What NOT to Do in Uzbekistan (Widespread Errors to Keep away from!)

Uzbekistan is an enchanting nation, full of Silk Street historical past, gorgeous turquoise mosaics, and a number of the finest memento procuring I’ve ever skilled.

I loved my solo journey to Uzbekistan, which I paired with time in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. This was my first journey to Central Asia, and it couldn’t have gone any higher!

My journey throughout Uzbekistan took me to 4 of the most well-liked cities — Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva. I discovered Persian miniature portray and suzani embroidery. I gawked on the metro stations in Tashkent and even took a day journey into Tajikistan.

And alongside the way in which, I fell in love with this unimaginable nation. And so did lots of you, my expensive readers. I’ve by no means seen such a powerful reader response to a visit I’ve taken earlier than! I do know lots of you may be planning your individual journeys to Uzbekistan quickly.

I like writing my What NOT to Do posts, instructing vacationers what they need to NOT do in numerous locations. As a result of typically you want to know what to not do earlier than you determine what to do!

I hope this publish helps you intend your individual dream journey to Uzbekistan. Let’s have a look!

This publish was printed in Might 2026.

Don’t assume Uzbekistan is an intimidating or troublesome vacation spot.

Let’s be sincere — not lots of people go to Uzbekistan earlier than they’ve visited, say, Italy or Thailand or Mexico. It tends to be the thirtieth nation folks have visited, fairly than the third, until they’re from Central Asia themselves.

Due to that — together with the misguided perception that wherever with “Stan” in its title is inherently harmful — many individuals assume that Uzbekistan is finest fitted to skilled vacationers.

Right here’s the reality: I used to be shocked at how simple Uzbekistan was to journey. And I’m not simply saying that as a result of I’m a really skilled traveler.

To begin, Uzbekistan is a really protected vacation spot the place there may be little violent crime and nearly no avenue harassment. Moreover, Uzbekistan is a well-liked vacation spot and has fairly good infrastructure at a wide range of worth factors.

On high of that, costs are inexpensive right here. I spent on common $50 per evening for a resort, $2-3 for a Yandex taxi experience, and $6-8 for dinner. That makes it simpler to justify staying in a nicer place or reserving the next class on a prepare.

A very powerful issues for touring Uzbekistan are researching the cities you’ll be visiting prematurely, reserving prepare tickets properly forward of time, getting an Uzbekistan eSIM, and downloading Yandex Go.

One thing else I discovered fascinating was that there have been SO many massive senior tour teams in Uzbekistan. And from a wide range of nations, too — British, American, French, and I used to be shocked by what number of Italian voices I heard.

Who knew the large, scary Stans can be so common with older people?

Total, I’ve had near-breakdowns in common journey locations like Japan and Italy. I didn’t get wherever near a breakdown in Uzbekistan. My journey was simply clean, begin to end.

Don’t wait till the final minute to ebook prepare tickets.

I’m placing this close to the highest as a result of it’s an important tip on this checklist. Touring by prepare is one of the simplest ways to get round Uzbekistan — I took three completely different sorts of trains and located them quick, environment friendly, inexpensive, and really nice.

However prepare tickets are likely to promote out extraordinarily quick — particularly the high-speed Afrosiyab trains working from Tashkent to Samarkand and Bukhara.

They usually promote out the day they go on sale (!), which is 45-60 days earlier than the journey.

Are you able to simply take the bus as a substitute? After all you possibly can — however it takes for much longer. My high-speed prepare from Tashkent to Samarkand took two hours, whereas the bus takes about 5 hours. One among my guides advised me his bus took seven hours attributable to visitors.

You possibly can ebook prepare tickets by yourself at railway.uz, or you possibly can have an Uzbek journey company ebook them for you at a markup.

I used the company Orex CA to purchase one in every of my tickets, simply to see what the expertise was like, and it was superb, however I may have achieved it myself with no points. They charged me 40 USD for a ticket that may have value about 17 USD, so anticipate an honest markup.

