From Almaty, I flew to Tashkent, Uzbekistan's cosmopolitan capital. For many visitors, Tashkent is the stepping stone to the Silk Road cities of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand. But Tashkent is a fascinating city in its own right and there's plenty to see and do during a three- or four-day stay.
Tashkent means 'city of stones' and its history dates back many centuries. Its strategic position on the Silk Road — the ancient network of trading routes connecting East and West — helped it rise to prominence before its destruction by Genghis Khan in 1219. It was then revived under Amir Temur in the 14th century.
In 1865, Tashkent became part of the Russian Empire and later fell under Soviet rule until Uzbekistan gained independence in 1991. The city was badly damaged by 1966 earthquake and much of its architecture today dates from the rebuilding, though you'll also see Islamic, Turkic and Imperial influences, along with a uniquely Uzbek character.
Tashkent was the first (and last!) stop on my 10-day trip to Uzbekistan and it provided an excellent introduction to my Silk Road journey as I joined a small-group tour of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand before returning to Tashkent to fly home.
You can see Tashkent's main sights and get a taste for its history, culture and food in three days. But if you add a fourth day to your itinerary, like I did, you can also fit in a fun day trip. I headed to the Tian Shan mountains but you could also visit a solar furnace (!) or even Tajikistan.
THINGS TO DO IN TASHKENT
Explore Tashkent's history and architecture
Although Tashkent is a fairly large city, many of its key historical and architectural landmarks are clustered together, making it easy to explore different chapters of the city's history in one visit.
Start at the elegant Alisher Navoiy Theater, named for a 15th century Timurid poet. I'd have liked to catch a performance but the ballet was on tour during my visit. The building is just as lovely when it's all lit up at night.
Learn more about Uzbek history at the State Museum of History and then head to Amir Temur Square, where a statue commemorates Uzbekistan's favourite 14th century hero, AKA Tamerlane.
Looming behind Temur is the iconic book-shaped Hotel Uzbekistan. Built in 1974, the modernist hotel featured in the first series of Race Across the World, so I had to pose for a 'race to the checkpoint' photo!
I went up to the 17th floor bar and while smoking is permitted inside and the windows were quite grubby, the city view was still pretty decent in the late afternoon sunshine.
A little further west you'll find the Monument of Independence, surrounded by parks and fountains. And to the north is the Courage Monument, a memorial to the people who lost their lives or homes in the 5.2-magnitude earthquake of 1966. The clock is set to 5:23 am, the time the earthquake struck on 26 April.
Discover Tashkent's Islamic heritage
The Hazrati Imam Complex is a collection of mosques, madrasas (Islamic religious schools) and mausoleums. The oldest buildings date back to the 16th century while some are much more modern, but the architecture is incredibly harmonious. It's a special place to explore, whatever your faith.
Next door is the newly opened Islamic Civilization Center. At US $35 (~ £25), it was most expensive attraction of my trip, but the price includes a (required) two-hour guided tour in English or Russian — a fast-paced jaunt through centuries of Islamic and Central Asian history.
There are plenty of interactive features, including what I dubbed Chat GPTemur: type your questions and get spoken responses from the avatar of Amir Temur. At the end, after a nice digital light show, you finally get to see the 7th-century Uthman Quran, one of the oldest surviving copies of the Quran.
When I left the centre, the golden hour light was just perfect and my new friend Abid and I walked around together, taking photos and chatting about our upcoming travels. Thanks to Abid for the photo below (and the art direction!).
Allow around half a day to visit both the Hazrati Imam Complex and the Islamic Civilization Center.
Browse the stalls at Chorsu Bazaar
Chorsu Bazaar's distinctive blue-and-green dome, built in 1980, is a striking example of modernist architecture. Chorsu means 'crossroads' and the vast food market is on the site of a historical trading post at the crossing point of four key routes on the Silk Road.
I've visited many food markets all over the world but it's hard not to be impressed by the scale of Chorsu Bazaar, with vendors selling everything from spices and pickles to fruit and bread under the huge domed roof.
The bakery section was my favourite. We got to watch vendors kneading dough, shaping non loaves and baking them in clay tandir ovens. I paid 5,000 Som (£0.30) for a big circular non, fresh from the oven. It had a soft texture and was delicious.
