The 15 Best Khiva Tours & Excursions

1.Transfer: Bukhara – Khiva via Ancient Fortresses

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 101 reviews · 9 hours Our pick

Travel privately from Bukhara to Khiva through the Kyzylkum Desert and the ancient Khorezm Oasis. Stop at Toprakkala, Kizilkala, and Ayazkala, with English or Russian-speaking drivers such as Pavlik, Jasur, or Ulugkbek. Expect a long but rewarding 9-hour road day, with lunch along the way.

“Our Russian-speakig driver-guide (Ulugkbek if I got the name right) was excellent, very friendly, very sociable, safe and moderate on the road, especially considering the quite demanding traffic conditions. The long drive was thanks to him interesting and enjoyable. Lots of precious information he passed and explained to us. All these came as an extremely pleasant surprise, after having read many negative feedback, apparently considering other drivers. If I were to rate his service, it would be straight 10 out of 10.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Daytrip From Khiva To Ancient Fortresses

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 60 reviews · 6 hours

Travel privately from Khiva or Urgench to three ancient Khorezm fortresses: Kyzyl-Kala, Tuprak-Kala, and Ayaz-Kala. Your driver handles the long desert roads, hotel or airport pickup, parking, and return trip. English ability varies, and guiding is usually limited, so bring curiosity and prepare to explore independently.

“Our driver was really great, really enjoyed this trip.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Aral Sea Adventures (2 day)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews Top rated

Travel privately from Khiva, Urgench, or Nukus toward the Aral Sea with Olimjon and Oxus Travel. Over two days, you will cover about 1,000 kilometers by sedan and 4x4, visit Muynak, Chilpik Kala, Mizdakhan, the Savitsky Museum, and spend the night at a yurt camp near the sea.

“The Aral Sea is the best example of sad beauty. We had the impression throughout the entire journey to be on another planet, stunning and unique views during the whole trip!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Khiva Historical City Highlights Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · from $25

Spend about four hours walking Khiva’s walled Itchan Kala with a professional guide. You’ll see the Islam Khoja Minaret, Pakhlavon Makhmud Mausoleum, Juma Mosque, and Allakuli Khan Madrasah. Guides such as Iroda explain the city’s past in clear, good-humored English. Entrance tickets cost extra.

“I had Iroda in Khiva, and she was a wonderful tour guide. She is very smart and very sweet, and she explained the history of Khiva in a way that was easy for me to understand. I love architecture and history, so she focused a lot on those topicRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Guided Tour To Old Fortresses

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews

Join Sukhrab, an English-speaking driver-guide from Khiva, for a private day trip to Ayaz-Kala, Toprak-Kala, and Kyzyl-Kala. Expect about seven hours on the road, clear historical explanations, local stories, photo stops, air-conditioned transport, and a chance to try freshly made somsa.

“Yeah, good. The guide was absolutely adorable kind accommodating and the discussions were very rewarding about local life. Thank you for everythingAuto-translated”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Private Daytrip to 7 Ancient Fortresses of Khorezm

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews

Travel by private air-conditioned sedan from Khiva or Urgench to the desert fortresses of ancient Khorezm. Sarvar may drive, with audio materials covering the sites. Expect ruins, wide-open views, Karakalpak traditions, and local fish at Akchakul Lake.

“We booked a private tour to see all of the Kalas. The tour was good. We ended up with another group travelling in a separate car but with the same guide. This wasn't really what we booked and meant we didnt have the amount of time Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Tranfer Khiva – Bukhara via Ancient Fortresses

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 24 reviews · 9 hours

Turn a long Khiva to Bukhara transfer into a full day of ancient ruins. Your private driver takes you to Toprakkala, Kizilkala, and Ayazkala, with hotel pickup, air conditioning, and an estimated lunch stop. Drivers such as Jasur and Bek speak English or Russian.

“Eccellente autista prudente e molto gentile vale la pena passare per le fortezze”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.From Khiva To Aral Sea 2-Days One Night In Yurt Stay

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 20 reviews · 1.5 days

Leave Khiva with driver Islam or Islom, cross Karakalpakstan to Muynak, then ride a 4x4 to the Aral Sea. See rusting ships, Ustyurt canyons, Kurgancha-Kala, Mizdakhan, and Giaur-Kala. Your yurt night includes dinner and breakfast for $45 per person, with drop-off in Khiva, Urgench, Nukus, or at the airport.