And in case your prepare is bought out, contact an Uzbek journey company. I heard that many companies maintain onto tickets on the favored routes, and launch them near the date if no one buys them. So hold wanting, simply in case.

In case you’re a bit nervous about shopping for the best tickets, I like to recommend reaching out to an company not less than 60 days prematurely and having them organize them as quickly as they go on sale. The additional value may be well worth the peace of thoughts to you.

Don’t put on revealing clothes.

Every time I go to a predominantly Muslim nation, I get ladies asking me if it’s essential to put on a scarf in public. In most Muslim nations, a scarf is simply crucial when visiting an lively mosque.

However I do like to decorate equally to native ladies after I journey solo. Generally meaning carrying a protracted tunic that buttons to my neck (Southern Lebanon), typically it means carrying denims though it’s roasting out (Cartagena, Colombia).

So how do ladies gown in Uzbekistan? Some ladies put on the hijab and gown historically in lengthy, unfastened clothes. Some ladies put on the hijab and gown in additional trendy methods, like blazers, wide-leg denims, and bomber jackets. Some ladies don’t cowl their hair and gown western-style.

However I’ll inform you this: you don’t see Uzbek ladies carrying brief skirts, overly tight clothes, or displaying their cleavage. Many ladies gown stylishly, however they don’t present pores and skin.

And that made me glad that I packed a wardrobe that coated my knees, shoulders, and cleavage.

For my April journey, I primarily wore two sorts of outfits: 1) a knee-length gown over cropped or full-length leggings with a denim jacket on high, or 2) a t-shirt and denims. I’d add on a couple of extra layers (a long-sleeved wrap high, a cardigan) if it was chilly.

For a couple of hours on my final day in Tashkent, I did take off the denim jacket and simply wore the sleeveless gown over cropped leggings. Tashkent felt trendy sufficient that displaying my shoulders didn’t really feel disrespectful.

For males and mascs, in case you’d like to decorate equally to Uzbek males, I’d follow carrying lengthy pants and keep away from shorts and tank tops. And PLEASE don’t go for a jog shirtless.

I did see some ladies vacationers who have been dressed revealingly. In Khiva, I noticed a western lady in her sixties carrying leggings as pants with a t-shirt that didn’t cowl her butt. And in Samarkand, I noticed two twenty-something Russian ladies in brief shorts and tank tops.

They stood out in a foul manner. Don’t be that particular person.

Don’t neglect to obtain the Yandex Go app.

In case you attempt to summon an Uber in Uzbekistan, you’ll be out of luck — right here, the app of selection is Yandex Go, a well-liked app in former Soviet republics. Be sure you obtain it earlier than your journey, since you want a telephone quantity to verify it.

Yandex is significant in Uzbekistan. You should utilize it as a taxi app, as a meals supply app, and you may even ship objects to be delivered elsewhere.

And Yandex rides are shockingly low cost. More often than not, my rides have been underneath 5 USD for a experience throughout the town, often 2-3 USD.

I had numerous early morning departures in Uzbekistan, the earliest at 3:30 AM (yuck!), and I by no means needed to wait longer than 5 minutes for a Yandex driver. That impressed me.

(There was one exception although: at prepare stations shortly after trains arrived. When trains arrived, there was often round a 15-minute watch for a Yandex. And I couldn’t organize them early as a result of there often wasn’t any telephone sign till we acquired to the station.)

Don’t go to Uzbekistan with out an eSIM.

As a journey security educator, I by no means go to wherever with out an eSIM — and that’s particularly vital for Uzbekistan.

I used an eSIM from Holafly for my journey, and it labored very properly. I ordered it earlier than my journey, selected the particular dates for it to be lively, and it began working as quickly as I landed in Tashkent.

In Uzbekistan, the only most vital purpose to get an eSIM is having the ability to order Yandex taxis from wherever. I discovered this beneficial when it was too darkish to stroll again to my resort. I additionally discovered having an eSIM very useful for navigating my manner with Google Maps, translating menus, and speaking with my guides by way of WhatsApp.

