Uzbekistan tours from the USA and Canada: visa-free entry, flights and planning

Uzbekistan Airways flight HY 102 leaves New York JFK at midday and lands in Tashkent at 09:50 the next morning. Twelve hours in the air, a ten-hour time difference in winter, and you arrive in time for a late breakfast. Since 1 January 2026 Americans need no visa for this trip, and Canadians enter visa-free too. We are a tour operator in Tashkent, and these are the questions guests from the USA and Canada ask us before they book: entry, flights, jet lag, money, phones and how many days to plan.

Do US and Canadian citizens need a visa for Uzbekistan?

No. Since 1 January 2026, US citizens can visit Uzbekistan without a visa for up to 30 days, for tourism or business. Canadian citizens also enter without a visa for up to 30 days. That covers a classic one- or two-week trip with time to spare.

Planning to stay longer than 30 days? Then you need a visa before you arrive; overstaying can mean a fine or deportation. The options are in our visa guide.

Check your passport before you buy tickets. The US rule is three months of validity beyond your stay plus one blank page for the entry stamp; the Canadian rule is six months of validity on entry. We advise six months for everyone, because airlines can apply the stricter rule at check-in. One more point for guests with Uzbek roots: Uzbekistan does not recognise dual citizenship, so if you may also hold Uzbek citizenship, sort out your status before the trip.

After that, the paperwork is on our side. Every foreign visitor is registered within 3 days of arrival, and hotels do it at check-in. Keep the confirmations until you fly home; details are in our article on registration and customs.

Flights from the USA: nonstop from New York

The only nonstop route from North America is Uzbekistan Airways from New York JFK to Tashkent. This autumn and winter it runs three to four times a week. HY 102 leaves JFK around noon and lands in Tashkent the next morning after 12 hours in the air. The return flight, HY 101, leaves Tashkent at 06:40 and reaches New York at 09:50 the same morning, after 13 hours 10 minutes.

From other US cities you have two choices: connect to the JFK flight, or fly one-stop through Istanbul, Dubai or a European hub. Turkish Airlines flies to Istanbul from many large US airports and continues to Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Urgench, the airport for Khiva. From Dubai, Uzbekistan Airways and flydubai fly to Tashkent every day. From Frankfurt, Uzbekistan Airways flies nonstop to Tashkent twice a week.

Flights from Canada: one stop

There is no nonstop flight from Canada, but three routes work well:

• Via Istanbul. Turkish Airlines flies to Istanbul from Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, then on to Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara or Urgench.
• Via New York. A short hop to JFK, then the Uzbekistan Airways nonstop to Tashkent.
• Via Dubai. Emirates from Toronto, then Uzbekistan Airways or flydubai to Tashkent.

Istanbul is the most flexible hub: you can fly into Khiva or Samarkand and out of Tashkent, so the route never doubles back. Timetables change by season, so check the days of operation for your dates. More on airports and connections is in our guide to flights to Uzbekistan.

Time difference and jet lag

Tashkent is on UTC+5 all year, with no daylight saving time. While the US and Canada are on standard time, that puts Tashkent 10 hours ahead of New York and Toronto, 11 hours ahead of Chicago and 13 hours ahead of Los Angeles and Vancouver. From March to early November, when North America moves its clocks forward, the gap is one hour less.

The New York flight lands in the morning, so keep the first day light. On our programmes, day one is the airport meeting, the transfer and rest. Hotel check-in is usually from 14:00, so for a morning arrival we book the room from the night before or arrange an early check-in.

When to go and how many days

For a trip through the cities, the best months are March to June and September to November. Summer is hot: the average July high is 35.9 °C (about 97 °F) in Tashkent and 37.3 °C (about 99 °F) in Bukhara. Winter is quiet and cool. Month by month, see when to visit Uzbekistan.

With a 12-hour flight and a ten-hour time shift, we advise at least 8 days on the ground, and 10 to 12 if you can. Eight days cover Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva at a steady pace. Ten to twelve leave room for jet lag, a slower day in Bukhara or a trip to the mountains. Between the cities you travel by fast train: the Afrosiyob takes 2 h 30 min from Tashkent to Samarkand; see trains in Uzbekistan.

Money, phone, safety and insurance

Money. Visa and Mastercard work at almost every card terminal: hotels, restaurants, shops and railway stations. Cash in so'm is for the bazaar, street vendors and some taxis. Bring US dollars as your cash reserve, since banks and exchange offices change them everywhere. Canadian dollars cannot be exchanged in Uzbekistan, so Canadians should bring US dollars too. Ask your bank about fees for withdrawals abroad before you leave. More in cards, cash and tipping.

Phone. Roaming on your home SIM or a travel eSIM needs no registration. If you buy a local SIM with your passport, foreign visitors have 60 days from its first connection before the phone's IMEI must be registered, so a one- or two-week trip needs nothing. Details are in bringing a phone to Uzbekistan.

Safety. Government travel advisories put Uzbekistan in the “normal precautions” category, and the usual problem is pickpockets in crowded bazaars. Our advice on taxis, photography, water and the summer heat is in safety and health in Uzbekistan.

Insurance. Buy travel medical insurance before you go, with cover for hospital stays and medical evacuation. Medicare usually does not cover health care outside the US, and a basic travel policy does not always include medical cover, so read the conditions. Make sure the policy runs for the whole trip, including any mountain days.

Which tour fits

You book the international flight; we handle everything on the ground: hotels, train tickets, guides and transfers. We are a licensed tour operator based in Tashkent, and our guides lead the excursions in English. Send us your flight times and we build the programme around them.

A first trip in 8 days. Our private 8-day classic tour covers Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand. If you prefer a group, there is an 8-day group tour of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. How we lay out such a week is in Uzbekistan in 7 days.

More time, 10–12 days. The 11-day classic tour follows the same route at an easy pace. The 10-day off-the-beaten-path tour adds masterclasses and less obvious stops; see also Uzbekistan in 10 days.

A special interest. Food lovers take the 8-day Taste of the Road culinary tour; photographers, the 12-day Uzbekistan photo tour. Flying this far and want the neighbouring countries too? Read Central Asia tours.

Prefer to explore on your own? The 8-day independent tour books hotels, trains and transfers, and you add excursions as you like. Not sure which route fits your dates? Our tour finder will narrow it down.

In short

• US and Canadian citizens enter Uzbekistan visa-free for up to 30 days; a passport valid for six months is the safe choice.
• Uzbekistan Airways flies nonstop from New York JFK to Tashkent three to four times a week, in about 12 hours; from Canada, connect via Istanbul, New York or Dubai.
• Tashkent is 9 to 13 hours ahead of North America, so plan an easy first day.
• The best seasons are March to June and September to November; plan at least 8 days, ideally 10 to 12.
• Cards work almost everywhere, bring US dollars for cash, buy travel medical insurance, and a local SIM needs no registration for 60 days.