Khiva
Itchan Kala, a whole walled town of minarets and madrasahs, small enough to cross in twenty minutes and best at sunset.
- 1–2 days
- Fly to Urgench or take the train; Khiva is 30 minutes from Urgench
- Starting point for the Aral Sea and the desert fortresses
About Khiva
Khiva is a small town in the Khorezm oasis on the lower Amu Darya, half an hour from the regional capital, Urgench. Its heart is :Did you know? People still live inside Khiva's museum city Itchan Kala packs more than 50 historic monuments and about 250 old houses inside clay walls 8–10 m high and 5–6 m thick, and families still live and work in its lanes. Read more → a walled rectangle of 26 hectares, about 650 by 400 metres, with four gates. Around it lies ,Did you know? Legend: Khiva's 6-km outer wall went up in 30 days Legend says Allakuli Khan raised the outer wall of Dishan Kala in 1842, more than 6 km long with ten gates, in just 30 days. The court historian Agahi, however, wrote of about three years of work. Read more → the outer town, where Khiva goes to school, shops and works. By day the lanes inside the walls fill with craft workshops and visitors; after dark many of them move out to the new lakeside quarter of .A new tourist complex on the shore of Lake Govuk, a short drive from Ichan-Kala, opened in May 2025: 17 hotels and guest houses, a 3,000-seat amphitheatre, restaurants, a bazaar under domes and a canal with gondolas. Read more →
By A network of caravan routes between China and the Mediterranean. Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva grew rich as stops along it. standards most of what you see is young. The monuments of Itchan Kala date mainly from the 16th to the 19th centuries, when Khiva was the capital of a khanate, and the khans kept building until the early 20th century. That is why the town looks so complete: a late royal capital that has survived almost whole.
History in brief
- 10th centuryArab travellers mention Khiva in writing for the first time. Tradition makes the town far older, and in 1997 it celebrated its 2,500th anniversary.
- 17th centuryKhiva becomes the capital of the Khanate of Khiva, and from here the khans rule Khorezm for the next three centuries.
- 1830–1842Allakuli Khan builds the Did you know? In Tash-Hauli's harem each of four wives had her own loggia Allakuli Khan built the Tash-Hauli palace in 1830–1838 around three courtyards. In the harem four tall loggias belonged to the khan's four wives and a fifth, the largest, to the khan himself; behind each summer terrace lay a winter room. Read more → palace and then the outer wall of Dishan Kala, more than 5.6 km long.
- 1873Khiva becomes a protectorate of the Russian Empire. The khans stay on the throne and keep building, right up to the last An Islamic college: student cells and classrooms around a courtyard behind a grand portal. In the old towns many now house museums and craft workshops. and minaret of the early 20th century.
- 1920The khanate ends and Khiva becomes the capital of the Khorezm People's Soviet Republic. In 1924 Khiva becomes part of Uzbekistan.
- 1990Itchan Kala becomes the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Uzbekistan.
- 2018The railway reaches Khiva, with a new station in the Khorezm style. In 2026 a high-speed train from Tashkent starts running here.
What to see
Map is loading…
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
-
1West Gate and Kalta Minor
Most visitors enter Itchan Kala through Ota Darvoza, the West Gate. Just inside stands the madrasa of Muhammad Amin Khan (1852–1855), the largest in Khiva, with 130 rooms over two floors, and beside it the turquoise drum of .Did you know? A 14-metre-wide base for a tower that stopped at 29 m Kalta Minor was begun in 1852 and meant to reach 70–80 m, but work halted in 1855 at about 29 m when its khan died. It is said to be the only minaret covered entirely in glazed tiles. Read more → Come back in the late afternoon, when the low sun lights up the tiles.
-
2Kunya Ark
The old citadel of the khans, begun in 1686, once held a chancellery, a harem, a mint and mosques for summer and winter. The reception hall, both mosques and the harem survive. Climb the Ak Sheikh Bobo bastion, a former watchtower in the western wall, for the widest view over the domes and minarets.
-
3Juma Mosque
Khiva's Friday mosque was first recorded in the 10th century and rebuilt in 1788. Its single hall, 55 by 46 metres, rests on 212 wooden columns in 17 rows, and no two are carved alike. Come around midday, when light falls through the two openings in the roof.
-
4Tosh Hovli Palace
Allakuli Khan's 'Stone Courtyard', built in the 1830s, has more than 260 rooms around three courtyards. In the harem, four loggias belonged to the khan's four wives and the fifth, the largest, to the khan. Look for the round platforms in the reception courtyard, where guests set up their yurts.
-
5Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum
Khiva's patron saint, a poet and wrestler who died in 1326, lies under the largest dome in town, covered in turquoise tiles. Khans of Khiva were later buried around him. It is still a place of pilgrimage, so dress modestly and keep your voice down.
-
6Islam Khoja Madrasa and Minaret
The last madrasa of the khans, finished around 1910, has 42 small cells around a courtyard and now houses the Museum of Applied Arts: Khorezm woodcarving, metalwork, carpets and tiles. The minaret next to it can be seen from all over town and is the place to be at sunset.
