Expert opinion
Pluses
- One place for everyone: about a thousand beds at 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 →, so the group sleeps, dines and gathers on foot.
- A real stage: a gala at the 3,000-seat amphitheatre with water between the stage and the seats, venue hire on request.
- City and desert: 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 → at first light and a sunset dinner at the Ruins of ancient Khorezm fortresses on hills at the edge of the Kyzylkum, in Karakalpakstan. yurt camp in one trip.
Minuses
- Long way in: the high-speed train from Tashkent takes about 7.5 hours, and it does not leave Tashkent on Sundays.
- Venues not guaranteed: the amphitheatre and the Congress Hall host other events too, so they are booked subject to availability.
- Hot summer: in July and August Khiva is out of season because of the heat.
AroundCA numbers
How we counted
By the AroundCA programme: we count only what is written in the day-by-day programme of this tour. If the programme gives no figure, we show nothing.
- Hotel changes
- none — one hotel
- Longest transfer
- 7.5 h · by train
- Walking
- Medium
Walking: Medium: a guided walk through Itchan Kala on day 2 and a climb to the walls of Ayaz-Kala on day 3.
Best time
Mar, Nov
March and November: the start and the end of the season, with fewer people and mild weather.
Cool, fewer people: Jan–Feb, Dec
Better to avoid
Jul–Aug
July and August are out of season in Khiva because of the heat.
A typical day
On day 2 you walk Itchan Kala with a guide at first light, make something of your own at a crafts masterclass after breakfast, have the afternoon free and spend the evening at the gala.
What the price includes
What is included
- Accommodation in Khiva: 3 nights (2 nights in the 3-day option) with breakfast
- Train tickets Tashkent – Khiva – Tashkent or flights to and from Urgench
- Coach transfers throughout, including the trip to Ayaz-Kala
- A guide in Itchan Kala and at Ayaz-Kala, and a manager with the group, speaking your language
- Entrance tickets to the sites on the programme
- The crafts masterclass, the welcome dinner, the gala dinner and dinner at the yurt camp
Not included
- Venue hire: the amphitheatre, the Congress Hall, stage and sound
- Artists, the show programme and awards
- Camel rides
- Lunches and drinks not listed in the programme
- International flights and visa fees (if applicable)
- Tips and personal expenses
Extra cost on site
- Camel rides
Good for
- Reward trips for top performers, dealers and partners, 20 to 150 people
- Groups that want to stay, dine and celebrate in one place: about a thousand beds at Arda Khiva
- Companies that want a gala night with a real stage, plus a business session on request
Maybe not for you if
- Groups that want several cities in one trip: this programme stays in Khiva
- Anyone who needs Sunday departures from Tashkent by train: the high-speed train does not run that day
Questions about this tour
How much does the programme cost?
The price is given on request: it depends on the dates, the size of the group, the hotels and the events you choose.
Can we have the Arda Khiva amphitheatre to ourselves?
The amphitheatre seats 3,000 and also hosts concerts and festivals. Venue hire is on request and subject to availability; we check its calendar for your dates. For a smaller group a private dinner in one of the restaurants often works better.
How do we get to Khiva?
The Jaloliddin Manguberdi high-speed train leaves Tashkent at 07:00 every day except Sunday and reaches Khiva at about 14:30. You can also fly to Urgench, about 30 km from Khiva; our coach meets the group at the station or the airport.
Can we hold a business session in Khiva?
Yes, on request: in August 2026 Khiva got a new Congress Hall built for forums and business conferences. We book it subject to availability.
What is quoted separately?
Venue hire, stage and sound, artists and the show programme, awards, camel rides, lunches and drinks not listed in the programme, international flights, tips and personal expenses.
Didn’t find your answer? Ask about this tour →
Programme and details
Day-by-day route, prices and terms
Khiva and Khorezm · 4 Days / 3 Nights · Incentive Programme
Khiva Gala
Tashkent – Khiva – Ayaz-Kala – Khiva – Tashkent
Khiva used to be the hardest city for a large group: a museum town inside its walls, with small hotels. Since May 2025 the Arda Khiva complex by Lake Govuk has 17 hotels and guest houses for about a thousand guests, nine restaurants and an amphitheatre for 3,000 people with water between the stage and the seats. We build the incentive around it: the old town at first light, a gala night and an evening in 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. sands below the Ayaz-Kala fortresses.
| Duration | 4 days / 3 nights (3 days / 2 nights on request) |
| Price | on request |
| Group size | 20–150 people |
| Where | Khiva, Arda Khiva and the Ayaz-Kala fortresses in Khorezm |
| Getting there | Jaloliddin Manguberdi high-speed train from Tashkent, or a flight to Urgench, about 30 km from Khiva |
| Format | Incentive and reward trip, dealer and partner groups |
Ideal for reward trips and partner groups that want one place where the whole group sleeps, eats and celebrates.
