Khiva · Bukhara · Samarkand · Tashkent

Silk RoadOn to Samarkand in 8 days

Blue domes, caravan cities and plov from the kazan

Nonstop from Milan, Italian-speaking guide, full board. No visa needed

A week on the Silk Road without doubling back. You land in Urgench at dawn and start in Khiva, the fortress city in the desert; then the new high-speed train to Bukhara and the Afrosiyob to Samarkand and Tashkent, where a nonstop flight takes you home to Italy.

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8 days: 6 hotel nights, 4 cities
No visa: for Italian passports
≤ 20: travellers per group
+4 h: ahead of Italy (+3 h in summer)

Next departure 22–29 Mar 2027 Reserve a seat

Route

From Khiva to Tashkent, like the caravans

The route runs one way: you arrive in Khorezm and fly home from the capital. Between cities you travel by train, three legs in all, and no day is spent entirely on a coach.

Day 1Milan → UrgenchNonstop night flight
Day 3Khiva → BukharaNew high-speed train, 09:55 → 14:32
Day 5Bukhara → SamarkandAfrosiyob train, about 1 h 40 min
Day 7Samarkand → TashkentAfrosiyob train, about 2 h 10 min
Day 8Tashkent → MilanNonstop afternoon flight

Nonstop flights from and to MilanThree legs by trainItalian-speaking guideFull boardAll entrance fees included

Nonstop flights both ways

Out: a Monday-evening Uzbekistan Airways flight from Milan Malpensa lands in Urgench at dawn on Tuesday (April 2026: 21:10 → 05:50). Early check-in in Khiva is included.
Home: on Monday, nonstop HY 255 from Tashkent to Milan Malpensa, about 15:10 → 18:30. No need to go back to Urgench.

These are 2026 timetables; 2027 flights are confirmed when you book. From Rome Fiumicino, Uzbekistan Airways flies to Urgench on Sunday evenings (one extra night in Khiva on request); other cities connect, for example via Istanbul. Uzbekistan is 4 hours ahead of Italy, 3 hours in summer.

Programme

Four cities in six nights

Day 2

Khiva

A city inside its walls

Itchan KalaUNESCO World Heritage since 1990
Kalta MinorThe tiled minaret that was never finished
Juma MosqueMore than 200 carved wooden columns
Pahlavon Mahmud MausoleumPoet, wrestler and patron saint of Khiva
Islam Khoja Minaret1910, the tallest in town
Tash Hauli PalaceThe khans' palace and its courtyards

SunsetThe sun going down over the mud-brick walls, seen from the ramparts of Itchan Kala.

Days 3–5

Bukhara

A museum city 2,500 years old

Poi KalonKalyan Minaret (1127) and great mosque
Lyabi HauzMadrasas and teahouses around a pool
Samanid Mausoleum9th–10th c., a masterpiece in brick
Ark FortressSeat of the emirs of Bukhara
Trading domesCovered bazaars of the 16th century
Sitorai Mohi HosaSummer palace of the last emir

EveningDinner with music and dance in a madrasa courtyard.

Days 5–7

Samarkand

Timur's Blue City

RegistanThree madrasas, 15th–17th c.
Gur-e AmirTimur's tomb
Shah-i-ZindaA street of blue-tiled tombs
Bibi-Khanym MosqueOne of the largest mosques of the 15th c.
Ulugh Beg Observatory15th-century astronomy
KonigilPaper made by hand from mulberry bark

EveningThe Registan lit up after the crowds have gone.

Days 7–8

Tashkent

Where the East meets Soviet modernism

Hazrati Imam complexMosques and madrasas from the 16th c.
Muyi Muborak LibraryThe 7th-century Uthman Quran
Chorsu BazaarUnder a great green dome
Tashkent MetroEvery station decorated differently
Amir Timur SquareThe city centre
Navoi TheatreBuilt in 1947

Last lunchPlov at the Plov Centre, cooked in cauldrons for hundreds.

Day by day

Dates appear here when you choose a departure. Meals: B breakfast, L lunch, D dinner.

