Khiva, Uzbekistan: travel guide
Khiva's Itchan Kala — the intact mud-brick inner city — is Central Asia's most perfectly preserved ancient urban ensemble and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unlike Samarkand and Bukhara, Khiva feels like a living open-air museum: its city walls, minarets, palaces, and mosques have changed little since the 18th century. Remote and magical, it is the final piece of Uzbekistan's Silk Road trinity.
- Country
- Uzbekistan
- Currency
- UZS
- Time zone
- Asia/Tashkent
- Nearest airport
- UGC
Top places to visit in Khiva
Itchan Kala (Inner Walled City)
Heritage · 4.9 rating · about 4 h · entry UZS 150,000
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most completely preserved ancient city in Central Asia — an 8-hectare walled urban island with 50 monuments including palaces, mosques, minarets, and madrasas, all within walls dating to the 10th…
Kunya-Ark Citadel
Fort · 4.6 rating · about 1.3 h · entry UZS 60,000
The ancient royal citadel of the Khivan khans — a complex of audience chambers, harems, throne rooms, mosques, and a mint contained within high mud-brick walls. The summer mosque's wooden columns and carved ceiling are exquisite examples…
Islam Khodja Minaret & Madrasa
Viewpoint · 4.7 rating · about 0.8 h · entry UZS 60,000
Khiva's tallest minaret at 57 metres, built in 1910 — the last major monument erected in the Khanate before Russian conquest. The minaret's tapering brick shaft is decorated with colourful tilework bands; climbing the internal staircase to…
Juma Mosque
Mosque · 4.7 rating · about 0.5 h
Unique hypostyle mosque with 213 carved wooden columns, several dating to the 10th century, and no domes.
Tosh-Hovli Palace
Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 0.8 h
19th-century "Stone Palace" of the Khiva khans, with lavishly tiled courtyards and a harem wing.
Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum
Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 0.5 h
Turquoise-domed mausoleum of Khiva's patron saint, poet and wrestler, one of the city's most sacred sites.
Kalta Minor Minaret
Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 0.3 h
Squat, vividly tiled unfinished minaret intended to be the tallest in the Islamic world, Khiva's icon.
Muhammad Amin Khan Madrasah
Heritage · 4.4 rating · about 0.5 h
Largest madrasah in Khiva, now partly converted into the Orient Star heritage hotel.
Allakuli Khan Madrasah
Heritage · 4.3 rating · about 0.5 h
19th-century madrasah with a fine tiled portal, part of a larger complex including a caravanserai and bazaar.
Ata-Darvoza Gate
Heritage · 4.3 rating · about 0.3 h
Restored western gate of Itchan Kala, the main tourist entrance into the walled inner city.
Nurullaboy Palace
Heritage · 4.2 rating · about 0.7 h · entry UZS 15,000
Late 19th-century palace outside the inner walls, blending Khivan and European reception-hall styles.
Khiva City Wall Ramparts Walk
Viewpoint · 4.5 rating · about 0.8 h
Walkable stretch of Itchan Kala's 10m mud-brick ramparts, offering sunset views over the walled city.
Things to do
- Itchan Kala Full-Day Heritage Walk Heritage · 5 h · from UZS 112,000 per person
- Khiva Sunset Walk on the City Ramparts Sightseeing · 1 h · from UZS 25,000 per person
- Traditional Khorezm Music & Dance Performance Entertainment · 1.5 h · from UZS 74,900 per person
- Khiva Silk Carpet Weaving Workshop Cultural · 1.5 h · from UZS 100,000 per person
- Khorezm Folk Music Evening at Tosh-Hovli Entertainment · 1.3 h · from UZS 80,000 per person
- Khiva Old Town Bicycle Tour Sightseeing · 2 h · from UZS 90,000 per person
- Ichan-Kala Sunrise Photography Tour Sightseeing · 1.5 h · from UZS 70,000 per person
Day trips and tours
- Khiva Itchan Kala Full Immersion Tour 9 h · from UZS 399,000
Where to stay in Khiva
- Itchan Kala about UZS 70 per night
Sleeping inside the ancient walled city is one of the great travel experiences in Central Asia — at dusk and dawn, after day-trippers leave, Khiva's 2,000-year-old lanes are almost entirely yours. Only a handful of…
- Dishan Kala (Outer City) about UZS 25 per night
Budget guesthouses and small hotels just outside the Itchan Kala walls — still within easy walking distance of all attractions but at lower prices.
Hotels
- Orient Star Hotel Khiva 4-star · UZS 800,000 to UZS 1,600,000 per night
- Hotel Bankir Khiva 4-star · UZS 550,000 to UZS 950,000 per night
- Meros B&B Khiva 2-star · UZS 150,000 to UZS 280,000 per night
- Hotel Arkanchi 3-star · UZS 400,000 to UZS 750,000 per night
- Malika Khiva Hotel 3-star · UZS 350,000 to UZS 650,000 per night
- Zukhro Boutique Hotel 3-star · UZS 400,000 to UZS 700,000 per night
Where to eat
- Orient Star Restaurant Uzbek, Central Asian · about UZS 100,000 per person
- Terrassa Cafe Uzbek, Café · about UZS 50,000 per person
- Zarafshon Restaurant Khiva Uzbek, Khorezm · about UZS 70,000 per person
- Khiva Silk Road Restaurant Uzbek · about UZS 80,000 per person
- Bir Gumbaz Restaurant Uzbek, Khorezm · about UZS 75,000 per person
- Khorezm Osh Markazi Uzbek · about UZS 25,000 per person
- Yasavul Boshi Restaurant Uzbek · about UZS 65,000 per person
- Zerafshan Chaikhana Uzbek · about UZS 30,000 per person
Getting around
- Taxi main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
Safety and scams to avoid
Entrance Ticket Resale
Itchan Kala west gate (Ota Darvoza)
Touts offer "discounted" Itchan Kala tickets outside the gate — tickets are counterfeit or previously used.
How to avoid it: Buy the unified ticket only at official booths inside the gate. Ticket has a QR code scanned on entry.
Overpriced Horse-Carriage Rides
Itchan Kala main street
A short 10-minute carriage ride is quoted at 100,000–200,000 UZS. Standard rate is 30,000–50,000 UZS.
How to avoid it: Agree on the price and duration in writing (or show on a calculator) before boarding.