Blog

Month by month: weather, crowds, festivals and what each season is good for.

Month by month

1. JanuaryWeather, skiing and winter tips
2. FebruaryWeather, skiing and low-season tips
3. MarchNavruz, spring weather and tips
4. AprilSpring weather, long days and tips
5. MayWeather, holidays and travel tips
6. JuneWeather, heat, mountains and fruit season
7. JulyWeather, heat, mountains and summer fruit
8. AugustWeather, Melon Festival, grapes and mountains
9. SeptemberWeather, events and travel tips
10. OctoberWeather, cotton harvest and tips
11. NovemberWeather, crowds and what to do
12. DecemberWeather, New Year and winter tips

When is the Best Time to Visit Uzbekistan? Seasons & Weather5 min read Festivals in Uzbekistan 2027: dates and how to plan a trip around them7 min read New Year in Uzbekistan 2027: where to go and how to celebrate7 min read Navruz in Uzbekistan: the sumalak night, 21 March and how to join the celebration6 min read

Cities, sights and day trips, grouped by place, with how much time each needs.

Across Uzbekistan

Sights of Uzbekistan: the main places to see, city by city12 min read The 10 Places That Actually Justify a Trip to Uzbekistan5 min read Uzbekistan’s UNESCO Sites: What’s Actually There3 min read

Samarkand City guide →

Ancient Samarkand: The Pearl of the East3 min read Legends of Samarkand: 11 stories and where to hear them10 min read Samarkand in 1, 2 and 3 days: how we plan it5 min read The Registan in Samarkand: history, legends and how to see it9 min read Gur-e-Amir in Samarkand: Timur’s tomb, its history and legends8 min read Bibi-Khanym Mosque in Samarkand: history, legends and how to visit8 min read Ulugh Beg Observatory in Samarkand: the sextant, the stars and how to visit7 min read Shah-i-Zinda in Samarkand: facts, legends and how to visit11 min read Samarkand paper: the Meros mill in Konigil, from mulberry bark to polished sheet8 min read Around Samarkand: day trips to Urgut, Konigil, Shahrisabz, Bagizagan and the Seven Lakes9 min read Samarkand sights: tickets, opening hours and how long to stay7 min read

Bukhara City guide →

Bukhara — The Open-Air Museum City3 min read Legends of Bukhara: nine stories and where to hear them9 min read Bukhara in 1, 2 or 3 days: a local plan7 min read The Ark of Bukhara: history, legends and how to visit the fortress8 min read Poi-Kalyan in Bukhara: the Kalyan minaret, mosque and Mir-i-Arab, with facts and legends10 min read Lyabi-Hauz and Chor Minor: Bukhara’s pond square and the gatehouse with four towers8 min read Around Bukhara: day trips to the emir’s palace, Bahauddin, Chor-Bakr, Gijduvan and Paykend8 min read Bukhara and Khiva sights: tickets, opening hours and how long to stay11 min read

Khiva City guide →

Khiva — The Fairytale City of the Silk Road3 min read Legends of Khiva: eight stories and where to hear them8 min read Khiva in 1 or 2 days: a local plan8 min read Ichan-Kala, Khiva: history, legends and how to see the walled town14 min read Kalta-Minor and Islam Khoja: the two minarets of Khiva9 min read Arda Khiva: the new evening quarter of Khiva, for travellers and MICE groups5 min read

Tashkent City guide →

Tashkent in 1 or 2 days: Hazrati Imam, Chorsu, the metro and the way on to Samarkand8 min read Tashkent in 3 days or more: what to see when you have time8 min read Evening Tashkent: where to go and what to see after dark8 min read The Tashkent metro: an underground museum, station by station9 min read The Center of Islamic Civilization in Tashkent: what to see and how to plan your visit5 min read

Shahrisabz City guide →

Shahrisabz from Samarkand: the road over the pass, the sights, the day5 min read Ak-Saray: the ruined gate of Timur’s White Palace in Shahrisabz7 min read

Fergana Valley City guide →

Fergana Valley: silk, ceramics and how to get there6 min read Margilan silk: Yodgorlik factory, from cocoon to ikat8 min read Rishtan ceramics: ishkor glaze, patterns and how to buy9 min read Kokand: what to see in the city of the khans8 min read Akhsikent: the ancient capital of Fergana on the Syr Darya7 min read

Karakalpakstan and Nukus City guide →

The Savitsky Museum in Nukus: the avant-garde in the desert7 min read Khorezm’s desert fortresses: Ayaz-Kala, Toprak-Kala and the oasis of fifty fortresses7 min read The Sea That Left: A Guide to the Aral5 min read

