Tashkent

Airport transfer(30 minutes)

Yandex Go taxi app for fair metered prices. 15,000-30,000 UZS (~$1.25-2.50)

Chorsu Bazaar evening visit(1.5 hours)

Central Asia's most photogenic market under a turquoise dome. Spices, dried fruits, flatbread (non). Near Chorsu Metro. The spice mounds are mesmerizing. Free. Open daily 6AM-6PM

Dinner at Plov Center (Osh Markazi)(1 hour)

Giant kazan cooking plov for hundreds. 30,000-40,000 UZS for a huge plate. Go before 2PM (sells out). 10 min taxi from center

Khast Imam Complex(1.5 hours)

World's oldest Quran (7th century) at Moyie Mubarek Library (25,000 UZS). Tillya Sheikh Mosque, Barak Khan Madrasa. Free to walk grounds. 15 min taxi from center

Ride the Tashkent Metro(1.5 hours)

1,500 UZS per ride. Ride the Uzbekiston line: Kosmonavtlar (space-themed), Alisher Navoi (ceramic literary scenes), Mustaqillik Maydoni (ornate chandeliers). Photography allowed since 2018

Lunch at a local chaikhana(1 hour)

Teahouse restaurants. Samsa (meat pastry from clay oven, 5,000 UZS), lagman (noodle soup, 20,000 UZS), and green tea. Sit cross-legged on a tapchan (raised platform)

Amir Timur Square & Museum(1.5 hours)

Equestrian statue, domed museum (25,000 UZS). The Quran attributed to Caliph Uthman. Square is beautifully lit at night

Afrosiyob train to Samarkand(2.5 hours)

~90,000 UZS (~$7). Book on uzbekrailways.uz 2-3 days ahead

Registan Square(1.5 hours)

Three madrasas facing each other — the most iconic image of Central Asia. Entry: 40,000 UZS. The tilework is staggeringly intricate. Arrive early for fewer crowds

Shah-i-Zinda necropolis(1.5 hours)

25,000 UZS. An avenue of tiled mausoleums so blue they seem to glow. Each facade is different — 14th-15th century tile artistry at its absolute peak

Lunch — Samarkand plov(1 hour)

Samarkand's plov is different from Tashkent's — darker, with quince and chickpeas. Try at Bibikhanum Teahouse near the mosque. 25,000 UZS

Bibi-Khanym Mosque(45 minutes)

15,000 UZS. Once the largest mosque in Central Asia. The scale is breathtaking even in its partly restored state

Afrosiyob train to Bukhara(4 hours)

~150,000 UZS (~$12). Depart early (6:30AM) to maximize time

Lyabi-Hauz complex(1 hour)

The social heart of Bukhara — a plaza with a tree-shaded pool flanked by madrasas and a khanaka. Free. Sit at a cafe, drink tea, watch life. Mulberry trees are 500+ years old

Kalon Minaret, Mosque & Miri-Arab Madrasa(1 hour)

The 47m Kalon Minaret (1127) was so impressive that Genghis Khan spared it when he destroyed the rest of the city. The mosque and active madrasa form Bukhara's most photographed ensemble. 25,000 UZS

Lunch at Lyabi-Hauz restaurant(1 hour)

Shashlik (lamb kebab, 20,000 UZS), non bread, and cold Sarbast beer. The poolside setting under ancient mulberry trees is blissful

Ark Fortress(1 hour)

25,000 UZS. Bukhara's 2,000-year-old fortress citadel. The throne room and dungeons tell the story of the Bukharan Emirate. The view from the walls over the old city is excellent

Minor Mosque morning visit(30 minutes)

A beautiful white marble mosque on the Ankhor canal. Free. Best photographed in morning light

Tashkent TV Tower(1 hour)

50,000 UZS. 375m, Central Asia's tallest. Observation deck at 220m. Tien Shan mountains visible on clear days

Navoi Theatre exterior and park walk(1 hour)

The Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre, built by Japanese POWs in 1947, is architecturally stunning. The surrounding park is pleasant. Free to walk (performances from 25,000 UZS)

Lunch at Caravan restaurant(1 hour)

Upscale Uzbek in a restored caravanserai setting. Manti (steamed dumplings, 30,000 UZS), dimlama (lamb stew, 40,000 UZS). Beautiful interiors

Tashkent City modern district(1.5 hours)

