Khiva Traveler Essentials
- Safety rating
- 8.3/10
- Best time to visit
- Spring and autumn are most comfortable, as the surrounding desert makes summers extremely hot.
- Population
- 0.1M
Overview
Khiva's walled inner city of Itchan Kala is a stunning open-air museum of mud-brick madrasas, palaces, and tiled minarets. Once a notorious slave-market oasis, it is now Uzbekistan's most complete and evocative Silk Road town.
Getting around
The walled Itchan Kala is entirely walkable, while taxis link the train station and the outer city.
Local etiquette
Dress modestly at mosques and madrasas and ask permission before photographing local people.
Safety
Khiva is very safe and easy to explore, with negligible crime inside the walled town. Standard precautions are more than enough.