Getting Around Bukhara
Bukhara's historic core is compact and largely pedestrianised, which shapes how most visitors experience the city. The wider city and its transport hubs, however, sit a few kilometres out, so you'll likely combine walking with short rides on buses or taxis during your stay.
Walking
Walking is the best way to explore the Old Town. The historic centre is compact and mostly pedestrianised, so the major monuments, mosques and madrasas are comfortably reached on foot. Staying near the old core means you can treat most of your sightseeing as a stroll rather than a commute.
Buses and Minibuses
A swarm of small buses serves the city. They are sometimes described as marshrutkas or dolmuşes, but in practice they have fixed stops and run to a fixed timetable — though the details of that timetable are known only unto Allah, so don't count on published schedules or signage.
- Pay the driver on exit if there isn't a conductor.
- Fares are flat: one rate for travel within town and a slightly higher rate out to Kogon and the railway station.
- The only bus running through the Old Town is #9, which goes east–west past the Lyab-i-Hauz complex.
- Other routes stop about a kilometre out from the centre — for example, #60 on the west side of the complex and #378 on the east side.
Rail
Bukhara's railway station, sometimes shown as Bukhara 1, is in the suburb of Kogon, southeast of the city. It handles trains from Tashkent via Samarkand and Navoi, including the fast "Afrosiyob" service, as well as connections to Urgench and Khiva and a weekly service onward via Nukus and Atyrau to Volgograd. Trains may sell out, so check times and buy tickets in advance. The station itself is reasonably clean. Note that "Bukhara 2" also appears on timetables but is just a freight depot.
There is no metro or tram network in Bukhara — buses, taxis and trains are the practical options.
Getting Between the Station and the City
From the railway station in Kogon, walk out to the bus stop just beyond the station precinct. The bus fare is a few thousand som, but there are no timetables or other signage, so ask around. Taxis also compete for your custom at the station but are overpriced. If you arrive in the evening, taxis may be your only option, because buses stop running at about 18:00. You might have time to look at the Emir's Palace, a short walk up the road from the station.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis often try to rip off tourists. The reliable approach is to order through your accommodation or via an app such as Yandex. At the railway station in particular, expect drivers to approach you and to quote inflated prices.
Arriving by Air
Bukhara International Airport (BHK) is a small place with limited facilities. It has several flights a day from Tashkent, and daily flights from Urgench, Moscow and Istanbul. The airport is only a short distance from the town centre, so a taxi is cheap enough — and if you're travelling light, you could walk it in around 40 minutes.
Arriving by Bus or Shared Taxi
The bus station sits north of the city centre, near Kar-von bazaar, and is linked to the centre by frequent bus; you may also be able to find a direct service from the railway station. Long-distance buses arrive here from Tashkent and Samarkand, and from Urgench and Khiva. These services can sell out, so set off early. Shared taxis also arrive at the bus station, covering the same routes in roughly half the time for about twice the fare. Shared taxis connect Bukhara with Qarshi, Shakhrisabz, Termiz on the Afghan border, Denau and Olot — the last being a useful change point if you're coming from Turkmenabat in Turkmenistan.
Practical Tips
- Base yourself in or near the Old Town so you can walk to the sights.
- Carry small cash for bus fares, which are paid on exit.
- Download a ride-hailing app before you arrive to avoid haggling with taxi drivers.
- If your train or bus gets in late in the day, arrange a taxi in advance — public buses stop at about 18:00.
- Buy rail tickets in advance, as popular services sell out.