Bukhara With Kids: A Silk Road Family Travel Guide

Ancient Silk Road streets, turquoise domes, bustling bazaars and sleeping in a traditional caravanserai — Bukhara is an incredible city to explore as a family. Here’s what to see, where to stay and what to know when visiting Bukhara with kids.

We visited Bukhara with our kids as part of our family trip through Central Asia, and it turned out to be one of the easiest places to explore in Uzbekistan.

We wandered through old madrassas and domed bazaars, watched the sunset over the incredible Po-i-Kalyan complex, fed peacocks at a former emir’s palace and — one of my favourite parts — actually slept in an old Silk Road caravanserai.

If you’re wondering whether Bukhara is worth visiting with kids, how long you need or what there is to do as a family, here’s what our visit was really like.

Getting to Bukhara by Train

We travelled to Bukhara from Khiva by train, a journey of around seven hours across the vast Uzbek desert.

Beforehand, I did wonder whether we should just take a taxi. Long-distance taxis in Uzbekistan can be surprisingly affordable, and at the time a taxi wasn't much more expensive than buying four train tickets.

But I’m really glad we chose the train.

It was spacious, calm and comfortable, and travelling slowly across the desert became part of the experience.

The kids spread out with books, snacks and card games while we watched the landscape pass by, chatted with locals and met other travellers along the way.

Train travel ended up being one of our favourite ways to get around Uzbekistan.

Travel Tip: We bought our Bukhara train tickets in person as soon as we arrived in Khiva. Uzbekistan’s popular train routes can sell out, so I’d recommend booking your onward journey as early as you can rather than leaving it until the day you travel.

If train tickets are sold out, you can also organise a private transfer between Khiva and Bukhara.

Staying in a Silk Road Caravanserai

One of the absolute highlights of our time in Bukhara was staying in a traditional caravanserai.

Caravanserais are scattered along the Silk Road and once served as secure stopping points for travellers, their animals and the goods they carried. But they were far more than simply places to sleep — travellers traded goods, stories, beliefs and ideas, learning about cultures and traditions very different from their own. For many, travelling the Silk Road must have been life-changing.

For someone who loves the history of the Silk Road, being able to actually sleep in one was pretty special — although I’m fairly sure I was more excited about it than the kids!

If you'd like to stay somewhere a little different in Bukhara, there are several historic properties and caravanserai-style hotels around the old city.

You can browse accommodation in Bukhara here.

Exploring Bukhara with Kids

Something travellers should know: Bukhara is far more spread out than Khiva. The old city isn’t a compact pocket — it’s a collection of squares, domes, courtyards and monuments scattered across a wider area. You find yourself wandering from one architectural treasure to the next: a madrasa here, a minaret there, then a quiet street that suddenly opens into a marketplace. There’s a lot to see, and some places of interest - like Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa Palace, you'll need to book a Yandex/Taxi.

Despite this, it’s still incredibly family-friendly.

The city is flat, walkable, and calm, with a slower pace that makes exploring with kids feel easy. Our girls loved learning about the history (especially the dramatic stories of Genghis Khan), and the open spaces gave them room to move and explore.

Bukhara’s Old City

You don't really need a complicated sightseeing plan for Bukhara.

One of the best things to do is simply wander.

We spent hours walking between old madrassas, mosques, courtyards, markets and little alleyways, stopping whenever something caught our attention.

If you’d prefer to understand more of the history rather than exploring independently, you can also join a guided walking tour of Bukhara.

Best Things to Do in Bukhara with Kids

Some of our favourite places to explore were:

Po-i-Kalyan – Visit towards sunset when the minaret, mosque and madrassa glow golden in the late afternoon light.

The Domed Bazaars – Wander through the old trading domes and watch local artisans carving, stitching and creating traditional crafts.

Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa Palace – A former emir’s summer palace just outside the old city. We caught a taxi here. Our girls were most excited about feeding the peacocks in the gardens.

Lyabi-Hauz – A shady square surrounding a pond, perfect for stopping for lunch or taking a break from exploring.

How Long Do You Need in Bukhara?

I’d allow at least two full days in Bukhara.

That gives you enough time to explore the historic centre without rushing, wander through the bazaars, visit the main madrassas and mosques and head out to places such as Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa Palace.

If you enjoy photography, history or simply travelling at a slower pace, an extra day would be good.

Bukhara is particularly beautiful early in the morning and around sunset, so staying a couple of nights also gives you the chance to experience the old city when the day-trippers have disappeared.

Is Bukhara Good for Kids?

Absolutely.

Bukhara is safe, welcoming, and easy to explore as a family. The slower pace, open spaces, and friendly locals made it one of the most relaxed stops on our trip.

More Uzbekistan & Central Asia Travel Guides

Continuing your journey through Uzbekistan or Central Asia? We hope these guides will help you plan the rest of your trip:

🏛️ Khiva with Kids – Our guide to exploring Uzbekistan's incredible walled Silk Road city.

✨ Samarkand with Kids – What to see and do in Uzbekistan's most famous Silk Road city, including the Registan and Shah-i-Zinda.

🚌 Bishkek to Tashkent Overnight Bus – Everything you need to know about travelling overnight from Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan, including tickets and the border crossing.

🗺️ Central Asia Family Itinerary – Our complete route through Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

🏔️ 2-Week Kyrgyzstan Road Trip Itinerary – Our family road trip through Issyk-Kul, Karakol, Tash Rabat, Song-Kul and more.

🏕️ Staying in a Yurt in Kyrgyzstan – What it's really like to stay in a traditional yurt with kids.

🐎 Tash Rabat, Kyrgyzstan – How to visit this remote Silk Road caravanserai high in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan.

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