Away With The Steiners

Uzbekistan: A complete travel guide (practicalities and challenges).

Sarah Steiner

Uzbekistan travel is rapidly growing popular, and deservedly-so. Central Asia is a bucket list destination for many. (Trust me, it’s right up there on ours too).

Making your way along the Silk Road covers a lot of highlights of Uzbekistan, as well as some of the greatest highs and lows of an empire. And the good news is, it turns out that travel in Uzbekistan with kids is not only doable, but is guaranteed to exceed all expectations.

Growing up in New Zealand we didn’t learn much about times of the Soviet Era, or about the stretch of its reign.

Perhaps it feels too far away, or too burdensome to talk about, but it made us curious to find out what today is like for the cities of the Silk Road, and to learn more about how it had been.

Read on for our route across Uzbekistan and all the things you need to know before you go. Plus we share the best of highlights from our now-favourite country…

Contents

About Uzbekistan, quickly

Uzbekistan is unique in that it is a landlocked country surrounded by landlocked countries.

It shares borders with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan to the south, and Kazakhstan to the north and west. 

Fear of travel to the ‘Stans

Let’s be honest; first thoughts of the ‘-stan‘ scares off foreigners.

History and media presents a certain image abroad, and for the seven countries in Asia that end with the suffix ‘Stan, our first reaction is not instinctively smooth.

Stan means land in Persian Farsi, a word for “place of” or “country”. A bit like the suffix of names in English such as England, Scotland, Switzerland.

And rightly so. It is a region of diverse geography and land with a lot of fascinating history behind it. 

Albeit we didn’t tell our family we were heading to Central Asia until we were actually there, because we didn’t want to be put off. And you shouldn’t be either. Uzbekistan is now a firm favourite country of ours.

Visas for Uzbekistan

In early 2019 Uzbekistan announced it will no longer require visas for visitors from 45 countries. This is amazing in terms of travel news (note: get yourself there before everyone else does too).

Citizens of the following nationalities can get free entry on arrival to Uzbekistan for 30 days:

In addition, other ex-Soviet countries including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan can get up to 90 days entry on arrival.

An e-visa scheme is extended to citizens of 78 countries, so travellers who do not qualify for the visa-free entry scheme can apply for visas online. Always check for updated details of visas before you go.

Best time to visit

Uzbekistans climate has variations that are extreme.

In summary, winter is literally freezing, and summertime is baking hot. Temperatures drop below to -50°C in the coldest time of year and soar in summer to 40°C and above. (We know, because we were onboard an overnight train that set out at 43°C. Read about that here).

The best time of year to visit is any time that will avoid these extremes. Travel in spring and autumn on the shoulder of extreme seasons, ideally from April to June and September to November.

We landed in Tashkent at the start of August and the temperatures were hot. Like desert and camel, hot. In emails planning our trip the Aral Sea ahead of this we were even warned to reconsider whether this was a good time to travel in Uzbekistan with kids.

Slightly unnerving, but in truth the heat was manageable.

It is a dry heat, unlike Southern parts of Asia and without the humidity the heat is easier to handle. In saying that though, I would love to visit again in the shoulder seasons. The middle of the summer day is not ideal for exploring.

Uzbekistan with kids meant that even a roadside stop was an adventure. We pulled over for camels in the Karakalpakstan desert.
Camels alongside a Russian Lada on the road in Karakalpakstan.

Uzbek language

Firstly no, we didn’t become fluent in Uzbek (sadly). But when you are travelling full-time and fairly fast and the languages of Asia start to roll in to one, it’s a good reminder to keep up with learning your hello‘s and thank you’s.

Like neighbouring Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the Russian language is still widely spoken in Uzbekistan as a result of the Soviet influence and occupation.

Many Uzbeks can speak both Uzbek and Russian, and both languages are still taught in schools.

Uzbek is part of the Turkic family of languages, but there is Arabic influence in the language as well.

We found this the easiest part of the language to recognise and use, with the greeting Salom aleikum. However, if you are keen and can already read Cyrillic, then you are a few useful steps ahead!

The basics

Places to visit in Uzbekistan

Settle in because this is the best part.

Uzbekistan travel is currently the biggest draw card for Central Asia and with good reason. It’s undeniably exciting in the thought alone of retracing the ancient Silk Road.

