This was one of the most fabulous locations I have ever wandered around. You pay an entrance fee one - at the West Gate I think - and then pretty much everything inside is covered. Even ignoring the main attractions, just walking around the old city is spectacular with amazing architecture and views. It also felt remarkably safe and I walked solo both early morning and late evening, something I have learned to be wary of in European cities.

The ancient town of Khiva is simply amazing. It is an open air museum in the sense that it is not a “real” city but it is restored, managed to bring the visitor back in time. But honestly this is done very well without the feeling of being is a sort of theme park. Of course there is not the authenticity that can be found in other villages but it is very well done. The city is amazing, the monuments are breathtaking. There are a lot of sellers but they blend rather well with the environment. Must do!

The Itchan Kala is the walled inner town of the city of Khiva. It consists of over 400 traditional dwelling structures and about 60 architectural monuments. It was declared an UNESCO world heritage site in 1990 Many of the buildings were constructed between the 16th and 19th centuries and some have since been rebuilt and restored. To enter the inner walls of Itchan Kala there is a fee. The price is 150,000 som and roughly equates to about £10. The ticket is valid for 2 days and you can go backwards and forwards as many times as you wish. Personally I don’t have a problem paying an entrance fee. The upkeep of buildings, particularly old ones, and conservation costs, and an amazing place with the history of Khiva deserves to be preserved and enjoyed for many, many years to come. When you buy your entrance ticket you are also provided with a map showing all the main historical sites inside the Itchan Kala. Many of the entrance prices are included in your initial ticket cost. There are some extras like visiting and climbing the minaret that do cost extra - worth it though, in my opinion. I loved meandering the streets. It is very clean and for me the place had a nice vibe. It’s the history of the place for me. I felt privileged to be retracing the footsteps of adventurers like Marco Polo. There are cafes and restaurants and lots of stall holders but in all honesty I found the whole place charming. The people are delightful and so welcoming. You can step away from the busier streets and explore all manner of nooks and crannies. It is amazing what you do find as you wander. There are countless photo opportunities along the way. I also recommend walking along the ramparts. Access into Itchan Kala is through different gates. These gates mirror the names of the compass and are all easily located. The two day ticket worked perfectly for me. There is a lot to see and I felt that two days really allowed me to see everything I wanted to. I also recommend visiting at different times of the day. It is an incredibly safe place and beautifully lit at night.

There simply aren't enough superlatives to describe the amazing experience of seeing Khiva for the first time from the terrace of our lovely Arkanchi Hotel, looking out over the Itchan Kala. If you are planning on travelling across the world to see amazing Uzbekistan then I would strongly recommend that you travel just a little further to see amazing Khiva. It doesn't have the grandeur of The Registan Samarkand or Bukhara, but it is in my opinion preferable, it was my fairytale! The Itchan Kala is a compact package deal and really warrants a good guide to take you around on your first day....recommend booking a local through Murad of Islambek Travel....you won't be disappointed. Then on the second day return to see museums and sites in more detail. We purchased the VIP ticket for 2 consecutive days, most places are covered by this one ticket and they even accept credit cards, with a small surcharge. Originally we were going to give Khiva a miss, as it would require extra travel, but we ended up taking an Uzbek Air flight from Tashkent, which was reasonably priced and excellent all round, including the meal on board! Then we went by road onto Bukhara, again booked with Islambek Travel. There are also overnight trains from Tashkent, but we consider the decision to fly the best one.

Together with Samarkand, Khiva occupies the top spot for exotic places along the old Silk Road. There was something mystical in the air when our group entered the Old Town the first evening. In subsequent days, we learned more about the many historical sights, tightly clustered in a small, walkable area. Highlights include the Mausoleum of Pakhlavan Makmud, the Islam Khodja Minaret and Museum, the medieval Friday Mosque and Tashauli Palace and Harem.

Wonderful walled city of Khiva. We were fortunate to stay in hotel within the city walls, which meant we could go out to explore early morning and later at night when most of crowds were gone. Although it was busy it wasn’t crowded and we were able to visit the numerous sites without being swamped by other tourists. Many of the buildings have been restored over the years, but didn’t feel it takes anything away from the city, it still feels charming and conjured up images of Marco Polo making his way along Silk Road. There is no traffic and we felt perfectly safe wandering about. There are vendors everywhere, including inside Madrassas and Mosques, didn’t find them as pushy as other places we have visited in Middle East. We stayed for two days and felt this gave us good overview of city and its wonderful sites,it is compact and walkable, recommend good comfortable footwear and don’t forget your camera.

If you thought that the city of Aldino did not exist, you are wrong. You have to walk around Khiva. Full of madrassas, mosques and palaces that take you to the mythical tales of the 1001 nights. A single ticket is valid for most of the buildings you can enter, there is only one mausoleum where you will have to pay an additional fee, but it is still worth it.