Khiva, the westernmost Silk Road city in Uzbekistan. You either love it, or you hate it. I loved it, but I understand why people might not like it as much. Because it’s very small and everywhere you look there are sights to be seen, it’s giving a little bit of a theme park vibe. At the same time, when a city is able to give you a theme park vibe, it needs to be truly spectacular.
Khiva is a very small city in comparison to Tashkent, with a population of only 90,000. The historic center of Khiva is an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990. Even though, since 1873 Khiva was under the influence of the Russians, there is little Soviet influence to be seen.
When to visit Khiva?
The best time to visit Khiva is during the shoulder seasons. This is during spring (March to May) and during autumn (September to early November). The weather is pleasant ranging from 15 degrees Celsius till 30 degrees Celsius. The summer months are incredibly hot, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius. The winter months are the opposite with the possibility of snow and freezing temperatures.
How to get to Khiva?
Khiva is located on the western side of Uzbekistan, near the border with Turkmenistan. You can fly to Urgench from Tashkent. This takes around 1.5 hours. After that you can take a 50 minute taxi to reach Khiva. You can also reach Khiva by train. From Tashkent starts a highspeed train, that takes around 7 hours. There is also an overnight sleeper train which takes 14 hours. You can take a shared taxi from Bukhara to Urgench. This takes between 6 and 8 hours. It is also possible to book a tour and visit the Khorezm Fortresses along the way. Lastly, you can also take the train from Bukhara to Khiva. This takes around 6 hours and costs between 15 – 25 euros.
Things to do in Khiva
The Soviet train
For me, the most fun part about Khiva was the way to get there! Nowadays there is a high-speed train that covers the distance in half the time, but where is the fun in that? The old night trains are still leftover from the Soviet times. The duration of the trip is around 14 hours. You will travel mostly in the dark, but you’re still able to see the emptiness of the Kyzylkumdesert. There are different compartments. Firstly, and the one I took, is the SV. This is a 2 person compartment. There is also the Kupé. This is a 4-person compartment. Lastly, there is the Platskart. This is completely open.
We took the SV and had a compartment for ourselves. The price was, in 2023, 73 euro’s for two people. Definitely not bad for a private compartment!
The train is slow and definitely a bit unstable, but it was a great journey that I enjoyed tremensly.
Itchan Kala
Itchan Kala is the walled inner city of Khiva. The part of Khiva that got the UNESCO world heritage status in 1990. The part of Khiva that gives you the feeling that you’re in an amusement park. It’s the best historic city center of Central Asia. It consists of more than fifty monuments. The must visit monuments within the Itchan Kala are: Kalta Minor Minaret, Kunya-Ark Citadel, Tash Hauli Palace, Juma Mosque and the Islam Khoja Minaret.
Take an entire day to explore the Itchan Kala and everything it has to offer.
Cost: 120.000 UZS, technically it’s free to walk the city streets, but to visit everything it has to offer, there is a two-day combined ticket.
Opening hours: 08:00 – 20:00
Kalta Minor Minaret
The Kalta Minor Minaret is the most colourful building in the historic center of Khiva. The build of the blue-tiled minaret started in the 19th century. The minaret is around 29 meters high. It is unfinished. Supposedly they wanted to buid it 70-80 meters high, if that was the case the minaret was the tallest of all Central-Asia.
The build was started by Muhammed Amin Khan, but after he died the minaret was never finished.
Cost: combi-ticket
Opening hours: 08:00 – 20:00
Tash Hauli Palace
The palace was built between 1830 and 1838 and served as the official residence of Allakuli Khane. The translation of the name Hash Hauli means Stone Courtyard and refers to the inner courtyards of the palace.
What stands out about this palace are the blue ceramic tiles and the carved wooden details.
Cost: combi-ticket
Opening hours: 08:00 – 20:00
Juma Mosque
The Juma Mosque was for me the most remarkable in the entirity of Itchan Kala. It was unlike any other mosque I’ve ever seen. The mosque dates back to the 10th century, but the structure was largely rebuilt in 1788-1789. For centuries it served as the Friday mosque.
What stands out are not the large domes, grand courtyards or tiles that are visible at other mosques in Central-Asia. What stands out are the 213 carved wooden columns in the prayer hall. Each column has its own unique designm with some columns dating back to the 10th century.
Cost: combi-ticket
Opening hours: 08:00 – 20:00
Islam Khoja Minaret
This minaret is the highest point in all of Khiva. It was built between 1908 and 1910. The minaret was commision by Islam Khoja. The height of the minaret is around 57 meters high.
What makes this minaret great to visit, is not only because of the beautiful tilework. It is also possible to climb the minaret. A spiral staircase of 175 steps leads to an platform which gives spectacular views over the historic center.
Cost: combi-ticket
Opening hours: 08:00 – 20:00
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