Is Khiva Worth Visiting in 2026? My Honest Take & Thoughts.

Ever since my first trip to Uzbekistan, I regretted not visiting Khiva. I intentionally visited places during the winter period so I could see them without the tourists and have the opportunity to explore places in a stress-free manner before my return trip in April and May. I just knew I would adore Khiva.

And perhaps I would have adored it more had I done the winter trip there (I live in Lapland; Khiva’s negative temperatures wouldn’t bother me). But Khiva and I didn’t quite hit it off the way I wanted. So, is Khiva worth visiting?

In this post, I will chat about some pros and cons of visiting Khiva, Uzbekistan’s Silk Road city located in the Khorezm region. Please keep in mind that these pros and cons pertain to traveling to Khiva during the high season (spring and autumn) and not in winter or the hot, hot summers. And these are just my opinions as someone who has seen quite a bit of Uzbekistan.

I do plan to return to Khiva in the future, and while it wasn’t my favorite place I’ve visited in Uzbekistan, I do look forward to returning with fresh eyes and exploring a bit more beyond the four days I spent there this year.

Pros of Visiting Khiva

1. Khorezm Region and Nearby Desert Fortresses

One of the coolest reasons to visit Khiva is to explore a little bit of the Khorezm region. It feels weird to say the coolest thing about Khiva is to leave Khiva, but these Kyzylkum Desert fortresses and surrounding areas offer a lot of insight into the region.

The Khorezm region (also spelled Khorazm or Xorazm) is home to around 2 million people and its capital is Urgench, the city you’ll fly into if you choose to get out to Khiva by plane.

Khiva and the Khorezm region are different from the rest of Uzbekistan. In fact, they have their own dialect/language called Khorezmian, and the region reminds me more of northern Turkmenistan than it does of other places in Uzbekistan (this makes sense from a history perspective).

There are over 50 fortresses in the vicinity of Khiva, and you can visit them on a day trip (or a transfer to Nukus/Bukhara). I visited five in the region: Kyzyl Kala, Topraq Kala, Guldursun Kala, Ayaz Kala, and Chilpiq Kala. This group of 50 fortresses is called Elliq Kala and is sometimes referred to as the Golden Ring.

2. Khiva is Ancient and a UNESCO World Heritage Site

As a city, Khiva is more than 2,500 years old! It is ancient and because of this, and its role in the Silk Road, the Itchan Kala is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (and Uzbekistan’s first).

Within the Itchan Kala, you can see 51 monumental structures and over 250 homes. My friend (who is also a tour guide), Anna Pasha, grew up in the Itchan Kala and her family retains their strong ties to it. I can’t wrap my head around growing up somewhere so special.

Because a lot of the historical heritage sits inside the Itchan Kala, you can purchase a single ticket to access most of it. At the East and West gates, you can buy a 2-day ticket for 250,000 UZS (around $20), and it will allow you to visit everywhere inside the walled city except these four places:

• Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum (100,000 UZS)
• Climbing the Islom Khodja minaret (100,000 UZS)
• Ak Sheikh-Bobo (the Kuhna Ark watchtower; 100,000 UZS)
• Walking the city walls (40,000 UZS)

If you’re someone who likes visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Khiva is a must-visit for you.

3. Khiva Has Unique Dishes

Something that really excited me about Khiva was its unique dishes and food history. While you can find many national dishes like manti and laghman on menus, you can also find regional dishes like shivit osh (dill-infused, handmade noodles with a yoghurt sauce) and tukhum barak (egg-filled dumplings).

The plov they make in Khiva is also different, as it is less oily, made with cottonseed oil, and uses yellow carrots and fewer spices.

I don’t like dill (like at alllllll…), but it still was cool learning about shivit osh, and I even took a masterclass to learn how to make it.

4. Easy Access to Karakalpakstan and the Aral Sea

The thing that made Khiva the most worth it for me was its easy access to the Aral Sea, a place I have wanted to visit since I was a kid.

It was super easy to book a transfer with Islambek Travel from Khiva to Nukus, the capital of Karakalpakstan and a good launchpad for Aral Sea tours.

Cons of Visiting Khiva

1. It is Remote and Requires Effort

Getting to Khiva is a pain. You have a few options from Tashkent: a transfer (extremely time-consuming and expensive), a train (the fastest one takes 7.5 hours), or a flight to Urgench. If you have many days, you can easily include Khiva on your Uzbekistan itinerary because you can move around between all cities and it never feels like a long travel day. But if you’re pressed for time, it can be daunting.

The flight is just over an hour from Tashkent, but the airlines are often delayed and my friend ended up sitting in the Tashkent domestic terminal for an extra 7 hours the day of her flight with Centrum Airlines.

Fortunately, a fast train to Khiva just launched earlier this month (May 2026), so it is more connected than it ever has been. The Jaloliddin Manguberdi is the name of the new express train and the distances are:

• Tashkent to Khiva: 7 hours, 31 minutes
• Samarkand to Khiva: 5 hours, 8 minutes
• Bukhara to Khiva: 3 hours, 17 minutes

These train tickets sell out like hotcakes, so be sure you can secure one before planning your trip around a trek out to Khiva.

2. You Can See Most of the Itchan Kala in One Day

Normally, this is a good thing, right? Well, when getting out there takes as long as it does, it can also feel like a waste of time.