The practicalities of modern travel mean it’s easy enough to do just that, but get as far as Khiva and Karakalpakstan and you can’t help but feel satisfied you are well off the beaten track.

Read on and find out where we went and where you need to visit in Uzbekistan ASAP…

Tashkent

A first day out in Tashkent is all it took for us to fall in love with the colours and vibes of Central Asia.

Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan, and a city that has seen many things in its 2000 plus years history. The chances are if you are heading to Central Asia, Tashkent might be your first stop.

And if so, you are in luck. The city is exciting in it’s bustle of Asian city feel. It is beautiful in the colours and architecture of the Silk Road. And with a touch still of Soviet to remind you that you really are there.

It’s a contradiction in an exciting way.

Things to do in Tashkent

We became regulars at the swimming pool, and this alone is probably what the kids would name as the highlight of travel in Uzbekistan!

The bustling ground floor of Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent.

Nukus and the Aral Sea

The city of Nukus is situated within the Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan. A once fertile area known for the booming economy surrounding the cotton fields, now the poorest and most desolate region in the country.

Getting there requires some mad planning…

You can picture us at 3:00pm, boarding an ex-Soviet era train in Tashkent with the temperature already reading 43°C. We’d made the mad plan to take the overnight train across the desert to Nukus; the other side of Uzbekistan (with kids).

On board the train for Nukus.

Things to do in Nukus

Nukus Bazaar, Karakalpakstan.

Interestingly this part of Uzbekistan is an autonomous republic; The Republic of Karakalpakstan.  It even has a different flag and dialect.

[We thought that was kind of sympathetically-fitting with our own identity challenge so far in Central Asia… No one understands when we say we are from ‘NEW ZEALAND!’]. 

The Aral Sea

We first saw the Aral Sea on a TV documentary. We were shocked/fascinated and horrified, trying to imagine how such damage could have been caused by human hands.

Only 10% of the original sea is left. It was once the fourth largest lake in the WORLD, and is now one of the most emblematic environmental disasters of the WORLD.

It’s been literally losing water for over half a century. Ever since Soviet engineers began diverting the rivers that fed in to it, in order to grow cotton in the desert…

Reasons to visit the Aral Sea

Check out all the details on visiting the Aral Sea and our thoughts on visiting such a large scale human disaster here in our Uzbekistan Travel blog.

Yurt camp just back from the receding shore line, with perfect vantage point to ponder sunrise over the Aral Sea.

It’s hard to describe the feeling of finally standing there and feeling what literally was once the sea floor underfoot.

It’s beautiful, but overwhelming; and SAD. The damage is IRREVERSIBLE. 

Khiva

Khiva conjures up all the images of the iconic Silk Road. It’s like a giant outdoor museum that met a city made of sand in the Urgench desert.

We spent three days in Khiva and unanimously decided it is our favourite city in Uzbekistan.

Things to do in Khiva

Our guesthouse inside the old city walls of Khiva

Bukhara

The history of Bukhara spans more than a thousand years. The city was a prominent stop on the Silk Road trade route between the East and the West.

Nowadays it contains hundreds of beautifully preserved mosques, madrassas, bazaars and caravanserais dating back from the 9th to 17th centuries.

And for travellers it is set up as an ideal walking town to get around easily. Not a lot looks like it has changed much over the last centuries!

Things to do in Bukhara

We bought some of the amazing hand-woven textiles that Uzbekistan is famous for from inside an old caravanserai. How cool is that!?

Sunset vibes at Mir-i-Arab Madrasah.

Samarkand

Samarkand is known around the world for its unrivalled beautiful blue mosques and mausoleums. It’s the most iconic and biggest drawcard for tourism to Uzbekistan and understandably so. For a lot of us, Registan Square is like a tangible sight to lay eyes on the prize: we will get there and see it for ourselves one day…

Unsurprisingly, Samarkand is also the most popular destination for tourists to Uzbekistan and it does feel more crowded. Remember though, this is within the realms of tourism to Central Asia, which fortunately still isn’t booming.

Manage your expectations for Samarkand, and look into where else you can visit within the city for uninterrupted culture (hint: start at the bazaar and eat your way from there).

