Once a hermetic country with very strict visa policies for foreigners, Uzbekistan has opened its borders to show the world the majesty of what used to be the core and center of the ancient Silk Road, a country filled with impressive shrines, mosques and perfectly shaped old cities.

Uzbekistan is, by far, the most tourist-friendly country in Central Asia and an unmissable destination for sightseeing city lovers.

However, this ex-Soviet Republic has many bureaucratic and cultural peculiarities, which you are highly recommended to know well in advance.

In this Uzbekistan travel guide, we will go through all of them, so here is a list of useful tips for traveling to Uzbekistan.

In this Uzbekistan travel guide you will find:

COVID-19 travel bans Visa Travel Insurance Useful books A Silk Road country Money in Uzbekistan Getting in Border crossings Cultural facts Food Accommodation Transportation Connectivity More resources

COVID-19 travel restrictions for Uzbekistan

COVID-19 travel insurance for Uzbekistan

Visa for traveling to Uzbekistan

FREE visa on arrival for Uzbekistan

In 2019, requirements for traveling to Uzbekistan were eased, when they finally offered a 30-day free visa on arrival for most nationalities.

This VOA is valid in both airports and land borders and it applies to all Western nationalities, EXCEPT for the USA. Here you can see the updated list.

e-visa for Uzbekistan

Those nationalities which can’t get a VOA – and that includes nationals from the USA and India – can apply for an e-visa.

It’s a very easy process which only costs 20USD, takes 2-3 working days and this is the official website.

By default, you will get a 30-day visa, but it is also possible to apply for a multiple-entry visa. Unlike some years ago, the entry date is not fixed but you can enter any day you like within a 90-day period.

How to apply for an Uzbek e-visa

Apparently, the system has issues with some email domains, the photo format and, basically, it has quite a few bugs. Nowadays, however, most travelers do apply successfully, and all common issues and tips are well-explained here.

Visa for Uzbekistan via embassy

In the unlikely case the e-visa doesn’t work for you, you will have to go to the embassy, so I recommend starting to apply well-in-advance.

Typically, it would be a 1-week process in which you would need a passport copy, 2 passport photos, your hotel reservation, and your visa application form (printed and filled out).

By the way, one relevant difference vs the e-visa is that, with an embassy visa, the entry and exit dates are fixed, so you need to state the specific days you will be traveling in Uzbekistan and you can’t modify them. This means that you can’t enter before the entry date or leave after the exit date you specified.

Travel Insurance Uzbekistan

Books for traveling in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan travel guide by Bradt

Central Asia travel guide by Lonely Planet

Murder in Samarkand by Craig Murray

Tourism in Uzbekistan, a Silk Road country

Uzbekistan is the core of the Silk Road

Uzbekistan is synonymous with the Silk Road, a country which is home to the three most important Silk Road cities, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva. Timeless mosques and historical buildings define a characteristic skyline in every city, Uzbekistan has been the main stopover for countless civilizations traveling east and west, while exchanging goods, ideas, and knowledge. Traveling in Uzbekistan and strolling downs its bazaars and old cities is like going back to the past.

The most majestic shrines and buildings I have ever seen

From the imposing Registan to the cute, old city of Khiva, Uzbekistan is the perfect destination for travelers interested in stunning Islamic architecture.

It’s surprisingly touristic

Who would guess that the streets of the ancient Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan were filled with plenty of touristic shops, selling things from typical souvenirs to traditional local handicrafts, something unseen in Central Asia.

Tourist profile

While the most common tourist in Kyrgyzstan is a young backpacker, the main tourist in Uzbekistan is a 50-80-year old person who travels in a tour group. Actually, during high season, there are tens of groups all over the cities.

However, outside of the three main cities, there is nobody

In places like TashkentMoynaq and the Aral Sea and the Fergana Valley, we barely saw any tourist and the local interactions were much more rewarding.

In Uzbekistan, they use the Uzbek SUM (UZS). The currency value is extremely low and approximately:

Cash and ATMs in Uzbekistan

Some years ago, ATMs in Uzbekistan didn’t accept foreign cards but that has drastically changed now. There are loads of ATMs that you can use absolutely everywhere, even in markets.

Bear in mind, however, that with an international card, in some ATMs you can only withdraw USD, which you need to exchange at the bank. This way, they can charge you commission twice and by the way, when you withdraw, the commission is 1%. In practice nevertheless, this is not being the case anymore and today, more and more ATMs do give Uzbek SUM.

