Bukhara – Samarkand train
Bukhara → Samarkand · 256 km
Heading east from Bukhara, the high-speed trains leave in the middle of the afternoon and reach Samarkand in time for the evening light on the Registan. They are the same Afrosiyob services that run on to Tashkent, so Samarkand passengers share them with travellers bound for the capital. A dawn Afrosiyob, the Sharq day trains and several overnight sleepers fill in the rest of the day.
Trains leave from Bukhara station in Kagan, about 15 km from the old city. Samarkand station is about 15 minutes by taxi from the Registan and the main hotels.
Tickets are sold on the official Uzbekistan Railways site, eticket.railway.uz, and in its UzRailways Tickets app, as well as at station ticket offices. Every ticket is issued to a named passenger, so you need the passport number when you buy and the passport itself when you board. Sales usually open about 45 days ahead, and the popular departures sell out well before that window closes in spring and autumn.
If you would rather not deal with the booking site, TourEast can buy the tickets for you on request and send them before you travel, or fold the train into a private itinerary with station transfers.
Timetable
| Train | Departs | Arrives | Travel time | Days | Classes | From, USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Express№ 054ЩFrom Kungrad and Nukus | 00:02 | 02:52 | 2 h 50 min | Daily | Platzkart (open sleeper) · Coupe (4-berth) · SV (2-berth) | $11 |
| Passenger№ 056ЖFrom Khiva. Times vary by season — check when booking | 01:09 | 03:53 | 2 h 44 min | Thu, Fri, Sun, Mon | Platzkart (open sleeper) · Coupe (4-berth) | $11 |
| Afrosiyob№ 771ФNight departure | 03:34 | 05:11 | 1 h 37 min | Daily | Economy · Business · VIP | $19 |
| Sharq№ 711Ф | 05:21 | 07:38 | 2 h 17 min | Daily | Seated: economy · business | $14 |
| Jaloliddin Manguberdi№ 751МFrom Khiva; often sold out. Fare for this section not shown on the dates checked. Times vary by season — check when booking | 10:57 | 12:41 | 1 h 44 min | Mon–Sat | Economy · Business | $19 |
| Afrosiyob№ 769Ф | 15:09 | 16:46 | 1 h 37 min | Daily | Economy · Business · VIP | $19 |
| Afrosiyob№ 765Ф | 16:22 | 18:05 | 1 h 43 min | Daily | Economy · Business · VIP | $19 |
| Sharq№ 709Ф | 16:55 | 19:13 | 2 h 18 min | Daily | Seated: economy · business | $14 |
| Afrosiyob№ 777ФWeekend train on the base timetable; also runs on some weekdays. Times vary by season — check when booking | 18:14 | 19:51 | 1 h 37 min | Fri, Sat, Sun | Economy · Business · VIP | $19 |
Approximate fare for the cheapest class; the exact price depends on the date and class.
Schedule checked on November 5, 2026.Schedules change with the season and are confirmed only when tickets go on sale. Always check the final times on your ticket.
Good to know
- — The 15:09 and 16:22 Afrosiyob trains leave a full morning for the Ark, Chor-Minor or the Emir's summer palace.
- — Seats Bukhara – Samarkand are sold from the same pool as Bukhara – Tashkent, so in high season book this leg early, not on arrival in Bukhara.
- — The 10:57 Jaloliddin Manguberdi train is the only late-morning option, but it comes from Khiva and rarely has spare seats.
- — The Sharq train is about a third cheaper than the Afrosiyob and only around forty minutes slower on this stretch.
- — Keep a light bag: luggage racks on Afrosiyob are overhead and small, with limited space for big suitcases at the carriage ends.
Train tickets
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