Khiva Travel Guide
Khiva's Ichan Kala is a walled desert city so intact it feels like a film set — minarets, madrasahs, the emir's palace, all inside 2 km of mud-brick walls.
Top sights
- Kalta Minor — the fat, unfinished turquoise minaret
- Kunya Ark — the old citadel
- Islam Khoja Minaret — climb for sunset views
- Tash Hauli Palace — the harem palace
- Juma Mosque — a forest of 213 carved wooden columns
How to get there
Fly Tashkent to Urgench (1h 30m), then a 30-minute taxi to Khiva. Or take the overnight sleeper train from Bukhara.
Where to stay
Stay inside the walls — Orient Star (a converted madrasah), Malika Kheivak, or a family guesthouse.