For us, aside from the iconic Islamic architecture of Samarkand, our most special memory was the chance to learn about the most sacred of Uzbek bread. Yup, memories of the time we found ourselves spending the best part of a baking day with a fourth generation family of Uzbek bread bakers…

Things to do in Samarkand

The square is designed around 3 madrassahs (‘school’ in Arabic) that all face the centre square; Ulugh Beg Madrasah, Tilya-Kori Madrasah and Sher-Dor Madrasah. I couldn’t believe my eyes at the scale and grandeur!

A lot of learning and tasting at a home bakery in Samarkand.

Culture in Uzbekistan

Uzbek culture is uniquely steeped in influence due to its geographic location and historic location along the Silk Road. Ancient Persians, Turks, Arabs, Chinese, and Russians have all contributed to Uzbek culture.

This was part of what excited us the most in planning our Uzbekistan travel! And it is still largely (blissfully) off the main tourist trail.

We found Uzbek people to be friendly and curious, especially to see us travelling there with kids. Uzbek cuisine is diverse and exciting, representing again the geographic location and ancient influence of culture.

And hospitality is second to none. (Trust me, we were adopted by an Uzbek family).

Food in Uzbekistan

Uzbek food is different, diverse and interesting. It shares a base of cuisine from Turkic culture combined with Asian style and ingredients.

There is a lot of bread and noodles (you have to try lagman), and most meals are made with meat.

Mutton is the main variety of meat used in dishes like plov.

Some famous Uzbek dishes:

Hospitality in Uzbekistan

We were offered rides, picked up while walking, hosted for dinner, breakfasts and lunches.

The kids made fast friends with and children they met and were given handfuls of dried fruits and nuts at what felt like every fruit stand we passed.

Uzbek women love children.

We were adopted by an Uzbek family

We met Aslbek, a student from Samarkand, when we first arrived in Tashkent.

He told us that when we got to Samarkand his family would like to show us their part of Uzbekistan. And he said they wanted to take us to their ‘paradise’ in a village by the mountains on the border of neighbouring Tajikistan.

Our new Uzbek family in Urgut.

We met the entire extended family, shared so many new Uzbek foods, and as he said, they took us right out of Samarkand to their paradise in the mountains.

Hospitality in a different country and culture brings the kind of travel memories and emotions that can’t truly be captured any other way.

Uzbekistan travel with kids

Travel in Uzbekistan with kids is both challenging, and rewarding. It isn’t an obvious choice for travel as a family. But in saying that, I would be the first to recommend it.

Distances between the cities of the Silk Road are long (especially long if travelling by ex-Soviet train across the desert) but modern high speed rail between Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand make it easier, and more like other parts of modern East Asia.

Uzbekistan has a culture that celebrates family. I lost count of the times we found ourselves stopped on walks through bazaars for stall holders to meet the kids. You will be given more samples of dried and fresh fruit than you have stomach room for.

Food in Uzbekistan isn’t spicy, and can range from simple breads and pastries to sweet desserts that kids will genuinely enjoy.

We didn’t find tours or activities specifically geared towards children. However, we also didn’t look hard and we didn’t check the wealthier/expat and modern areas of Tashkent and Samarkand.

The tours that we did do (to the Aral Sea and Muynak, and around the villages from Bukhara) were adapted thoughtfully and the kids were welcomed and well looked after.

Kids don’t seem to have quite the same penchant for incredible Islamic architecture or additional visits to mosques. (Weird?).

But I can assure you they will enjoy staying in a yurt and hand feeding a baby camel on the way. Travel in Uzbekistan with kids certainly makes it different. If you are already thinking about it, I highly recommend it.

Getting around Uzbekistan

Transport options in Uzbekistan range from modern fast trains to taxis and tiny shared mini bus vans.

By taxi

In Tashkent especially, quite literally any car can be a taxi.

There are also authorised taxi’s with a sign on their roof, but ‘independent’ taxis means that you can wave down any private car if they are willing to stop. Just offer them a taxi fare if they are going in your direction, negotiate if you need to, and hop in.

The local custom is to simply stand by the side of the road with your arm extended downward and slightly away from the body.