Day 1
Italy → Urgench
Meet at Milan Malpensa airport for the nonstop Uzbekistan Airways night flight to Urgench. Night on board.
—
Day 2
Khiva, the walled city
Arrival in Urgench at dawn; your guide meets you for the transfer to Khiva (about 40 minutes). Early check-in, rest and breakfast. A day on foot in Itchan Kala: Kunya Ark, Muhammad Amin Khan Madrasa and Kalta Minor, the Juma Mosque with its carved columns, Pahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum, Islam Khoja Minaret and Tash Hauli Palace. Sunset from the ramparts.
B L D
Day 3
High-speed train to Bukhara
At 09:55 the new electric train crosses the Kyzylkum desert along the Amu Darya, arriving in Bukhara at 14:32. Lunch and a first walk: Lyabi Hauz with the Nadir Divan-Begi and Kukeldash madrasas, Magok-i Attori Mosque and the first trading dome.
B L D
Day 4
Bukhara in a day
Samanid Mausoleum, Chashma Ayub, Bolo Hauz Mosque and the Ark. A plov cooking lesson for lunch in a Bukhara home. In the afternoon Poi Kalon with the Kalyan Minaret and Mir-i Arab Madrasa, the trading domes, the Ulugh Beg and Abdulaziz Khan madrasas and Chor Minor. Dinner with a folk show in a madrasa.
B L D
Day 5
Afrosiyob to Samarkand
Morning at Sitorai Mohi Hosa, the last emir's summer palace. Lunch, then the Afrosiyob high-speed train to Samarkand (about 1 h 40 min). Gur-e Amir, Timur's tomb, and the Registan with its three madrasas, lit up in the evening.
B L D
Day 6
Samarkand, the blue city
The Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Siab Bazaar. In the afternoon the Ulugh Beg Observatory, the Afrasiyab Museum with its 7th-century murals, the Mausoleum of the Prophet Daniel and the Konigil workshop, where paper is made from mulberry bark.
B L D
Day 7
Samarkand → Tashkent
A morning inside the Registan madrasas and at a silk carpet workshop. Lunch, then the Afrosiyob to Tashkent (about 2 h 10 min). Hotel check-in and dinner.
B L D
Day 8
Tashkent → Italy
The Hazrati Imam complex and the Uthman Quran, Chorsu Bazaar, a few metro stations and Amir Timur Square. Lunch at the Plov Centre, transfer to the airport and the nonstop afternoon flight to Milan Malpensa.
B L

Experiences

Three moments included

Beyond the monuments, every city has one experience included in the price: a story with an Italian thread, a cooking lesson and a craft workshop.

Khiva Day 2 · at sunset

Organci, a stop for Florentine merchants

Around 1340 the Florentine Francesco Balducci Pegolotti, in his merchants' handbook Pratica della mercatura, set out the road to Cathay: from Tana on the Sea of Azov to Organci, today's Urgench, and on to the east. Your guide tells the story as you climb the ramparts of Khiva for sunset.

PegolottiOrganciSunset on the ramparts

Bukhara Day 4 · lunch and dinner

A plov lesson and dinner in a madrasa

At lunch, in a Bukhara home, you cook plov with the chef: carrots cut into matchsticks, rice, meat and the great cauldron, the kazan. In the evening, dinner with music, dance and a show of costumes in Bukhara silk and gold embroidery in a madrasa courtyard.

PlovKazanFolk dance

Samarkand Day 6 · afternoon

Afrasiyab and mulberry paper

The Afrasiyab Museum keeps 7th-century murals of ambassadors arriving at the court of Samarkand; since 2001 the University of Bologna has excavated around the city with Uzbekistan's Institute of Archaeology. Then the Konigil workshop, where paper is still made by hand from mulberry bark, and everyone can try.

AfrasiyabBologna missionMulberry paper

Travel album

Uzbekistan in pictures

Blue tiles, mud-brick walls, minarets at dusk. Every city has free time for photographs.

Pahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum and Islam Khoja Minaret, Khiva

No hassle

Made for travellers from Italy

Nonstop flights, no visa and the pace of a cultural tour: plenty of monuments, but no days lost on a coach.

Nonstop flights

Land in Urgench and fly home from Tashkent: no trip back across the country.

No visa

Up to 30 days on an Italian passport; hotels register you.

Italian-speaking guide

A local guide who speaks Italian for the whole route.

Full board

Breakfast, lunch and dinner, with mineral water at meals.

By train, not by coach

Khiva to Bukhara on the new high-speed train, then the Afrosiyob.

The Mitra Travel standard

The tour in figures

Agents sell a finished product; their clients enjoy a carefree journey.

≤ 20: travellers per group
6 nights: 4★ and boutique hotels
20: meals included
3: legs by train
3: UNESCO World Heritage cities
B2B: net rates for agents

Tour package

What the price covers

No hidden conditions: you know in advance what is included.