-
7Nurullaboy Palace
Outside the walls, in Dishan Kala, the last khans built a palace in a new style. Its reception hall, finished in 1912, mixes local carved plaster with mirrors, painted ceilings and tiled stoves brought from Russia. The restoration was completed in 2017.
-
8Khiva Railway Station
Opened in November 2018, the station is decorated in the spirit of old Khorezm architecture, with white carved columns and arches. It stands less than 2 km east of Itchan Kala, and this is where the high-speed train from Tashkent arrives.
© Photos
Tosh Hovli Palace, Khiva — Fulvio Spada from Torino, Italy / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0; Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum, Khiva — Panpanchik / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0; Nurullaboy Palace, Khiva — Faqscl / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Neighbourhoods
- Itchan Kala The walled inner town: monuments, workshops and guest houses inside one rectangle. Sleep inside the walls and you have the lanes to yourself early in the morning and late in the evening.
- Dishan Kala The outer town, once enclosed by a wall built in 1842, of which only a few gates survive. Walk out through the north gate to Nurullaboy Palace and you are in everyday Khiva.
- Arda Khiva and Lake Govuk A new quarter on the lake north of the old town, opened in May 2025: hotels, restaurants, a bazaar under domes and a canal with gondolas. The clay for the outer wall was dug here, and the pit later filled with water. Read more →
- The desert fortresses On the right bank of the Amu Darya, in Karakalpakstan, the clay fortresses of Did you know? Legend says a shepherd named Ayaz built Ayaz-Kala for a bride Legend says a Khorezm king promised his daughter to whoever built an unassailable fortress; the shepherd Ayaz began, the king broke his word, and the walls stayed unfinished. In fact the oldest fort here dates to the 4th–3rd century BC. Read more → and Did you know? Toprak-Kala was the palace city of ancient Khorezm's kings In the 2nd–3rd century AD Toprak-Kala was the capital of Khorezm. From 1938 Sergey Tolstov's expedition uncovered its palace, with wall paintings, coins and archives; its sculptures are now in the Hermitage. Read more → stand above the .The Kyzylkum, or Red Sands: the desert between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers that the road and the railway cross on the way to Khiva. We drive out to them from Khiva as a separate trip. Read more →
What to eat
- Shivit oshi Khiva's signature dish: noodles turned bright green with dill, topped with a stew of meat, potatoes and carrots and served with yoghurt. Have it for lunch in the old town.
- Tukhum barak Khorezm's egg dumplings: the raw egg filling sets in the boiling water. They are served with sour cream or yoghurt.
- Khorezm melons Khorezm is famous for its melons, above all the gurvak. In late summer they are piled high at every market.
Getting around
Inside the walls you walk everywhere. For the station, Nurullaboy Palace or Arda Khiva, call a Yandex Go taxi: it has worked in Khiva and Urgench since 2024, and you pay in cash or by a card linked to the app. A trolleybus line of about 30 km runs between Khiva and Urgench, where the airport is.
Local tips
- In the last hour before sunset, climb the The old fortress-residence of the khans of Khiva, inside the walls of Itchan Kala. watchtower or a stretch of the wall: from above, the domes, minarets and flat clay roofs come together into one picture.
- Go out early. Before the tour groups arrive, the lanes of Itchan Kala are almost empty and the light on the walls is soft.
- Did you know? Legend: a wrestler freed captives with a single cowhide Legend says Pahlavan Mahmud won a bout in India and asked to free as many fellow Khorezmians as would fit in a cowhide. He cut it into one long thin strip and encircled them all. The real Mahmud, a poet and wrestler of around 1300, is Khiva's patron saint. Read more → and the Did you know? Khiva's Juma Mosque stands on 212 wooden columns Recorded as early as the 10th century and rebuilt in 1788, the Juma Mosque has no portal and no domes: its flat roof rests on 212 carved columns in 17 rows, and some of them are older than the building itself. Read more → are places of prayer: cover shoulders and knees, and women should bring a scarf for the mausoleum.
- The high-speed train arrives from Tashkent every day except Sunday and leaves Khiva every day except Monday, so build your days around it. Read more →
- Bring cash in som for the craft stalls inside the walls; hotels and restaurants take cards.
- Look at the carved wooden doors and columns all over town: woodcarving is Khiva's own craft, and workshops inside the walls still practise it.
Our take: how many days you need
One full day is enough to walk through Itchan Kala, which can be crossed in twenty minutes. A second day suits the desert fortresses, with the Ayaz-Kala fortress in our programmes.
Already in Khiva? Services on the spot: VIP lounges, transfers, an evening out, trips out of town →
When to go: month by month
Daytime temperature, rainfall, public holidays and our rating for every month.
