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Uzbekistan by direct flight from Tokyo Narita

The Blue CityFour Silk Road cities in 8 days

From Nara, west along the Silk Road

About 9 hours nonstop to three World Heritage cities and the capital

Fly nonstop from Narita to Tashkent, then on a domestic flight to Khiva in the west. A train crosses the Kyzylkum desert to Bukhara, and a high-speed train runs on to Samarkand. There, after seeing a 7th-century mural, a 40-minute talk explains its link to Nara. A short holiday with time to enjoy four cities.

Choose a departure Ask a question
8 days
6 nights in Uzbekistan
~9 h
nonstop from Narita
≤ 20
travellers per group
19
meals included
Registan, Sher-Dor madrasa
Next departure 19–26 Mar 2027 Reserve a seat
Route

From Tokyo to four Silk Road cities

The morning after you land in Tashkent, a domestic flight takes you west to Khorezm, and the tour works its way back east. Khiva to Bukhara is by desert train; Bukhara to Samarkand and on to Tashkent by the Afrosiyob high-speed train. No long coach rides.

Bukhara
  1. Day 1Narita → TashkentNonstop, about 9 h, evening arrival
  2. Day 2Tashkent → Urgench → KhivaEarly domestic flight, about 1 h 40 min, then 40 min by road
  3. Day 3Khiva → BukharaTrain across the Kyzylkum, about 4½ h
  4. Day 5Bukhara → SamarkandAfrosiyob high-speed train, about 1 h 40 min
  5. Day 7Samarkand → TashkentAfrosiyob, about 2 h 15 min, night flight home
Nonstop from NaritaJapanese-speaking guide throughout19 meals includedHistory talk in SamarkandNo long coach rides

Nonstop on Uzbekistan Airways from Narita

  • Day 1 (Friday): HY528 Tokyo Narita (NRT) 11:35 → Tashkent (TAS) 16:40 local time, about 9 hours. In spring 2026 the times were 11:05 and 16:10.
  • Day 7 (Thursday): HY527 Tashkent 22:35 → Day 8 (Friday) Narita 10:10. Until June 2026 the times were 22:05 and 09:40.

Narita–Tashkent is the only nonstop route between Japan and Uzbekistan. In 2026 it left Narita on Tuesdays and Fridays and Tashkent on Mondays and Thursdays. The 2027 times are confirmed when you book. From Haneda, Kansai, Chubu or Fukuoka we can arrange connections via Seoul and other hubs. Uzbekistan is 4 hours behind Japan, with no daylight saving.

Programme

Four cities in six nights

Khiva: Kalta Minor at sunset
Days 2–3

Khiva

Itchan Kala, the walled museum city

  • Walls of Itchan KalaUNESCO World Heritage since 1990
  • Kalta MinorUnfinished tiled minaret, 19th c.
  • Juma MosqueMore than 200 carved wooden columns
  • Pahlavon Mahmud MausoleumPoet, wrestler and patron saint of Khiva
  • Islam Khoja Minaret1910, 57 metres
  • Tash Hauli PalaceThe khans' palace and its tiled courtyards

Photo timeClimb the city wall at sunset for the view over the minarets.

Bukhara: Kalyan mosque
Days 3–5

Bukhara

The holy city, 2,500 years old

  • Poi KalonKalyan Minaret (1127) and great mosque
  • Lyabi HauzMadrasas and teahouses around a pool
  • Samanid Mausoleum9th–10th c., a masterpiece in brick
  • Ark FortressCitadel of Bukhara's rulers
  • Trading domesCovered bazaars of the 16th century
  • Sitorai Mohi HosaSummer palace of the last emir

EveningDinner with folk dance and costume show in a madrasa courtyard.

Samarkand: Shah-i-Zinda
Days 5–7

Samarkand

Timur's Blue City

  • RegistanThree madrasas, 15th–17th c.
  • Gur-e AmirTimur's tomb under a blue dome
  • Shah-i-ZindaAn avenue of tiled mausoleums
  • Bibi-Khanym MosqueTimur's great mosque
  • Afrasiyab Museum7th-century murals, the Hall of Ambassadors
  • Ulugh Beg Observatory1420s, the astronomer king

History talk · about 40 minFrom Samarkand to Nara: east and west of the Silk Road in one mural.

Tashkent: Hazrati Imam square
Days 1 and 7

Tashkent

The capital, and a theatre Japanese hands helped build

  • Hazrati Imam squareMosques and madrasas from the 16th c.
  • Muyi Muborak LibraryThe 7th-century Uthman Quran
  • Chorsu BazaarUnder a great green dome
  • Navoi Theatre1945–47, built with Japanese internees
  • Yakkasaray Japanese CemeteryFlowers for those who wish
  • Tashkent MetroStations in ceramics and marble

Japan connectionA plaque at the Navoi Theatre honours the Japanese who helped build it.

