Places
Cities and sights, and how much time they need.
Ak-Saray: the ruined gate of Timur’s White Palace in Shahrisabz
Two broken towers, a 22-metre gap between them and an ambassador’s notes from 1404. How to read the ruins of Timur’s White Palace and fit them into a day from S
Arda Khiva: the new evening quarter of Khiva, for travellers and MICE groups
A 3,000-seat amphitheatre by the water, 17 hotels and guest houses and a bazaar under domes on the edge of Khiva. What Arda Khiva gives a company group, and how
Aydarkul lake and a night in a yurt camp: what to expect
A lake that appeared in 1969, a night in a yurt on the edge of the Kyzylkum and stone villages in the Nuratau mountains: what the trip is like and when to go.
Bukhara and Khiva sights: tickets, opening hours and how long to stay
Ark and palace ticket prices for foreigners, museum hours, the Itchan Kala combined ticket and how long to allow at 14 sights in Bukhara and Khiva, with our tip
The Center of Islamic Civilization in Tashkent: what to see and how to plan your visit
A 65-metre dome next to Hazrati Imam, a 7th-century Qur'an under a starry ceiling and halls that walk you from Sogdiana to the Timurids. Our local guide to Tash
Fergana Valley: silk, ceramics and how to get there
The daily train from Tashkent, Kokand’s palace, Rishtan ceramics, Margilan silk and Babur’s Andijan: how we plan a trip to the Fergana Valley.
Samarkand sights: tickets, opening hours and how long to stay
Registan ticket prices for foreigners, opening hours and how long to allow at eight Samarkand sights, with the best time of day, dress code and our tips.
Samarkand in 1, 2 and 3 days: how we plan it
The Registan at 8 a.m., Shah-i-Zinda before the heat, a handmade-paper mill on day three: how we fit Samarkand into one, two or three days, with walking distanc
Shahrisabz from Samarkand: the road over the pass, the sights, the day
About 90 km and one mountain pass separate Samarkand from Timur’s home town. How to get there, what to see and how to fit it all into one day.
Mountains near Tashkent: Chimgan, Amirsoy, Beldersay and Charvak
Ten degrees cooler than the city in July, ski lifts from December: how we spend a day or a weekend in Chimgan, Amirsoy, Beldersay and at Lake Charvak.
Ancient Samarkand: The Pearl of the East
Amir Temur built his capital to be seen from a distance. Six hundred years later, it still is.
Bukhara — The Open-Air Museum City
140-plus protected monuments in one walkable old town. Bukhara isn’t a city with historic sites — it’s a historic site people happen to live in.
Khiva — The Fairytale City of the Silk Road
A walled inner city where almost nothing is modern. Khiva is the closest thing in Central Asia to walking directly into the 19th century.
The Sea That Left: A Guide to the Aral
Uzbekistan’s fourth-largest lake is gone. What’s left is a desert with rusting ships in it — and one of the strangest, most honest trips you can take in Central
The 10 Places That Actually Justify a Trip to Uzbekistan
Not a checklist — a shortlist. These are the places that make people who’ve already seen a lot of the world stop and stare.
Uzbekistan’s UNESCO Sites: What’s Actually There
Seven World Heritage Sites, and every one of them is a place you can actually stand in — not a plaque on a hillside.