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Voykit pocket guide · Uzbekistan

Khiva

Xiva

Add Khiva for a night to see the walled inner town, Itchan Kala; the trip from other cities is long.

Khiva is a small oasis city in the Khorezm region of western Uzbekistan. Its walled inner town, Itchan Kala, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and can be seen on foot in a day. It is far from Samarkand and Bukhara, so it needs a dedicated leg.

SamarkandBukharaKhiva100 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Uzbekistan
Local name
Xiva
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Avoid
Jul–Aug (very hot), Dec–Feb (cold)
Stay
1 night

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
UZS
Money
Soʻm in small notes for bazaars, taxis and tea houses; the largest note is worth little abroad.
SIM and data
Beeline, Ucell, Mobiuz and Uzmobile sell SIMs with a passport at the airport and city shops; registration takes a few minutes.
Emergency
Fire 101 · Police 102 · Ambulance 103 · Unified emergency 112 · Tourist police (Samarkand Posts in the old towns
Plugs
Types C, F · 220 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin plugs fit; bring an adapter for UK or US plugs.
Tipping
Restaurants: A 10–15% service charge is often added; if not, 5–10%.; Taxis: Round up; no tip on app fares.; Guides and drivers: US$5–10 a day for a guide, a little less for a driver.
Water
Not safe from the tap; bottled water UZS 3,000–6,000 in shops. Boiled tea is always safe.
Toilets
Squat toilets at bazaars and bus stations, sometimes a small fee; carry tissue. Hotels and restaurants have Western toilets.

Get around

Itchan Kala is compact and walkable. The nearest airport is Urgench (UGC), about 35 km away; taxis and trains connect. Check the operator for current schedules.

See and do

Known for

  • Itchan Kala
  • Kalta Minor minaret
  • Tash Khauli Palace
  • City walls

Sleep

Inside or beside Itchan Kala
Everything is walkable; several guesthouses are in old houses.

Language

Uzbek is the state language, written in Latin script, though Cyrillic signs remain. Russian is the common second language in Tashkent and among older people everywhere. Samarkand and Bukhara are largely Tajik-speaking; Karakalpak is spoken around Nukus. English is growing among young people and in hotels.

  • Assalomu alaykum (hello), rahmat (thank you), qancha? (how much?) cover most transactions.
  • Addresses are often given by landmark (oriyentir); save them on a map.

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: Right hand on heart with 'assalomu alaykum'; men shake hands with men; avoid: Offering a hand to a woman unless she offers first
  • Home visit: Shoes off; bring sweets or fruit; sit where the host shows; avoid: Sitting with feet pointing at people or at the table spread (dastarkhan)
  • Tea: Accept at least one bowl; avoid: Refusing everything offered
  • Bread: Break it by hand, place it face up; avoid: Throwing bread away where people can see
  • Dress: Long trousers or skirts in old towns and villages; avoid: Shorts and bare shoulders at religious sites
  • Elders: Stand when they enter; let them eat first; avoid: Interrupting

Scams and watch-outs

  • No airport in Khiva itself; plan the transfer from Urgench.
  • Summer heat is severe.
  • A combined ticket covers many monuments; check what it includes.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Khiva yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Itchan Kala
  • Kalta Minor minaret
  • Tash Khauli Palace
  • City walls

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

KhivaXiva

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/khiva). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.