If you are just giving yourself one day in Khiva (which is actually plenty for the main sites), I am not sure it is worth heading out that way. I wouldn’t travel that far unless I had two solid days, or better yet, three minimum.

By doing this, you can spend one day exploring the historical sites in the Itchan Kala, one day doing some workshops and masterclasses, and one day doing a day tour to some of the Kyzylkum fortresses I mentioned at the start of this post. That makes the journey out there well worth it, in my opinion. I am not sure I’d go there for just one day.

3. Restaurant Quality is Poorer Than in Other Cities

I ate at several different places in Khiva and while some were good, nothing was remarkable. Service sucked, and the food quality paled in comparison to other Silk Road cities like Bukhara and Samarkand.

Why that mattered to me is that Khiva has a pretty rich food history and cuisine. So it was disappointing not to see it on display in a better way than mediocre restaurants with terraces.

I think this will improve over time, to be honest. It seems like new places are starting to open there and I hope this gives stiff competition to the lousy options in the Itchan Kala.

Again, this is just an opinion. If you’re reading this and have some restaurants you loved, drop them in the comments for my trip back!

4. It Was Crowded with Children When I Went

I love seeing domestic tourism in Central Asian countries, so this is definitely not a negative, but it can make for a stressful day exploring if you’re intending to go for historical tourism.

All four days I was in Khiva, it was teeming with school children. Like hundreds (or maybe even thousands) of them. They were in museums, on the streets, and were quick to interrupt tours to use their acquired English skills (tour guides hated it, but I loved it and thought it was funny).

The best way to avoid the masses is to go out in the afternoon… when it is hot. The kids were all gone by midday, and no one showed back up until night came. And while they were visiting some of the sites (like the Museum of Applied Arts), most were just wandering about, causing chaos as kids do.

Anyway, not really a negative, but it definitely felt more claustrophobic in the Itchan Kala than the streets of Bukhara did.

5. It Had ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’ Vibes

This is probably the harshest criticism I have of Khiva. But sometimes it felt like a cheap, Disney-esque experience with vendors lining every corner of the street with mass-produced goods. I feel very bad saying this because this is a livelihood for many locals. But it really gave me the ‘exit through the gift shop’ vibes.

There are plenty of skilled artisans in Khiva but it felt harder to find them than in Bukhara or Samarkand. It was just racks and racks of Uzbek-inspired goods that were made in China.

I actually think this was the thing that made me not connect with Khiva the same way I connected with the other cities in Uzbekistan. Fortunately, I did a few workshops and masterclasses in Khiva, so I was able to meet artisans who showed me their handmade goods, which made me realize that there were still true craftspeople inhabiting the city despite the mass production of goods hanging at every glance.

Is Khiva Worth Visiting? FAQ & More

Is Khiva worth visiting this year?

Yes, I think that Khiva is worth visiting if you’re looking to dive into Silk Road history, as it is an important city and a UNESCO World Heritage site. However, it takes a lot of effort to get out there, so be sure you factor in extra days for the journey to make it worth your time.

What is the best time of the year to visit Khiva?

The best times of the year to visit Khiva are in spring (April and May) and autumn (September and October). Summers are extremely hot and winters are actually quite colder (more so than Samarkand and Tashkent). April and October are probably the safer months, temperature-wise, as May and September are on the cusp of the hot season.

How many days do you need in Khiva?

To make it worth your time and effort getting out there, I would spend no fewer than 2 full days in Khiva. For the first day, you can see all the famous sites of the Itchan Kala and on the second day, you can take a day trip to the desert fortresses or take some workshops like a shivit osh masterclass or wood-carving class.

Is Khiva safe for tourists?

Yes, Khiva is extremely safe and has low crime. I felt no discomfort walking around alone at night or outside of the Itchan Kala. Do be aware that scams and pickpockets could be an issue inside the city center just like any other city.

Is Khiva touristy or overcrowded?

Depending on the time of year, Khiva can get somewhat touristy. However, it receives a high number of domestic tourists, so many of the people you see around are locals. It still receives fewer international tourists than Bukhara and Samarkand.

Do I Think Khiva Is Worth Visiting?

Truthfully, yes and no. If you have a lot of days in Uzbekistan, I definitely recommend heading out there for a couple of days. But then following that trip with one to Nukus and the Aral Sea.

If you’re limited on days in Uzbekistan, I think this is the city that can be cut out, especially if you don’t have plans to head to Karakalpakstan and the Aral Sea. While I think Khiva does have a lot to offer, I think you can find almost everything it has in other cities in Uzbekistan, with the exception of the desert fortresses.

You can find shivit osh at Qamish or Bazar Restaurant in Tashkent, wood carving masters in Bukhara, etc. I hope once I return to Khiva, I will feel differently about it, but for now, I think it is only worth your time if you have time to spend in Uzbekistan and it is on your bucket list of places to see.

Have you visited Khiva? Let me know about your experience (good or bad!) in the comments. Thanks.

More Khiva Travel Guides

• Things to do in Khiva
• Woodcarving workshop in Khiva
• Shivit osh class in Khiva
• Places to stay in Khiva
• Places to eat in Khiva
• How many days do you need in Khiva?

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