Free wifi just isn’t as widespread in Uzbekistan as it’s in different nations, and sometimes wifi networks require an Uzbek telephone quantity with a purpose to join. I used to be so glad I had limitless knowledge and didn’t should cope with that.

I discovered that my Holafly eSIM had glorious sign within the cities of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, although you shouldn’t anticipate sign on trains in the course of nowhere.

I additionally love Holafly’s profit known as At all times On. Each Holafly eSIM robotically supplies 1GB of emergency knowledge monthly in additional than 70 locations. If in case you have a delayed flight or sudden layover, you’re coated.

You may get 5% off your Holafly Uzbekistan eSIM with the code HOLAKATE, and 10% off month-to-month plans.

Don’t freak out if there isn’t a working seatbelt in your automotive.

This is among the stranger issues I seen in Uzbekistan — seat belts are not often accessible. In a typical Yandex taxi, both the seat belts shall be pushed deep beneath the seat cushions, or there shall be a canopy on high of the backseat with no holes for seat belts.

Actually, I counted up the Yandex and taxi rides I took in Uzbekistan. I took 19 rides and there was a usable backseat seatbelt FOUR TIMES. That’s it.

The craziest incident was with my driver who picked me up from Khiva’s prepare station. I seen there have been no seatbelts within the backseat, as typical, and he beckoned me to take a seat within the entrance seat, which had a working seatbelt.

I went to place my belt on and he acquired indignant — gesturing to me, “No, don’t do this, you don’t have to try this.” I nodded and smiled and put it on and he acquired angrier, shaking his head.

“No. You’re good. They are unhealthy,” I advised him, giving him a thumbs up whereas giving a thumbs all the way down to the opposite drivers. He finally gave up and drove me to my resort.

From speaking to locals, I discovered that many Uzbek drivers suppose it’s an insult to their driving abilities if a passenger makes use of a seatbelt.

So how do you cope with this? In case you’re touring solo like me, sit within the entrance seat. The entrance seat often has a working seatbelt.

If it’s vital to you to have working seatbelts within the backseat on each journey, you possibly can rent a automotive service. These drivers are usually extra skilled than Yandex drivers, and you may verify for sure whether or not they have working seatbelts.

It can value much more than 2-3 USD per experience, however it’ll value lower than hiring a driver for the day in France or Japan or Australia.

Don’t take a “5 Stans” tour.

Many individuals visiting Central Asia for the primary time resolve to see the area by a “5 Stans” tour taking in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Why not knock all of them out directly?

Actually, I perceive the urge. However these three-week excursions are fairly rushed and solely take you to the busiest locations, when the magic usually occurs within the quieter stops.

As a substitute, in case you’d like to go to a couple of completely different nations, I like to recommend you pair Uzbekistan with one or two different nations. A Two Stan or Three Stan tour is far more cheap.

My 17-day journey to Central Asia started with 5 days in Kazakhstan, which was a great period of time for Almaty and an in a single day journey to Lake Kolsay, Lake Kaindy, and Charyn Canyon.

(My unique plan was to do 5 days in Turkmenistan beforehand, however they rejected my Letter of Invitation, doubtless as a result of I’m politically outspoken with a big following and They Do Not Like That. Oh properly, it was their loss and guess what — I liked Kazakhstan!)

I then did a day journey to Tajikistan from Samarkand, visiting Panjakent, the Seven Lakes, and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed ruins of Sarazm.

This present day journey is simple so as to add into any Uzbekistan journey, and Tajikistan is visa-free for a lot of nationalities.

Resist the urge to knock out all of Central Asia directly. That’s actually a two-trip endeavor.

Don’t depart your wide-angle lens at residence.

Now, this one is extra for the intense photographers. Uzbekistan is a implausible vacation spot for pictures — particularly, architectural pictures.

