Located in the far west of Uzbekistan, close to the border with Turkmenistan, Khiva stands out for its authenticity. The historic center in the middle of the ramparts of the city seems to be stopped in time, as if the passing centuries had no hold on him.
Getting to Khiva
We took a night train from Bukhara. This train was leaving at 4am from the station. We had chosen a four-person lockable compartment, although we hoped to be only two in this one. Arriving in our compartiment, two persons were already occupying the two seats at the bottom of our compartment. As perfect beginners, we didn’t specify the location of our seats when we booked, so they put us upstairs. Seeing our tired and uncomfortable faces, the controller asked us to follow him and guided us to an empty compartment. He told us that it would stay empty until Bukhara and asked for a bakchich of 20’000 soms (2.40 CHF or 2.10 €). It was a welcome and cheap “upgrade”. As it was about 4.30am, the sleep came quickly even if we didn’t sleep very well, the tac-tac of the rails cradling to a certain point only.
From Urgench to Khiva
The train station for Khiva is located in Urgench, it takes another half hour to get there. As we wanted to avoid the robbers taxi, we decided to go by public transportation. We learnt that the bus is leaving from the bazaar of the city. Thus, we took a first bus towards the bazaar. In this one, a lady offers to help us because the location of the departure of the bus is not easy to find. We leave the bus and begin to follow her through the bazaar with our big backpacks. We pass in front of a first place with minibuses. The lady tells us that these buses are too expensive and she will bring us to the trolleybus for Khiva. We will put another 10 minutes and need the help of several other people to find finally this trolleybus.
We can tell you that if we had been aliens, people in the trolleybus would not looked at us differently!
We were the only tourists and the only ones with big bags. Total tickets price: 2×1’000 soms to the bazaar and 2×1’200 soms to Khiva, for a total of 4’400 soms for two (0.50 CHF or 0.45 €) compared to 35’000 soms (4.20 CHF or 3.7 €) we will pay on the way back with a taxi. And probably we would have paid more on the first way. Only difference, it took about 1:30 instead of 30 minutes. The bus drops in front of the ramparts protecting the historic city. Our hotel being inside, we had to walk maximum 500m to get there.
Our visit of Khiva
The monuments of Khiva are gathered in the fortress of the city. Everything can be visited by foot fairly quickly. Virtually every medresa has a museum within it. The city offers a ticket to 100’000 soms (12 CHF or 10.50 €) per person giving admission to most of these museums (not all!). We judged the price excessive for the country and decided not to take this ticket and did not regret our decision, the outside of the buildings interesting us more than the interior.
What's next for us?
After Khiva, we traveled through the whole country to our last destination in Uzbekistan, Tashkent, the capital.
Tips for visiting Khiva
Here is everything you need to know to visit Khiva. You will find tips on Uzbekistan in general on our dedicated article.
How to get to Khiva?
To get in Khiva, you can either fly from Tashkent, the capital, or take a night train from Bukhara or elsewhere.
Getting to Khiva by train (and bus)
In Uzbekistan, the train is a very good way to get around the cities. There are two kinds of trains: slow trains and fast trains. For explanations of the difference, you can read our article on Uzbekistan.
Since there is no train station in Khiva, you have to go to Urgench train station and then take a bus or taxi to Khiva. The bus is longer but much cheaper than the taxi.
To leave again by train, it is possible to buy your tickets either at the train station of Urgench, or at the railway office in the ramparts next to where one buys the tickets for the museums.
From Urgench to Khiva, by taxi
You can find taxis in front of the train station of Urgench (but don’t worry, it’s rather them that will find you). Prices can range from 20’000 (2.40 CHF or 2.10 €) to 40’000 soms (4.80 CHF or 4.20 €) even if an amount close to 40’000 soms is more likely. Travel time: about 30 minutes.
From Urgench to Khiva, by bus
To take the bus, it is a little more complicated and the best is to ask for some help. You must first take a bus from the train station to the bazaar. Then you must find either the departure station of the minibuses (still feasible), or the departure of the trolleybus (practically impossible without asking for help, at least for us, we would never have make it without). The price: 1,000 soms for the first bus, 1’200 for the trolleybus (the price of the minibus is unknown to us but should be in this price range in our opinion). Total: 2’200 soms per person (0.26 CHF or 0.23 €). Travel time: about 1h30 from the station to the entrance of the ramparts.
Where to stay in Khiva? Accommodations
We stayed the first night at Orzu B&B. It is located in the ramparts close to all monuments to visit. The breakfast is very good.
The second night, we stayed at the Islambek hotel. This property is quite large and consists of at least two buildings. We were staying in the second 2 minutes walk from the first.
Where to eat in Khiva? The restaurants
Since we have eaten our two dinner and the last lunch in the same restaurant, we will not be able to offer a broad comparison. Go to Terrassa. Period.
It has – as its name allows you to guess – a rooftop terrace with a breathtaking view on the main monuments of the city. At nightfall, the monuments are lit up, the temperature drops to be pleasant and the food served is very good at prices quite correct for the region. Even the local wine can be drunk without exaggerating, both for quantity and quality.
During the day, the terrace on the first floor also proposes a beautiful shaded view.
How much are the ticket entrances to the monuments to Khiva?
You can buy a ticket for 100’000 soms (12 CHF or 10.50 €) which allows you to enter most of the medresas of the city, turned into a museum for most of them.
It is also possible to buy an entrance ticket for each of the museums individually. If you only want to visit one museum, this is also a variant.
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