Things to Do and Sightseeing Tours in Bukhara
Bukhara, Uzbekistan, is one of the oldest and most distinctive historic cities in Central Asia, often called sacred or holy. It grew on the Silk Road into a major centre of trade, scholarship, Islamic culture and Sufism, and traces of those roles are still visible in its architecture and cityscape. Patterned brickwork, tall ornate madrasahs (traditional Islamic educational institutions), mosques with minarets reaching high, and covered trading domes fill its compact and walkable centre. Much of what gives the old city its character is still here, within the historic centre of the Noble Bukhara.
But Bukhara is also something more than a collection of those celebrated monuments. Walk a little beyond the main sights, and you find quiet courtyards, brightened up by children’s laughter, neighbourhood streets lined with old saman earthen houses, workshops of traditional crafts with a long history in Bukhara, such as blacksmithing, and unexpected cosy cafés tucked into the streets around the historic core. This coexistence of monuments that seem almost eternal and everyday life is part of what makes Bukhara so charming.
Bukhara Tours
Bukhara’s compact historic core is easy to explore on your own, but a guided tour can bring out the stories behind the buildings and places. Local guides can show how Bukhara fits into the wider history of the Silk Road and the Bukhara Emirate.
Choose from our Bukhara tours and day trips to suit the way you want to experience the city. You may wish to focus on history and the people who shaped it, architectural heritage and preservation efforts, or combine the city with nearby sights within a short drive.
History of Bukhara
Bukhara is more than two thousand years old, although the exact beginnings of the city are still debated. Archaeological evidence shows that people lived in the Bukhara oasis from ancient times, with the earliest structures of the Ark Fortress dating back to the 4th–3rd centuries BC. Bukhara was known by different names. According to one interpretation, the name “Bukhara” comes from the Sogdian word bukharak, meaning “fortunate place”.
After the Arab conquest in the 8th century, Bukhara became an important centre of Islamic culture and learning. The city prospered under the Samanids, when it became the administrative capital of their state in the late 9th century. Bukhara became a major centre of Arabic learning and Persian literature, attracting scholars and poets to the Samanid court. The Samanid Mausoleum, dating from the 9th–10th centuries, is one of the finest surviving monuments from this period.
Much of the old town seen today took shape from the 16th century, when Bukhara became the centre of the Shaybanid state. In 1512, Ubaidullah Khan took control of Bukhara, which became an important Shaybanid centre. In 1534, he became the supreme ruler, and Bukhara was made the capital of the Shaybanid state. In the following decades, the city grew into a political, commercial, and cultural centre. From the 18th century until 1920, Bukhara was ruled by the Manghit dynasty, also known as Manghud, and remained the capital of their state. Russian influence increased during the 19th century, and on 2 September 1920 the Red Army entered Bukhara and overthrew the emir, the ruler of the Emirate of Bukhara.
Bukhara then became the capital of the Bukhara People’s Soviet Republic, and, after the national-territorial delimitation of 1924, Bukhara became part of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic until Uzbekistan declared independence on 31 August 1991. Much of the historic core survived the political and social changes of the 20th century, and the Historic Centre of Bukhara was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993.
Things to Do in Bukhara
You could start at the Ark Fortress, once the seat of Bukhara’s rulers, and walk through its massive entrance to imagine the power once held within its thick walls. From here, continue past the Bolo-Hauz Mosque and toward the Poi-Kalyan Ensemble, where the Kalyan Minaret, Kalyan Mosque, and Miri-Arab Madrasah stand side by side. Take time to look at the brickwork patterns on the minaret, then continue into the streets around the ensemble.
From Poi-Kalyan, walk towards the Trading Domes. Pass through their covered passages, browse the shops and workshops, and continue towards the Ulugbek Madrasah, built in 1417. From there, make your way to the Lyabi-Khauz Ensemble. Walk around the historic pond, sit beneath the mature trees, or stop for a cup of green tea while looking across at the madrasahs.
