Nine caves and a salt mine to open to travellers in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is getting ready to show travellers what lies underground. A government resolution of 30 September 2026 approved a roadmap for cave tourism that lists ten sites: nine caves and the Khojaikon salt mine.

Which places

Most of them are in the south. The Baysun district of Surkhandarya has three caves on the list: Boybuloq, Korongu Yulduz and Teshiktosh, where the remains of a Neanderthal child were found in 1938. Near Sherabad, the salt-coated galleries of the Khojaikon mine lead to a viewpoint over the mountains. Four caves are in Samarkand region, one in Kashkadarya and one, Peshagor, near Zaamin in Jizzakh region.

What happens and when

Tourist routes are due by April 2027, followed by signs, electronic maps and online booking. Parking, rest areas and toilets are to be built in 2027–2028 and open in January 2029. Guides and instructors will be trained and certified, and families living nearby will get help opening guesthouses. Boybuloq, with its deep shafts and water-filled passages, is no walk-in cave, so the plan starts with safety rules for visits.

Our take

The south is worth the trip already: mountain villages around Baysun, gorges and the ancient sites of Termez. Walking ideas are in our hiking guide, and the region is on our Termez page.