Uzbekistan used to be a regional hub centuries back. Somehow it lost it lost that status over the decades but what it has not lost is its culture, history and amazing food! From jaw dropping structures built centuries ago to heartwarming cultural norms to technological advancements that make getting from one city to another so much easier than if you were on the old Silk Road itself.

General Travel/ Logistics Suggestions

Moving around Tashkent is incredibly easy. They have a very well laid out underground metro system that criss crosses to all major parts of the city. The travel ticket is extremely inexpensive (less than USD 0.20) and a standard ticket is issued regardless of which station you want to get off at. The stations in themselves are tourist spots for how beautiful they are!

Having said this; we used the local car hailing app quite frequently. The local version of Uber is Yango or Yandex and they are as easy to use as Uber or Careem. Transport of any kind is really cheap so if you do get tired by the end of the evening just hail a ride and enjoy a very cost effective ride!

Uzbekistan has high speed trains going from Tashkent to Samarkand and Bukhara. However, in our experience, the process of booking a couple of seats was something we could not complete. It was cumbersome and the website had issues. We had to resort to getting a flight from Tashkent to Samarkand which turned out to be a blessing! The flight takes only half an hour and a business class ticket was for USD 50! We would recommend saving travel time and flying to Samarkand. For reference; the train takes around 4 hours.

Tashkent

How many days are enough for Tashkent?

2 full days should suffice if you are early risers and can spend full day out and about. It was not the capital during Uzbekistan’s glory days and so spending more time in Samarkand or Bukhara might make more sense.

Places to visit

Tashkent Metro System

Almost all the metro stations that we went to were beautifully designed from the inside. Remnants from the times when they were a part of the USSR and from much earlier. Every station is a tourist stop on its own. If you have the time; please do visit all of them. Focus on the Ozbekiston Line which will take you to all the major locations in the city so it will not be as if you are just visiting the stations for the sake of seeing them.

Hazrati Imam Complex

The Hazrati Imam Complex would be our number one pick of all the places to visit in the city. Its grandeur is to behold and you will be amazed by the beauty of the handiwork. Get off at Chorsu Station and it is a 2km walk to the complex. You can visit the Chorsu bazaar before or after visiting the complex although we would recommend doing the complex first as you will get nourishments at the bazaar itself.

Chorsu Bazaar

Chorsu bazaar is where you will find anything and everything from all over the country. If you are looking for cheaper options for clothes, handicrafts, footwear, artificial jewellery or just dried nuts and fruits; this would be the place. Do not feel ashamed to haggle and pretend to walk away with your best offer. Half of the times; they will call you back and agree. A small spoiler……….dried fruit in Samarkand is even cheaper so suggest you hold off on purchase.

Amir Temur Square

Get off at the Amir Temur Station and you will be able to access multiple locations within a couple of kilometres radius. We went there the first evening and got to see the Square as well as walk around Sailgokh Street which connects the Amir Temur Square and the Independence Square.

Some other places of interest

We went to the Amir Temur Museum but it was closed. However do visit the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan. It holds history of that nation ranging back 2,500 years!

Last but not least; although there were no shows at the time, do manage to see the Alisher Navoi Opera.

All the above locations are walking distance from the Amir Temur Square and do not need more than 3-4 hours to complete.

Food Options

Best Pilaf in the world!

We can say with a great amount of certainty that the debate on the best pilaf/ palau is over! The one in Uzbekistan, particularly at Besh Quzon in Tashkent is the best! We managed to go to the same location each day and had the same dish each time. It is around 2km away from Tinchlik station and it is a little outside the centre of the city but don’t bother going anywhere else if pilaf is what you are looking to try!

If you are looking at having conventional or continental cuisine; head on over to Coffee & Wine. They do all day dining and so we experienced breakfast as well as late lunch followed by scrumptious dessert! The only drawback is that is not easily walkable from any metro station and so would recommend that you take a taxi (depending on where you are staying). It is a great option if you have had enough pilaf for a lifetime!

Where to Stay

We stayed at IGMAR Apart Hotel which is a very decent option. Cosy, friendly staff and easy on the pocket. It is less than 10 minutes walk from the Chilonzor Station (Ozbekiton Line). I wouldn’t recommend spending too much money on a fancy hotel in a city like Tashkent. If you plan to stay for only a couple of nights then might as well find a cost effective option and there are a ton of them in the city.

General Suggestions

Uzbekistan is a very cheap country and so it will be easy on your pocket. Tashkent itself is a very safe city and in no place did we feel unsafe or unwelcome. Although the language is a barrier but most of the service staff is quite friendly.

There are lots of places to visit but most places would not take you a long time to complete and we did not experience any queues although we went when the weather was beautiful.

The right time to go would be spring or autumn. It gets very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter.

Please read the blog on Samarkand. We would highly recommend spending more days and time in that incredibly historic city than in Tashkent!