Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan12 guides across 3 destinations — where to go, when, what it costs and what to eat.
Destinations in Uzbekistan
Practical essentials for Uzbekistan
Uzbekistani som (UZS)
Uzbek is the state language and Russian the everyday second one; English reaches hotels and tourist restaurants in the main cities and little further
Type C/F, 220V 50Hz
Fast Afrosiyob trains link the cities; in Tashkent the metro is the practical way around and takes an international contactless card straight at the gate for about 1,700 som, while Yandex Go handles the rest.
Not safe from the tap - drink bottled, and be wary of ice, which is usually made from unboiled tap water.
Right-hand side; the 1968 International Driving Permit is required alongside your national licence, which is valid for 30 days.
112 (unified national number); 101 fire, 102 police and 103 ambulance still work
Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.
Recent stories from Uzbekistan
The best day trips from Bukhara: palaces, potters and pilgrims
Bukhara's old city could hold you for days, but the emirate's summer palace, Sufi shrines and pottery towns lie a short negotiated taxi ride beyond the last souvenir stall.
Green Bukhara: pools, gardens and shady escapes in a desert city
A desert city drained almost all of its pools a century ago; what survives — the hauz, the courtyards and the gardens beyond the walls — still sets the rhythm of a day in Bukhara.
The Perfect 48 Hours in Tashkent, Hour by Hour
Two days in Uzbekistan's capital: a legendary Quran, the domes of Chorsu Bazaar, palatial metro stations and a cauldron of plov.
The 8 Unmissable Experiences in Samarkand, Ranked
From the Registan at dusk to the avenue of tombs at Shah-i-Zinda — ranking the essential experiences in the Silk Road's greatest city.
What to Eat in Bukhara: A Dish-by-Dish Guide to Silk Road Cooking
Golden plov, tandoor samsa, noodles and green tea by a 400-year-old pond — the dishes that define Bukhara and where to find them.
Tashkent for less: a smart traveler's budget playbook
Central Asia's biggest city is already one of the world's great-value capitals. Here's how to stretch your money even further in Tashkent — from the metro to the plov pot.
The Most Photogenic Corners of Samarkand, Ranked
Ten Samarkand views ranked by what they give back to a camera, with the hour to shoot each one, what it costs to get in, and the order that keeps you out of the midday sun.
From breakfast to midnight: eating your way across Tashkent
Hot non bread at dawn, cauldron plov at noon, shashlik smoke after dark — a full day of eating in Uzbekistan's capital, one legendary dish at a time.
A Rainy Day in Samarkand: The All-Indoor Route
Samarkand's weather turns in spring and winter, and its greatest interiors are gilded, tiled and gloriously dry. Here is a full day routed through domes, museums and a covered bazaar.
The backstreets and bazaars of Tashkent
Underground palaces, old-city lanes of sun-dried brick, and the great dome of Chorsu Bazaar — the everyday Tashkent that most visitors rush past on the way to Samarkand.
Bukhara Fits in Two Kilometres and Still Takes Two Days
The old city runs barely two kilometres from the Samanid Mausoleum to Chor Minor, which is exactly why most visitors cross it five times over instead of walking it once, in order.
Basing Yourself in Samarkand: A First-Timer's Guide
Samarkand has four quite distinct places to sleep, and the choice between atmosphere and convenience is easier than it looks once you know which side of the Registan you want to wake up on.