Exchanging money in Uzbekistan

You can change money in most banks – Some years ago, the official bank rate was almost 100% lower than on the black market, so nobody wanted to exchange money in banks. This changed and, finally, the official rate has gone up to its actual value.

This means that you can now exchange money in banks, which can easily be found all over the cities. The best part is that some banks give you bigger notes, so there is no need to carry ten packs of cash.

You can still get money in the black market – However, I don’t recommend it, as they are the ones who always give you smaller notes and, when you count them, you always notice that there are one or two notes missing.

How much does it cost traveling to Uzbekistan?

Traveling in Uzbekistan is not as cheap as in Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan but, still, it’s very affordable. Typically:

How to get to Uzbekistan

Traveling to Uzbekistan by plane

Uzbekistan has the most expensive flights in all Central Asia and the reason is that the airport taxes are extremely high. Apparently, along with a more liberal visa regime, the Government is planning to reverse it in order to encourage more tourism.

If you are on a budget and have enough time, you could fly to Almaty, Bishkek or Dushanbe and then enter Uzbekistan overland. From Europe, flights there are surprisingly cheap, especially to Bishkek.

If you are traveling in Iran, there are very cheap flights from Tehran to Aktau, a city in western Kazakhstan, very close to the Uzbek border.

If you are traveling in Azerbaijan, you can even take a ferry to Aktau or fly there, which is much quicker and even cheaper.

Traveling to Uzbekistan via a land border

Uzbekistan shares a border with:

All borders are easy to cross, as long as you have a valid visa, especially for Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.

Border crossing and other bureaucratic rules when traveling in Uzbekistan

Most borders are open to overland travelers – As long as you have the visa, you can enter or exit Uzbekistan from any country, but just bear in mind that some borders are only open to nationals, while others may close temporarily.

However, all countries will have, at least, one or two entry points always open. For the latest updated information on border policy, check the Caravanistan website.

They will go through all your stuff – Especially laptops, phones, and cameras.

Don’t bring any sensitive material – By sensitive I mean porn or any politically sensitive photos, including Governmental buildings or military stuff. If you happen to have some, upload them to the cloud or hide them very well in your computer.

However, at some border crossings, it’s not as bad as people say – I heard horror stories about Uzbek customs but, when I crossed from Tajikistan to the Fergana Valley, they just checked the photos of my DSLR camera and it seemed they were more looking at my pictures for fun than looking for sensitive photos, as the official was smiling and calling some of his colleagues to check them out.

They are also looking for drugs – And especially anything containing codeine. They will definitely, go through all your meds and, apparently, even if you have prescription pills containing codeine, they won’t allow you to enter with them and you may get in real trouble.

You will have to declare all your money, both entering and exiting – When you enter, you need to fill in a form, stating how much are you traveling with. You are supposed to keep this form because, when you leave, they will compare it with how much money you have left.

If you happen to have the same amount of money or more, they will assume that you worked there, so you might get into some problems. However, this rule may not apply in some borders because I left through Kazakhstan.

Uzbekistan 10 facts: the country, its people and their culture

1 – Uzbekistan is an ex-Soviet Republic – Which got its independence in 1991, after the USSR dissolution.

2 – Most people are Uzbeks – But, as in the whole Central Asia, you also find plenty of people from their neighboring countries, including Russians, Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, and Tajiks. People in Uzbekistan are so ethnically mixed but, whereas Kyrgyz and Kazakh people have stronger Mongolian features, and Tajiks and Turkmens more of a Persian look, I would say that Uzbeks are something in between.

3 – The official language is Uzbek – Which is a Turkic language, but most people also speak Russian as a second language.

4 – Learn some Russian – They use the Cyrillic alphabet and practically nobody speaks English, except in the touristic parts. Some basic words to get around will prove immensely useful.

5 – They are Sunni Muslims but not really – Officially, most people are Sunni Muslims, the Russian population (10%) being Christian Orthodox. However, like all ex-Soviet countries, religion is not a big deal and most people don’t really follow Islam. If I had to compare it to the rest of Central Asia, I would say that religion in Uzbekistan is practiced more than in Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan but less than in Tajikistan.

6 – No real dress code for women – Many Uzbek women are veiled but it’s mostly for cultural reasons, rather than religious. Except in some parts of the Fergana Valley, women can go as they please, within certain common-sense limitations, of course.

