itself, which means there is no tilework at all. It is a small building, but it is worth looking at closely.
Six kilometres from the city there is the Sitorai Mohi-Khosa summer palace, where European and Eastern styles are mixed. The Bahauddin Naqshband complex nearby is a place of pilgrimage and is full for most of the day. A taxi is needed for both, and booking a transfer in advance works out both cheaper and more predictable than negotiating in the street.
Read more: An Uzbekistan travel guide: Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, the Afrosiyob train and the home of pilaf
Transport and budget in Bukhara
Citizens of Azerbaijan go to Uzbekistan visa-free, and that makes the route considerably simpler. Coming from Tashkent and Samarkand on the Afrosiyob high-speed train is the most comfortable way, while the tickets sell quickly, especially in spring and autumn. Within the city the old centre is entirely on foot.
| A hotel in the old city | 30–70 dollars a night |
| Boutique caravanserai hotel | 70–120 dollars |
| Dinner in a restaurant | 8–15 dollars a head |
| Visa | Not required |
Staying in the old city, close to Lyab-i Hauz, puts everything within walking distance, so choose hotels by nearness to the old centre. There are direct flights from Baku to Tashkent and you continue by train from there, so check ticket prices in the Tashkent direction in advance. Official tourism information is on Uzbekistan’s national tourism portal.
Season in Bukhara
April–May and September–October are the best months, with the weather at 20–28 degrees. In June–August the temperature passes forty and a daytime walk becomes almost impossible, so in those months the programme has to be moved to the morning and the evening. November–March is cool and sometimes frosty, but there are few tourists and prices are low. In Novruz week the city comes alive and the hotels fill up in advance.
A last word
Bukhara is the city that keeps the Silk Road in its most complete form, and two days are quite enough for it. Stay in the old centre, go to Poi-Kalon in the morning, spend the evening at Lyab-i Hauz, and buy the train ticket months ahead. If you want to travel Uzbekistan with three cities, you can look at the ready-made tour options. For a route, fill in the application form.
Note: the train timetable and hotel prices change with the season, so check before booking.
