Things to do in Khiva
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Khiva
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best weather, warm and sunny with all sites and yurt camps at their best, also peak demand.
Good and atmospheric, March warming around Navruz and November crisp, empty and cheap with cold nights.
Hard heat with highs regularly 38 to 45C, sightseeing only at dawn and evening with midday rest.
Hard cold with sub zero lows and wind, some places on reduced hours but the walled town is empty and cheapest.
What's on
- Navruz 20-21 March
Persian New Year and biggest public holiday with concerts, street food, sumalak and festive locals in Khiva squares.
- Lazgi International Dance Festival late April
Festival of Khorezm Lazgi dance inside Ichan Kala, biennial in recent editions so check current year dates.
- Pahlavan Mahmud Strongmen Games usually June
International strongman competition in Itchan Kala named for the patron wrestler saint, heat is the caveat.
- Qovun Sayli Melon Festival August
Celebration of Khorezm melons with growers competing, tastings, concerts and large domestic crowds.
- Independence Day 1 September
Concerts and fireworks nationally, marking the pivot into autumn season with a domestic travel spike.
Best things to do in Khiva
Itchan Kala
Complete walled town best seen empty at dawn and floodlit at night, when lanes and tiles have the city to themselves.
Juma Mosque
Vast quiet hall held up by more than 200 carved wooden columns, some dating to the 10th century.
Kalta Minor Minaret
Unfinished turquoise tiled stump intended as the tallest minaret, now the unmistakable symbol of Khiva.
Islam Khoja Minaret
Tallest minaret in Khiva, climbed by steep steps for a complete panorama over roofs, domes and desert.
Tosh-Hovli Palace
Finest interiors in Khiva, with blue and white majolica, painted ceilings and a lavish harem courtyard.
Kuhna Ark
Former Khan citadel with throne room and summer mosque, topped by a watchtower made for sunset.
Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum
Most beautiful sacred interior in Khiva, covered in blue majolica tiles under the largest dome.
Itchan Kala City Walls
Rampart walk that explains the city in minutes, with inner town inside and oasis and desert beyond.
Where to stay in Khiva
Inside Itchan Kala
first trip, all-round base
Only base that gives dawn, dusk and floodlit night inside the walls, with every sight within 10 minutes walk.
Just outside the walls, Dishan Kala
second choice when inside is full
Larger rooms and easier car access within 5 to 10 minutes walk of a gate, often for less money.
Modern Khiva and Farovon area
specific hotel stay, pool and spa
Landscaped newer district a taxi ride from the walls, chosen only for Farovon comfort not location.
Think twice about
- Urgench as a base
Soviet planned city 30 to 35 km away. Basing there costs daily travel time and all dawn and night access for little saving.
- Highway motels on the Khiva to Urgench road
Isolated after dark with empty unlit roads and total taxi dependence, and no walkable surroundings.
- Rooms on the main West Gate to Juma Mosque axis
Tour group noise from about 9am and souvenir stall bustle until evening. Light sleepers should pick a side lane inside the walls.
Best restaurants in Khiva
Restaurant Tapas
Highest rated kitchen inside the walls, serving the reference shivit oshi plus manti and shashlik.
Terrassa Cafe & Restaurant
Famous multi storey rooftop for sunset over Kuhna Ark, with good food and the best view in town.
Arxi Terrasa
Newer calmer rooftop facing the western wall and West Gate, a strong second night sunset choice.
Ayvon Restaurant
Refined local favourite for noodle dishes and pumpkin dumplings, with a large rooftop terrace.
Khiva Moon
Best value courtyard restaurant just outside the West Gate, with unhurried service and lower prices.
Cafe Zarafshon
Atmospheric madrasa dining under Islam Khoja minaret, best for Khorezm specialities at dinner.
Khorezm Art Restaurant
Dinner inside Allakuli Khan Madrasa courtyard surrounded by tilework, known for shivit oshi.
Sofra Restaurant
Modern Uzbek restaurant just outside the walls, calmer and good for salads and grilled meats.
Outdoor things to do in Khiva
Ellik Qala
Circuit of ancient mud fortresses including Kyzyl Qala, Toprak Qala and the hilltop climb at Ayaz Qala.
Ayaz Qala Yurt Camp
Overnight in a yurt below Ayaz Qala with dinner, dark skies and a dawn camel ride option.
Savitsky Museum, Nukus
Trip pairing the Savitsky avant garde museum in Nukus with the rusting ships at Muynak and desert necropolises.
Home cooking class with market visit
Private home cooking class with a bazaar visit, making plov or shivit oshi from family recipes.
Best hotels in Khiva
Farovon Khiva Hotel
Only full luxury hotel in Khiva, with pool, spa and large rooms a short taxi ride from the walls.
Orient Star Khiva Hotel
Rooms in converted madrasa cells at the foot of Kalta Minor, sleeping inside the monument itself.
Shaherezada Boutique Hotel
Most consistently loved inside walls hotel, family run with spacious rooms, terrace and strong breakfast.
Zarafshon Boutique Hotel
Polished quiet boutique inside the walls on Pakhlavon Mahmud street, walkable to all sights.
Hotel Arkanchi
Central reliable hotel with sauna and gym listings, more full service than a guesthouse.
Meros B&B
Best value family B and B just inside the North Gate, with garden, bikes and helpful hosts.
Islam Khodja Guest House
Small family guesthouse by the minaret known for terrace breakfasts and strong hospitality.
Khiva Rasulboy Guest House
Four room family guesthouse away from the main axis, with terrace breakfasts and minaret views.
Is Khiva expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $40 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $96 a person |
| Splurge | $168 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Mirza Boshi Teahouse: a few days ahead
- Ellik Qala: a few days ahead
- Ayaz Qala Yurt Camp: a few days ahead
- Savitsky Museum, Nukus: weeks ahead
- Home cooking class with market visit: a few days ahead
- Farovon Khiva Hotel: a few days ahead
- Orient Star Khiva Hotel: weeks ahead
- Shaherezada Boutique Hotel: weeks ahead
- Inside walls rooms in April to May and September to October, especially Shaherezada, Meros and Orient Star courtyard rooms.
- Tashkent to Urgench flights and night train sleepers sell out in high season.
- Rooftop tables at Terrassa and Arxi Terrasa for sunset, and cooking classes and fortress drivers a day ahead.
Is Khiva safe?
- Khiva is very safe with low crime, take normal care with bags in the bazaar and on wall walks.
- Heat and dehydration are the main risks, carry water and avoid midday fortress walks in summer.
- Dress modestly for mosques and home visits and carry a light scarf for religious interiors.
- Do not drink tap water, use bottled or filtered water provided by hotels.
Khiva travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Doing Khiva as a day trip means arriving with groups at 10am and leaving before the floodlights.
- Midday in high season the main axis feels crowded and theme park like, judge Khiva at dawn instead.
- Souvenir opening prices are set for bargaining and museum shops are not automatically authentic or fairly priced.
- Restaurant names confuse: Tapas is Mirza Boshi, and Terrassa and Arxi Terrasa are different rooftops.
Getting around Khiva: public transport and more
- Walk inside Itchan Kala, which is tiny and pedestrian in effect.
- Fly to Urgench airport then prebook a hotel transfer, about 35 km to Khiva.
- Taxi apps like Yandex Go do not reliably work in Khiva or Urgench, arrange taxis through hotels and agree the price first.
- Khiva station is about 2 km from the walls, take a short taxi rather than walking with luggage.
Who Khiva suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | OK |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Khiva your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App Store