Uzbekistan · Local picks
100+ Places to Visit in Uzbekistan
These are the places worth your time in Uzbekistan, from the plov halls and Soviet metro of Tashkent to the tiled squares of Samarkand, the old towns of Bukhara and Khiva and the silk workshops of the Fergana Valley. Famous classics sit beside quiet corners most visitors miss, so every kind of traveller finds something to love.
Places to Visit in Tashkent
Restaurants
- Central Asian Plov Centre (Yunusabad)
Watch plov cooked in giant kazans and eat it fresh at lunchtime, the way Tashkent does. - Chorsu Bazaar food stalls (Chorsu)
Grab samsa, lagman and fresh bread among locals under the great green dome. - Caravan Restaurant (Mirabad)
Uzbek dishes served in courtyard rooms filled with crafts and textiles. - Afsona Restaurant (Shaykhantakhur)
Refined national cuisine in an elegant room near the Opera. - Navvat Restaurant (Yakkasaray)
A big, lively Uzbek dining hall that suits families and groups. - Besh Qozon (Yunusabad)
Another famous plov hall, also called the Plov Centre, packed at lunch.
Cafés
- Bon! Café (Amir Temur area)
A long running local café chain for pastries, coffee and a quiet break.
Bars and Nightlife
- Tashkent City Park (Tashkent City)
Evening fountains, lights and a promenade that come alive after dark. - Broadway (Sayilgoh Street) (Amir Temur area)
The pedestrian street fills with artists, snack sellers and strollers in the evening.
Things to Do
- Tashkent Metro (City centre)
Ride a Soviet era metro where every station is decorated differently, from chandeliers to cosmonauts. - Hazrati Imam Complex (Old City)
The religious heart of Tashkent, home to the library holding the Uthman Quran. - Tashkent TV Tower (Yunusabad)
Ride up for a sweeping view of the city and the mountains on clear days. - Kukeldash Madrasa (Chorsu)
A sixteenth century madrasa beside Chorsu Bazaar that few tour groups linger in. - Magic City Park (Chilanzar)
A fairy tale themed park with rides and evening shows that children love.
Events
- Navruz celebrations (Citywide)
Spring new year in March brings sumalak cooking, music and festivities in parks.
Nature and Outdoors
- Chimgan Mountains (Tashkent Region)
Hiking, skiing and fresh mountain air a short drive from the capital. - Charvak Reservoir (Tashkent Region)
A turquoise mountain lake where Tashkent escapes the summer heat. - Amirsoy Mountain Resort (Tashkent Region)
A modern ski and mountain resort with year round cable car rides. - Japanese Garden (Yunusabad)
A calm, beautifully kept garden for a gentle afternoon walk.
Shopping and Markets
- Chorsu Bazaar (Chorsu)
The capital's greatest market, with spices, dried fruit, bread and crafts under one huge dome. - Alay Bazaar (Mirabad)
A central market loved for fresh fruit, nuts and friendly traders. - Yangiabad Bazaar (Yashnobod)
A weekend flea market full of Soviet relics, tools and curiosities.
Arts and Culture
- State Museum of Applied Arts (Mirabad)
Ceramics, suzani embroidery and carved wood in a beautiful old merchant's house. - State Museum of History of Uzbekistan (City centre)
The best single overview of the country from ancient times to today. - Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre (City centre)
Opera and ballet in a grand building decorated by craftsmen from across the country. - Museum of Victims of Political Repression (Yunusabad)
A moving museum on the Soviet era told through personal stories. - Amir Timur Museum (Amir Temur Square)
A blue domed museum dedicated to the founder of the Timurid empire.
Stays
- Hyatt Regency Tashkent (City centre)
A polished base close to the main museums and Amir Temur Square. - Lotte City Hotel Tashkent Palace (City centre)
A grand historic building opposite the Opera with classic style.
Places to Visit in Samarkand
Things to Do
- Registan (City centre)
Three tiled madrasas facing one square: the defining image of the Silk Road. - Shah-i-Zinda (Old City)
An avenue of turquoise tiled mausoleums that glows in the late afternoon light. - Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum (City centre)
The ribbed blue dome and golden interior of Amir Timur's tomb. - Bibi-Khanym Mosque (Old City)
A colossal fifteenth century mosque built after Timur's campaign in India. - Ulugh Beg Observatory (Northern Samarkand)
The remains of a great medieval observatory and its giant sextant. - Afrosiyob Museum and ancient site (Northern Samarkand)
The hills of ancient Samarkand and remarkable seventh century wall paintings. - Konigil Paper Mill (Konigil village)
Watch Samarkand silk paper made by hand at a water mill outside the city. - Imam al-Bukhari Mausoleum (Payariq district)
A major pilgrimage site honouring one of Islam's great scholars.
