We arrived in Bukhara from Samarkand on a 1.5-hour fast train. Costing just $5.30, there was no competition between the train or the 4-hour bus ride. Upon arriving in Bukhara and laying eyes on its cream washed stone walls, we instantly got the feeling of stepping back in time. We couldn’t wait to see what the second ancient city of our Silk Road trip had to offer. Here is our full Bukhara itinerary. Find things to do in Bukhara, places to eat, places to stay, and more.
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Things to do in Bukhara
Lyabi Hauz Square
We began our first morning in Bukhara with a belly-filling breakfast consisting of bread, cheese, egg, jam, pancakes, and fruit from Minzifa Boutique Hotel. After scoffing down our delicious breakfast we were ready to begin our Bukhara travel itinerary.
The first stop on our Bukhara sightseeing list was Lyabi Hauz Square boasting a green pool in the centre. Lyabi Hauz Square is filled with eateries, hotels and pop-up shops. It’s the heart of the city and perfect for taking a rest. However, as we had just started our day we continued to our next stop.
Tea Museum
The first thing we saw, after passing through the small market area, was the Tea museum. Having previously backpacked India, we had grown fond of flavoured tea. So even though we hadn’t initially planned to stop here, the poster of ginger tea and a FREE refill was too enticing to pass by. So, we decided to take a very early break on our first day of exploring and trying the different teas. The sitting room half reminded us of Aladdin with the intricate carpets hung on the wall, and half of Harry Potter with pouches of herbs and spices placed around the room, like some sort of magical dust.
Cost: 25,000 Som ($2.63) for a pot of tea, refill and table sweets.
Aziz Khan Madrasah & Mizro Ulugbek Madrasah
After a well-undeserved break, we decided to push on to Abdul Aziz Khan Madrasah and Mizro Ulugbek Madrasah, which sit facing each other. Both buildings are spectacular in design. We would have liked to go inside but there were women at their market stalls asking for an entrance fee of 5,000 Som ($0.53). They didn’t quite fit the bill of a ticket office, so we decided to keep going to our next stop.
Cost: 5,000 Som ($0.53) entrance to each madrasah (maybe).
Poy-I-Kalyan Complex
The Poy-I-Kalyan complex is another beautiful place, but it’s the towering minaret that steals the show here. It’s one of the tallest buildings in Bukhara! Whilst it looks like a picture straight out of a fairy tale, there is a gruesome story behind it. Accordingly, way back in the day, if a married woman was to look at another man, she would be sentenced to death by being thrown from the top floor of the tower. One lucky lady managed to survive by wearing 40 dresses to cushion the fall. The people of Bukhara believed by surviving the fall, God had forgiven her, so they should too.
Cost: FREE
Zindon Prison
Next up on the Bukhara itinerary is Zindon Prison. Don’t worry! It’s no longer in use. Zindon Prison was home to prisoners back in the 1800s, but today all you will see is creepy-looking mannequins. You have the opportunity to see the old prison rooms and relics, that used to be used when the prison was in full function. The most interesting part of the prison is the bug pit, which is dug 16 feet below the ground. Hot water was poured onto the ground, so bugs would surface and bite away at the prisoners down there. Eventually, prisoners would die a grisly death of various bug bites and poison.
Cost: 10,000 Som ($1.05) entrance / 5,000 Som ($0.53) entrance whilst it’s under restoration.
The Ark
The Ark is an interesting place with a unique and interesting design, that makes for some cool photos. It’s a massive fortress that used to encompass the town in the 5th century. There is also a museum inside that you can visit.
Cost of the museum entrance: 15,000 Som ($1.58)
Boro Hauz Masjid
Boro Hauz is a mosque that was built in 1712. It’s directly opposite The Ark.
Cost: FREE
Samandis Mausoleum
Samandis Mausoleum is one of the oldest mausoleums in Bukhara and one of the most well-preserved in Central Asia. It was built at the beginning of the 10th century. Whilst the small mausoleum’s design was fascinating, the Ferris wheel nearby caught our eye, so we quickly ran over to that to see the views of Bukhara from up high. A ride on the Ferris wheel was the perfect way to end our Bukhara travel itinerary.