- Jan2.6° Cool, fewer people Cold: 2.6° by day 13 mm of rain ★ 1, 14
- Feb5.5° Cool, fewer people Cold: 5.5° by day 16 mm of rain
- Mar13.6° Great Cool: 13.6° by day 22 mm of rain ★ 8, 21
- Apr22° Great Comfortable: 22° by day 19 mm of rain
- May29° Great Comfortable: 29° by day 13 mm of rain ★ 9
- Jun34.4° Good Hot: 34.4° by day 5 mm of rain
- Jul35.8° Hard Hot: 35.8° by day 1 mm of rain
- Aug34° Hard Hot: 34° by day 2 mm of rain
- Sep27.8° Great Comfortable: 27.8° by day 2 mm of rain ★ 1
- Oct20.3° Great Comfortable: 20.3° by day 6 mm of rain ★ 1
- Nov10.6° Great Cool: 10.6° by day 12 mm of rain
- Dec4° Cool, fewer people Cold: 4° by day 13 mm of rain ★ 8
- 1 Jan — New Year
- 14 Jan — Defenders of the Motherland Day
- 8 Mar — International Women’s Day
- 21 Mar — Navruz
- 9 May — Day of Remembrance and Honour
- 1 Sep — Independence Day
- 1 Oct — Teachers’ Day
- 8 Dec — Constitution Day
- Ramadan Hayit (Eid al-Fitr): the date changes every year
- Kurban Hayit (Eid al-Adha): the date changes every year
Climate source: Википедия, статья «Urgench» (метеостанция в 35 км от Хивы; нормы 1991–2020; Pogoda.ru.net, NOAA) — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urgench
Rating by daytime temperature: great — 18–30°, good — 12–18° or 30–33°, cool, fewer people — below 12°, hard — above 33°; heavy rain (100 mm and more) lowers great to good. For the cities we also follow our expert: the season is March–June and September–November, with March and November the best months (start and end of the season, few people); winter is not marked as a bad time.
How to see Khiva
Pick the format — we will show the tours that fit it.
Add from here
Extensions that are easy to add to a trip through this place.
Read about Khiva
Ichan-Kala, Khiva: history, legends and how to see the walled townKhiva’s walled inner town as our guides tell it: the unfinished Kalta-Minor, 212 wooden columns, a harem, a po…
Kalta-Minor and Islam Khoja: the two minarets of KhivaThe short minaret that was meant to be the tallest, and the tall one built by a reforming vizier: the tiles, t…
Legends of Khiva: eight stories and where to hear themShem’s dream of 300 torches, a minaret meant to see Bukhara, columns from a lost capital, a poet no one could …
Arda Khiva: the new evening quarter of Khiva, for travellers and MICE groupsA 3,000-seat amphitheatre by the water, 17 hotels and guest houses and a bazaar under domes on the edge of Khi…
Bukhara and Khiva sights: tickets, opening hours and how long to stayArk and palace ticket prices for foreigners, museum hours, the Itchan Kala combined ticket and how long to all…
Khiva in 1 or 2 days: a local planSunset on the afternoon you arrive, Itchan Kala from gate to gate on day one, the desert fortresses on day two…Khiva: questions before the trip
How many days do I need in Khiva?
1–2 days
How do I get to Khiva?
Fly to Urgench or take the train; Khiva is 30 minutes from Urgench More in the article: Uzbekistan tours from Kazakhstan: flights from Almaty and Astana, the train, the border and entry
When is the best time to go to Khiva?
Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) are the most comfortable; summer days are hot. More in the article: Uzbekistan in August: weather, Melon Festival, grapes and mountains
What can I add nearby?
Starting point for the Aral Sea and the desert fortresses
Before you go
Visa, season, budget and flights — the short answers.
Uzbekistan tours from Brazil and South America: visa, flights and the best monthsVisa-free entry for Brazil, Argentina and Chile, e-visa for Colombia and Peru, one-stop routes via Istanbul, D…
Uzbekistan in August: weather, Melon Festival, grapes and mountainsHot days, cooler nights and the sweetest bazaars of the year: what Uzbekistan is like in August, from the Khiv…
How much does a trip to Uzbekistan cost? A 1-week budgetUzbekistan is one of the Silk Road’s best-value destinations. Below is a practical 7-day (6-night) cost breakd…
Uzbekistan tours from Kazakhstan: flights from Almaty and Astana, the train, the border and entryNonstop flights from Almaty, Astana and Aktobe, the daily Almaty–Tashkent train, which border crossing works b…Didn’t find your trip?
Tell us what you want — a manager will put together a route and price within 24 hours.
Why you can trust us
You talk to real people: Alexandra, Ksenia · Team →- Tour operator licence No. 853484Tashkent Tourism Committee, 2025, open-ended
- Liability insuredAPEX Insurance, policy EAPD No. 1016716
- You pay only after we confirm the tripBy card through OCTO, a licensed Uzbek payment service
- Our own office in Tashkent100105, 29, Surkhon, Mirabad district, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Google Maps ↗ · Yandex Maps ↗