Restaurants
- Platan Restaurant (City centre)
A long established favourite for Uzbek and European dishes near the Gur-e-Amir. - Siab Bazaar bread and samsa stalls (Siab)
Taste the famous Samarkand non bread straight from the clay ovens. - Bibi-Khanym Teahouse (Old City)
Eat shashlik and drink tea within sight of the great mosque.
Shopping and Markets
- Siab Bazaar (Old City)
A lively market for dried fruit, nuts, halva and the city's round breads. - Registan craft shops (Registan)
Ceramics, suzani and miniatures sold in the madrasa cells around the square.
Arts and Culture
- Silk Road Samarkand Eternal City (Silk Road Samarkand)
A recreated old town with crafts, food stalls and evening entertainment. - Rukhobod Mausoleum (City centre)
One of the oldest buildings in the city, quiet and rarely visited.
Nature and Outdoors
- Urgut Bazaar (Urgut)
A huge Sunday market in the foothills, famous for old suzani embroidery.
Places to Visit in Bukhara
Things to Do
- Poi Kalyan Complex (Old City)
The Kalyan Minaret and mosque, the skyline of Bukhara for nearly nine centuries. - Ark of Bukhara (Old City)
The massive fortress where the emirs ruled until the twentieth century. - Lyabi-Hauz (Old City)
A shaded pool surrounded by madrasas and teahouses at the heart of the old town. - Samanid Mausoleum (Samanid Park)
A tenth century brick masterpiece, one of the finest early Islamic buildings anywhere. - Chor Minor (Old City)
A small gatehouse with four turquoise domed towers that everyone wants a photo of. - Sitorai Mohi Hosa Palace (Northern outskirts)
The last emir's summer palace, a quirky mix of Russian and Uzbek styles. - Chor Bakr Necropolis (Sumitan village)
A quiet city of tombs just outside Bukhara with almost no crowds. - Bahauddin Naqshband Complex (Kasri Orifon)
A major Sufi pilgrimage site where families come to pray and picnic.
Restaurants
- Lyabi-Hauz teahouses (Old City)
Eat shashlik and plov by the pool as the old town lights up.
Cafés
- Silk Road Tea House (Old City)
Spiced teas and sweets in a calm, crafts filled room.
Shopping and Markets
- Trading domes of Bukhara (Old City)
Medieval domed bazaars still trading in carpets, knives and silk. - Bukhara Central Bazaar (Kogon road)
A local market for fruit, spices and everyday life away from the tourist lanes.
Arts and Culture
- Magoki Attori Mosque (Old City)
A sunken mosque built over older temples, now a carpet museum. - Hammam Bozori Kord (Old City)
A centuries old bathhouse still offering traditional scrubs and massages.
Nature and Outdoors
- Aydarkul Lake yurt camps (Kyzylkum Desert)
Sleep in a yurt, ride a camel and swim in a desert lake.
Stays
- Komil Bukhara Boutique Hotel (Old City)
A restored merchant's house with painted ceilings and a courtyard.
Places to Visit in Khiva
Things to Do
- Itchan Kala (Old City)
The walled inner town of Khiva, a museum city of mosques, minarets and palaces. - Kalta Minor Minaret (Itchan Kala)
A fat, unfinished minaret wrapped in turquoise tiles. - Islam Khodja Minaret (Itchan Kala)
Climb the tallest minaret in Khiva for views across the old town. - Juma Mosque of Khiva (Itchan Kala)
A forest of over two hundred carved wooden columns, some centuries old. - Kunya Ark (Itchan Kala)
The khans' fortress with a watchtower that is perfect at sunset. - Tash Hauli Palace (Itchan Kala)
A palace of tiled courtyards and the khan's harem. - Khiva city walls walk (Itchan Kala)
Walk along the mud brick walls for views over the domes. - Nurullabay Palace (Dishan Kala)
The last khan's palace outside the walls, with ornate European touches.
Nature and Outdoors
- Ayaz Kala desert fortresses (Karakalpakstan)
Ancient mud fortresses in the desert, with yurt stays nearby.
Restaurants
- Terrassa Café (Itchan Kala)
Rooftop dinner with views over the old town.
Shopping and Markets
- Woodcarving workshops of Khiva (Itchan Kala)
Craftspeople carving doors, columns and stands in the old style.
Arts and Culture
- Pakhlavan Makhmud Mausoleum (Itchan Kala)
The tiled shrine of Khiva's beloved poet and wrestler. - Savitsky Museum (Nukus)
A remarkable collection of banned Soviet avant garde art, worth the trip to Nukus.
Stays
- Orient Star Khiva (Itchan Kala)
Sleep in former madrasa cells inside the old town walls. - Hotel Asia Khiva (Near the South Gate)
A comfortable base just outside the walls.
