Central Asia: 10 days in Uzbekistan
General Info
Uzbekistan is a country in Central Asia that has recently opened its doors to the world. It is gradually becoming more and more popular with tourists. It's relatively easy to travel independently around this country as it's quite touristy, however, still less popular among Western Countries.
It is a very safe country to visit for solo (female) travelers.
Starting from 1 February 2019, citizens of the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and many more countries can travel to Uzbekistan visa-free for a period of 30 days.
The best time to visit Uzbekistan is in Spring (mid-April – beginning of June) or Autumn (mid-September – beginning of November). The temperatures during these seasons are very pleasant and it shouldn’t be too hot to walk around during the day.
Tashkent and Samarkand both have international airports.
Visa is probably the most widely accepted credit card. However, you won’t always be able to pay with your credit card, so always carry cash. Each city has a handful of good working ATMs.
Itienarary
Tashkent will most probably become the starting point of your Uzbekistan travel itinerary because of its well-connected international airport. Although often skipped due to the absence of architectural beuaty, Tahskent is a modern capital of Central Asia, that worth a visit.
See the guide on how you could spend 2 days in Tashkent, imagining that you will have some to to spend there on the way to and from other cities.
The classical itienarary in Uzbekhistan typically would include the following cities: Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva.
The most logical way to stucture your trip is to take a train to Samarkand, spend from 2 to 4 days there.
The time you will spend depends on whether you would like to explore some of the sights nearby, including those located in Tajikistan. There are multiple days trips availabe from Samarkand, so you may opt to stay a bit longer than 2 days. Here are few of them:
From Samarkand take a train to Bukhara that takes few hours, spend 2-3 days in Bukhara.
Check my suggestions on how to spend 2.5 days in Bukhara, including visiting more remote places and hammam exeprience.
From all the destinations on your Uzbekistan travel itinerary, Khiva is certainly the hardest to get to. From Bukhara, it is best to take the train (5h) or taxi (7h). Spend 2-3 days there (and go to Nukus) and fly back from Urgench or take a night train back to Tashkent (16.5 hours).
Do not leave the country without reaching Khiva. Khiva, the open-air museum in the desert, was the first place in Uzbekistan to get a UNESCO heritage listing
In my opinion local guides are a must. The trip will be more comfortable and more convenient. So try to find local guides on the spot when visiting, at least for the city tours. In cities like Tashkent, you can find free walking tours.
Trains
Trains are convinient way to travel between the cities. There are different types of trains: the Afrosiyob, the Sharq and the Night Train.
The Afrosiyob train is the most modern and fastest one. It connects main cities and takes the following times to get from one city to another:
Tashkent <–> Samarkand (2 hours)
Tashkent <–> Bukhara (4 hours)
Samarkand <–> Bukhara (1.5 hours)
The Sharq is a more old-fashioned train, it is slower than the Afrosiyob and also cheaper (about half the price). These trains are used to reach cities and regions that are farther from the Uzbek capital like Urgench, Khiva, and cities in the Fergana Valley.
Tashkent <–> Samarkand (3 hours)
Tashkent <–> Bukhara (6 hours)
Samarkand <–> Bukhara (2.5 hours)
Bukhara <–> Khiva (6 hours)
You can also take a night train from Tashkent to Bukhara, it will take 14 hours to complete the journey and 16 hours for the way back.
The best way to buy train ticket is via web-site, better at least few days in advance.
If you’re having trouble ordering your train tickets online, you can still go directly to any train station and buy your ticket(s) at the ticket office, which is usually located next to the train station.
Taxis and cash
One of the most common scams in Uzbekistan is getting overcharged by taxi drivers. It starts as soon as you arrive at the airport or at any land border. The taxi drivers will usually charge you double or triple the standard rate. For taxi services install the Yandex Go app on your phone (local Uber). You can also ask reception at the hotel to arrange taxis for you when needed.
Expences
Uzbekistan is a very affordable country to travel around and can easily be done on your own. Transportation and accommodation are the biggest expenses while traveling in Uzbekistan. Expect to travel in Uzbekistan for 25 – 45 EUR / USD per person on a budget and 60 – 100 EUR / USD when choosing for a bit more comfort in tours and hotels.
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