Itchan Kala Old City

Khiva, Uzbekistan

The walled inner city with 10-meter walls built in the late 17th century, containing over 50 historic monuments.

Places in Itchan Kala Old City

Restored madrasah restaurants Restaurants housed in beautifully restored madrasahs or caravanserai, adding to the dining experience.
Khorezm specialty restaurants Restaurants serving shivit oshi, a dish unique to Khorezm province.
Itchan Kala walkway cafés Cafés along the walled city's walkways, convenient for breaks between monument visits.
Caravanserai restaurant bars Bars within restored caravanserai dining venues.

Best time to visit: Spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October), mild enough to walk Itchan Kala all day without rushing for shade.
Getting around: Itchan Kala's walled Old City is entirely walkable, with all landmarks, hotels, and restaurants within a 20-minute walk of each other; the Northern part of the walls concentrates around 20 hotels.
Currency: Uzbekistani Som (soʻm)
Language: Uzbek; Russian is widely understood.
Timezone: UZT (UTC+5)
Current trends: Khiva's walled Itchan Kala continues to draw travelers seeking one of the best-preserved Silk Road cities, with restaurants housed in restored madrasahs and caravanserai, like Terrassa in the Northern part of the walls, deepening the immersive old-city dining experience, while the compact 20-minute-walk scale of the site keeps it one of Central Asia's most walkable historic destinations.

Northern Itchan Kala — Home to around 20 hotels as well as Terrassa Restaurant, one of Khiva's best restaurants.
Kunya-Ark Citadel district — Home to the royal palace and its historic administrative buildings.