The complete guide to the Khiva to Bukhara train!
Bukhara and Khiva are both beautiful Silk Road cities that are popular stops on most Uzbekistan travel itineraries. It’s likely that at some point during your time in Uzbekistan, you will need to travel between Khiva and Bukhara.
To travel between Khiva and Bukhara you can either take the train, a shared taxi or a private transfer.
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Taking a shared taxi between Khiva and Bukhara
To get a shared taxi from Khiva to Bukhara, you will first need to travel to Urgench. There are no direct shared taxis that make the entire journey from Khiva to Bukhara.
To get to Urgench, buses leave from Itchan Kala north gate to Urgench Bazaar. From there, you can take a shared taxi to Bukhara. The car will leave when full and takes around 7 hours.
Khiva to Bukhara by private transfer
Travelling with a private driver is rather affordable in Uzbekistan, particularly if you are travelling with a group and can share costs.
Your hotel or guesthouse will be able to organise a private driver for you. The advantage is that you can leave on your own schedule and you don’t have to travel to Urgench first. We were quoted $70USD for a private door-to-door transfer from Khiva to Bukhara.
I personally think that the most convenient, enjoyable and affordable way to travel from Khiva to Bukhara is by taking the train.
Getting the train from Khiva to Bukhara
The train is the easiest way to cover the long distances involved with travelling in Uzbekistan.
There are daily options for travelling from Khiva to Bukhara by train.
How to book the train in Uzbekistan
Fortunately for travellers, it is possible to book the train in Uzbekistan online.
The UZ Railways website is relatively easy to use. You can change the language on the website to English, Russian or Uzbek. It can be a little glitchy and change the language back when moving between pages but overall it’s a decent website. There is also a UZ Railways app which doesn’t have this problem.
It is a good idea to book trains early when travelling in Uzbekistan. It is a popular way for locals to travel and some of the routes can sell out.
Khiva to Bukhara train timetable
There is a direct train that runs between Khiva and Bukhara. These tend to sell out early so need to be booked in advance.
126Ф train – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 11:10am
There is another train, the 056Ж which is listed on the Uzbek Railways website. However there are never tickets available so I think this train no longer runs.
Urgench to Bukhara train timetable
If you check the UZ Railways website and there is no availability for a train from Khiva to Bukhara, don’t despair.
Urgench is the next town over from Khiva that has a railway station on the same line. If the Khiva to Bukhara train has sold out, you can usually still get the train from Urgench to Bukhara.
126Ф train – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 12:10pm
126Ч train – Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday at 11:03am
How to get from Khiva to Urgench
There are two options to get from Khiva to Urgench.
If you choose to travel by public transport, there is a bus that leaves from the North Gate of Itchan Kala that goes to Urgench Bazaar. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go the whole way to Urgench station. You will still need to get a taxi to the station.
Alternatively, you can organise a taxi or private driver. Yandex Go doesn’t work in Khiva so you will need to use a public taxi or organise a transfer through your hotel.
For reference, we took a private transfer from our hotel and it costs $15USD or 190,000 som. The drive is about 40 minutes.
On the train from Khiva to Bukhara
On the train from Khiva to Bukhara you will have an option of a 3rd class sleeper or a coupe ticket. Here is a breakdown of what to expect in each class.
Third class sleeper train in Uzbekistan
I would say that the third class sleeper carriage is relatively comfortable. There are compartments on one side of the carriage with 2 sets of bunk beds in each. There is a small table and window between the beds. During the day, the bottom bunks are treated as seats and the person with the top bunk bed sits down on the bed below.
Along the other side of the hallway are individual bunk beds. During the day the bottom bunks are treated as seats. There is a small table between the two seats that folds away to make the bottom bunk into a bed for the night time. The train from Khiva to Bukhara is a day train, so you probably won’t use this function. If you are travelling the opposite direction, you will board the train around 4am when people are sleeping.
There is no air-conditioning in the third class sleeper carriages. There are windows along the individual bunks and one between the top bunks in the compartment. The windows open but the journey can be pretty dusty so it’s sometimes better to keep it closed.
We travelled in the third class sleeper carriage a few times in Uzbekistan and it was totally fine. It’s nice to be in with all the locals and the beds are relatively comfortable. The only downside is there is no privacy and in summer it can be very hot.
Coupe class train in Uzbekistan
Booking the coupe will give you a slightly more comfortable journey. There are private cabins with 4 beds in each. You can close and lock the door. The beds are also a little bit longer because they dont need to make room for additional beds along the hallway.
Each bed has a reading light. There are no charging ports in the room but there are some outside in the hallway.
The biggest difference between the third class sleeper and the coupe is air-conditioning. There is no air-con in the 3rd class sleeper and there is some air-con in the coupe. But its a good idea to set your expectations low here. These are Soviet-era trains and the air-con isn’t amazing. Still, any air-con on a 40°C summer day is welcomed.
Amenities on the Khiva to Bukhara train
Each carriage has generally has two toilets at the end. The toilets are usually pretty clean. They flush, have toilet paper, toilet seats and a small sink to wash your hands. They are toilets on a very old, hot train so they aren’t always a joy to use, but I would say they were better than I expected.
At large stops people usually get on board to sell food and drinks. We were able to buy cold water, some fried bread, snacks and even cold beers.
Arriving in Bukhara
Bukhara train station is about 12km out of town. The good news is that Yandex works in Bukhara so it is easy and cheap to grab a ride into the city.
The train station has some shops to buy food and cold drinks as well as public toilets.
Where to stay in Bukhara
Bukhara is a city well-established to cater to tourists and has accommodation to fit everyone’s style and budget. Here are some of the best options for places to stay in Bukhara.
Budget – You are spoiled for choice with budget hotel and hostel options in Bukhara. Mohina Hostel can’t be beaten for location and value for money.
Mid-range – Antique Hotel Imran ticks all of the boxes and then some. Friendly staff, perfect location, cosy rooms and a gorgeous traditional courtyard for guests to enjoy!
Luxury – Located in the old town with each room uniquely and ornately decorated in a traditional Uzbek style, you really can’t beat Komil Bukhara Boutique Hotel.
Boutique – You won’t find an experience more authentic than Marhaba Boutique Madrasah Hotel. Set in a 15th Century madrasah, this place is pure vibes!
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