The interiors of the buildings are full of unimaginable geometric particulars — it’s the sort of artwork you possibly can take a look at for hours and nonetheless uncover new issues.

Nevertheless, it’s very troublesome to {photograph} these interiors correctly until you have got a wide-angle lens. Ideally, a really large lens.

In case you’re extra of an informal photographer like me and also you’d fairly not cart round a ton of lenses, the iPhone has a reasonably nice wide-angle lens lately. Whereas the standard just isn’t what you’d get with most massive lenses, I really feel prefer it will get the job achieved.

Let’s examine two photographs of the ceiling of the Aksaray Mausoleum in Samarkand:

You possibly can see what a distinction it makes!

So in case you’re a photographer, convey your wiiiiiiidest lens.

Don’t purchase a particular lens if it’s not in your finances, however maybe take into account renting or borrowing one in case you’re eager on photographing the interiors of those buildings.

Or perhaps simply use your iPhone, like me.

Don’t simply sightsee in Uzbekistan — study a craft, too.

I discovered two conventional crafts whereas in Uzbekistan — Persian miniature portray and suzani embroidery — and truthfully, these have been the BEST issues I did on my journey.

Earlier than my journey, an organization known as CraftnCulture Uzbekistan reached out to me, asking if I’d be serious about any of their workshops. WOULD I EVER! Making issues is correct up my alley, and I knew it could enable me to get to know Uzbekistan even higher.

Craftnculture affords workshops in Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara in all the pieces from plov-cooking and bread-making to pottery-painting and mosaic-making to knife-crafting and wood-carving.

In Bukhara, I took a Persian mini portray workshop from acclaimed artist Rafael Toshev, who guided me by means of portray a pomegranate tree with watercolors on silk paper. (The silk paper is much more finicky than it appears!)

This was SO MUCH FUN. I had forgotten how good it’s to simply draw and paint and make artwork.

I had the most effective time portray my piece and attending to know Rafael. Whereas we had a translator, Rafael and I quickly realized we each spoke French, and we gabbed away the entire time. By the top of the night, I promised I’d ship my father-in-law to his upcoming present in London this summer time.

In Samarkand, I took a suzani embroidery workshop and discovered the artwork of Uzbek embroidery. Artist Feruza guided me, instructing me three completely different strategies of conventional stitching earlier than we settled on the simplest sew collectively.

I like to stitch and embroider, so I wasn’t an entire newbie — however a newbie can completely do that. It takes a while to get the hold of the stitching, however quickly you’ll go on autopilot and fall right into a trance.

Feruza and I acquired to know each other, and he or she advised me she teaches suzani embroidery to everybody in her household — together with the boys. She even confirmed me footage stitching on the desk along with her toddler grandkids.

Better of all, Feruza gave me sufficient thread that I can proceed stitching my piece at residence.

Lastly, whereas in Tashkent, I met up with Craftnculture firm proprietor Yusuf, who himself guided me on a meals and metro tour, which was the right introduction to the nation.

I acquired to know him and study extra in regards to the firm, and truthfully, I’d like to ship SO many extra folks his manner. Craftnculture is doing issues proper.

(I paid for the Persian mini portray workshop myself and Craftnculture comped me my suzani embroidery workshop in Samarkand and a Chorsu Bazaar and metro station tour in Tashkent.)

Don’t anticipate locals to talk English.

In lots of elements of the world, English is the go-to second language. In Central Asia, nonetheless, locals are likelier to talk Russian as their second language, particularly in the event that they’re over 40 or from a rural space.

Actually, folks in Uzbekistan usually defaulted to Russian with me, saying spasibo for thanks fairly than the Uzbek rahmat.

And some instances, younger ladies spoke to me in English on behalf of their households, their moms and aunts smiling behind them.

Understanding a little bit of Russian might be very helpful right here, and I like to recommend that you simply study a couple of Russian phrases. Sure, no, hi there, thanks, and numbers 1-5 could make speaking in Uzbekistan a bit simpler.