Places to Visit in Fergana
Things to Do
- Rishtan ceramics workshops (Rishtan)
Meet master potters famous for their blue glazed ceramics. - Yodgorlik Silk Factory (Margilan)
See ikat silk dyed, spun and woven by hand. - Khudayar Khan Palace (Kokand)
The ornate palace of the last khans of Kokand. - Juma Mosque of Kokand (Kokand)
A mosque with nearly a hundred carved wooden columns.
Shopping and Markets
- Kumtepa Bazaar (Margilan)
A colourful old market for silk, fabrics and village life. - Fergana Central Bazaar (Fergana city)
Fruit, nuts and daily life in the valley that feeds the nation.
Arts and Culture
- Margilan Crafts Development Centre (Margilan)
A craft centre in an old madrasa where artisans teach ikat and embroidery.
More to Explore
We are still checking these with fresh sources, so confirm opening times before you go.
- Sato Restaurant (Mirabad, Tashkent)
A popular spot for modern takes on Uzbek and Central Asian food. - Choyxona at Ankhor canal (Ankhor, Tashkent)
Drink green tea on a raised tapchan bed beside the canal like Tashkent families do. - Tashkent International Film Festival (City centre, Tashkent)
Screenings and events that bring the city's cinemas to life when the festival runs. - Tashkent Photo House (City centre, Tashkent)
Changing photography exhibitions in a quieter corner of the cultural scene. - Topchan Hostel (City centre, Tashkent)
A friendly, well run hostel popular with independent travellers. - Registan sound and light show (City centre, Samarkand)
An evening show projected on the madrasas that suits all ages. - Sharq Taronalari Festival (Registan, Samarkand)
An international music festival staged on the Registan in odd numbered years. - Samarkand Restaurant (City centre, Samarkand)
A grand banquet hall for Uzbek dishes, music and dancing. - Karimbek Restaurant (City centre, Samarkand)
Classic national dishes served in a traditional setting. - Café Labi Gor (City centre, Samarkand)
A handy café stop for coffee and snacks near the Gur-e-Amir. - Samarkand Bukhara Silk Carpets Workshop (Old City, Samarkand)
See carpets being knotted by hand on traditional looms. - Museum of the History of Samarkand Afrosiyob (Northern Samarkand, Samarkand)
Small but rich museum showing the city's pre Islamic past. - Aman Kutan valley (Zarafshan range, Samarkand)
Green mountain walks and picnic spots an hour from the city. - Silk Road by Minyoun Stars of Ulugbek (Silk Road Samarkand, Samarkand)
A large modern hotel complex beside the new Silk Road Samarkand resort. - Bibi-Khanym Hotel (Old City, Samarkand)
A family run hotel with views towards the great mosque. - Hotel Malika Prime (City centre, Samarkand)
A comfortable hotel within walking distance of the Registan. - Silk and Spices Festival (Old City, Bukhara)
Crafts, music and food fill the old town at this spring festival. - Old Bukhara Restaurant (Old City, Bukhara)
Uzbek dishes on a terrace with views over the domes. - Minzifa Restaurant (Old City, Bukhara)
A rooftop favourite for dinner as the sun sets on the old town. - Bolo Hauz plov stalls (Registan Square area, Bukhara)
Simple local cooking near one of Bukhara's prettiest mosques. - Folklore show at Nadir Divan-Beghi Madrasa (Lyabi-Hauz, Bukhara)
An evening of music, dance and costume in a madrasa courtyard. - Blacksmith workshop of Bukhara (Old City, Bukhara)
Watch stork shaped scissors and knives being forged by hand. - Bukhara Puppet workshop (Old City, Bukhara)
Handmade puppets and occasional shows for children and adults. - Hotel Devon Begi (Old City, Bukhara)
A boutique hotel steps from Lyabi-Hauz. - Old Bukhara Hostel (Old City, Bukhara)
A simple, sociable place to stay inside the old town. - Khorezm Art Restaurant (Itchan Kala, Khiva)
Local Khorezm dishes like shivit oshi green noodles in a madrasa setting. - Khiva bazaar stalls (Dishan Kala, Khiva)
Try tukhum barak and fresh bread alongside locals. - Khiva Silk Carpet Workshop (Itchan Kala, Khiva)
A workshop reviving old Khorezm patterns with natural dyes. - Meros B&B (Itchan Kala, Khiva)
A family run guesthouse inside the old town. - Fergana Central Park (Fergana city, Fergana)
Shady avenues and fountains where local families gather. - Fergana plov centre (Fergana city, Fergana)
Fergana style plov, cooked with rice from the valley. - Asia Fergana Hotel (Fergana city, Fergana)
A dependable base for exploring the valley.