Termez and Surkhandarya City guide →

Termez and Surkhandarya: a guide to Uzbekistan’s Buddhist south9 min read

Mountains and nature

Mountains near Tashkent: Chimgan, Amirsoy, Beldersay and Charvak6 min read Holidays in Uzbekistan: mountains, lakes, Charvak and a break from sightseeing10 min read Chimgan and Charvak in a day from Tashkent: how to plan it6 min read Amirsoy: the mountain resort near Tashkent in winter and summer7 min read Hiking in Uzbekistan: where to walk, when, and how7 min read Cable cars in Uzbekistan: Amirsoy, Beldersay, Zaamin, Miraki and the new line in Samarkand5 min read Aydarkul lake and a night in a yurt camp: what to expect5 min read Nurata: the holy spring, Alexander’s fortress and suzani on the way to Aydarkul6 min read

Neighbouring countries

Central Asia tours: combining Uzbekistan with Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan6 min read Turkestan from Tashkent: the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi mausoleum and around7 min read Aisha Bibi mausoleum near Taraz: the legend and the terracotta tomb8 min read A Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan loop from Tashkent: Turkestan to Issyk-Kul, Charyn and Almaty8 min read Kyrgyzstan in summer from Uzbekistan: Song-Kul, Tash Rabat, Issyk-Kul and yurt camps7 min read

Ready itineraries for 7, 10 and 14 days, trains and roads between cities, and how to travel.

Uzbekistan in 7 days: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva6 min read Uzbekistan in 10 days: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva at an easy pace6 min read Uzbekistan itinerary for 14 days: 2 weeks from the Fergana Valley to Khiva8 min read Best Tours in Uzbekistan5 min read Silk Road tours in Uzbekistan: what a Silk Road trip looks like today5 min read Tashkent to Samarkand: train, car or day tour6 min read Khiva to Bukhara (and back): train, car and what to see on the way5 min read Trains in Uzbekistan: Afrosiyob, Sharq, the new Khiva train, tickets and boarding5 min read The Mat in the Compartment6 min read Uzbekistan on your own or with a local operator: an honest comparison9 min read A private guide in Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Tashkent: what you get and how to book5 min read

Visas, registration, money, phones, safety and what to wear: what to sort out before the trip.

Uzbekistan travel tips: what to know before you go6 min read Is Uzbekistan worth visiting? An honest answer from locals5 min read Do You Need a Visa for Uzbekistan? A Complete Guide for Tourists4 min read Uzbekistan Visa Support for Tourists: A Complete Guide to the Letter of Invitation7 min read Registration and customs in Uzbekistan: what travellers need to know5 min read Flights to Uzbekistan: how to get from Europe, the USA & the UAE4 min read How much does a trip to Uzbekistan cost? A 1-week budget4 min read Cards, cash and tipping in Uzbekistan3 min read Where to Exchange Foreign Currency in Uzbekistan: USD, Euro, CNY3 min read Bringing a phone to Uzbekistan: IMEI registration explained5 min read SIM card and internet in Uzbekistan: a local SIM or eSIM for tourists6 min read Where to Stay in Uzbekistan: Hotels, Hostels, Guesthouses4 min read Safety and health in Uzbekistan: advice from a Tashkent tour operator5 min read What to wear and how to behave in Uzbekistan6 min read Languages of Uzbekistan: Uzbek, Russian and Others2 min read

Plov and other food, crafts, shrines, history and the festivals of the year.

Plov in Uzbekistan: how it differs by city, where to eat it and where to learn to cook it6 min read Uzbek Cuisine: 10 Dishes Every Traveler Should Actually Try4 min read Navruz: Uzbekistan’s New Year Is Older Than Islam and Bigger Than a Holiday3 min read What to buy in Uzbekistan: suzani, ikat, ceramics, knives and how to tell handmade7 min read Bazaars of Uzbekistan: Chorsu, Siab, Bukhara and the Fergana Valley as locals shop them8 min read Traditional Crafts of Uzbekistan: Ceramics, Carpets, and Suzani3 min read Cotton season in Uzbekistan: when it happens and how to see a field5 min read Ziyarat in Uzbekistan: Imam al-Bukhari, Bahauddin Naqshband and the shrines of Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent7 min read Power Places of Uzbekistan: The Shrines People Walk For5 min read Uzbekistan: A Short History of a Country That Was Always a Crossroads3 min read What Was the Silk Road, and Why Does Uzbekistan Call Itself Its Heart3 min read Who Are the Bukharan Jews, and Where Is That Community Today3 min read

Travelling from Europe, the Americas, Australia or Russia, with kids, solo or at an easy pace, and for travel agencies.

Uzbekistan tours from Europe: flights from the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, entry and money6 min read Uzbekistan tours from the USA and Canada: visa-free entry, flights and planning7 min read Uzbekistan tours from Australia: flights, entry, seasons and how many days6 min read Uzbekistan tours from Brazil and South America: visa, flights and the best months7 min read Uzbekistan tours from Russia: flights from Moscow and other cities, entry and money6 min read Uzbekistan with kids: season, food, trains and places they will love6 min read Uzbekistan for solo travellers, including women travelling alone7 min read Uzbekistan for older travellers: pace, trains, hotels6 min read Working with a DMC in Uzbekistan: a guide for travel agencies6 min read