Bukhara · Itineraries
Bukhara itinerary: one, two and three days
Hour-by-hour plans for one, two and three days in Bukhara, following the best light, short walking routes and the heat of the day, with options outside the city.
With one day in Bukhara, see Poi Kalyan early, then the trading domes, the Ark, the Samanid mausoleum and Lyabi-Hauz in the evening. With two days, add Chor Minor, the Jewish quarter, Bolo-Hauz and the madrasahs. With three, visit the emir’s summer palace, the Bahauddin shrine and Chor-Bakr.
Before you start
These plans assume you are staying in the old city and arrive the evening before. Bukhara is compact: from Lyabi-Hauz in the east to the Samanid mausoleum in the west is about 25 minutes’ walk, with Poi Kalyan and the trading domes in between. The plans follow three principles:
- Light. Poi Kalyan is magical at sunrise and after dark; the brick of the Samanid mausoleum is best in low sun; Lyabi-Hauz belongs to the evening.
- Geography. Group the eastern sights (Lyabi-Hauz, Magoki-Attori, Chor Minor, the Jewish quarter), the central ones (domes, Poi Kalyan, the madrasahs) and the western ones (the Ark, Bolo-Hauz, the Zindan, the Samanid park).
- Heat. From May to September, rest between about noon and four.
Opening hours vary by season, and religious sites may close briefly at prayer times, especially on Friday at midday.
One day in Bukhara
07:00 – Poi Kalyan at sunrise. Walk to the square when it is empty. Watch the light reach the Kalyan minaret and the domes of the Mir-i-Arab madrasah.
08:00 – Breakfast at your guesthouse.
09:00 – Kalyan mosque. Return to visit the mosque courtyard and its galleries when it opens.
09:45 – The Ark. Walk ten minutes west to the Ark: the ramp, the coronation courtyard, the museums and the view from the walls.
11:00 – Bolo-Hauz and the Samanid park. Cross the square to the Bolo-Hauz mosque, then walk to Chashma-Ayub and the Samanid mausoleum.
12:30 – Lunch and rest. Eat plov near the bazaar or return to the centre, then rest in the heat.
15:30 – The trading domes and the madrasahs. Walk from Poi Kalyan through Toki Zargaron, past the Ulugbek and Abdulaziz Khan madrasahs, and on through the Tim of Abdullah Khan and the other domes, shopping as you go.
17:30 – Magoki-Attori and Lyabi-Hauz. Visit the sunken Magoki-Attori mosque, then reach Lyabi-Hauz, with the Kukeldash and Nadir Divan-Begi madrasahs.
19:30 – Dinner by the pool, then walk back to Poi Kalyan to see it lit.
Two days in Bukhara
Day 1: follow the one-day plan, but take it at a slower pace and leave the eastern sights for day 2.
Day 2 – the lanes and the stories
08:00 – Chor Minor. Walk through the residential lanes north-east of Lyabi-Hauz to Chor Minor while it is quiet; climb to the roof.
09:00 – The Jewish quarter. Wander south to the Jewish quarter and visit the synagogue if it is open.
10:30 – Craft workshops. Visit a gold embroidery or blacksmith’s workshop, or the craft shops in the madrasahs around Lyabi-Hauz.
12:30 – Lunch and rest.
15:30 – The Zindan. Walk west to the Zindan, the emir’s prison, behind the Ark.
16:30 – The south-west. Continue to the Kosh Madrasah and the Fayzulla Khodjaev house if open, walking through the quiet mahallas.
18:00 – Sunset. Return to the Samanid mausoleum for the golden light, or find a roof terrace near Poi Kalyan.
19:30 – Dinner in a restaurant in a restored house, or a folk show with dinner in a madrasah courtyard in season.
Three days in Bukhara
Days 1–2: as above.
Day 3 – outside the walls (half day by car).
09:00 – Sitorai Mohi-Hosa. Drive 15 minutes north to the emir’s summer palace, Sitorai Mohi-Hosa, with its mirrored White Hall and suzani collection.
10:45 – Bahauddin Naqshband. Continue to the shrine of Bahauddin Naqshband, the most important pilgrimage site of Bukhara. Dress modestly.
12:30 – Chor-Bakr. Cross to the west of the city to the necropolis of Chor-Bakr, laid out like a town of tombs.
14:00 – Lunch and rest back in the old city.
Afternoon: revisit a favourite place, shop in the domes after comparing prices, or try a cooking class. End with a last evening at Lyabi-Hauz.
Alternative day 3: a day trip to the ceramics town of Gijduvan, or a drive to the yurt camps of Lake Aydarkul for an overnight stay on the way to Samarkand. See day trips from Bukhara.
How Bukhara fits a wider trip
Bukhara usually comes after Samarkand and before Khiva on the classic Uzbekistan route: Tashkent → Samarkand → Bukhara → Khiva, linked by trains and finished with a flight back from Urgench. Two or three nights in Bukhara is ideal. See how to get to Bukhara, our Samarkand itinerary, our 7-day and 10-day Uzbekistan itineraries and how many days to spend in Uzbekistan.
If you have only one night, arrive on a morning train, follow the one-day plan and leave the next morning. It is possible, but Bukhara rewards slow travel more than any other city in Uzbekistan: much of its charm lies in evenings by the pool and unplanned walks through the lanes.
Tips
Buy tickets at each monument and carry small notes. Dress modestly for mosques and shrines: shoulders and knees covered, a scarf for women. Bring a hat, sunscreen and water from spring to autumn. A licensed local guide for the first morning helps you understand the city’s layers, from the Samanids to the emirs. Wear comfortable shoes: the paving is uneven, and you will walk a lot. Finally, leave some time unplanned: a cup of tea in a courtyard or a chance conversation in the lanes is often what visitors remember most.
Frequently asked questions
Is one day enough in Bukhara?
One day covers the main monuments if you start early, but two days are much better and let you enjoy the evenings and the quieter lanes.
What should I see first in Bukhara?
Poi Kalyan at sunrise, then the Ark and the western monuments in the morning, leaving the trading domes and Lyabi-Hauz for the late afternoon and evening.
How many nights should I spend in Bukhara?
Two or three nights, as part of a route with Samarkand and Khiva.
Rules, timetables and prices change. We check this page regularly, but always confirm entry requirements with official sources before you travel.