Included

6 nights (Khiva 1, Bukhara 2, Samarkand 2, Tashkent 1) in 4★ and boutique hotels, double or twin rooms
Early check-in in Khiva on the day of arrival
Full board: 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 6 dinners, mineral water at meals and on the coach
Plov lesson and dinner with folk show in Bukhara, paper workshop in Konigil
High-speed train Khiva → Bukhara, Afrosiyob trains Bukhara → Samarkand and Samarkand → Tashkent
Private air-conditioned coach for sightseeing and transfers, airport transfers
Entrance fees to the sites and museums in the programme
Italian-speaking local guide for the whole tour
Tourist tax

Paid separately

International flights and airport taxes (group seats on Uzbekistan Airways on request)
Medical and cancellation insurance
Single room supplement
Drinks at meals other than water
Camera fees at some museums
Tips for guide and driver, personal expenses
Shakhrisabz excursion and extra nights (on request)

The exact price and terms are in the quote we send after your enquiry. The order of visits may change without shortening the programme.

Online booking · 2027

Choose your departure

Eight departures from March to October 2027, each for up to 20 travellers. Choose a date and the number of guests; we confirm the seats and send a quote.

March 2027

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For Italian travel agencies and tour operators

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On the Mitra Travel B2B platform you see free seats for every date, net rates and your commission. Book, upload passenger lists and download programmes and vouchers.

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About Mitra Travel

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Questions and answers

Before you travel

Do Italian citizens need a visa?

No. Italian citizens enter Uzbekistan visa-free for stays of up to 30 days. Passports should be valid for at least 3 months beyond the return date, and children need their own passport. Hotels handle the compulsory registration. Check the Uzbekistan page on Viaggiare Sicuri before you travel.

Are flights included?

No. The price covers the tour from arrival in Urgench to departure from Tashkent. We can book group seats on the nonstop Uzbekistan Airways night flight Milan Malpensa → Urgench and on the return Tashkent → Malpensa. From Rome Fiumicino there is a Sunday-evening nonstop to Urgench, with one extra night in Khiva; other cities connect.

Money and cards?

The currency is the Uzbek sum. Visa and Mastercard work in hotels, many restaurants and shops, and the main banks' ATMs give cash. Bazaars and small shops want cash: change euros or dollars at a bank with your passport.

Time difference?

Uzbekistan is 4 hours ahead of Italy in winter and 3 hours in summer; clocks there do not change.

Phone and internet?

Uzbekistan is outside the EU, so roaming is expensive. A local SIM card can be bought with your passport at the airport or in town; your guide will help. WhatsApp works normally and hotels have Wi-Fi.

Do I need a plug adapter?

220 V with German-style sockets (types C and F): two-pin plugs fit, Italian three-pin plugs need an adapter.

Does the guide speak Italian?

Yes, for the whole route. Hotel staff speak English; in the bazaars a smile and a calculator are enough.

How demanding is the tour?

The old towns have cobbles and steps; you walk 5–8 km a day at an easy pace. There are two early starts, the dawn arrival in Urgench after the night flight and the 09:55 train from Khiva, but no long coach transfers. Suitable for children from 10.

What is the food like?

Plov, shashlik, lagman noodles, samsa, soups and tandoor bread, with excellent fruit and vegetables and few spicy dishes. Local restaurants generally do not serve pork; wine and beer are available almost everywhere. Tell us about vegetarian or gluten-free diets and allergies when you book.

Weather and clothing?

April, May, September and October are best, about 18–28 °C by day. Late March is 15–20 °C with cool evenings; August passes 38 °C, so sightseeing is early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Cover shoulders and knees in mosques and mausoleums; a scarf is useful for women.

Group size and private tours?

Up to 20 travellers per departure; the minimum is in the quote. On request: private tours, a place for the agency's tour leader, the Shakhrisabz excursion and extra nights.

Do you work with travel agencies?

Yes. Agencies book at net rates on the Mitra Travel B2B platform, or choose "Travel agency" in the form below and we will send a login. Contract and payment terms are agreed with each agency.

Mausoleum of Imam al-Maturidi, Samarkand

Uzbekistan is ready for your guests

Questions about dates, prices or a private group? Write on WhatsApp, call us or send a request on the site.

Travel agents: book net rates on the Mitra Travel B2B platform.