7 – Is Islam partially forbidden? – The Fergana Valley in Uzbekistan is home to the most radical Islamic group in Central Asia, an organization which even operated in Afghanistan under the Taliban. The Uzbek Government has tried hard to eradicate this group and, from what I heard, it has put some limitations on the way people practice Islam. For example, during prayer time, you will never hear the mosque’s speakers. I was told that this is one of several governmental measures.

8 – It’s a dictatorship – The first President of Uzbekistan ruled from its independence, in 1991, to 2016, when he died. He ruled under an authoritarian regime and didn’t forge many good international relationships. The new President is trying to change this though, the growth of tourism being one of the many new policies.

9 – But people don’t really care about politics – Uzbeks told me that the only thing they care about is inflation and nobody is interested in politics. There is no freedom of speech and you can’t say anything bad about the president or any governmental organization. They are OK with it so, according to them, a revolution will not happen any time soon.

10 – The cotton crisis – Uzbekistan’s main economical pillar is the cotton industry and you will see plenty of cotton fields all over the country. Being so dependant on cotton has led to several crises and problems, the most dramatic one being the destruction of the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan. In Nukus, I met the European Union delegate in Uzbekistan, who told me that, with the new President, they are strongly trying to diversify the economy.

Food and alcohol when traveling in Uzbekistan

Plov, plov, plov – Welcome to the world capital of plov, a Central Asian dish consisting of fried rice in lamb fat, meat and different vegetables. There are many kinds of plov and it varies by region. Uzbek people find it a real delicacy and they love it so much that, in the capital Tashkent, they even have a Central Asian Plov Center, a massive building serving only plov. After more than 5 months in Central Asia, I really hated plov.

But typical Central Asian food is also available – Laghman (noodles soup), manti (dumplings), shashlik (kebab) are popular dishes which you can eat when traveling in Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan.

More good restaurant options than in neighboring countries – Since it’s more touristic, you also find a wider range of options, especially serving international cuisine. For me, that was really an edge, especially after traveling in Central Asia for such a long time.

Alcohol is widely available – Vodka, beer and everything you want!

And local wine, as well! – Uzbekistan is the largest wine producer in Central Asia and its wine is not that bad, actually!

If you are a vegetarian, you are fucked – Well, not fucked but local cuisine mostly consists of meat and sometimes it’s even hard to find chicken. However, like I said, in the touristic places there are several options and, on most menus there are vegetarian options made ad-hoc for tourists. Additionally, your best bet will be the local markets, where you can find all sorts of vegetables, as well as Korean salads.

Loads of fruit! – Most of the fruit is grown in the Fergana Valley, it’s absolutely delicious and there is a lot of variety. When I was there in October, it was grapes and melons season!

Budget hostels and guest houses

Hotels in Uzbekistan

Keep your registration payslips

Couchsurfing is supposedly illegal

How to move around Uzbekistan: transportation

Traveling around Uzbekistan by train

Trains are the way to travel in Uzbekistan. Most cities are connected by train, they run very regularly and are very comfortable.

Some tips:

It’s recommended to book your train tickets in advance – Especially for long-distance trains. You can book them at the train station itself and always remember to bring your passport.

There are different kinds of train – There is a regular, modern train and the high-speed one. They are built by a Spanish company, so they have many similarities to the AVE and other Spanish trains. Furthermore, there is the Russian train, which is the classic old one from the Soviet Union times.

You must try the Soviet train at least once – Traveling long distance on a Russian train is an experience by itself. I took it from Samarkand, all the way west to Kazakhstan, on a 32-hour journey. You are most likely to be the only foreigner on board and everybody is super friendly with you.

Traveling around Uzbekistan by shared taxi

Also common and really cheap. Between cities, it’s common to travel in shared taxis, which cost even less than a train.

Internet & SIM Card

The Internet is just OK

Internet is not as good as in Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan but it’s definitely better than Tajikistan. Most hotels will have decent Wi-Fi and 3G works perfectly well throughout the country.

How to get a SIM Card

Get Beeline, with which, for a couple of USD, you will get plenty of data and calls. It is very easy to buy a SIM Card and all you need is your passport.

More information for traveling to Uzbekistan

Travel guides to other countries in Central Asia

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By: Joan Torres
Title: Tips and how to travel to Uzbekistan (2022)
Sourced From: againstthecompass.com/en/uzbekistan-travel-guide/
Published Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2022 06:00:00 +0000

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