Day by day

Dates appear here when you choose a departure. Meals: B breakfast, L lunch, D dinner, F in-flight.

  1. Day 1
    Narita → Tashkent

    Nonstop Uzbekistan Airways flight HY528 from Narita at 11:35, landing in Tashkent at 16:40. Your Japanese-speaking guide meets you and takes you to the hotel. Dinner at a restaurant in town.

    D
  2. Day 2
    Fly to Khorezm, Khiva

    Early domestic flight to Urgench (about 1 h 40 min) with a breakfast box, then 40 minutes by road to Khiva. A full day on foot in Itchan Kala: Kalta Minor, Kunya Ark, Juma Mosque, Pahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum, Islam Khoja Minaret and Tash Hauli Palace. Sunset from the city wall.

    B L D
  3. Day 3
    Across the Kyzylkum to Bukhara

    A quiet early walk in the old town, then the 09:55 train to Bukhara (about 4½ hours) along the Amu Darya and through the desert. Lunch box on board. In the afternoon, Lyabi Hauz and the Nadir Divanbegi Madrasa.

    B L D
  4. Day 4
    Holy Bukhara

    Samanid Mausoleum, Chashma Ayub, Bolo Hauz Mosque and the Ark. In the afternoon Poi Kalon (Kalyan Minaret, Mir-i Arab Madrasa), the trading domes and Chor Minor. Dinner with a folk show.

    B L D
  5. Day 5
    Afrosiyob to Samarkand

    Morning at Sitorai Mohi Hosa, the last emir's summer palace. Afrosiyob train to Samarkand (about 1 h 40 min). Gur-e Amir, Timur's tomb, and the Konigil workshop where mulberry paper is still made by hand. The Registan lit up at night.

    B L D
  6. Day 6
    Samarkand, the Blue City

    Morning inside the three Registan madrasas, Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Siab Bazaar. Afternoon along Shah-i-Zinda, then the 7th-century murals at the Afrasiyab Museum, followed by the history talk there (about 40 minutes). Ulugh Beg Observatory on the way back.

    B L D
  7. Day 7
    Tashkent and the night flight

    Morning Afrosiyob to Tashkent (about 2 h 15 min). Hazrati Imam and the Uthman Quran, Chorsu Bazaar, the metro and the Navoi Theatre. Flowers at the Yakkasaray Japanese Cemetery for those who wish. Farewell plov dinner, then the airport for HY527 at 22:35.

    B L D
  8. Day 8
    Arrive Narita

    Overnight flight, landing at Narita at 10:10 (2026 timetable).

    F
Learning on the road

One 40-minute history talk in Samarkand

There is one talk on the tour, right after you have seen the mural. A Samarkand historian explains it and your guide interprets into Japanese. With questions, it takes less than an hour.

Shah-i-Zinda dome, Samarkand
Samarkand Day 6 (Wednesday) afternoon · Afrasiyab Museum · about 40 min

From Samarkand to Nara: what a mural says about both ends of the Silk Road

The 7th-century mural found on the Afrasiyab hill shows envoys from many lands at the court of Samarkand's king, including figures thought to come from the Korean peninsula. Chinese chronicles called the city Kang, and its Sogdian merchants travelled the silk routes east. Following the Sogdian letters on incense wood kept at Horyu-ji and the western designs among the Shoso-in treasures, the talk asks why Nara is called the eastern end of the Silk Road. Nara and Samarkand are sister cities, and in summer 2027 the Nara National Museum is showing this mural.

Afrasiyab muralSogdian merchantsKangHoryu-ji incense woodShoso-inNara and Samarkand
Travel album

The journey in pictures

Blue tiles, earthen walls, minarets at dusk. Every city has free time for photographs.

Pahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum and Islam Khoja Minaret, Khiva
Pahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum and Islam Khoja Minaret, Khiva
Gur-e Amir at dusk, Samarkand
Gur-e Amir at dusk, Samarkand
Columns of the Juma Mosque, Khiva
Columns of the Juma Mosque, Khiva
The Uthman Quran, Tashkent
The Uthman Quran, Tashkent
Tomb of Daniel below the Afrasiyab hill
Tomb of Daniel below the Afrasiyab hill
Travel with peace of mind

Made for travellers from Japan

Domestic flights and trains keep a short holiday relaxed. Meals, water and rooms are planned around what Japanese guests have told us they value.

Hazrati Imam mosque dome
Japanese-speaking guide

The same guide from arrival in Tashkent to departure.

Rooms with a bathtub first

Clean 3–4★ hotels; small old-town hotels may have showers only.

No long coach rides

Domestic flight and trains between cities; luggage goes by car.

19 meals and water

Plov, lagman, soups and more, plus a bottle of water every day.

24-hour contact

Our local office can be reached at any time during the tour.

The Mitra Travel standard

The tour in figures

Agents sell a finished product; their clients enjoy a carefree journey.

