Places in this article: Samarkand · Bukhara · Khiva · Tashkent
Uzbekistan in autumn: what to expect from September to November
On 1 September Tashkent celebrates Independence Day with an average afternoon of 30 °C and 13 hours of daylight. On 30 November the afternoon is 14 °C and the sun sets at 16:57. Between the two lie the harvest months: grapes and pomegranates piled at the bazaars, white cotton fields along the road to Bukhara and the trees of Tashkent turning red and gold.
We live in Tashkent and take guests around the country all year. This is our guide to Uzbekistan in autumn as a whole: the weather, the harvest, the cotton, the events, the mountains, how busy it gets and which route to take. The details of each month are in Uzbekistan in September, in October and in November.
Why autumn is the soft end of the season
Autumn is spring in reverse, with one difference: it is dry. After the summer heat the afternoons come down from about 30 °C in September to the low twenties in October and the mid-teens in November, and rain is rare for most of the season. The air is clear, the light is warm in the late afternoon, and a day in Bukhara or Khiva can last from breakfast to sunset.
Each month has its own character. September is still summer at the start and is the driest month of the year. October is, in our view, the most comfortable month for long walking days. November winds the season down: the big groups go home, the courtyards of Samarkand and Bukhara grow calm, and together with March it is our favourite month to travel.
Weather in Uzbekistan in autumn
Average daytime highs and night lows from the long-term climate normals (1991–2020), the same figures we use across this site. Khiva's numbers come from the weather station in Urgench, 35 km away.
| City | September | October | November |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tashkent | 30 °C / 13 °C | 22 °C / 8 °C | 14 °C / 4 °C |
| Samarkand | 29 °C / 14 °C | 22 °C / 8 °C | 14 °C / 3 °C |
| Bukhara | 30 °C / 14 °C | 23 °C / 7 °C | 15 °C / 2 °C |
| Khiva | 28 °C / 12 °C | 20 °C / 5 °C | 11 °C / 0 °C |
Autumn cools by about 15 degrees from September to November, and the gap between day and night is wide: in October a 23 °C afternoon in Bukhara turns into a 7 °C night. September brings only a few millimetres of rain, about one in Bukhara. The rains return in November, mostly in Tashkent, with about 51 mm. Khiva is the coolest of the four cities, with nights around zero in November, so when we can we put it early in the trip. The whole year is in our weather guide.
The harvest: grapes, melons and the autumn bazaar
Autumn is when the bazaars are at their fullest. The grape harvest begins around Tashkent in mid-August, and the varieties ripen one after another until late autumn. September is the peak, with pomegranates, quinces and figs; later come persimmons and the last grapes. Khorezm melons stay in season into October, so in Khiva a melon still ends a September dinner. The Khiva Melon Festival itself is a summer event, held in early August.
For wine, we like September and October best: the harvest is on and the heat is over. From Tashkent we arrange a visit to the Uzumfermer winery with a tasting, and from Samarkand a wine tasting at Bagizagan; tastings are for guests of 21 and older. The regions and the history are in our guide to Uzbek wine, and what to eat in each city is in Uzbek food by city. Our culinary tour Taste of the Road is at its best in this season of markets and .Rice cooked in a kazan with carrots, onions and meat: the dish of every Uzbek celebration. Each region cooks it its own way.
Cotton fields from the train window
The cotton harvest starts in the far south at the end of August and moves north; by mid-September it is open across the country, and September and October are the main weeks. A ripe field looks dusted with snow, row after row, and you see it from the train and from the road between Bukhara and Khiva.
From mid-September to the end of October we can arrange a visit to a working field near Bukhara, on request and only with a farm that agrees to receive guests that day. Wear closed shoes and a hat. How a visit works and what you will see is in our guide to the cotton season in Uzbekistan.
Events: the Bukhara Biennial, Sharq Taronalari and holidays
1 September is Independence Day, the country's main public holiday; in 2027 it is a Wednesday. 1 October, Teachers' Day, is a day off too, and in 2027 it falls on a Friday, so the first weekend of October is a long one and we book trains for it early.
