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Voykit pocket guide · Uzbekistan
Bukhara
Бухоро
Give Bukhara two nights: its old town is the best-preserved in Uzbekistan and easy to walk, and it is about 1.5 hours from Samarkand by fast train.
Bukhara is a UNESCO-listed Silk Road city whose historic centre has domes, madrasas and trading arcades within walking distance. It sits in the desert west of Samarkand and is the natural stop before or after Khiva. Evenings around the Lyabi-Hauz pool are the local focus. Two nights is enough for the old town; add a third night if you want the outlying palace and necropolis without rushing.
- Country
- Uzbekistan
- Local name
- Бухоро
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (very hot), Dec–Jan (cold)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- UZS
- Money
- Soʻm in small notes for bazaars, taxis and tea houses; the largest note is worth little abroad.
- Daily spend
- Budget UZS 250,000–450,000 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · Mid UZS 450,000–900,000 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · High UZS 900,000+ excl. bed (2026 estimate) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Beeline, Ucell, Mobiuz and Uzmobile sell SIMs with a passport at the airport and city shops; registration takes a few minutes.
- Emergency
- Police 102 · Fire 101 · Ambulance 103
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin plugs fit; bring an adapter for UK or US plugs.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: A 10–15% service charge is often added; if not, 5–10%.; Taxis: Round up; no tip on app fares.; Guides and drivers: US$5–10 a day for a guide, a little less for a driver.
- Water
- Not safe from the tap; bottled water UZS 3,000–6,000 in shops. Boiled tea is always safe.
- Toilets
- Squat toilets at bazaars and bus stations, sometimes a small fee; carry tissue. Hotels and restaurants have Western toilets.
Get in
By air
- BHK · Bukhara International
- About 5 km (3.1 mi) from the old town; taxi or app about 15 min, roughly UZS 30,000–60,000 (2026 estimate)About 3.1 mi (5 km) from the old town; taxi or app about 15 min, roughly UZS 30,000–60,000 (2026 estimate)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The old town is walkable in a day; use taxis or apps for the outskirts and the railway station, which is about 12 km (7.5 mi) away at Kagan (fares about UZS 40,000–80,000, 2026 estimate). Afrosiyob and Sharq trains run to Samarkand and Tashkent; a shuttle taxi links Bukhara with Kagan.The old town is walkable in a day; use taxis or apps for the outskirts and the railway station, which is about 7.5 mi (12 km) away at Kagan (fares about UZS 40,000–80,000, 2026 estimate). Afrosiyob and Sharq trains run to Samarkand and Tashkent; a shuttle taxi links Bukhara with Kagan.
See and do
Known for
- Poi Kalyan complex (Kalyan minaret and mosque)
- Ark Fortress
- Lyabi-Hauz pool and teahouses
- Trading domes (Toki Zargaron, Toki Sarrafon)
- Ismail Samani Mausoleum
- Chor Minor
- Suzani textiles and knives from local workshops
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sitorai Mohi-Khosa palace | Taxi, about 5 km (3.1 mi) north of the centerTaxi, about 3.1 mi (5 km) north of the center | About 15–20 min each way |
| Gijduvan ceramics | Taxi or shared car, about 45 km (28 mi)Taxi or shared car, about 28 mi (45 km) | About 45–60 min each way |
| Samarkand | Afrosiyob or Sharq train | About 2–2.5 h each way |
| Khiva | Sharq train or long road transfer, about 450 km (280 mi)Sharq train or long road transfer, about 280 mi (450 km) | About 7–8 h |
Sleep
- Old town near Lyabi-Hauz
- Walk to nearly everything; guesthouses in old courtyard houses, best for a first visit.
- Around Ark Fortress
- Quieter, still central, and close to the Bolo-Hauz Mosque and the city walls.
- Around Toki Zargaron and the trading domes
- Bazaar streets by day; noisier and busier, with short walks to the Kalyan complex.
- Jewish quarter and Khoja Nurabad area
- Small family guesthouses in quieter lanes, about 10 min walk from Lyabi-Hauz.
Language
Uzbek is the state language, written in Latin script, though Cyrillic signs remain. Russian is the common second language in Tashkent and among older people everywhere. Samarkand and Bukhara are largely Tajik-speaking; Karakalpak is spoken around Nukus. English is growing among young people and in hotels.
- Assalomu alaykum (hello), rahmat (thank you), qancha? (how much?) cover most transactions.
- Addresses are often given by landmark (oriyentir); save them on a map.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Right hand on heart with 'assalomu alaykum'; men shake hands with men; avoid: Offering a hand to a woman unless she offers first
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring sweets or fruit; sit where the host shows; avoid: Sitting with feet pointing at people or at the table spread (dastarkhan)
- Tea: Accept at least one bowl; avoid: Refusing everything offered
- Bread: Break it by hand, place it face up; avoid: Throwing bread away where people can see
- Dress: Long trousers or skirts in old towns and villages; avoid: Shorts and bare shoulders at religious sites
- Elders: Stand when they enter; let them eat first; avoid: Interrupting
Scams and watch-outs
- Summer temperatures are very high; plan a midday rest and drink water.
- Carpet and souvenir sellers can be persistent; you can say no once and keep walking.
- The main station is at Kagan, not in the city: allow 30 min plus check-in time for the transfer.
- Winter nights can fall below freezing and some guesthouses heat poorly; ask about heating.
- Check the current entry fees for the Ark and other monuments, and whether a camera fee applies.
Bukhara is a low-crime tourist town; expect persistent souvenir selling, summer heat and taxi overcharging rather than danger. Check your own government's travel advice before you go.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bukhara yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Poi Kalyan complex (Kalyan minaret and mosque)
- Ark Fortress
- Lyabi-Hauz pool and teahouses
- Trading domes (Toki Zargaron, Toki Sarrafon)
- Ismail Samani Mausoleum
- Chor Minor
- Suzani textiles and knives from local workshops
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Uzbekistan Tourism: uzbekistan.travel/en/
- Wikivoyage — Bukhara: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bukhara
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/bukhara). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.