Bukhara 2-day route planning guide, a Silk Road gem more worth visiting than Samarkand
Going to Uzbekistan, you can't miss these three World Heritage ancient cities - Samarkand, Khiva, and Bukhara. If Samarkand symbolizes the peak of Central Asian ancient architecture, and Khiva is the real version of One Thousand and One Nights, then Bukhara, with a history of 2,500 years, is much more low-key, still retaining the life of thousands of years.
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Many people will say that the restored Samarkand is the Disneyland of Central Asia. Although it is extremely exquisite, the matching historical atmosphere is far away. Bukhara, also a gem of the Silk Road, is very restrained in restoration, without large-scale reconstruction, and the decoration of the building has not been repainted, only some preserved historical buildings have been converted into restaurants, hotels, still maintaining the state of the old city.
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Although Bukhara has 140 historical buildings, the area for tourists to explore is not large, almost all concentrated in the old city area, if you add the Emir's Summer Palace in the suburbs, the arrangement of 2 days and 1 night is very suitable, below is my itinerary in Bukhara, you can refer to.
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🚸About the itinerary
DAY1: Samarkand-Bukhara (Kalon Mosque→Ulugbek Medressa→Abdulaziz Khan Medressa→Divab-Beghi→Chor Minor Medressa→Nadir Divan-BegiMedressa)
DAY2: Bukhara (Sitorai Mohi Hosa Palace→Ark of Bukhara→Bolo KhauzMosque)-Tashkent
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🚗About transportation
The best way to visit Bukhara is Citywalk, most of the attractions are next to each other, the walking time is no more than 5 minutes, only Chor Minor Medressa is a bit far, but it's only 20 minutes to walk. Only the Emir's Summer Palace needs a taxi, but it's only a few kilometers, it's very convenient. For large transportation, Samarkand and Tashkent both have high-speed trains to Bukhara, but there are not many trains, so you need to buy tickets in advance during the peak season. There are also buses between cities, but it takes a long time, suitable for friends with plenty of time.
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🕌About attractions
✅Kalon Mosque: The landmark of Bukhara, especially the Kalon Minaret, is one of the few buildings in Uzbekistan before the Mongol period. But the mosque itself is not worth seeing, not worth buying a ticket to go in.
✅Ulugbek Medressa and Abdulaziz Khan Medressa: Two facing medressas, the former was built earlier, decorated simply, the latter's highlight is the colorful honeycomb-shaped arch on the door, representing the ancient architecture of Bukhara, there is a room in the medressa that requires a separate ticket, worth a visit, where you can see the complex original decoration and the mysterious figure under the decoration.
✅Chor Minor Medressa: The internet celebrity of Bukhara, the cover of the Central Asia edition of 'Lonely Planet', a medressa that doesn't look like a medressa.
✅Nadir Divan-BegiMedressa: Now a restaurant, the biggest highlight is the 'heretical' peacock, lamb and sun pattern on the front door. The statue of Afanti in front of the medressa is also the most checked-in place for Chinese people in Bukhara.
✅Sitorai Mohi Hosa Palace: The residence of the last Emir of Bukhara, and the only surviving palace of the Bukhara rule, a good medicine for treating aesthetic fatigue.
✅Ark of Bukhara: The west gate and attached castle of the Bukhara Khanate period, now transformed into a museum, although it looks big, there are not many places to visit.
✅Bolo KhauzMosque: The mosque is not big, but it has the highest carved wooden column in Uzbekistan and a super exquisite caisson.