Samarkand – Bukhara train
Samarkand → Bukhara · 256 km
Between Samarkand and Bukhara the Afrosiyob takes about an hour and forty minutes, against four hours or more by road. The morning high-speed trains arrive from Tashkent and continue to Bukhara with seats released in Samarkand, so they are easier to book than the Tashkent sections. The Sharq day train adds an hour, and a handful of night trains cover the stretch while you sleep.
Samarkand station is about 15 minutes by taxi from the Registan. Bukhara station is in Kagan, around 15 km and 25–30 minutes by taxi from the old city.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharq№ 712ФNight train from Tashkent | 00:02 | 02:27 | 2 h 25 min | Daily | Seated: economy · business | $14 |
| Afrosiyob№ 778ФWeekend train on the base timetable; also runs on some weekdays. Times vary by season — check when booking | 08:33 | 10:10 | 1 h 37 min | Fri, Sat, Sun | Economy · Business · VIP | $19 |
| Jaloliddin Manguberdi№ 752ЖContinues to Urgench and Khiva; often sold out. Fare for this section not shown on the dates checked. Times vary by season — check when booking | 09:23 | 10:54 | 1 h 31 min | Mon–Sat | Economy · Business | $19 |
| Afrosiyob№ 766Ф | 09:53 | 11:39 | 1 h 46 min | Daily | Economy · Business · VIP | $19 |
| Afrosiyob№ 770Ф | 10:59 | 12:36 | 1 h 37 min | Daily | Economy · Business · VIP | $19 |
| Sharq№ 710Ф | 12:00 | 14:35 | 2 h 35 min | Daily | Seated: economy · business | $14 |
| Express№ 054ФContinues to Nukus and Kungrad | 20:36 | 23:15 | 2 h 39 min | Daily | Platzkart (open sleeper) · Coupe (4-berth) · SV (2-berth) | $11 |
| Afrosiyob№ 772ФArrives just after midnight | 22:23 | 00:01 | 1 h 38 min | Daily | 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 09:53 and 10:59 Afrosiyob trains are the sweet spot: an unhurried breakfast in Samarkand, lunch in Bukhara.
- — Consider the road instead only if you want to stop in Gijduvan for the potters on the way; the train is faster and smoother.
- — Because these trains start in Tashkent, check-in is the same as at a terminus: be on the platform ten minutes before departure, the stop is short.
- — Buy Samarkand – Bukhara and Bukhara – onward tickets at the same time if you can, so the whole route is fixed before sales peak.
- — The midnight Sharq and Afrosiyob arrivals work only with a pre-booked transfer from Kagan.
Train tickets
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