Itchan Kala — the walled old town of Khiva, on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1990.
Ayaz-Kala — fortresses in the Kyzylkum sands, the oldest built in the 3rd–2nd centuries BC, with a yurt camp below the hill.
Itinerary
Day by Day
Day 1 · Tashkent – Khiva — Arrival and the first evening
The Jaloliddin Manguberdi high-speed train leaves Tashkent at 07:00 and reaches Khiva at about 14:30; it runs every day except Sunday. If the group prefers to fly, we book a flight to Urgench, about 30 km from Khiva. Our coach meets you at the station or the airport.
Check-in at Arda Khiva. In the evening, a walk along the promenade by the lake and the canal, and a welcome dinner in one of the complex’s restaurants.
Good to know: We book train seats as soon as sales open, up to 60 days ahead. For a large group the train fills up quickly, so it pays to fix the dates early.
Overnight in Khiva
Day 2 · Itchan Kala — The old town at first light and the gala night
An early start inside the walls of Itchan Kala with a guide, while the streets are still quiet. After breakfast, a crafts masterclass in one of the craft houses of Arda Khiva: carved ganch, wood carving, pottery or gold embroidery. Everyone takes home what they made.
Free afternoon. In the evening, the gala: dinner, awards and a show at the Arda Khiva amphitheatre (venue hire on request), or a private dinner in one of the restaurants for a smaller group.
Good to know: The amphitheatre also hosts concerts and festivals, so we check its calendar for your dates before we plan the gala there.
Overnight in Khiva
Day 3 · Khiva – Ayaz-Kala — A working morning and the desert evening
For groups that need a business session: a morning at the new Congress Hall that Khiva got in August 2026, built for forums and business conferences (on request, subject to availability). Everyone else has a free morning in Khiva.
After lunch, about 100 km (1.5–2 hours) by coach into the Kyzylkum sands to the Ayaz-Kala fortresses. We climb to the walls for the sunset, then dinner at the yurt camp below the hill, with folk songs and camel rides. Back to Khiva for the night; for a small group, a night in the yurts is possible on request.
Overnight in Khiva
Day 4 · Khiva – Tashkent — Departure
The train to Tashkent leaves Khiva at 07:15 or 07:20 every day except Monday; the other way home is a flight from Urgench. Transfer to the station or the airport.
3-day option · Two nights in Khiva
Arrival on day 1, the old town, the masterclass and the gala on day 2, departure on day 3. The desert evening is left out or replaces the gala.
Accommodation
Where you stay
| Where | Stay |
|---|---|
| Arda Khiva | One of the 17 hotels and guest houses of the complex, about a thousand beds in total |
| Itchan Kala | Orient Star, inside the walls of the old town: for a smaller group or the VIP part of the group |
Whenever the dates allow, we keep the whole group at one address. Hotels are confirmed for your dates before booking.
Price
Price
The price is given on request: it depends on the dates, the size of the group, the hotels and the events you choose.
Good to know
Conditions
- The Jaloliddin Manguberdi train does not leave Tashkent on Sundays or Khiva on Mondays, so we plan the dates around those days.
- The amphitheatre, the restaurants and the Congress Hall host other events too: they are booked on request and subject to availability.
- Train tickets need the full name and passport number of every participant.
- Reservations are confirmed with passport copies only.
Cancellation policy
| Cancellation timing | Penalty |
|---|---|
| 30 days or more | Full refund minus costs already incurred |
| 15–29 days | up to 30% |
| 8–14 days | up to 50% |
| 7 days or less | up to 100% |
Train and air tickets are refunded under the carrier’s rules.
🌿 Responsible tourism: we allocate part of our profits to good causes and are preparing for GSTC certification.
