Asia
Uzbekistan
Turquoise domes, Silk Road bazaars and plov cooked in giant cauldrons.
Uzbekistan has the finest Silk Road cities in Central Asia, and fast trains now link them. Samarkand’s Registan, the old lanes of Bukhara and the walled town of Khiva can all be seen in a week or two.
It is cheap, safe and welcoming, and easier than ever since visa rules relaxed. Add a night in a desert yurt camp, the silk and ceramic towns of the Fergana Valley, or the stranded ships of the Aral Sea.
Good to know
- Time zone
- GMT+5
- Plugs
- Types C and F, 220V
- Emergency numbers
- 102 police, 103 ambulance, 101 fire
- Tap water
- Drink bottled or filtered
- Traffic drives on the
- Right
- Tipping
- Many restaurants add a 10–15% service charge; otherwise rounding up the bill is plenty.
- SIM cards
- Beeline, Ucell and Uzmobile SIMs with 20–30 GB of data cost about 100,000–150,000 som, and you register them with your passport.
When to go to Uzbekistan
Best months to go: April to May and September to October. Pick a month to see what it’s like.
Bars show rainfall; numbers are the average daytime high. Amber marks the best months to go.
SeptemberBest time to go
The heat eases and the markets overflow with fruit. A great month to go.
- Daytime high
- 29°C
- Rainfall
- 5 mm
- Crowds
- Busy
| Month | Daytime high | Rainfall | Crowds | Best time to go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7°C | 55 mm | Quiet | No |
| February | 9°C | 50 mm | Quiet | No |
| March | 15°C | 70 mm | Busy | No |
| April | 22°C | 60 mm | Peak season | Yes |
| May | 27°C | 35 mm | Peak season | Yes |
| June | 33°C | 10 mm | Quiet | No |
| July | 36°C | 4 mm | Quiet | No |
| August | 34°C | 2 mm | Quiet | No |
| September | 29°C | 5 mm | Busy | Yes |
| October | 22°C | 30 mm | Peak season | Yes |
| November | 14°C | 45 mm | Quiet | No |
| December | 9°C | 60 mm | Quiet | No |
What Uzbekistan costs
Work out a budget for your trip, then check what everyday things cost.
$448for 14 days, about $32 a day (UZS 5,600,000 in total)
| Cost | Per day | For the trip | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | $12 | $168 | |
| Food and drink | $8 | $112 | |
| Getting around | $5 | $70 | |
| Things to do | $5 | $70 | |
| Everything else | $2 | $28 |
Per person, in US dollars. Flights and insurance not included.
What things cost
- Plate of plovUZS 40,000, about $3.20
- Samsa from a street ovenUZS 8,000, about $0.64
- Round of naan breadUZS 5,000, about $0.40
- Pot of green teaUZS 5,000, about $0.40
- Bottle of local beerUZS 15,000, about $1.20
- Hostel dorm bed in SamarkandUZS 120,000, about $9.60
- Afrosiyob train, Tashkent to SamarkandUZS 270,000, about $22
- Tashkent metro rideUZS 2,000, about $0.16
Routes through Uzbekistan
Where to go and how long to stay, for the time you’ve got.
14 nights, 6 stops
The Silk Road cities from east to west, with a detour to the Fergana Valley and a night in the desert. Fly home from Urgench.
Tashkent
2 nights
Chorsu Bazaar, the ornate metro stations and the Khast Imam complex.
Fergana Valley
2 nights
Silk weavers in Margilan and ceramic workshops in Rishtan.
Samarkand
3 nights
The Registan, the tombs of Shah-i-Zinda and the Bibi-Khanym Mosque.
Aydarkul
1 night
A yurt camp by a desert lake, with a camel ride at sunset.
Bukhara
3 nights
An old town of trading domes, madrasas and a pool-side teahouse at Lyabi-Hauz.
Khiva
3 nights
A walled city of minarets that is best at dawn and dusk.
Getting around
Train
$10–35 for most trips
The fast Afrosiyob links Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara, and slower trains go on to Khiva. Book on the railway.uz site as seats sell out in spring and autumn.
Private car
$5–20 a seat in a shared taxi
Shared taxis leave from bus stations when full, and are often faster than buses. In cities, use the Yandex Go app for cheap rides.
Minibus
$2–10 for most trips
Marshrutkas cover shorter routes and villages. Cheap but cramped, and they leave when full.
Flight
$40–80 one way
Useful for the long hop between Tashkent and Urgench, the airport for Khiva.
What to eat and drink
Plov
Rice cooked with mutton, carrots and chickpeas in a huge kazan. Best at lunchtime, before it runs out.
UZS 40,000, about $3.20
Samsa
Flaky pastries filled with mutton and onion, baked on the walls of a tandoor.
UZS 8,000, about $0.64
Lagman
Hand-pulled noodles in a spiced meat and vegetable broth.
UZS 30,000, about $2.40
Shashlik
Skewers of mutton, beef or minced meat grilled over charcoal, sold by the stick.
UZS 15,000, about $1.20
Non
Round, stamped bread from the tandoor. Never put it face down on the table.
UZS 5,000, about $0.40
Kok choy
Green tea, poured and returned to the pot three times before serving.
UZS 5,000, about $0.40
Say it like a local
A few words go a long way. Tap “Hear it” to listen, where your browser can.
Hello
Assalomu alaykum
Say it like: ah-sah-lo-moo ah-lay-koom
Thank you
Rahmat
Say it like: rakh-mat
How much is it?
Narxi qancha?
Say it like: nar-khee kan-cha
Too expensive
Juda qimmat
Say it like: joo-dah kim-mat
Delicious
Mazali
Say it like: mah-zah-lee
Very good
Juda yaxshi
Say it like: joo-dah yakh-shee
Where is the station?
Vokzal qayerda?
Say it like: vok-zal kah-yer-dah
Goodbye
Xayr
Say it like: khair
Questions travellers ask
Do I need to register?
Yes, but hotels and hostels do it for you and hand you a registration slip, so keep them all. If you stay privately, you must register yourself online within three days.
Should I bring cash?
Cards now work in many hotels and city restaurants, and ATMs are common in the big cities. Carry som for bazaars, taxis and small cafés, and some clean US dollars as a backup.
What should I wear?
Casual clothes are fine in the cities, but cover your shoulders and knees in mosques and mausoleums, and women should carry a scarf for the head.
How far ahead should I book trains?
A week or two in April, May, September and October, especially for the Afrosiyob. Buy them on railway.uz or from station ticket offices with your passport.
Is it safe?
Uzbekistan is one of the safest countries in the region, with very little crime against travellers. The biggest risk is being fed too much plov by generous hosts.