Select your language
1stepoutside
1step@asia.com

Central Asia

Uzbekistan

Featured

Bostanlyk Valley

Tashkent

27 tours

Zarafshan Valley

Samarkand

Lower Zarafshan

Bukhara

Khorezm

Khiva

Eastern Uzbekistan

Fergana Valley

Tashkent

Bostanlyk Valley

Tashkent

Your soft landing — leafy boulevards, Soviet metros, high mountains, the best plov in the country.

Best months

JFMAMJJASOND

Typical stay

3 nights

From Tashkent

0 — arrival city

Elevation

480 m

Tashkent is where every Uzbek journey begins and — if you're wise — ends. A two-thousand-year-old oasis rebuilt in concrete after 1966, it hides its charm in courtyards, chaikhanas and a metro system that is genuinely one of the world's most beautiful.

Uzbek plov is a national obsession, and Tashkent claims to cook the definitive version. The Central Asian Plov Centre serves it by the kilo before noon; after that, it's gone.

Tashkent — history

History

A layered past

A caravan stop on the northern Silk Road, capital of the Russian governorate of Turkestan, and today Central Asia's largest city. The 1966 earthquake flattened the old town; what rose in its place is a green, low-rise capital with a stubborn love for its own cuisine.

Best time to visit

When to come

March–May and September–October. Summers are hot and dry, winters mild but grey.

Tashkent — best time

What we do here

Ways to experience Tashkent

  • 01

    Chorsu bazaar breakfast

    Somsa straight from the tandoor and a bowl of shurpa before the tourists arrive.

  • 02

    Metro station crawl

    Kosmonavtlar, Alisher Navoi, Pakhtakor — a museum you ride between.

  • 03

    Chimgan day out

    Ninety minutes into the western Tian Shan for a chairlift and grilled trout by the reservoir.

Gallery

Tashkent 1
Tashkent 2
Tashkent 3
Tashkent 4

Go next

Tours that go here

27 departures touching Tashkent.

Pairs well with

Where travellers go next

Good to know

Questions travellers ask

  • Do I need a visa?+

    Citizens of 90+ countries (EU, UK, US, most of Asia) are visa-free for 30 days. Everyone else applies online for an e-visa in 3 working days.

  • How do I get from the airport?+

    We meet you inside the terminal with a name card and a private car. 25 minutes to any central hotel.

  • Is the metro tourist-friendly?+

    Yes — signage is bilingual, a ride is 1,700 UZS (~$0.15), and photos are officially allowed since 2018.

Keep exploring