Bukhara Travel Guide (2026): Best Things to Do, Where to Stay & Travel Tips
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Bukhara is an ancient Silk Road city in Uzbekistan, located between Khiva and Samarkand. Its stunning Islamic architecture and strong Persian influence make the historic centre feel like an open-air museum. With more than 140 protected historical monuments, Bukhara is one of Uzbekistan's most impressive destinations and is absolutely worth adding to your itinerary.
How Long Should You Spend in Bukhara?
Bukhara's Old Town and historic centre cover an area of roughly 5 km², with most of the main attractions located within an easily walkable loop. We spent four nights in Bukhara, although this included a planned rest and reset day. I would recommend staying for three nights, or allowing yourself at least two full days to explore the city.
However, if you are like us and need somewhere to pause during your Uzbekistan itinerary, Bukhara is a great place to do it. It has fantastic restaurants, a lively evening atmosphere and generally more space to wander around than some of Uzbekistan's other historic cities. Add an extra night, slow down and enjoy yourself.
👉 Read our guide to Tashkent here:
A Quick Guide to Tashkent
👉 Read our guide to Samarkand here:
Samarkand Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know
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How to Get to Bukhara
Most people arriving in Bukhara will have travelled from Khiva or Samarkand, as these are the most popular neighbouring destinations on an Uzbekistan itinerary. Your two main transport options are the bus and the train.
We caught the bus and, in hindsight, we would not do it again. The first bus left without us because there was no clear system at the station showing when buses were arriving or departing. The bus we eventually boarded was also a crowded and fairly scary ride down the highway.
Based on our experience, we recommend travelling around Uzbekistan by train wherever possible. The trains are generally faster, more comfortable and better organised than the buses.
We booked our Uzbekistan train tickets through
12Go,
as we found it much easier than using the Uzbek Railways website or app.
Best Things to Do in Bukhara
Although Bukhara is a reasonably large city, almost all of its historic sights are concentrated within one walkable area. Most of the main attractions form a loose loop through Bukhara's Old Town. The Ark of Bukhara and Bolo Hauz Mosque sit slightly outside this main loop, but they are only around a five-minute walk away.
These are the best things to see in Bukhara:
- Kalan Minaret
- Mir-i-Arab Madrasa
- Kalan Mosque
- Ark of Bukhara
- Bolo Hauz Mosque
- Ulugbek Madrasah
- Toki Sarrofon
- Magic House carpet store
- Chor Minor Monument
- Ismail Samani Mausoleum
You can choose which Bukhara attractions you want to enter and which ones you are happy to admire from the outside. Many of the buildings are impressive even without buying an entrance ticket.
Be sure to check the opening times before planning your day. We woke up early to explore Bukhara before the heat became too intense, only to discover that many attractions did not open until after 9 am. Bolo Hauz Mosque also did not open until 9 am during our visit, despite Google suggesting otherwise.
How to Get Around Bukhara
Bring comfortable walking shoes!
We walked almost everywhere during our time in Bukhara, aside from taking a Yandex on the days we arrived and left. Most of Bukhara's main tourist attractions are close enough to visit on foot, and the historic centre is largely pedestrianised.
If you need to travel outside the Old Town, it is easy to order a Yandex. However, cars cannot access many of the narrow pedestrian streets within the main historic area, so walking is still the best way to explore Bukhara.
Where to Eat in Bukhara
A lot of the food we ate in Bukhara came from stalls and small shops where we could quickly grab something while walking around. However, these are the sit-down restaurants we visited during our stay:
- Minorai Kalon Restaurant & Terrace – A beautiful rooftop terrace with views across Bukhara.
- Labi Hovuz – A nice place to sit with a drink or an ice cream, although we did not think the food was particularly good.
- Joy Lounge – A restaurant with both modern and traditional seating areas, allowing you to choose the atmosphere you prefer.
- Afsona – Delicious food in a quieter location slightly outside the main tourist loop.
Where to Stay in Bukhara
When choosing where to stay in Bukhara, location should be one of your main priorities. Try to find accommodation within or close to the main Old Town walking loop, as this will allow you to reach most of Bukhara's attractions on foot.
Much of the accommodation in Bukhara consists of small hotels and guesthouses with ten rooms or fewer. Check the recent reviews carefully, especially for comments about air conditioning if you are visiting Uzbekistan during summer, and choose somewhere that suits your budget.
Is Bukhara Worth Visiting? Our Honest Opinion
Bukhara is definitely worth visiting if you have the time.
If you are planning a short Uzbekistan trip, Bukhara would probably lose out to Khiva and Samarkand for us. However, if we were choosing one place in Uzbekistan to stay for three nights or longer, Bukhara would be our number-one choice.
Although Bukhara did not have as many individual standout monuments as Khiva or Samarkand for us, it was a much nicer place to slow down, wander around and simply enjoy being there.
Sit down for an ice cream, enjoy some delicious Uzbek food and buy yourself a carpet to remember your trip. Bukhara is not just a city to rush through while ticking attractions off a list. It is a place worth taking the time to experience properly.
Planning More of Central Asia?
If this stop is part of a bigger Central Asia trip, these guides may help with the rest of your planning:
- 2-Day Kolsai Lakes, Kaindy Lake and Charyn Canyon Tour from Almaty
- Kol-Ukok Horse Trek, Kyrgyzstan: 2-Day Yurt and Kol-Tor Guide
- A Quick Guide to Tashkent
- Samarkand Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting
- Khiva Travel Guide: Best Things to Do, Where to Stay and How Long You Need
Or use our free Sam and Rach Travel Trip Planner to build your own Central Asia route, change the number of nights and compare stops.
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