The new development with the Magic City park, glass towers, and Uzbekistan's emerging modern identity. A stark contrast to the old town. Good coffee scene developing here

Plov cooking class(3 hours)

Several guesthouses and tour operators offer plov-making classes (learn the kazan technique). 150,000-250,000 UZS including the meal. The key is the zirvak (onion-carrot-meat base) and the precise layering

Walk through Eski Shahar (Old Town)(2 hours)

The mahalla neighborhoods between Chorsu and Khast Imam are traditional Uzbek residential quarters. Courtyard houses, bread-baking in tandoor ovens, children playing in narrow lanes. Not touristy at all

Afternoon at Uzbekistan State Museum of Applied Art(1 hour)

In a beautiful 19th-century diplomat's house. Entry: 20,000 UZS. Suzani embroidery, ceramics, woodcarving, and traditional dress. The suzani collection is exceptional

Farewell dinner at Old City restaurant(1.5 hours)

Full Uzbek spread: plov, shashlik, samsa, salads, non bread, and Uzbek wine (surprisingly good). 80,000-120,000 UZS per person for a feast

Last Chorsu Bazaar visit(1 hour)

Buy dried fruits, spices, and suzani embroidery as souvenirs. The dried apricots and mulberries are extraordinarily good

Airport transfer(30 minutes)

Yandex Go (15,000-30,000 UZS). Allow 3 hours — airport security is thorough

Chorsu Bazaar(1.5 hours)

Turquoise dome, spices, flatbread. Free

Plov Center dinner(1 hour)

Giant kazan plov. 30,000-40,000 UZS. Before 2PM

Khast Imam Complex(1.5 hours)

Oldest Quran. 25,000 UZS

Metro ride(1.5 hours)

1,500 UZS. Kosmonavtlar, Alisher Navoi, Mustaqillik

Chaikhana lunch(1 hour)

Samsa 5,000 UZS, lagman 20,000 UZS

Amir Timur Square & Museum(1.5 hours)

25,000 UZS

Afrosiyob train(2.5 hours)

90,000 UZS

Registan Square(1.5 hours)

40,000 UZS

Shah-i-Zinda(1.5 hours)

25,000 UZS

Bibi-Khanym Mosque(45 minutes)

15,000 UZS

Early train(4 hours)

150,000 UZS. 6:30AM departure

Kalon ensemble(1 hour)

25,000 UZS

Ark Fortress(1 hour)

25,000 UZS

Minor Mosque(30 minutes)

White marble. Free

TV Tower(1 hour)

50,000 UZS. 375m. Tien Shan views

Plov cooking class(3 hours)

150,000-250,000 UZS

Eski Shahar walk(2 hours)

Traditional neighborhoods. Tandoor ovens, courtyards

Applied Art Museum(1 hour)

20,000 UZS. Suzani collection

Japanese Garden of Friendship(1 hour)

Free. Peaceful escape from the city. Built to honor Japanese POWs who built many Tashkent landmarks

Evening at Broadway pedestrian street(1.5 hours)

Local artists sell paintings, musicians play. The evening social promenade. Tashkent's most relaxed atmosphere

Gur-e-Amir mausoleum(1 hour)

20,000 UZS. Timur's tomb. The jade-green ribbed dome and the interior gold leaf are magnificent. The actual tomb is in the underground crypt

Ulugh Beg Observatory(45 minutes)

15,000 UZS. The ruins of a 15th-century astronomical observatory. The 11m underground sextant is the surviving fragment. Ulugh Beg calculated the length of a year to within 25 seconds of the modern measurement

Siab Bazaar(1 hour)

Samarkand's main market. The oversized Samarkand non bread (50cm diameter, 5,000 UZS) is legendary — locals bring them back to Tashkent as gifts

Registan at night(1 hour)

The floodlit Registan is even more spectacular after dark. Far fewer people. Photography heaven

Afrosiyob Museum (ancient Samarkand)(1 hour)

15,000 UZS. Murals from the 7th-century Sogdian city that preceded Timur's Samarkand. The diplomatic procession fresco is a masterpiece of pre-Islamic Central Asian art

Konigil paper-making workshop(1.5 hours)

A reconstructed Silk Road paper mill using traditional mulberry bark techniques. Watch the process and buy handmade paper. 10km from center (taxi 15,000 UZS). Entry: 15,000 UZS

Chor Minor(30 minutes)

10,000 UZS. Four-towered former gatehouse — Bukhara's most quirky monument. Each minaret has a different design