If that sounds unlikely you’ll have to trust me on this one. It works! It’s even possible to use independent taxis travelling in Uzbekistan with kids.

Just take care and make sensible decisions if you choose to.

Random blonde Uzbek boy in our taxi in Tashkent.

From Nukus to Khvia, we booked a taxi driver through our hotel. This is an awesome way to travel shorter long-distance legs in Uzbekistan. Our driver was so excited to show us some old ruins at a fort and we went out for lunch with him in a little yurt-style restaurant on the outskirts of Urgench.

By plane

Uzbekistan Airways National Airline is the flag carrier of Uzbekistan.

Getting from Khiva to Bukhara we flew with Uzbekistan Airways.

Yes, we could have taken the slow train but we had already enjoyed that challenge of travel in Uzbekistan (with kids). And seriously, we loved the adventure of the overnight train. But, in the daytime heat and given the price of the train and plane ticket, we chose the faster option for this leg.

Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent all have domestic flights as well.

By train

Travelling by train in Uzbekistan is definitely not as adventurous or risky as it once was. (Unless you take the ex-Soviet clunker across the desert to Nukus, but even that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend for the adventure).

Uzbekistan has a high speed railway operating between Tashkent and Samarkand (a far cry from the once Golden Road to Samarkand in poems of camel caravans).

The Afrosiyob is the high speed train, operating under Uzbekistan Railways.

We took a fast train from Bukhara to Samarkand, and from Samarkand back to the capital. The train is actually easy to navigate, and you can turn up to the station and book tickets in advance in person.

We had help from our tour operator Timur (who booked our Aral Sea tour), who pre-booked tickets for the fast train in advance for us. In hindsight you could save some money booking them yourself. At the time however, we were very grateful for his help and it made the trip much smoother.

Ready to board the Afrosiyob from Bukhara.

Internet in Uzbekistan

In general, internet access through wifi in guesthouses and hotels in Uzbekistan is adequate. Speeds vary from extremely slow (in Nukus) to fast (in Tashkent). And you can access Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other social networks without any restrictions.

We found wifi to be ubiquitous in all the places of accommodation we stayed (with exceptions in the yurt camp at the Aral Sea. Obviously).

Phone and SIM cards for Uzbekistan travel

Mobile internet is cheap for Uzbekistan travel. Your foreign SIM card will likely work on roaming in the country, but it is seriously easy to buy and set up a local SIM.

The information desk at the arrivals hall in Tashkent International Airport has all the information. You literally step through immigration and customs and out towards the baggage claim, where an information desk is bang, smack in the middle.

The mobile data market is dominated by the three major players:

Each of the three providers advertises a tourist plan with data included to work for up to 30 days at a time.

We bought a UMS SIM card inside the Tashkent airport for our Uzbekistan travel. We purchased the SIM on a tourist package which is ridiculously cheap (under $10 USD for a monthly data package with option to add more in needed).

The staff are extremely helpful, speak English, and will have your SIM working in ten minutes.

Money in Uzbekistan

It’s easy to feel rich in Uzbekistan… The som is the currency of cash in Uzbekistan with the highest denomination of note is 100,000 UZS worth around US$10. You quickly end up with wads of cash!

Some guesthouses accept payment in USD, though since currency reforms in 2017, it is expected that tourists will pay in Uzbek som. At most we found it straightforward to pay electronically, and hotels can change smaller amounts. Larger exchanges can be made at the airports or a bank.

ATM’s are reasonably frequent in the bigger cities (Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand). We never had a problem finding one.

Look out for signs for Asaka Bank, Kapital Bank or the National Bank of Uzbekistan (NBU).

If you are flying into Tashkent it’s not necessary to exchange money prior to travel to Uzbekistan. We flew from Seoul, South Korea. Carry USD with you at all times, but you can withdraw Uzbek som from an ATM at the airport arrival area in Tashkent.

Our first wad of Uzbek Som (UZS).

Bargaining and tips

Like a lot of Asia, it is possible to bargain at the markets, but in honesty the prices are pretty fair (and cheap by Western standards with the exchange rate). We didn’t find the need to try bargaining. Well, except once buying fabrics in Bukhara. We couldn’t control ourselves and wanted to send something home as a souvenir.

