Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan? Which Stan is Right For You?

You’re thinking about your next trip away and you’ve recently started thinking that somewhere in Central Asia might be the spot.

You’ve seen amazing photos online of the stunning architecture of the Silk Road cities and the breath-taking lakes with horses and traditional yurts.

But how do you decide which of these up-and-coming Stans is best for you? Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan?

Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan share a border as well as a lot of cultural similarities, but there are also a lot of differences.

Which one you choose might depend on your travel style, how much adventure you’re looking for.

Do you want to hike or are you more into history and architecture?

Do you need to be able to use a VPN?

Do you want to be able to plan all your transport in advance, or do you just want to go with the flow?

Having spent six weeks in each country and LOVED our time there (aside from the food poisoning), this guide will help you to work out which is the right Stan for you.

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Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is probably best known for its stunning architecture covered in small sparkling mosaic tiles in every possible shade of blue.

The historic Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva will have you feeling like you have stepped back in time, walking amongst these grand and ancient buildings.

But Uzbekistan isn’t just about its Silk Road architecture; it is about its bustling markets, delicious food, dramatic landscapes, and friendly hospitality.

PXL 20230702 152258459 min 1 scaled — *Khiva*

Just as an example, when we first travelled to Uzbekistan, we had made friends with two separate Uzbek locals, exchanged numbers and arranged to meet up with them during our time in the country. And that was BEFORE we had even got off the plane in Tashkent!

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is being talked about more and more in the travel world as tourists are starting to realise that this small country is full of mountains, lakes, rivers, friendly locals, and a fascinating nomadic culture.

It feels raw and authentic, and there is a trend in people searching for more meaningful, cultural experiences when they travel.

Kyrgyzstan ticks all of these boxes, and is very much a unique experience compared to most other holiday destinations.

a view up the mountain river in Jeti Oguz Gorge, Kyrgyzstan. There are large pebbles in the foreground, blue river water, green trees and mountains in the background

Pros for Uzbekistan

1. Uzbekistan has a Great Transport System

Uzbekistan has a great railway network serviced by some really modern fast trains and some older classic Soviet trains. You’ll be able to get to all the major cities and it is really easy to book your tickets in advance online.

Tashkent also has a really efficient metro system with beautifully-decorated and unique stations, and modern trains. If you need to get a lift, it’s easy to download and use the Yandex Go app for use in the major cities.

🚅 Book the train 🚅

an Uzbek train is waiting at the platform as the sun rises. It is painted with vertical white, green and yellow stripes.

Getting around in Kyrgyzstan is much more of a challenge because of its mountainous terrain, which means that there is a very limited train network.

Instead, travelling around Kyrgyzstan means that you’ll have to rely heavily on marshrutkas, shared, taxis, or hitchhiking. Journeys take longer and are less organised.

Kyrgyzstan marshrutka with a sign in the window for the route from Osh to Arslanbob via Bazar Korgon

2. It is Easy to Explore Uzbekistan Independently

The popular tourist sights are mainly in the big cities around the country, which means that you can easily travel to them by yourself without an organised tour.

Most people who visit Uzbekistan, visit for the beautiful Silk Road cities and this is easy to plan and do all by yourself. No prior booking for the popular things to do is needed, no permits etc.

the domed top of Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent, Uzbekistan has blue and turquoise tiles and stalls selling clothing in front.

Kyrgyzstan’s major tourist attractions, on the other hand, are largely natural, like lakes and mountains that aren’t easily accessible by public transport.

This means that independent travel can become pricey very quickly if you’re relying on taxis to get to remote destinations.

Kyrgyzstan is actually one of the very few countries we actually think that an organised tour would enable you to get much more out of your trip than independent travel.

wild, rugged mountains of Arslanbob, Kyrgyzstan have tall trees in the lower ground in front with housing interspersed

3. Mind-Blowingly Beautiful Architecture

Some of the regions best examples of the historic Silk Road city and its famous Timurid architecture are present right here in Uzbekistan.

Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva have the sparkling minarets and tiled mausoleums, while Termez has ruins of Buddhist sites that date back to before Islam had reached the region.

ruins of a madrasa in Bukhara, Uzbekistan have a tiled facade with blue and yellow colouring. The entrance way has unique pale pink decoration. A man rides past on a bicycle.

Kyrgyzstan has some historic architecture, but nowhere near the amount or grandeur of Uzbekistan.

The architecture in the capital, Bishkek, is largely concrete, Brutalist, Soviet-style. And while I (and many others) find this fascinating, there is no denying that Uzbekistan wins the award for most amazing architecture.

the Wedding Palace is a Brutalist Soviet-style building in Bishkek, Kyyrgyzstan with harsh concrete pillars and almost spiky-looking windows.

4. Tashkent Airport is Very Well-Connected

Tashkent Airport (TAS) has direct flight connections with a lot of Europe the Middle East, Russia, and Asia. The national airline, Uzbekistan Airlines, covers the majority of these routes and so it is much easier to fly into Tashkent than Bishkek.