Come hungry — there's a 'street food' section where you can enjoy a quick meal of plov or whatever other Uzbek dishes you fancy — and make sure you have cash (small bills) as credit cards aren't generally accepted.
Admire Uzbek arts and crafts...
I spent a happy hour at the Museum of Applied Arts, learning about everything from ceramics to textile traditions and architecture. Sadly, the gift shop was less impressive but the museum whetted my appetite for the art and craftsmanship I'd encounter in Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand.
For a very different style of art, check out the Centre for Contemporary Arts. It's located in a converted 1912 power station, so I guess you could call it the Tate Modern of Tashkent! It's free to visit but you'll need to register your details on their website. I enjoyed exploring the striking contemporary works.
...and the art of the Tashkent Metro
Just like in Almaty, the Tashkent Metro is as much a network of small art galleries as it is a cheap and efficient transportation system. It costs just 3,000 Som (£0.20) per ride and you can pay by cash or with contactless.
Many stations feature themed décor with mosaics, chandeliers and marble columns. My favourite was Kosmonavtlar, which celebrates the Soviet space program and astronauts, including Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova, the first man and woman in space.
Meanwhile, Alisher Navoiy Station features madrasa-style turquoise-accented domes and mosaics depicting some of the love stories (not all happy) from Navoiy's poetry. I also liked the mosaics at Tashkent Station.
If you're interested in the history of the Metro and want to see more of the most impressive stations, you can take a guided tour that also visits Chorsu Bazaar.
Ride a zip line over Magic City
I didn't plan to visit Magic City, Tashkent's answer to Disneyland. But as it was only a short walk from my hotel I decided to go and check out the nightly son et lumière show. It's free to get in, although you'll need to pay to go on the rides and other attractions.
While watching the light show, I noticed a zip line running from the palace. It only cost 50,000 Som (£3), plus another 50,000 Som for an Insta360 video. I was wearing my fancy new silk dress but I was also nearing the end of my holiday and in YOLO mode.
It was a lot of fun, though my videography needs some work. A highlight was touching down at 'Baker Street' next to an illuminated Tower Bridge, which made me feel at home! In fact, there are various geographical recreations throughout the park, from Notre-Dame de Paris to Samarkand's Registan!
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| Not the real Registan! |
Shop for Uzbek crafts and designer finds
I bought various textiles, ceramics and other gifts in Bukhara and Samarkand, but Tashkent is also a great place to shop, whether you're looking for traditional crafts or more contemporary designs.
I loved the workshops at Navruz Park, especially Anie's cute t-shirts embroidered with pomegranates, snow leopards and other Central Asian imagery. My t-shirt (modelled below at Chimgan) cost 400,000 Som (£25) — bring cash as they don't take credit cards, and not much English is spoken.
Anie's downstairs neighbour So Soap sells lovely handmade soaps. I'll report back on the camel milk soap I bought for my dad. And special thanks to the kind woman who let me charge my dying phone and helped me find an ATM to get cash for my Anie t-shirt!
Teplo is a concept store selling beautiful clothing, accessories and homewares from Uzbek designers. As well as gifts for family, I splashed out on an ikat silk dress from Tais & I; you can see the dress I chose in this photo and in the Magic City zip line photo earlier in this post. There's also a Teplo in Samarkand.
Kanishka, near Oybek Metro, is another cool place to shop for gifts. They sell affordable leather goods, including a huge selection of bags and small accessories, as well as men's and women's clothing.
Finally, the Zarkaynar Street Shops, just south of the Islamic Civilization Centre, are also worth a visit, I particularly liked the ZanMakon craft centre.
Take a trip to the mountains — or Tajikistan
On my last full day in Tashkent, I wanted to take a day trip. I was tempted to check off a new country with a visit to Khujand in Tajikistan, but UK citizens (unlike US and EU citizens) need a visa for Tajikistan, so I decided to save it for another time.
Instead, I headed into the mountains for a tour of Amirsoy and Chimgan Ski Resorts. We had a lot of fun — thanks in part to our enthusiastic guide Shojahon — and it was nice to get out into nature after nine days of Silk Road cities.
