What to Wear in Uzbekistan: Responsible Travel Tips

Trying to work out what to pack for a trip to a completely foreign culture is always a challenge. You don’t want to stand out as the tourist, you don’t want to offend, and you want to feel comfortable.

Uzbekistan has a very traditional culture but this does not mean that you have to dress really modestly. You’ll see more Western dress in modern cities, much less in rural areas, and if you want to enter a religious site, you’ll definitely need to cover up. On top of this, the country has severe temperatures in both summer and winter for you to navigate.

This travel guide will help you with what to wear in Uzbekistan: in different parts of the country, in different circumstances, and at different times of the year.

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How Conservative is Uzbekistan?

Uzbekistan is a conservative country with religious Muslim values, and it is respectful to follow the local cultural norms in any country you travel. Central Asia in general is much less conservative than the Middle East or South Asia. The general rule of thumb is long and loose-fitting. You will not be expected to cover your head while out in public.

What Do Local Women Wear?

I absolutely love the local Uzbek style. It’s comfortable and flowy, with bright patterns and soft materials. Matching top and bottoms are worn together with an almost fancy pyjama style, and I mean this in the most positive way! Others may wear loose ankle-length dresses with head coverings. But as well as the traditional Uzbek clothing, you will see many women in more Western clothing in the big cities such as Tashkent.

What to Wear in Modern Cities e.g. Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara

In Tashkent, you will see women wearing denim shorts and t-shirts as well as traditional conservative clothing that fully cover arms and legs. Tashkent is the one part of the country where I would have felt more comfortable wearing less-conservative Western clothing, but I did still wear my favourite Uzbek pants.

In Samarkand and Bukhara, just wandering around the main part of the cities, women will be wearing both conservative and Western clothing. But once, you hit the older parts of the cities with the beautiful, ancient architecture, it is respectful to have more conservative clothing. If you’re heading into mausoleums, mosques, etc. even though they are ancient and not necessarily active, it’s still best to have shoulders and knees covered, and higher-necked tops.

What to Wear in More Rural Areas e.g. Khiva, Fergana

If you’re travelling to spots that are more rural such as Khiva, or don’t see much tourism such as Fergana City, it’s better to dress conservatively as the locals do. Long skirts or trousers, shoulder and cleavage covered, and loose fitting is not only comfortable in the heat, but is also respectful to local culture and means that you won’t stand out quite as much.

What to Wear at Religious Sites

This actually varied significantly, surprisingly.

As standard, knees, shoulders and cleavage well and truly covered is the way to go. Pack a small scarf/sarong or something you could use to cover your head as well, otherwise, if a head covering is mandatory, they will usually have scarves to borrow for your visit.

However, when I tried to visit Bolo Hauz Mosque in Bukhara, I was turned away (they did eventually let me in). I had baggy floor-length trousers on, a high-necked top with shoulders covered, and a head covering. So my advice is to pack extra loose-fitting options in your bag just in case.

Wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off as you will likely have to remove shoes before entry. Oh and maybe pack a pair of socks in case you don’t fancy going bare foot or for a little extra protection if the floor gets really hot in the sun!

Please don’t bring an ‘Instagram outfit’ and change into it after having walked through the entrance where people check what you’re wearing. It’s not cool.

What to Wear in Summer

Summers in Uzbekistan can be brutal (we know from experience travelling the country in July). Temperatures consistently hit between 40°C and 45°C, so loose-fitting and very light materials is the way to go.

As someone from the UK whose first instinct is to throw shorts on when the sun comes out, it almost seems counter-intuitive to put more clothes on. Wearing more material and covering more skin actually helps to keep cool; stopping that direct sunlight on the skin is key.

It may sound obvious, but don’t think that because you need to cover up more, that you’re going to be hot and sweaty. I mean you will be hot and sweaty because it’s 45°C! But you will not be any hotter or sweatier.

What to Wear in Winter

Bring all your layers! Winters in Uzbekistan can get down to negative figures.

Should I just buy clothes in Uzbekistan?

You can definitely buy clothes in Uzbekistan. The trousers that I bought and tried on all had super elasticated waist bands, which means they’re really comfy and loose.

The only thing that I would say is that Uzbeks tend to be shorter than Europeans/North Americans, and at 5’6’’, my trousers were always a little on the short side – I could just about get away with them looking the right length. If you’re tall, you may struggle to get the right length off the rack.

BUT, that doesn’t mean you couldn’t get some trousers made specifically for you!

The patterns and materials are beautiful! Avoid the tourist stands because you won’t get good quality clothes here. Instead, try a market, or shopping centres in Tashkent.

What I Personally Wore in Uzbekistan

My favourite Uzbek pants are light and flowy and dark green and a really soft material. I honestly wore them all the time! I also bought a pair from a tourist stand and almost immediately regretted it; the quality just is nowhere near my green pair.

I also often wore a just-below-the-knee length skirt. On top, I wore higher-necked t-shirts with short sleeves. This sort of outfit is how I dressed every day almost everywhere in Uzbekistan because I felt more comfortable and I felt it was respectful.

What to Wear in Uzbekistan as a Man

Wearing shorts that cover/hit the knee and regular t-shirts is sufficient everywhere. Don’t go topless because it’s too hot, or wander around in overly short shorts (we did see some tourists doing this and it is just flat out rude and disrespectful).

Have your chest, shoulders and knees covered, and you’ll be grand. We did have one occasion where Chris was handed baggy shorts that came down to his mid-shin to wear at a mosque.

In a Nutshell

Plan more of your trip with these:

• Travel Tips for Uzbekistan: 13 Useful Things to Know
• 9 Spectacular Things to Do in Samarkand, Uzbekistan
• Things to Do in Khiva: The Traveller’s Guide

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