Bolo Hauz Mosque(30 minutes)

The 'mosque of many columns' — 20 carved wooden pillars reflected in a pool. Still an active Friday mosque

Trading Domes walk(2 hours)

Three 16th-century covered bazaars (Taki-Zargaron, Taki-Tilpak-Furushon, Taki-Sarrafon) where silk, jewelry, and hats are still sold. Bargain for silk scarves (30,000-80,000 UZS) and miniature paintings

Dinner on rooftop with minaret views(1.5 hours)

Several old town restaurants have rooftop terraces facing the Kalon Minaret. Bukhara's summer evenings are warm and magical. Shashlik and beer: 50,000 UZS

Ismail Samani Mausoleum(30 minutes)

Free. The oldest Islamic monument in Central Asia (892-943 AD). The intricate terracotta brickwork creates patterns that change with the sun angle — a masterpiece of geometry

Bukhara Jewish Quarter(1 hour)

A small but historic Jewish community existed here for 2,500 years. The 16th-century synagogue is sometimes open — ask locally. Most Bukharan Jews emigrated to Israel and NYC, but the quarter retains its character

Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa (Summer Palace)(1 hour)

15,000 UZS. 4km north. The last Emir's summer palace mixing European and Central Asian architecture. Peacocks in the gardens. Eccentric and charming

Drive to Chimgan(1.5 hours)

Hire car (200,000 UZS round trip) or join a group tour

Chimgan hiking(3 hours)

Several trails from the base village into alpine meadows. The Greater Chimgan peak (3,309m) is a full-day hike. The easier trails to Gulkam Gorge waterfall take 2-3 hours

Charvak Reservoir(1.5 hours)

A turquoise reservoir in the mountains. Beach swimming in summer (June-Aug). Pedal boats: 30,000 UZS. The mountain backdrop is dramatic

Mountain lunch(1 hour)

Kebab and shashlik at a mountain chaikhana. 25,000-40,000 UZS. Fresh mountain bread baked in a tandoor

Option A: Kukeldash Madrasa visit(1 hour)

Free. 16th-century madrasa near Chorsu — Tashkent's largest. Active religious school. Respectful visitors welcome

Option B: Tashkent Botanical Garden(1.5 hours)

20,000 UZS. Central Asia's largest botanical collection. Pleasant shade and quiet in the heat

Farewell dinner(1.5 hours)

Full Uzbek banquet: plov, shashlik, samsa, manti, salads, non. 100,000-150,000 UZS for a feast. Toast with Uzbek wine or vodka

Chorsu Bazaar last visit(1 hour)

Dried fruits, spices, suzani. Best Central Asian souvenirs

Airport transfer(30 minutes)

Yandex Go. Allow 3 hours — security is thorough

Plov Center(1 hour)

30-40k UZS

Khast Imam(1.5 hours)

25k UZS

Amir Timur Museum(1.5 hours)

25k UZS

Train(2.5 hours)

90k UZS

Registan(1.5 hours)

40k UZS

Shah-i-Zinda(1.5 hours)

25k UZS

Train 6:30AM(4 hours)

150k UZS

TV Tower(1 hour)

50k UZS

Plov class(3 hours)

150-250k UZS

Applied Art Museum(1 hour)

20k UZS

Gur-e-Amir(1 hour)

20k UZS. Timur's tomb

Ulugh Beg Observatory(45 min)

15k UZS

Afrosiyob Museum(1 hour)

15k UZS. Sogdian murals

Konigil paper workshop(1.5 hours)

15k UZS

Chor Minor(30 min)

10k UZS

Ismail Samani Mausoleum(30 min)

Free. 892 AD

Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa palace(1 hour)

15k UZS

Morning flight to Urgench(1.5 hours)

~350,000 UZS. From Urgench airport, taxi to Khiva (30km, 30,000 UZS)

Ichan Kala walled city(4 hours)

Entry: 50,000 UZS combo ticket. Walk the entire walled old city — every building is a museum, mosque, or madrasa. The Kalta Minor (unfinished blue minaret), Islam Khoja minaret (climb for panoramic views, the tallest in Uzbekistan), and Juma Mosque (213 carved wooden pillars, no two alike) are the highlights

Lunch inside the walls(1 hour)

Restaurants inside the old city serve shurpa (meat soup, 15,000 UZS) and tandoor kebabs. Eat on a rooftop terrace for old city views