As I was there in October, it wasn't skiing season but I had fun riding the double cable car at the super-modern Amirsoy resort and braving the Soviet-era chair lift at Chimgan. We also visited Charvak Lake where it was too cold to swim, but lovely weather for parasailing!
For a unique day trip, you can book a tour of the Big Solar Furnace, just outside the city. If you're interested in science and modernist architecture, it sounds like a lot of fun!
WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK
Throughout my time in Uzbekistan, I ate Central Asian food almost exclusively. The places below are my favourites. They're all modern Uzbek restaurants, where I generally paid under 150,000 Som (£9) for two courses and a soft drink.
Uzbekona
I went to Uzbekona on my last night to have one last plov. For the uninitiated, plov is Uzbekistan's national dish, with rice, meat, yellow and orange carrots, cumin and coriander, fried in a cast-iron kazan cauldron. There are different varieties and Uzbekona's plov was excellent.
I also had pumpkin manti (dumplings) and a chocolate honey cake that looked so good it made the Uzbek boy at the next table cry when he realised it wasn't for him. The décor is beautiful and there were lots of local families enjoying a meal together when I visited.
Afsona
I dined at both of Afsona's branches while in town: the one in Tashkent City Park was my favourite — I enjoyed watching the light show in the park and the traditional décor inside — but the location near Oybek station was great too. Staff at both were very accommodating.
Over two meals, I tried manti (dumplings with beef and onion), chiroqchi (tomato and cucumber salad with sour cream), cheburek (a mahoosive fried pastry with cheese), jiz biz (braised beef with crispy potatoes) and shohona (tender beef with chickpeas). The food tasted great, especially the jiz biz (!).
Minzifa Art Restaurant
I came here with my tour group before a visit to the nearby Museum of Applied Arts. The décor is as lovely as the name suggests and the food was tasty too. I had my first somsa (savoury pastries baked in a tandir oven) and achichuk (tomato and onion salad).
I also learned here that you can't just order a cup of tea in Uzbekistan. Tea is such a big part of Uzbek culture and hospitality that it is usually served in a pot large enough for the whole table. Luckily, my tour mates were happy to help me finish my berry tea!
Gorynich
I enjoyed most of my meals in Uzbekistan but by the time I returned to Tashkent, I was craving something a little different. And as soon as I saw the fresh bread with cultured butter at Gorynich, I knew I was in the right place.
EmBar
I marked my last night with a creative cocktail at EmBar, the elegant rooftop bar at the InterContinental Hotel. It was too cold (and smoky!) out on the terrace so I took a seat at the bar instead, sipping a delicious Sour 17 cocktail while listening to live music and taking in the view from the 17th floor.
While Uzbekistan has a longstanding tradition of tea-drinking, Tashkent also has some top-notch specialty coffee spots, like Tosh Coffee, Rassvet and Coffee Nation. Stay tuned for a separate blog post with all my recommendations.
WHERE TO STAY IN TASHKENT
I stayed four nights in Tashkent, split between two hotels, both on the south side of the city centre and handy for the airport and train station. I recommend both, but if you're short on time, I'd also consider staying near Amir Temur Square, which is more central.
Hotel HL 309
Hotel HL 309 is an attractive and modern boutique hotel in a convenient location close to Kosmonavtlar Metro Station. Formerly known as Hotel Sharq (that's still how it appears in Google Maps), the hotel is under new ownership and has been fully renovated.
My room was the most stylish of my whole trip and the bathroom was very swanky with a digitally controlled shower and Japanese loo. The breakfast buffet was great and there's an outdoor pool — lovely in summer, I'm sure, but a little chilly for a swim in October, even on a sunny day!
Ateca Hotel Suites
I stayed two nights at Ateca as part of my Uzbekistan group tour and it was modern, comfortable and quiet. I got upgraded to a suite, which was very spacious, and the included breakfast buffet was extensive and tasty.
Ateca is only 10 minutes' walk from HL 309, but a tad further from the central attractions and 15 minutes from the closest Metro (Oybek). This didn't bother me as I was mainly exploring on foot and there are many eateries nearby, including Gorynich and Afsona.