However you by no means know what may be helpful. On my Tajikistan day journey, one in every of my fellow vacationers spoke Farsi and our information spoke Tajik again — these two languages are mutually intelligible, so that they have been in a position to perceive one another!

Don’t anticipate to ebook Uzbekistan Airways together with your bank card.

In case you’re flying domestically inside Uzbekistan, you’ll be flying with Uzbekistan Airways. You may even be flying them internationally.

However Uzbekistan Airways doesn’t take most worldwide playing cards, together with my American and Czech playing cards. I discovered this when it was time to make the acquisition and nothing would undergo.

So what do you do if an airline doesn’t take your bank cards? I booked the flight by means of Expedia.

I by no means ebook with Expedia or another OTA (on-line journey company) — it’s a lot smarter to ebook immediately with the airline, in case your flight will get canceled and must be rescheduled. I figured a fast flight from Urgench to Tashkent can be unlikely to have any points.

And, in truth, it was superb. So in case you’re reserving on Uzbekistan Airways, ebook by way of an OTA.

Don’t go wherever with out money.

Wherever I journey, I exploit bank cards more often than not — it’s higher for factors and higher for monitoring bills in my YNAB finances.

However Uzbekistan could be very cash-oriented. I even needed to pay a couple of resort payments with money, which is one thing I hadn’t achieved in awhile.

I wouldn’t go wherever in Uzbekistan with out a first rate amount of money, since you’ll in all probability must hit up an ATM in the end. Actually, after I was procuring up a storm in Bukhara, I needed to go to the ATM 3 times in someday!

Some ATMs look regular however are just for with Uzbek financial institution accounts. One financial institution that I perused usually was Kapitalbank, with brilliant yellow ATMs which might be simple to identify.

One thing else to bear in mind is that you could have a ton of payments on you. At one level I had mainly the equal of $500 in $5 payments. Simply one thing to bear in mind!

Don’t skip Tashkent.

Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital, doesn’t get fairly as a lot consideration as its different cities, and folks usually cite it as boring. However that doesn’t imply you must skip it — I feel it makes the right touchdown pad for attending to know Uzbek tradition.

On my first full day in Tashkent, I did a Meals Tour and Metro Journey in Tashkent. This was the very best introduction to the town and the nation.

Yusuf and I began at Chorsu Bazaar, an immense spherical market, the place he advised me in regards to the meals and produce and had me strive a number of completely different objects. (I usually get overwhelmed when solo in markets, so I actually appreciated having a information to point out me what was good.)

Subsequent he took me on a tour of a number of metro stations — and they’re SUPERB. Tashkent has so many cool metro stations, every of them embellished from high to backside in numerous kinds. It’s really a pleasure taking the metro there, simply attending to benefit from the artwork.

We completed up at an enormous restaurant specializing in plov, the place we shared three completely different sorts of plov.

(Yusuf laughed at one level as a result of the employees didn’t know who to present the pot of tea as a result of they didn’t know which of us was older. The youthful particular person serves the tea in Uzbekistan! Yusuf is youthful, so he served me tea. You get lower than half of a cup at a time, and it’s handed to you together with your proper hand as you maintain your left hand over your coronary heart.)

Past that, I acquired to take pleasure in some cool espresso retailers and parks in Tashkent. I’m glad I acquired to spend time there.

Don’t go all in on Samarkand.

Samarkand is called the fantastic thing about Uzbekistan, because of its wonderful structure. The Registan and Shah-i-Zinda Mausoleum are two of essentially the most spectacular works of structure within the nation. Each stopped me in my tracks a number of instances.

And visiting Samarkand is completely a MUST; I couldn’t think about an Uzbekistan journey with out it.

That stated — simply because a metropolis has fantastic issues, it doesn’t imply it has an equally fantastic vibe. I personally didn’t love the vibe of Samarkand as a metropolis, and lots of vacationers I spoke to (although, to be honest — not all of them!) felt equally.