Tipping is not common practice in Uzbekistan. It’s not in New Zealand either, but it is nice to tip your guide. Tips in foreign currency are hugely appreciated.

Budget for Uzbekistan travel

Uzbekistan travel can be made cheap. (Although it may be costly to GET there!).

Uzbekistan is often touted as the cheapest travel destination in the world! Even with the biggest splurge cost of our trip being the two night tour to the Aral Sea, travel around Uzbekistan for the remaining weeks balanced out coming in under our allotted budget.

As a family of four, we booked accommodation with four beds (or ideally two singles and a double) which we had no problem finding. (Easier than in East Asia where family rooms are harder to come by). And transportation around the cities is reasonable by taxi, and easy and obviously cheap on foot.

To give you an idea of budget for Uzbekistan travel, here are some of the daily costs:

Accommodation in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is known in Central Asia as having the best options for travellers accommodation.  There are beautifully renovated merchant houses to homestays, city hostels, hotels and remote desert yurts.  

And the best news for Uzbekistan travel is that it can be booked online ahead of time.  

Our beautiful room at a family run guesthouse in Khiva.

Uzbekistan travel and Registration for Accommodation

I have to confess this was one thing we arrived rather naively without understanding prior to Central Asia travel. But be sure you know how to register your stay in Uzbekistan.

Essentially, because accommodation providers in Uzbekistan collect a tourist tax that is levied on your stay they need you to hold proof you stayed with them. Thus as evidence you have been staying at registered accommodation providers; you need to collect a small piece of paper (like a receipt) from your hotel.

The reason for this registration is that you may be asked at the border on departure to show your registration slips. (We were not asked).  

Technically you need to stay in a hotel at least every third night to officially stay registered. But your hotel will give you the registration slip free of charge. You just need to keep hold of all your registration slips for the duration of your stay.

And that’s it. 

[Note: This method of registration is set to disappear in the next couple of years so keep up to date with the requirements for travel].

Where we stayed during our Uzbekistan travel

Our room in Muynak at a guesthouse.

One challenge from Uzbekistan?

Ahh, the challenges of family travel in Uzbekistan with kids… On our first day in Tashkent we were introduced to ‘Plov’. Aside from bread, this is the staple dish of Uzbekistan. Each region has their own variation of plov, cooked with rice, fresh mutton or beef, carrot, chickpeas, raisins, onions and vegetable oil. [It’s delicious!].

We had heard about the Plov Centre in Tashkent. It was on our list of things to do on arrival in the capital. Well, the size of the plov cauldrons was unbelievable. They have five on the go at once, and serve 500 people at a time.

One of the giant plov cauldrons at the Plov Centre.

Now magine, if a child dropped a piece of LEGO into a giant pot of plov. This cheeky little face did just that. Not just on the floor beside the pot, or under the table… But into the biggest pot of plov in the place. 

The face of innocence?

Everything was happening in slow motion. Another diner saw it happen and called over a waiter. Oscar’s having a tantrum on the floor. The other diner is talking furiously in Russian. And the waiter is trying to locate the piece of LEGO with a 2m long cauldron spoon. 

They found the piece of LEGO, and the tantrum eventually stopped. I wanted to sink into a little hole away from the horrified glares of other childless-diners. But, the plov was worth the stay.

Another one for the travel stories that WILL be funny later on… (For now stored away as our most embarrassing moment of travel in Uzbekistan with kids. Good for the Uzbek travel blog though, right?!).

Saying goodbye to Uzbekistan

Making the trek right out across the desert, and back along the old Silk Road is definitely a circuit that really allows you to see some of the highs and lows of an empire.

The cities have such an incredible display of Islamic architecture that is so different to the rest of Asia, and so well preserved. The buildings alone evoke such vivid images of the Silk Road. You can almost smell the camel caravan unloading their goods and being hobbled for the night. And seeing Uzbekistan with kids made it that much more of an adventure and an eye-opening experience.

Making it out to the Aral Sea is a humbling and big learning experience. That, coupled with amazing food and all the people we met along the way, have definitely put Uzbekistan in our top three. And we would do it again in a heartbeat.

Useful links for your Uzbekistan travel and beyond…

These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime as a family and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel. 

Read more about traveling in Central Asia

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