In 2027 the autumn has a big event: the second Bukhara Biennial of contemporary art runs from 3 September to 21 November, with works in restored caravanserais, madrasahs and squares of the old town. Just before the season, Samarkand hosts ,Did you know? Samarkand’s “Melodies of the East” festival dates from 1997 The international music festival Sharq Taronalari, “Melodies of the East”, has been held in Samarkand every two years since 1997. For years its stage stood on the Registan, and UNESCO representatives traditionally attend as guests of honour. Read more → the international music festival held every two years at the end of August; the last edition ran on 26–30 August 2024, and the next is due in 2027. Its dates are not out yet, and we confirm them when we plan your trip. The whole year is in our festival calendar for 2027.
Golden autumn in the mountains
September is one of the best months for walking. At ,Mountains of the Western Tien Shan about 80 km from Tashkent: hiking in summer, skiing in winter, the Charvak reservoir nearby. Read more → an hour and a half from Tashkent, the paths are dry, with only about 17 mm of rain in the month. October is the last month of the hiking season; the afternoon there averages 14 °C and the night 6 °C, so bring a fleece. For one day we organise a mountain hike with a guide and a picnic.
In the Did you know? Zaamin guards Uzbekistan’s oldest nature reserve The mountains of Zaamin, the “Uzbek Switzerland”, were first protected in 1926 as the Guralash reserve, the oldest in the country, to save their juniper forests. The national park around it followed in 1976. Read more → mountains the hazel and birch turn gold in autumn, and it is our favourite time there for photographs; our four-day nature tour to Samarkand, Zaamin and Tashkent goes there. Between Samarkand and Bukhara, autumn is the second good season for the desert: the afternoon in Navoi averages 22.8 °C in October, and the Aydarkul yurt camps and our Nuratau Mountains extension work well in September and October. In the cities, the streets and parks of Tashkent turn red, orange and yellow at the end of October. November is for the cities: the trails are done and the ski season starts in December.
What to wear in autumn
- In September, light clothes that cover shoulders and knees, a sun hat and sunscreen, with a sweater for nights of 12–14 °C.
- In October, a sweater or fleece and a light jacket for nights of 5–8 °C, warmer if Khiva or the mountains come at the end of the month.
- In November, warm layers and a proper jacket for evenings of 0–4 °C, and a hat and gloves for Khiva.
- Comfortable closed shoes: good for long walks, wet November pavements and a dusty cotton field.
- A light scarf for mosques and mausoleums; the rules are in our guide to what to wear and etiquette.
The full list for every season is in what to pack for Uzbekistan.
Crowds, booking and which route
September and October are high season, together with April and May. The morning Uzbekistan's high-speed train: Tashkent to Samarkand in about 2 hours 10 minutes, Tashkent to Bukhara in about 4 hours. Tickets are tied to your passport. Read more → trains and the hotels near the old towns of Samarkand and Bukhara sell out first, and in 2027 the biennial brings more visitors to Bukhara. Train tickets go on sale 60 days before departure, so for mid-October the seats open in mid-August, and we buy on the first days. In November it is much easier to get the trains and rooms you want. How the trains work is in our guide to trains in Uzbekistan.
A week covers the classic cities. The 8-day classic tour and the slower 11-day classic tour go through Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, and the 8-day group tour of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva starts every Friday through 2026 and 2027. For an autumn theme there is the wine tour of Tashkent and Samarkand and the Fergana Valley crafts tour; in November the 8-day independent tour suits those who like their own pace. On our tours the guide speaks your language and is included in the price, and our office is on call 24/7 while you travel.
In short
- September to November: about 28–30 °C in the afternoon in September, 20–23 °C in October and 11–15 °C in November, with almost no rain until November.
- The harvest season: grapes, pomegranates, quinces and late melons at the bazaars, and the best months for a wine tasting.
- Cotton fields are white in September and October; we arrange field visits from Bukhara on request.
- In 2027 the Bukhara Biennial runs from 3 September to 21 November; Sharq Taronalari returns to Samarkand at the end of August.
- September and October are high season, so book early; November is calm and easier to book.
