A quick scroll through your explore page on Instagram will make you feel as though everyone is travelling to the ‘stans – Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan – right now.
The data backs it up, too, with UN Tourism’s latest travel barometer naming Uzbekistan as being among the fastest-growing travel destinations around the globe, with visitor numbers up 14% year-on-year in 2025.
A key part of the Silk Road, tourists heading to the Central Asian country prioritise visiting key ancient cities like Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva – and now the latter is getting a high-speed rail connection from the capital Tashkent.
Set to launch on 2 May, the new train – which has VIP, business and economy classes – will slash journey times between Tashkent and Khiva from 14 hours to around seven and a half.
Contemplating a trip to Khiva? Here’s what to see and do.
Things to see and do in Khiva
Believed to be around 2,500 years old, Khiva once served as the final resting stop for caravans before they crossed the desert into Iran.
Itchan Kala, its walled inner city, became Central Asia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site when it was inscribed in 1990.
Visitors can explore more than 50 ancient monuments within its walls, including Juma Mosque, which is unique to Central Asia in its design with a covered courtyard to handle the weather, the citadel Konya Ark, and the Pahlavon Mahmud mausoleum with its spectacular blue tiles. For a view over the walled city, you can also climb the minaret of the Islamkhodja Madrasah.
Trade was at the heart of the Silk Road, and by the eastern gate of Itchan Kala, you’ll find the modern day bazaar where you can try traditional Uzbek dishes and sweets and buy tourist knicknacks.
Another spot outside the city walls well worth a visit is Nurullaboy Palace, a gorgeous building completed in 1912 that combines the local architectural style with that of Imperial Russia.