When you are ready to leave the busiest part of the centre, wander into the quieter neighbourhood streets. This is where you can see old houses and smaller landmarks such as Chor-Minor among the residential streets. The Samanid Mausoleum is another worthwhile stop, although it makes more sense as a separate walk or a detour from the main route. For places outside the historic centre, plan a separate outing. The Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa Palace was the summer residence of the last emir, and the Naqshbandi Memorial Complex is an important Sufi pilgrimage site. For more ideas on sights, experiences, and nearby excursions, see our Things to Do in Bukhara guide and the individual attraction pages.
Bukhara Museums
Bukhara’s museums are often housed in the historic buildings themselves. The Bukhara State Architectural Art Museum-Preserve, based in the Ark Fortress, has exhibitions covering the history, military heritage, culture, and crafts of Bukhara, and its branches occupy several other historic sites around the city.
The House Museum of Fayzulla Khodjaev is in a 19th-century Bukharan merchant house. Look at the carved woodwork and painted interiors as well as the exhibits connected with Khodjaev himself.
Bukhara’s craft traditions are also represented in smaller museums and workshops. At the Blacksmiths’ Museum-Workshop, housed in the 16th-century Kulyuta Caravanserai, you can learn about the history of blacksmithing and watch a blacksmith at work. The Uzbek Puppet Workshop-Museum, near Lyabi-Khauz, combines a collection of handmade Uzbek puppets with the workshop where they are made.
For a short trip outside Bukhara, visit the Gijduvan Ceramics Museum and Workshop to see the work of the Narzullaev family, whose generations of ceramic masters have helped preserve the Gijduvan style. The Abu Ali Ibn Sina Memorial Museum in Afshana (Afshona qishlog‘i) is dedicated to the life and legacy of Avicenna, the renowned 10th-century physician, philosopher, and scholar, who was born in this village about 30 km (about 19 miles) from Bukhara.
Bukhara Theatres
Bukhara’s professional theatre tradition dates to 1921, when the troupe that became the Sadriddin Ayni Bukhara Regional Musical Drama Theatre was founded. The city is also home to the Bukhara Regional Puppet Theatre.
Note: Current programmes are published for specific dates, but they can change, so it is worth checking the schedule before your visit.
Entertainment, Parks, and Shopping in Bukhara
After exploring Bukhara’s historic sites and attending its cultural events, visitors can take a break in one of the city’s parks or browse its markets, craft shops, and shopping centres.
Entertainment in Bukhara
Bukhara hosts several festivals centred on its food, traditional crafts, music, and performing arts. The annual Silk and Spices Festival brings craft fairs, exhibitions, concerts, and fashion shows to the city. The biennial International Festival of Gold Embroidery and Jewelry focuses on two crafts with deep roots in Bukhara. Since 2025, Bukhara’s historic setting has also provided a backdrop for contemporary art through the Bukhara Biennial. Held every two years, the event brings together artists from around the world, with exhibitions and site-specific works presented in restored madrasahs, caravanserai, and other historic spaces, often in collaboration with local artisans. The biennial adds a contemporary layer to Bukhara’s long-established traditions of craftsmanship and artistic exchange.
Parks of Bukhara
Bukhara’s parks are modest, but they offer welcome shade and a place to rest, particularly during the hot summer months.
Mirzo Ulugbek Park of Culture and Recreation has trees, benches, and attractions for children. Samanid Park of Culture and Recreation, near the central market, is compact and popular with local families. There are also small green spaces beside the city administration building, where people come for a walk or to sit for a while. Another patch of green lies beside the monument to Khoja Nasreddin.
You do not need to go out of your way to visit them, but if you happen to pass one, it can be a convenient spot to pause.
Shopping in Bukhara
Start at Markaziy Dehqon Bozori, Bukhara’s central farmers’ market, where you can browse fresh produce, everyday foods, and simple snacks. Bukhara is known for family craft traditions, including gold embroidery, silk weaving, ceramics, jewellery, and woodwork. For crafts and gifts, the Trading Domes are a good place to look in the old city, with textiles, jewellery, metalwork, clothing, and accessories sold in and around the passages beneath the domes. Bukhara fabrics such as atlas (glossy silk fabric) and adras (silk-and-cotton fabric) are also widely available. You can find carpets and other pieces for the home, too. For clothing, household shopping, and modern retail, Bukhara also has shopping centres such as Chinar Mall.
