Aydar Lake

As the title suggests, we were scammed. A lot. Multiple times, attempted in nearly every interaction. While we'd never want to discourage anyone from visiting Uzbekistan and experiencing its rich cultural heritage, we also want to be honest about our own journey. Our mistake? Trying to backpack through a country where organized tours are the norm—where busloads of tourists are guided around by locals and the backpacker path is a bit less straightforward. In this guide, we’ll share essential tips, practical advice, from how many days you should spend in each city (we definitely overestimated) to the top sights, attractions, and, most importantly, reliable hotels. We’ve made the mistakes so you don’t have to. Learn from our experiences, avoid the scams, and have a smoother journey through this fascinating country.