GETTING THERE
Tashkent International Airport is located six miles south of the city. My transfers between the airport and my hotel on the south side of the city were organised by my tour company. Both journeys took about 15 to 20 minutes, but it can take longer when traffic is bad.
As taxi scams are known to operate at the airport, I recommend booking a transfer through your hotel, especially if you're arriving late at night or early in the morning. The peace of mind is well worth the slightly higher cost.
You can also use Yandex Go (similar to Uber) to book a taxi to the city, but it's best to download the app before you leave home as you'll need to verify your number by text. If you don't want to deal with this on arrival, it may be easier to organise a transfer with your hotel instead.
If you're arriving by train, Tashkent Station is in the south of the city. Tashkent Metro Station is right next door and is the cheapest way of getting to your hotel. But getting a Yandex Go taxi may well be more convenient, depending on where you're staying. Check out routes on Yandex Maps.
GETTING AROUND
Tashkent is a relatively large city and although it's easy to explore on foot, you will probably need to hop in a taxi or on a train at some stage.
The Tashkent Metro is a cheap and efficient way of getting around. It only costs 3,000 Som (£0.20) a ride — you can pay by contactless — and, as I explained above, many stations have beautiful art and architecture.
I recommend downloading both Yandex Maps and Yandex Go before you arrive. Yandex Maps provides much more accurate navigation than Google Maps (the latter doesn't have updated route information or accurate public transport options).
I downloaded Yandex Go and created my account in the UK. I added Apple Pay and it worked for me in Kazakhstan but not in Uzbekistan. As I wasn't able to add my Visa or MasterCard cards to my account, I used the app to book my ride and then paid cash. Rides across the city cost under 70,000 Som (£4.30).
TASHKENT AT A GLANCE
Location
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan, located in the east of the country, near the borders with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. With a population of over 3.1 million people, Tashkent is also the most populous city in Central Asia.
When to go
Languages
Uzbek, a Turkic language, is the national language. The only Turkish words I remember from my trip to Istanbul — giriş (entrance) and çıkış (exit) — are similar in Uzbek, so that was slightly helpful! Russian isn't an official language but is widely spoken and often serves as a de facto second language.
While some English is spoken in Tashkent, especially in tourist spots, try to learn a little Uzbek (rahmat = 'thank you') and download Russian in Google Translate. Uzbek now uses a Latin alphabet (an updated version will be rolled out in April 2027), but learning Cyrillic will help you parse older signs.
Time zone
Uzbekistan Time is five hours ahead of London (GMT) and 10 hours ahead of New York (EST). During daylight savings time, which Uzbekistan doesn't observe, the country is four hours ahead of London (BST) and nine hours ahead of New York (EDT).
Money
Uzbekistan's currency is the Som (UZS), sometimes spelled S'om or Sum. At the time of writing, there are 16,000 Som to £1, and about 12,000 Som to US $1. This meant a lot dividing by 16,000, but I didn't worry much about anything under 100,000 Som (£6.25).
I paid by credit card in most places in Tashkent, including restaurants and some shops. But I did need to pay cash at some markets and smaller shops, as well as out in the mountains, so it's worth keeping cash on hand, especially small bills. Tipping isn't expected at restaurants but some have a service charge.
Wifi/mobile data
Although many tourist spots have free wifi, it can be patchy so I strongly recommend getting a local SIM or eSIM for your trip to Uzbekistan: you'll need data for navigating and booking taxis with Yandex Go, translating menus and much more.
You can buy a local SIM at the airport but I always like to get mine set up in advance. I paid about £8.50 for a 30-day, 10GB Nomad eSIM, and used about 8GB over 10 days. It was easy to set up and coverage via the UzMobile network was great in Tashkent and decent in the mountains.
Want to try an eSIM on your next trip? Sign up to Nomad using my referral code — REBEXSAXQK — and we both get $5 credit.
Electricity
Uzbekistan uses type C (two round pins) plug sockets, also found in many European countries.
Solo female travel in Tashkent
Check out my other Central Asia travel guides: Almaty city guide, Almaty specialty coffee guide, Charyn Canyon & Kolsai Lakes, Tashkent specialty coffee guide, Khiva guide, Bukhara guide, Samarkand guide, 10 days in Uzbekistan guide, packing for two weeks in Central Asia.
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