Tashkent Earthquake Memorial Museum(1 hour)

Free. The 1966 earthquake destroyed much of the old city — this museum and the nearby memorial explain why Tashkent looks so Soviet. A key piece of understanding the city

Drive to Fergana Valley(3.5 hours)

Hire car (400,000 UZS round trip). Cross the 2,268m Kamchik Pass through dramatic mountain scenery

Margilan silk factory(1.5 hours)

The Yodgorlik Silk Factory (free entry) demonstrates traditional hand-weaving of ikat (atlas) silk. Watch the entire process from cocoon to fabric. Buy silk directly from the weavers — scarves from 50,000 UZS

Rishtan ceramics workshops(1.5 hours)

Rishtan town (30km from Margilan) is Central Asia's ceramics capital. Visit master ceramicist Rustam Usmanov's workshop to see hand-painted blue and green pottery. Plates from 30,000 UZS

Shah-i-Zinda at sunrise(1.5 hours)

The tilework in morning light is different from your first visit. Early morning is nearly empty

Hazrat Khizr Mosque(45 min)

Hilltop mosque with views over the entire Samarkand panorama. The Islamic-Soviet-modern cityscape blend is visible from here

Daniel's Tomb(30 min)

An 18m-long sarcophagus said to be the Prophet Daniel's tomb (shared sacred site for Muslims, Christians, Jews). Revered locally. Free

Drive to Nurata(3 hours)

200km south. Hire car or join tour (300,000 UZS per person)

Chashma spring and Alexander the Great fortress(1 hour)

Sacred spring with sacred fish (legend says they are blind). Ruins of an ancient fortress attributed to Alexander the Great. Free

Camel ride in Kyzylkum Desert edge(1.5 hours)

Ride Bactrian camels into the red-sand Kyzylkum Desert. Arranged through tour. The dune landscape at sunset is spectacular

Yurt camp dinner (optional overnight)(2 hours)

If staying overnight, a desert yurt camp offers dinner under more stars than you thought possible. $40-60 per person with meals. Otherwise drive back to Tashkent (3 hours)

Morning bread-baking observation(1 hour)

Find a tandoor bakery in any mahalla. The bakers slap non dough onto the inner clay wall of the oven — watching this ancient technique at 6AM with fresh bread smell is pure Central Asia. Buy a fresh non (2,000 UZS)

Alay Bazaar(1.5 hours)

Tashkent's second-largest bazaar (behind Chorsu) specializes in Korean salads — a unique Tashkent tradition from the deported Korean community. The rainbow of pickled vegetables is mesmerizing

Lunch at a Korean restaurant(1 hour)

Tashkent has an entire Korean cuisine tradition. Try kuksi (cold noodles in vinegar broth, 20,000 UZS) and kimchi salads. Unique to Tashkent's cultural mix

Afternoon at Memorial to Victims of Repression(1 hour)

Free. A sobering museum and park documenting Soviet-era deportations and repressions in Uzbekistan. The museum's rotating kiosk telling individual stories is powerful

Suzani embroidery workshop visit(2 hours)

Several workshops near the old town welcome visitors. Watch women create elaborate hand-stitched suzani (large embroidered wall hangings). A small suzani: 200,000-500,000 UZS. Large ones: several million UZS. Months of work in each piece

Miniature painting demonstration(1 hour)

Bukhara-style miniature painters work in studios near Chorsu. The technique uses a single-hair brush on silk or paper. Small pieces from 100,000 UZS

Farewell dinner at Art House restaurant(1.5 hours)

Contemporary Uzbek cuisine with artistic presentation. Tasting menus from 200,000 UZS. A modern take on ancient flavors

Option A: Day trip to Shahrisabz(Full day)

Timur's birthplace, 80km south of Samarkand. The Ak-Saray Palace ruins (gateway arch still standing at 38m) were meant to be the world's grandest. Train to Samarkand then taxi. UNESCO World Heritage

Option B: Tashkent at leisure(Full day)

Revisit Chorsu, sit at a chaikhana, buy more dried fruit

Option C: Hammam experience(2 hours)

Several traditional bathhouses in old Tashkent. The steam, scrub, and massage ritual costs 50,000-100,000 UZS. Ask your hotel for recommendations

Final evening walk(1 hour)

Broadway one last time. The evening promenade under the trees is Tashkent at its warmest

Last bazaar visit(1 hour)

Dried fruits, spices, ceramics, suzani