Cost to enter the mausoleum: 4,000 Som ($0.42) to enter
Cost of Ferris wheel: 5,000 Som ($0.53) per person.
Where to stay in Bukhara
Minzifa Boutique Hotel – The location of this hotel is perfect! It’s located on a quiet road, but only 5 minute’s walk away from the lively Libya Hauz Square. The staff at the hotel have great English and were able to help with all our questions and queries. The rooms are nicely decorated, and the beds are very comfortable. The rooms are also well equipped with toiletries, a hairdryer, a fridge, and a TV. The wifi also worked great, which makes a change from the very slow wifi we had encountered so far in Uzbekistan.
The price of a stay also includes a large delicious breakfast, consisting of fresh bread, eggs, pancakes, and fruit. We would fully recommend this hotel to anybody visiting Bukhara, that is looking for a nice relaxing to chill out after a day exploring the city’s beautiful architecture.
For more deals and prices on other properties in Bukhara, CLICK HERE.
Where to eat in Bukhara
Libya Hauz Square is filled with cafes and restaurants to eat at for lunch and dinner. Here are two of our faves.
Minzifa Restaurant – Minzifa Restaurant is a great place to watch the sunset over the ancient buildings, whilst enjoying a meal on the rooftop. The food here is delicious; in fact, some of the best food we had whilst in Central Asia! We both ordered the chicken in cream sauce with a side of rice. The dessert menu is also extensive. We found it hard to choose, so we chose 2 desserts instead.
Bouredin Restaurant – Bouredin Restaurant has a nice outside seating area and a fab choice of meals on the menu. They serve both local meals and western meals; from plov all the way to chicken nuggets and pizza.
Essential resources for travelling in Uzbekistan
Travel Insurance – No matter where you’re travelling to, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re covered for any accidents or losses. We spent days and weeks searching for insurance, but most insurers would not allow us to take out a policy as we were already abroad. Our personal choice is Safteywing. You can opt for automatic monthly payments, just like a subscription. More importantly, it is available in 180 countries and can be purchased whilst already travelling. There is no cap on the duration of travel.
Visa – Before you travel to any country, make sure to check if you need a visa. iVisa is a fantastic website that is super easy and quick to use. Just type in where you are from. and where you are going. to check if you need a visa. If you do, you can quickly make an application online.
Accommodation – Booking.com is our go-to when looking to pre-book accommodation online. Booking.com tend to almost always have the best rates and a FREE cancellation policy for most properties.
Tours & Activities – If you want to book tours and activities online, make sure to check out Get Your Guide. Get Your Guide takes the stress out of booking activities abroad. You will also find a range of benefits, such as skip-the-line passes, lunch included in your tours, and so much more.
Travel tips ebook -Before you head off on your adventure, make sure to download our free ebook. It has a whopping 109 budget travel tips to help you make your hard-earned cash go further. Click here to download your FREE ebook.
To conclude, a trip to Bukhara is a must when you’re visiting Uzbekistan. This Bukhara itinerary takes you through some of the most well-known sightseeing attractions in the city, so make sure to leave time to squeeze them all in.
Are you heading to Khiva next? Check out how to get there.
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*We were hosted complimentary by Minzifia Boutique Hotel and Restaurant. All opinions are our own, based on our experience.*
This post brings back so many amazing memories! I visited Uzbekistan last year and absolutely loved it. Wandering through the old town of Bukhara and Kihva made me feel like it was centuries earlier during the high times of the silk road
Yes! I fully understand your feelings. Did you visit other places in Central Asia too?
I have never been to Uzbekistan. The country is rich of history and has interesting architecture. Nice photos!
Sure is! Hope you are adding it to your bucket list 😉
Bukhara looks absolutely amazing! So full of history and such beautiful architecture, I think I could happily spend a few days exploring and experiencing this destination. Top of my list though would have to be the tea museum – I love me some tea!
We love tea too! Hope you get to visit the ancient city of Bukhara one day. It is an interesting place 🙂
You got my attention with tea plus free refills. Some really cool places to eat at Bukhara, I would love to try them all. The mosque looks beautiful too.
Tea is the best right! Bukhara was an interesting place to explore. Would fully recommend a visit there 🙂