Khiva Travel Guide – 1 Day In The City

Khiva is the Silk Road city in Uzbekistan furthest from Tashkent and that means that not as many people make the journey.

For the travellers that do brave the distance, Khiva is a small walled city that is like a walking museum.

Unfortunately, I only had about 24 hours in Khiva (arriving and then leaving on the same train one day apart) but I felt that was enough time to see everything in the city and experience it.

Of course you can always stay for longer and explore even more at a slower pace, but I feel this one day itinerary for Khiva to be sufficient.

How to get to Khiva

The most common way travellers get to Khiva is by train. The new station opened in 2019 and now has a few daily trains to Tashkent that also pass through Samarkand and Bukhara. I took a train from Margilon in the Fergana Valley on a journey that took more than 20 hours. I booked my ticket a few days in advance and had a third class sleeper seat which cost 299,000som (£18/$25). You can book your train ticket using this link.

Find out more about taking trains in Uzbekistan with my guide.

You can also fly to nearby Urgench airport from Tashkent, Moscow, Istanbul amongst other destinations and then get a taxi or marshrutka for 30-40 minutes to Khiva.

Where to stay in Khiva

As I was only there for 24 hours, I decided to stay close to the train station and choose the Sulton-Sayyor Hotel. It was clean and simple and good value for money.

It’s also possible to stay within the city walls and there are lots of good quality home stays available. Some even have rooftop views over the city.

There are also a couple of AirBnBs inside the city that have great views as well.

If you are staying inside the city, then you don’t need to pay for a ticket if you show your hotel reservation. However if you were to leave and want to go back inside, you would need to pay for a ticket. I met one couple that checked into their hotel within the city walls and didn’t plan on leaving for the one night they were there. They would have missed out on a number of attractions though as tickets are checked at some of the Madrassah.

What to see in Khiva in one day

If you only have one day in Khiva, you can still easily see most of the attractions and get a feel for the place. It is the sort of place where you will be happy just wandering the streets and being is awe at the architecture.

There are, however, a few must see attractions all located within the Itchan Kala :

To get to the Itchan Kala, you need to buy a ticket from the West Gate. The ticket costs 250,000som (£15/$20) and lasts for 48 hours. Because of this, I wouldn’t bother spending more than 48 hours in Khiva. They do check it at all of the entrances to the old city and at many of the attractions.

My favourite attraction in Khiva was the Kalta Minor Minaret located close to the west gate. The stumpy minaret was intended to be 110m high but with the ruler of Khiva at the time was killed in battle, it was topped off at its current height of 29m. The brilliant turqoise colours with the sandy colours of the Mohammed Amin Khan Madrassah (Islamic school) behind it, make it one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve seen.

The Islam Khoja Minaret is also an absolutely stunning building that can be seen from all over the city. It is beautiful to see from the outside but to go to the top will require you to pay an extra 100,000som (£ 6.10/€7.00)

One of the best things to do in Khiva (especially at sunset) is to walk around the city walls. There is an extra cost to this at 40,000som (£2.50/€2.80) but I think it is definitely worth it.

Kuhna Ark is the former residence of Khiva’s ruler and another of the stunning buildings to see in Khiva.

Unfortunately the Juma Mosque was closed for renovations when I visited but it is worth seeing the wooden columns supporting the low roof when you spend your day in Khiva.

Where to eat and drink in Khiva

I had a very good coffee from AimCoffee, just outside the east gate of the city. After my long overnight train from Margilon it was just what I needed.

Many of the restaurants in Khiva are on rooftops which give incredible views over the city, especially in the evening in time for sunset. I ate dinner at Old Terrasa restaurant which was perfect for sunset. I then had breakfast at Terrassa Cafe & Restaurant which opens at 7am and I had the views of the square to myself!

If you’re looking for a few beers, the shade of Murod Josh is a nice place to sit (although looking at their Google reviews, I’m glad that I didn’t eat there!). Minor Restaurant also has a rooftop bar and sells beer and wine with views of many of the minarets over the city.

When to visit Khiva

The best time to visit Khiva is in the shoulder seasons of May or June and September to October. Visiting in July and August will mean temperatures pushing 40+ degrees. In winter, some hotels may close as temperatures plummet and there are few tourists in Uzbekistan. I visited in September and the weather was perfectly clear (as you can see from the photos!) and around 30 degrees which is perfect for exploring.

Summing up 1 day in Khiva

Khiva was my favourite silk road city when visiting Uzbekistan. Although it is the furthest away from the capital Tashkent, it was well worth the journey. The small size and getting to see all the attractions within a short walk of the walled city meant that it was easy to see everything in Khiva in one day.

Although you can spend more than one day in Khiva, I found 24 hours enough to see everything I wanted to and experience this ancient city. Despite being there in September, which is meant to be the busiest time of the year to visit, I felt there were far fewer people than in the other Silk Road cities of Bukhara and Samarkand.

Dan

Dan is an avid traveller from London. His first big adventure was in 2010 living in Malaysia for 3 months. He has been on the road almost constantly since 2015 travelling to destinations that aren’t on the mainstream tourist trail and working full time and travelling since 2021.