Food in Bukhara
Food in Bukhara ranges from familiar Uzbek staples to dishes more closely associated with the city itself. Try Bukhara-style plov, or look for barracha, young lamb stewed with onions, and Olot samsa, a variety with thinner dough filled with meat and tomatoes. In the old centre, look for traditional restaurants and family-run houses for local dishes. Cafés and restaurants serving other cuisines are easy to find too.
Uzbek Cuisine
Bukhara is a good place to try Uzbek cuisine, including several dishes and cooking traditions associated with the region. Plov is an obvious choice, especially the local Sofi Oshi, but don’t stop there: try samsa (filled baked pastries), manti (large steamed dumplings), shashlik (grilled skewered meat), soups, and other regional dishes such as vaguri (a Bukhara-style lamb dish) and balaza (rich meat-and-chickpea soup). Gijduvan shashlik, from the nearby town of Gijduvan, is another local speciality.
Vegetarian Options
Eating vegetarian in Bukhara is quite manageable. Restaurants and family-run houses can prepare vegetable plov, pumpkin or potato manti, meat-free dimlama (ragout), and vegetable-filled samsa. For vegetarian diners, it can be useful to ask what can be prepared without meat, as some dishes are made to order.
Coffee Shops and Bakeries
For coffee and something lighter, established Uzbek chains such as Bon! and Caffelito have branches in Bukhara, and local Donuts & Coffee serves coffee alongside freshly made doughnuts and other sweets.
City Transport in Bukhara
Bukhara’s compact historic centre is best explored on foot, but buses and taxis are useful for reaching attractions outside the old town and travelling between different parts of the city. Buses provide an affordable option, while taxis offer greater convenience for visitors carrying luggage or travelling in hot weather. Car rental is also available, although arrangements should be made in advance.
Buses
Bukhara’s bus network is useful for travelling beyond the historic centre. The standard fare is currently 2,000 UZS/soums (about $0.17 / €0.15 / £0.13). Fares can be paid electronically using an ATTO transport card or other supported electronic payment methods.
Taxis
Taxis are useful for getting around Bukhara when walking is no longer convenient. Yandex Go operates in Bukhara and lets you order a car through the app, with the fare shown before the journey. Street taxis are also common, but ordering through the app makes it easier to see the fare and identify your driver.
Car Rental
Car rental can be arranged through Hertz, with pickup and drop-off in Bukhara, including one-way rentals for travellers arriving from or continuing to other cities. Pickup and return locations are best agreed in advance.
How to Get to Bukhara
Bukhara is well connected with the rest of Uzbekistan by train, plane, and road. For travellers coming from Tashkent or Samarkand, the Afrosiyob high-speed train is a convenient option. The railway station serving Bukhara is in Kogon (Kagan), about 14 kilometres (8.7 miles) from the historic centre. Taxis and other local transport connect the station with Bukhara.
Bukhara International Airport (BHK) receives domestic and international flights. Uzbekistan Airways operates scheduled flights between Tashkent and Bukhara, and Turkish Airlines currently serves the Bukhara–Istanbul route.
Languages Spoken in Bukhara
Uzbek is the official language of Uzbekistan. Uzbek, Tajik, and Russian are all widely spoken, and many local residents use more than one of these languages in everyday life. English is most commonly encountered in hotels, restaurants, tour services, and other places that regularly work with international visitors.
Security in Bukhara
Bukhara is generally a comfortable city for travellers, and its main tourist areas are well established and easy to explore. Dedicated tourist police and security services operate at major attractions and other places visited by guests from abroad. As in any busy destination, keep an eye on your belongings in crowded places. Take the usual care with valuables, and be mindful of traffic when crossing roads or driving around the city. With these simple precautions, most visitors can enjoy Bukhara’s historic streets and attractions without any particular concerns.