“The activity was great. Very interesting to see this part of the country and learn a little about it.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Daytrip From Khiva to Aral Sea Cemetery Of Ships . All In One

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 18 reviews

Travel privately from Khiva to the Aral Sea ship cemetery at Moynaq, with stops at Chilpik Dakhma, Mizdakhan Necropolis, and the Aral Sea Museum. Islom may arrange an English-speaking driver such as Jasur. Expect a long day, about 12 hours and nearly 900 kilometers of driving.

“Excellent tour - not only did the tour include Moynak (once on the shore Aral Sea), but also the necropolis and fortress, both near Nukus. Beg was an excellent driver, who covered almost 900 km of driving in a day”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Daytrip from Khiva to Five Ancient Fortresses

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 15 reviews · 7 hours

Travel privately from Khiva or Urgench to five ancient Khorezm fortresses in seven hours. Your driver handles the route, parking, and return ride, while you explore independently. English may be limited, and entry tickets and lunch cost extra.

“It was great. The personal driver was very friendly, funny and accommodating. He stopped where we wanted. He got us from point a to b very quickly. He did his best to communicate in English which was great. The forts were beautiful and cool. Its remarkable they have survived for this long.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Khiva Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 15 reviews · from $25

Walk Khiva’s walled Itchan Kala with a private guide for about four to five hours. You’ll learn about khans, mosques, madrassas, and local life, with English, Russian, French, and possibly German available. Monument tickets cost extra, and guide Moxira offers an especially personal local viewpoint.

“A very experienced and knowledgeable guide gave my wife and I a tour of Khiva. She explained the historical and cultural significance of palaces and maddrasas. Highly recommended.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Daytrip From Khiva to Savitsky Museum & Mizdakhan & Chilpik

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 13 reviews · 8 hours

Ride in private air-conditioned transport from Khiva or Urgench to the Savitsky Museum, Chilpik Tower of Silence, and Mizdakhan Necropolis. You get hotel pickup and drop-off for up to three people, but tickets, lunch, and a guide cost extra. Expect a long day and limited English from some drivers.

“We left at 9 a.m., the journey Khiva-Nukus took three hours, but thanks to the landscape, it was like a dream. Villages with fruit trees, white cotton fields, then the desert with its strange shrubs. Our first stop was the museum, which was absolutely worth seeing, with exciting arrangements of paintings compared with handcrafted objects. On the way back, we took a look at the Shilpiq Tower, a spiritual landmark like no other, where desert and oasis merge. The driver who accompanied us was extremely polite and courteous. We deliberately skipped Mizdakhan, as the museum and Shilpiq were enough for us that day. 10/10 experience and highly recommended.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Transfer from Khiva to Bukhara by Fortresses

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews

Travel privately from Khiva to Bukhara in about eight hours, stopping at Toprak Kala, Ayaz Kala, and Kyzyl Kala. Your air-conditioned vehicle, hotel pickup, drop-off, and audio guide are included. The route adds ancient desert fortresses and local life to what would otherwise be a long transfer.

“A great trip. Good communication with the tour company and everything was as expected. Highly recommend.”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Private Daytrip to Muynak and Nukus

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews

Travel from Khiva to Nukus and Muynak in a private, air-conditioned vehicle. Visit ancient Chilpiq qala, the Savitsky Museum, Muynak’s ecological museum, and the Aral Sea ship cemetery. The 14-hour trip includes hotel pickup, drop-off, and audio-guide materials.

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Best of Khiva: Exclusive Private Tour!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $76

Walk Khiva’s walled Itchan Kala with a private historian, visiting Kunya-Ark, Toshhovli Palace, Juma Mosque, mausoleums, madrasas, and famous gates. Guides Nilufer and Nargis are named in the tour feedback. Expect 5 to 6 hours, included monument tickets, optional pickup, and a $15 tower climb.

“The guide, Nilufer, was excellent. I really appreciated her explanations and stories. Walking with a guide ensured that I would see everything.”

Check availability →Read our full review