✈️ Find your flights ✈️

Bishkek Airport (BSZ) in comparison has no direct flights to Europe or South East Asia, and has a much more limited number of flights to the Middle East, Russia, and the rest of Asia.

✈️ Book that trip ✈️

Savvy Traveller Pro Tips 🇺🇿 🇰🇬

After exploring Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan each for six weeks, these are our favourite booking tools that we couldn’t travel without!

Travel Insurance: our favourite budget-friendly insurance is SafetyWing – no question.
Flights: we book flights through Trip.com to earn loyalty points to use on our next flights.
Accommodation: for the best deals and to build up loyalty points, we use Booking.com.
Transport: book high-speed trains on 12Go for UZ; use marshrutkas & shared taxis for KG.
Taxi Apps: download Yandex Go.
Food Delivery: Wolt (Tashkent & Samarkand, UZ), Glovo for KG, and Yandex Eats for both.
SIM: Beeline has great coverage across both UZ and KG.
ESIM: be connected from the second you arrive with Airalo.

5. Great Food Scene in Tashkent

Some of the tastiest food we ate in Central Asia was from right here in Tashkent. Eating vegetarian is tough in the Stans, but Tashkent has several really good options, and when I say ‘good’, I mean that we would fly back to Tashkent just to have this food!

Afghan food, Uyghur food, fluffy breads, chewy lagman noodles, cheesy somsa, pomegranate coffees, local wines. This is for sure the foodie capital of Central Asia, especially for vegetarian food!

a uyghur dish of slices of cucumber marinated in chili, garlic, cumin and other spices. Mixed with slices of onion and red peanuts - Uyghur Diyar Food, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Bishkek has some good restaurants too, notably Navat, which serves traditional cuisine with some veg versions too!

South Korean cuisine is also very popular in Kyrgyzstan, but overall, we found that eating vegetarian in Kyrgyzstan was much more challenging.

tteokbokki - small cylindrical rolls of chewy rice cake in a thick gochujang spicy sauce, a boiled egg and a sprinkle of spring onion greens - Cooksoo, Bishkek

Korean gimbap has cucumber, radish, carrot, and omelette inside a roll of rice and with a seaweed outer wrapper - Cooksoo, Bishkek

Uzbekistan is Best for:

foodies
history fans
architecture lovers
independent travellers
type A travellers who like having everything planned in advance

Pros for Kyrgyzstan

1. Breath-Taking Natural Beauty

Over 90% of Kyrgyzstan is mountainous which makes for outrageously beautiful views and hiking opportunities. The country is well-known for its amazing multi-day hikes across mountain ranges to huge alpine lakes.

green mountains, tall forest and fields with a small lake in Jyrgalan, Kyrgyzstan

Uzbekistan does have a lot of fascinating landscapes such as its deserts, canyons in Surxondaryo, Chimgan mountains, greenery of Jizzakh; but Kyrgyzstan’s nature really is spectacular.

2. Unique Nomadic Culture

Because of the endless steppe and mountains and lakes, the Kyrgyz nomadic culture is still going strong.

During your hikes, you’ll likely come across traditional yurt camps where you stay for the night and get a home-cooked meal. It’s a very unique cultural experience that Kyrgyzstan is well-known for.

a traditional Kyrgyz nomadic yurt is covered in white material and ropes, a material door a chimney. Song Kul lake is in the background surrounded by small mountains

Uzbek culture is also fascinating, but they don’t seem to have the nomadic element that allows for unique experiences.

3. 60 Days Visa-Free Entry for Many Nationalities

Kyrgyzstan has a very open visa policy meaning that many nationalities can enter visa-free for up to 60 days!

Uzbekistan’s policy allows for 30 days visa-free for many nationalities. Always check your own requirements before you travel.

4. No Police Registration Required in Kyrgyzstan

Uzbekistan requires you to register with the police, while Kyrgyzstan allows more freedom of unmonitored movement within the country. It’s just one less thing to check and think about.

5. VPNs Work

Kyrgyzstan allows VPN usage, while there are many VPNs that just won’t work within Uzbekistan.

NordVPN, and Norton VPN are two examples that don’t work, while Express VPN did work for us.

Kyrgyzstan is Best for:

hikers
adventurers
nature lovers
type B travellers who like to go with the flow

Maybe You Feel Like You’re Somewhere in the Middle?

I get it; I feel like we fit in to both of these categories too! So why not visit both? We travelled Uzbekistan before crossing the Dostyk border in Fergana Valley to reach Osh in Kyrgyzstan.

a sunset over Osh, Kyrgyzstan from the top of Sulaiman Too Sacred mountain shows small mountains in the background, with city buildings and trees in the foreground — *Views over Osh from Sulaiman Too Sacred Mountain*

Stay tuned for our Uzbek/Kyrgyz itinerary COMING SOON.

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