Uzbekistan Travel Guide

The land of Ancient Silk Road cities, and the tastiest melon you have ever tried! Our independent travel in Central Asia started here, and what an introduction. Flying from Baku to Tashkent to Khiva, we made friends with locals on the flight and in the airport. And before we had even set foot on Uzbek soil, we had two catch-ups scheduled!

A huge portion of Uzbekistan is desert, and this is exactly where Khiva sits. Because it is such a journey to get there, it is often missed by tourists. But for us, this was our first and favourite Silk Road city. Surrounded by desert in what felt like a huge sand castle with bright blue tiled minarets and domes of mosques standing out against the sandy colour of the rest of the ancient city; this was surreal, the stuff of movies. 

Jumping on a Soviet-style rickety train journey to get you through the desert to the rest of the country is an adventure in itself, and absolutely not for the faint-hearted (especially in the heat of summer!). Experience the amazing hospitality of the Uzbek people. Share tea and biscuits with your bunk mates, but try to avoid the questions about why you aren’t married with loads of babies yet.

Head to Bukhara and Samarkand for more Silk Road gems. Experience modern Tashkent with its decorated metro, impressive Chorsu bazaar, and huge array of restaurants and cafes.

And then venture completely off the tourist trail by heading down to Fergana Valley, a part of the country where you will see real Uzbek life. Take a tour around the Margilan silk factory, see floor to ceiling mosaics in the Khudayar Khan Palace in Kokand, maybe pop across the border into Osh, Kyrgyzstan.

Uzbekistan is the ultimate destination for those interested in history, architecture, and venturing off the beaten path. It is definitely one of our favourite destinations to date! This is THE place to have an adventure.

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