Planning to visit Samarkand or Bukhara after CAFIT? 🇺🇿
If you would like to combine CAFIT with a short trip around Uzbekistan, here are a few tips to make your journey easier and more comfortable.
🚄 Buy train tickets in advance
October is a busy tourist season in Uzbekistan, so tickets for the Afrosiyob high-speed trains are in high demand. Seats are often sold out as early as three weeks before departure. If you are planning to visit Samarkand or Bukhara, we recommend buying your tickets as soon as your dates are confirmed.
🎫 Tickets are available on the official website: eticket.railway.uz
📍 How should you plan your trip?
• Samarkand in one day. Leave Tashkent in the morning, spend the full day exploring the city and return in the evening or at night, without an overnight stay.
• Samarkand + Bukhara in two days. Spend the first day in Samarkand, continue to Bukhara for an overnight stay, then return to Tashkent the next day or take a night train. It is a great way to see two Silk Road gems in one trip.
🚕 Taxis are a convenient way to reach the railway stations in Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara.
🏨 If you plan to stay overnight, book your hotel in advance because demand is high in October. You can use booking.com.
✨ Even one or two free days are enough to experience the rich history, unique architecture and outstanding cuisine of Central Asia's ancient cities.
✈️ Bukhara has an airport, so you can plan your onward journey without returning to Tashkent.