Getting there and around
Flights to Uzbekistan, fast trains, domestic flights and crossing into neighbouring countries.
Tashkent is the main gateway, with direct flights from several European cities and easy connections through Istanbul and the Gulf. Inside the country, fast trains and short domestic flights link every city on the Silk Road.
Flights to Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan Airways flies direct to Tashkent from several European capitals, including a weekly direct flight from Madrid since 2026. Connections through Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), Dubai, Doha or Moscow add flexibility. Samarkand, Bukhara and Urgench (for Khiva) also have international airports, which makes it easy to arrive in one city and leave from another.
We can book your international flights or advise on the best routing for your dates.
Arriving
On all our trips a driver meets you in the arrivals hall with your name, whatever the time of your flight. The airport in Tashkent is about 20 minutes from the city centre. Passport control is quick for visa-free nationalities; keep your hotel address handy.
Trains
The high-speed Afrosiyob (up to 250 km/h, Spanish Talgo trains) is the most comfortable way between the great cities:
- Tashkent to Samarkand: about 2 h 10 min to 2 h 30 min
- Samarkand to Bukhara: about 1 h 30 min to 2 h
- Tashkent to Bukhara: about 3 h 40 min to 4 h 30 min
- Tashkent to Khiva: since 2026 a new fast day train takes around 8 to 9 hours, and a night train is also available.
Tickets go on sale 45 to 60 days before the date and the best trains sell out quickly in spring and autumn. On our tours we buy them for you as soon as sales open. Stations have airport-style security, so arrive 30 to 40 minutes early.
Domestic flights
Tashkent is connected by short flights with Urgench (for Khiva), Bukhara, Samarkand, Nukus (for the Aral Sea) and Termez. The flight to Urgench takes under two hours and saves a long day on the road.
By road
Our own vehicles, from cars to full-size coaches, cover the routes the trains do not: Bukhara to Khiva across the Kyzylkum desert (about 6 to 7 hours with stops), Samarkand to Shakhrisabz over the mountains, the Nuratau villages and the Fergana Valley. Drivers are professional, and vehicles are air-conditioned and carry drinking water.
Combining with neighbouring countries
- Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan: easy land crossings from the Fergana Valley and Tashkent, and short flights to Bishkek and Almaty.
- Tajikistan: land crossings near Samarkand (to Penjikent) and Khujand; e-visa required.
- Turkmenistan: crossings near Khiva and Bukhara; visa with a letter of invitation, which we arrange.
- The Caucasus: direct flights from Tashkent to Baku and Tbilisi.
Before you go
Visas, money, seasons, trains and the questions travellers ask us most.
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