Aug. 2025
My Itinerary to Uzbekistan
(Day 1-2) Taskent, staying at Hotel Uzbekistan
(Day 3-5) Taking train from Taskent to Samarkand (about 2hr 18min), staying at Gur Emir Palace boutique hotel
(Day 6-7) Taking train from Samarkland to Bukhara (about 1hour 43min), staying at Istat Boutique Hotel
(Day 8-9) Taking train from Bukhara to Khiva (about 6hr 26min), staying at Euro Asia Khiva in Ichan Qala Hotel, taking Day Tour to Three Fortresses Tour from Khiva
(Day 10-12) Taking overnight train from Khiva to Taskent, staying at DSF Garden Hotel, taking Day tour to Charvak Lake & Chimgan Mountain
Why Visit Tashkent?
- A cultural crossroads between East and West
- Safe, affordable, and welcoming to tourists
- Easy base for exploring other Silk Road cities like Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva
- Offers a unique blend of Islamic tradition, Soviet heritage, and contemporary life
Top Attractions
Khast Imam Complex
- Spiritual heart of Tashkent
- Home to the Uthman Quran, one of the oldest known Qurans in the world (7th century)
- Features traditional Islamic architecture, tiled domes, and minarets
Chorsu Bazaar
- A centuries-old open-air market
- Famous for fresh produce, spices, bread (non), handicrafts, and vibrant local life
- Topped by a large turquoise dome
Amir Timur Square
- Central plaza with a statue of Tamerlane (Timur) on horseback
- Surrounded by Soviet-era and modern government buildings
Museum of Applied Arts
- Showcases Uzbek craftsmanship: ceramics, textiles, wood carvings, and jewelry
- Housed in a former prince’s residence with exquisite decorative interiors
Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre
- Built in 1947 by Japanese POWs under Stalin
- Hosts classical performances in a beautifully adorned Soviet neoclassical setting
Seoul Mun
- a contemporary shopping, dining, and leisure complex situated along the Bo‘rijar Canal in the Yakkasaray district of Tashkent.
- With its dynamic mix of commercial offerings, scenic waterfront design, and cultural influences, it’s fast becoming a landmark destination.
Infrastructure & Transport
- Metro System: One of the most beautiful in the world; built during the Soviet era with ornate, themed stations
- Tashkent International Airport (TAS): Uzbekistan’s main gateway, with connections across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East
- Modern highways and rail lines connect Tashkent to Samarkand, Bukhara, and Almaty
Food & Cuisine
Tashkent offers a rich Uzbek culinary experience:
- Plov: National rice dish with lamb, carrots, and spices
- Lagman: Hand-pulled noodle soup
- Shashlik: Grilled skewered meat
- Samsa: Meat-filled pastries baked in a tandoor oven
- The city is also seeing a boom in international and fusion cuisine.
Taskent was the first and also the last top of our trip to Uzbekistan. To be honest, we had a hard start, because Uzkekistan is unlike any other Asian or European countries that we usually visit. There was a lot to get used to.
First of all, their local currency (UZS/Som) is quite large, so usually local people say the amount without the last 3 zeros, such as when they ask for 30,000 Som, they only say that they want 30, so it was confusing to us at the beginning. Some local people prefer to receive USD, and keep persuading you to pay by USD, which is actually a lot more expensive, as you usually get better rate by paying in Som.
So, our first lesson was negotiating the price with taxi driver for a ride to our hotel (Uzbekistan). Of course, in the end we gave in, and much later on, we realized that we had paid 3 times the usual price. We researched on internet, and downloaded “Yandex Go”, which was the best app to call for taxi. However, we could not receive the code to install it because we did not have a local phone no. Finally, we returned to airport, just in buy a new SIM card including local phone no., since then calling a taxi became no problem anymore, and we use taxi almost everyday.
Second lesson was that, it is better to buy train tickets online in advance, than buying from train station office at that time. We walked quite a long way from our hotel to Taskent train office. The train station actually consisted of at least 3 buildings, so there was no indication in English, so it took us a while to find it. There were several windows at the office, only only one window operator understood English. We waited for a long time, still could not get help from that operator, so we finally tried to use the ticket machines, only to realize that the ticket machines only accepted local bank card. And then, we got help from a kind stranger, who helped us to buy the tickets from the machines with his own local bank card, and we paid him back in cash. I should also note that, buy train ticket from ticket machine requires you to input your full name, passport no., birthday etc. personal information all in the public. I felt very strange, not to mention that it was difficult to choose the seats, and next day trains may be sold out already. All in all, it was a very frustrating and tiring experience that I do not ever want to repeat. I definitely recommend buy train tickets online from local travel agencies, even though it may require a small fee, you will get good trains and seats, and no sweat!
However, we did have some good experiences in Taskent, such as taking the Subway to visit “Museum of Applied Arts”. Again, there was no indication inside the train station or at the platform, so we can hardly recognize the strange characters, so we asked locals which train we should take… However, the subway was really cheap and the platforms were beautiful. Unfortunately, there were not so many subway stations around, so we mostly take taxi instead.
We walked to“Alay Bazzar” near our hotel, and also took taxi to visit the biggest “Chorsu Bazaar”. The local restaurants near Chorsu Bazaar was really cheap and tasty, if you just want to eat Plov or Shashlik like the locals. Other than that, we also like the soups and Samsa very much. To me, the Shashlik in Uzbekistan tasted much better then the kebab in Turkey. I think Uzbekistan people really know how to use their spices, no matter plain grilled veges or meat, they always tasted good, and there were often several kinds of soup served in any restaurants, so when I got tired of too much meat, I just ordered soups.
Visiting Bazzar and “Seoul Mun” near our second hotel (DSF Garden Hotel) was my favorite activity in Taskent city, because Chorsu Bazaar was still large, with all kinds of fresh foods, tea, nuts, souvenirs, clothings…
Seoul Mun was a newly-opened shopping, dining and entertainment district near our 2nd hotel (DSF Garden Hotel), so we spent the hot afternoon drinking coffee and chilled in the cafe, or took a walk to have dinner there after dark. There was a river running through Seoul Num. At night they had waterjet, laser bins and music as free entertainment for the local people.
One day, we ordered a private day tour to Charvak Lake & Chimgan Mountain, which was a very great experience to be away from the Taskent city, but enjoyed the amazing mountain view by cable car, and taking speedboat out to lake.
