Tashkent Travel Guide — What to See, How Many Days, How to Get There

The city

A modern capital with an old heart

Most visitors rush through Tashkent. Give it two days: the bazaar, the metro and the Soviet-era squares explain modern Uzbekistan better than any museum.

Beruni station, Tashkent Metro — Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0, photo by Tim Adams.

What to see

Chorsu Bazaar — the old city's domed market. Go in the morning for bread, dried fruit, spices and the full noise of the place.
Tashkent Metro — the Soviet-era stations are famously decorated; Beruni and Alisher Navoi are among the most photographed. A ride costs very little — keep a transport card or small cash handy.
Amir Timur Square and the surrounding museums — the formal centre, with the Amir Timur Museum and Independence Square nearby.
Kukeldash Madrasah — a 16th-century madrasah near Chorsu, still in use as a religious school.

How many days

Two days is right: one for the old city and bazaar, one for the metro, squares and museums. Tashkent is also the natural arrival and departure point — the international airport and the main railway station are here.

Getting there & around

Fly into Tashkent International Airport (TAS). The metro, buses and taxis cover the city; the Afrosiyob high-speed train runs from Tashkent to Samarkand and on to Bukhara — book a few days ahead in peak season. For Khiva, fly to Urgench or take the long desert road.

Practical tips

Summer afternoons reach about 36 °C; January days average around 7 °C. Tashkent is the priciest city in the country for hotels and dining — budget a little more here than in Bukhara or Khiva. Watch for pickpockets in Chorsu Bazaar and on the metro, as in any busy market.

Photo: Chorsu Bazaar, Tashkent — Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, photo by Adam Harangozó.