The Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva preserve turquoise-tiled madrasas and trading domes from the Timurid era, all linked by Soviet-built rail running comfortable overnight services.
Highlights
Samarkand
Bukhara
Khiva
Tashkent
When to Visit
Apr-May
Spring blossom across Fergana Valley, Samarkand's Registan light show begins, and walking the cities pleasant before summer hit.
Jun-Aug
Hits 40°C in Bukhara and Khiva, walking the open squares brutal by midday. Tashkent metro and Samarkand iwans offer cool refuge.
Sep-Oct
Pomegranate and grape harvests across Fergana, Bukhara and Samarkand at their most pleasant, and crowds drop noticeably.
Nov-Mar
Cold winters with snow possible in Tashkent, but the cities can be magical empty. Fergana and Khiva get genuinely freezing.
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