Samarkand is EXTREMELY touristy — it’s mainly the Florence of Central Asia. And it welcomes loads of Uzbeks, Central Asians, and folks from everywhere in the world. Due to the crowds, it feels greater than a bit theme park-y.

There was additionally fixed visitors in Samarkand, and the vitality of the town felt a bit irritating to me. At instances, it felt powerful even discovering a restaurant. A shocking variety of eating places open for lunch have been closed for dinner. This did lead me to discovering a couple of holes within the wall, although!

I’m saying this as a result of I usually see folks go Samarkand-heavy of their itineraries. You don’t have to try this.

So how a lot time is sweet for Samarkand? I spent three full days there, with someday being my Tajikistan day journey, and that was the right period of time. I may have added an additional day if I had needed to day journey to Shahrisabz, one other cool metropolis close by.

Don’t purchase souvenirs till you get to Bukhara.

Uzbekistan has a number of the finest memento procuring I’ve ever skilled. A few of the most well-known merchandise listed here are silks dyed in colourful ikat patterns, conventional suzani embroidery items, and beautiful patterned pottery.

And that’s not all. There are Persian miniature work, bread stamps in a wide range of patterns, and tiny pairs of scissors formed like birds.

Want to purchase one thing for males (which I all the time discover a problem)? They’ve acquired knives, too! You guess I purchased my husband a cool knife.

However the very best procuring in Uzbekistan is in Bukhara. I discovered the standard of merchandise right here to be usually higher than what I noticed in Samarkand and Khiva, and Bukhara occurs to be the house of native arts like rug-weaving and gold zarduzlik embroidery.

Bukhara can also be residence to 3 conventional buying and selling domes by means of which Silk Street vacationers handed by means of on their journey (not in contrast to a duty-free store on the airport right now). These domes are nonetheless lively right now.

That doesn’t imply you shouldn’t purchase one thing in one other metropolis. In case you discover one thing you like, purchase it! I purchased a chunk of suzani embroidery from Feruza, my embroidery trainer in Samarkand, and her work is beautiful.

However I like to recommend you save the hardcore looking for when you hit Bukhara. Oh, and finances a LOT greater than you have been planning. It took all my willpower to not purchase an $819 lengthy purple ikat silk jacket.

Don’t assume Khiva is simply too distant.

Khiva felt a lot completely different than in every single place else. It is a gorgeous walled metropolis within the coronary heart of the desert and it genuinely looks like an oasis on the Silk Street.

But it surely’s removed from all the pieces, which is why some folks skip it. It’s both a six-hour prepare experience from Bukhara or an 80-minute flight from Tashkent.

But it surely’s very a lot well worth the journey. I took a sleeper prepare from Bukhara that departed at 5:42 AM and arrived round 11:37 AM, and it couldn’t have been extra nice. My three compartment-mates and I slept a bit, then I learn and relaxed with my ft up as we chugged throughout the desert.

After all, you want to settle for Khiva for what it’s. The Ichan Kala, the realm throughout the partitions, is 100% geared towards tourism, not in contrast to Kotor, Montenegro, or San Gimignano, Italy. If you wish to expertise native life, you’re going to should transcend the partitions.

However it’s so lovely, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Web site, and it’s so visually completely different to the opposite common cities of Uzbekistan.

And if you wish to go additional west, you possibly can head to the town of Nukus, and even camp in a single day at what was once the Aral Sea, full with shipwrecks suspended in sand.

Don’t solely eat plov.

It’s simple to get sucked into solely consuming plov whereas in Uzbekistan. It’s ubiquitous, it’s low cost, there are tons of regional variations, and better of all, it’s completely scrumptious!

Plov is a rice dish made with meat, onions, carrots (usually a mixture of orange and yellow carrots), and different accoutrements like raisins, chickpeas, or apricots. Plov is the place the phrase “pilaf” comes from!