≤ 20
travellers per group
6 nights
3–4★ hotels
19
meals (6 B, 6 L, 7 D)
3
train journeys
40 min
history talk in Samarkand
B2B
net rates for agents
Afrosiyob train
Tour package

What the price covers

No hidden conditions: you know in advance what is included.

Included

  • 6 nights (Tashkent 1, Khiva 1, Bukhara 2, Samarkand 2) in twin rooms
  • 19 meals (6 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners) and a bottle of water daily
  • Domestic flight Tashkent → Urgench (economy)
  • Train Khiva → Bukhara; Afrosiyob high-speed train Bukhara → Samarkand → Tashkent
  • Airport transfers and sightseeing by private vehicle
  • Entrance fees to the sites and museums in the programme
  • History talk in Samarkand (about 40 min, Japanese interpretation)
  • Dinner with folk show in Bukhara
  • Japanese-speaking guide throughout

Paid separately

  • International flights Narita ⇄ Tashkent, fuel surcharge and airport taxes (group fares on request)
  • Travel insurance
  • Single room supplement
  • Drinks, tips for guide and driver
  • Camera fees at some sites, personal expenses
  • A tour conductor from Japan (arranged by the agency if wanted)

The exact price and terms are in the quote we send after your enquiry.

Online booking · 2027

Choose your departure

Eight departures from March to October 2027, each for up to 20 travellers. Choose a date and the number of guests; we confirm the seats and send a quote.

March 2027
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Departure from Narita (Friday) Selected Tour days

All 2027 departures

Your departure Choose a date in the calendar
Number of guests
2
How should we contact you?

A request does not commit you. Payment only after seats are confirmed.

For travel agencies in Japan

Sell the 2027 departures to your clients

On the Mitra Travel B2B platform you see live seat availability for every departure, book at net rates, upload passenger lists and download programmes and vouchers.

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  • Net rates and agency commission
  • Live seats for every 2027 departure
  • Passenger lists, programmes and vouchers
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About Mitra Travel

Uzbekistan specialists since 2011

For more than 15 years Mitra Travel has built journeys that show Uzbekistan's culture, history and hospitality.

2011founded
12,000+travellers have trusted us
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Kalyan minaret at night
Questions and answers

Before you travel

Do Japanese citizens need a visa?

No, not for stays under 30 days. A visa-free stay cannot be extended. Bring a passport with ample validity beyond your return (6 months recommended). Hotels handle the local registration, and we confirm entry rules when you book.

Are international flights included?

No. The price covers the tour from arrival in Tashkent to departure. We can quote group seats on Uzbekistan Airways from Narita, and connections from Haneda, Kansai, Chubu or Fukuoka.

Time difference and money?

Uzbekistan is 4 hours behind Japan, with no daylight saving. The currency is the sum (UZS). Japanese yen is hard to exchange outside Tashkent, so US dollars in cash are handy. Hotels and larger shops take Visa and Mastercard.

Voltage and plugs?

220 V, 50 Hz, with type C sockets (some type F). Bring an adapter and check that your chargers accept 100–240 V.

How demanding is the tour?

The old towns have cobbles and steps, and you walk 4–7 km a day with a rest after lunch. Day 2 starts with an early flight and Day 7 ends with a night flight. Anyone who enjoys a daily walk will manage well.

What is the food like?

Plov (rice with lamb and vegetables), hand-pulled lagman noodles, soups, shashlik and tandoor bread. Tell us about vegetarian diets or allergies when you book.

What are the hotels like?

Clean 3–4★ hotels with Wi-Fi in every city. We book rooms with a bathtub first, but small old-town hotels in Khiva and Bukhara may have showers only.

Weather and clothing?

April–May and September–October are pleasant, about 15–28 °C by day. Early mornings in March and late October can drop to 5–10 °C. Bring a hat and sunglasses. Cover shoulders and knees in mosques and mausoleums; a scarf is useful for women.

Will we see the Afrasiyab mural?

Yes, the visit and the talk take place at the Afrasiyab Museum. Part of the mural is shown at the Nara National Museum from 10 July to 5 September 2027, so the display may change around those dates. We will tell September groups what is on view when they book.

Does a tour conductor come along?

A Japanese-speaking guide is with you throughout. If you want a tour conductor from Japan, the agency arranges one and includes them in the group count.

Group size and other dates?

Each departure takes up to 20 travellers. The minimum group size is stated for each departure. Private groups and other dates are possible; tell us the month and we will plan around the flight days.

Do you work with travel agencies?

Yes. Agencies book at net rates on the Mitra Travel B2B platform, or choose “Travel agency” in the form below and we will send a login.

Mausoleum of Imam al-Maturidi, Samarkand

Uzbekistan is ready for your guests

Questions about dates, prices or a private group? We reply in the messenger you prefer.

Travel agents: book net rates on the Mitra Travel B2B platform.

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