Bukhara · Planning
Things to do in Bukhara
The best things to do in Bukhara, from Poi Kalyan at dusk and the Ark to the trading domes, Lyabi-Hauz, hidden lanes, crafts, food and trips just outside the city.
The essential things to do in Bukhara are Poi Kalyan with the Kalyan minaret, the Ark, the Samanid mausoleum, the trading domes and an evening at Lyabi-Hauz. Add Chor Minor, the Jewish quarter, the emir’s summer palace and the Bahauddin Naqshband shrine. Two full days cover the highlights; three let you slow down.
The great monuments
1. See Poi Kalyan at sunrise and after dark. The square of Poi Kalyan, with the 12th-century Kalyan minaret, the Kalyan mosque and the Mir-i-Arab madrasah, is the heart of Bukhara. Come once in the quiet early morning and again in the evening when it is lit.
2. Climb into the Ark. The Ark was the fortress-town of the emirs until 1920. Walk up the ramp to the coronation courtyard and look out from the walls.
3. Stand before the Samanid mausoleum. The 10th-century Samanid mausoleum is one of the masterpieces of Islamic architecture, a cube of woven brick that changes with every shift of the light.
4. Count the columns at Bolo-Hauz. The emir’s mosque, Bolo-Hauz, has twenty carved wooden columns that become forty in the pool’s reflection.
5. Compare two madrasahs face to face. The restrained Ulugbek madrasah of 1417 and the exuberant Abdulaziz Khan madrasah of 1652 show two centuries of change across a narrow square.
The old city on foot
6. Walk through the trading domes. The 16th-century trading domes still shelter shops selling textiles, ceramics, jewellery and knives along the old bazaar street.
7. Spend an evening at Lyabi-Hauz. Sit by the pool of Lyabi-Hauz under the old mulberry trees with tea or shashlik, as the madrasahs around it are lit.
8. Look for the simurgh. The portal of the Nadir Divan-Begi madrasah shows two mythical birds carrying deer towards a sun with a human face.
9. Go down into the Magoki-Attori mosque. The 12th-century facade of Magoki-Attori lies several metres below today’s street, a lesson in how cities grow on their own ruins.
10. Find Chor Minor. Wander the residential lanes to Chor Minor, the gatehouse with four turquoise-domed towers, and climb to its roof.
11. Explore the Jewish quarter. The quiet lanes of the Jewish quarter hold a working synagogue and merchants’ houses.
12. Get lost in the mahallas. Leave the main routes and walk the lanes south and west of the centre, past carved doors, small neighbourhood mosques and children playing. Bukhara is one of the safest and most rewarding cities for aimless walking.
History and stories
13. Look into the bug pit. The Zindan, the emir’s prison, tells the grim story of the British officers Stoddart and Conolly.
14. Drink from Job’s spring. Chashma-Ayub, with its conical dome, houses a museum on how Bukhara survived in the desert.
15. Visit a merchant’s mansion. The Fayzulla Khodjaev house shows a wealthy 1890s home and the story of a revolutionary who ended in Stalin’s purges.
Just outside the city
16. Tour the emir’s summer palace. Sitorai Mohi-Hosa, with its mirrored White Hall, mixes Bukharan craft with Russian taste.
17. Join the pilgrims at Bahauddin. The shrine of Bahauddin Naqshband, founder of a great Sufi order, is the most important pilgrimage site of Bukhara.
18. Walk the city of the dead. The necropolis of Chor-Bakr is laid out like a town of family tombs.
Crafts, food and evenings
19. Watch craftspeople at work. Bukhara is famous for gold embroidery, forged knives and stork-shaped scissors, puppets, miniatures and carpets. Many workshops in the madrasahs and domes let you watch before you buy. See shopping in Bukhara.
20. Eat Bukhara’s food. Try plov at lunchtime, bread from the tandir, and the sweets and spiced tea sold around the domes. See our guide to Bukhara food. In season, evening folk shows with music and dance are held in some madrasah courtyards.
How much time you need
- One day: Poi Kalyan, the trading domes, the Ark, the Samanid mausoleum and Lyabi-Hauz in the evening. Rushed but possible.
- Two days: add Bolo-Hauz, Chashma-Ayub, the Zindan, Magoki-Attori, Chor Minor and the Jewish quarter.
- Three days or more: add Sitorai Mohi-Hosa, Bahauddin Naqshband and Chor-Bakr, craft workshops and a day trip.
The old city is compact and flat, and almost everything can be reached on foot. Taxis are cheap for the sights outside the centre. In summer, explore in the morning and late afternoon and rest during the hottest hours. See our Bukhara itinerary for hour-by-hour plans.
Frequently asked questions
What is the number one thing to do in Bukhara?
See Poi Kalyan, with the Kalyan minaret, mosque and Mir-i-Arab madrasah, ideally both in the early morning and after dark when it is lit.
How many days do you need in Bukhara?
Two full days for the old city; three if you want to add the sights just outside the city and visit workshops at a slower pace.
Is Bukhara walkable?
Yes. The old city is compact and flat, and most monuments are within 15 minutes’ walk of each other.
Rules, timetables and prices change. We check this page regularly, but always confirm entry requirements with official sources before you travel.