And truthfully, it’s simple to finish up consuming it for each meal in Uzbekistan. However I like to recommend you get out of the plov zone every so often.

So, what must you eat apart from plov?

Shashlik — meat kabobs grilled on a skewer — are a very talked-about possibility in Uzbekistan, in all probability second solely to plov, they usually additionally really feel like a wholesome possibility after days of heavier delicacies. I’d often get two meats and a vegetable skewer.

Laghman is a well-liked dish in Central Asia, because of the affect of the Uyghurs of western China. These hand-pulled noodles are thick and chewy, and are often served in a soup with meat of some variety.

Shivit Oshi is a well-liked dish in Khiva: dill noodles topped with beef and potatoes. Scrumptious!

I discovered that eating places in Khiva have been good about speaking native dishes from Khiva and the encompassing Khorazm area.

And in case you simply really feel like a snack, seize a samsa — a crammed pastry. They often come full of meat, or typically pumpkin or different greens, however my favorites have been full of a mixture of sautéed potatoes and onions.

Don’t are available summer time (until you need to).

I visited Uzbekistan in April, and that was by design. From what I learn, spring and fall are the most effective instances of 12 months to go to, as a result of the summers might be extremely popular and the winters might be chilly and bleak.

April turned out to be an ideal month for Uzbekistan and the Almaty area of Kazakhstan. I had some chilly moments (within the mountains of Kazakhstan and Tajikistan), however the days have been pretty for essentially the most half.

However Khiva was HOT. Some days, the noon temperatures have been as excessive as 90 F (32 C). In APRIL. I spent the afternoons in Khiva holed up in my resort room — there was no purpose to be out when it was that scorching.

Khiva could also be hotter than the opposite cities, due partly to its location within the desert, however it acquired fairly scorching in Tashkent round that point as properly. I can’t think about how scorching it will get in the summertime months.

For that purpose, I like to recommend you keep away from visiting Uzbekistan in summer time if doable.

(With my everlasting caveat for academics and different individuals who should journey in the summertime — if summer time is your solely possibility, you may make it work. Simply be sure you tempo your self and keep inside within the afternoons.)

On the identical time, know that this isn’t essentially the case for different elements of Central Asia. In case you’re visiting excessive altitude locations, particularly in Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan or alongside the Pamir Freeway, summer time is THE time to go. Some locations may be inaccessible outdoors in summer time.

Don’t backtrack to Tashkent…until you wish to.

Once I first booked my flights to Central Asia, I made a decision to fly into Almaty, Kazakhstan, and out of Tashkent, Uzbekistan. I’d fly from Almaty to Tashkent in between. That’s what made sense on the time.

And so the Uzbekistan portion of my itinerary had me journey by prepare from Tashkent to Samarkand to Bukhara to Khiva, then I flew from Urgench Airport (close to Khiva) again to Tashkent.

However after I was at Urgench Airport, I noticed that folks have been boarding a Turkish Airways flight to Istanbul. WHAT? Who knew that was even an possibility?!

Turkish Airways could be very well-connected in Central Asia, they usually run flights from Istanbul to Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Urgench.

Had I recognized that, I’d have flown residence from Urgench (assuming the worth was first rate). I didn’t actually have a purpose to return to Tashkent, and since I all the time give myself a beneficiant buffer with flights, I mainly added on two further days that I didn’t want.

Nevertheless…I loved these final two days in Tashkent.

I stayed at Lotte Metropolis Lodges Tashkent Palace, a four-star resort in a pleasant neighborhood for simply $117 per evening. I went to the Museum of Utilized Arts. I took lengthy walks. I visited a number of coffeeshops. I frolicked with my good friend Megan.

And what? After 9 days of family-run guesthouses, Uzbek meals, and early mornings, it was good to relax in a luxurious, nameless resort, order room service lasagna, and decompress a bit earlier than flying residence.

It may need added two further days, however that was an effective way to finish my journey to Uzbekistan.

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