# Things to do in Uzbekistan: best places to visit > Uzbekistan's Silk Road trio: Registan Square, Gur-e-Amir and Shah-i-Zinda in Samarkand, Lyabi-Hauz and the trading domes of Bukhara, and walled Khiva with its stubby Kalta Minor minaret. Most trips start in Tashkent, with its ornate metro, the Hazrati Imam complex and the Afrosiyob fast train on to Samarkand and Bukhara. Web page: https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan ## Cities - [Tashkent](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent.md): 10 places with the YesGo score - [Samarkand](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand.md): 10 places with the YesGo score - [Bukhara](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara.md): 10 places with the YesGo score - [Khiva](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva.md): 10 places with the YesGo score ## Itineraries across the country - [Uzbekistan in 7 days: an itinerary city by city](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/in-7-days.md): Tashkent with its metro and the Chimgan mountains, Registan and Shah-i-Zinda in Samarkand, old Bukhara with the Ark and walled Khiva — with trains between. ## Top places across the country - [Gur-e-Amir](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/gur-e-amir.md), Samarkand: YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · ≈ UZS 75,000, unofficial. Gur-e-Amir is the mausoleum of Timur (Tamerlane) in Samarkand, where the conqueror lies with his sons, grandsons and teacher under a… - [Tashkent Metro](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/tashkent-metro.md), Tashkent: YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · 2,500 som by card, 3,000 cash. The Tashkent Metro opened in 1977 as Central Asia's first, and its older stations are some of the most lavish anywhere in the former USSR… - [Lyabi-Hauz](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/lyabi-hauz.md), Bukhara: YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free. Lyabi-Hauz is the square around a pool dug in 1620 in Bukhara’s old town, framed by the Kukeldash Madrasa and the Nadir Divan-Begi madrasa… - [Kalta Minor](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/kalta-minor.md), Khiva: YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free, outside view. Kalta Minor is Khiva’s unfinished “short minaret”, a tower wrapped entirely in turquoise and blue tiles just inside the West Gate of… - [Registan](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/registan.md), Samarkand: YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · 100,000 UZS for foreign visitors. The Registan is Samarkand’s great square, framed on three sides by the Ulugh Beg, Sher-Dor and Tilya-Kori madrasas, built between 1417 and… - [Romanov Palace](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/romanov-palace.md), Tashkent: YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free, outside only. The Romanov Palace is the 1891 mansion of Grand Duke Nikolai Konstantinovich, a Romanov exiled to Tashkent. You can’t go inside: it has… - [Mir-i-Arab Madrasa](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/mir-i-arab-madrasa.md), Bukhara: YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free; usually no entry past the foyer. Mir-i-Arab is a 16th-century madrasa on Po-i-Kalyan square in Bukhara, facing the Kalyan Mosque, with a tiled portal and twin turquoise… - [Juma Mosque](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/khiva-juma-mosque.md), Khiva: YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Itchan Kala ticket, ≈ 250,000 UZS. The Juma (Friday) Mosque is a single low hall in the middle of Khiva’s Itchan Kala, its flat roof held up by 213 carved wooden columns… - [Bibi-Khanym Mosque](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/bibi-khanym-mosque.md), Samarkand: YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · ≈ UZS 75,000, unofficial. Bibi-Khanym is the colossal Friday mosque Timur built in 1399–1404, with a 35 m portal and a main dome about 40 m high. Entry is about… - [Navoi Theatre](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/navoi-theatre.md), Tashkent: YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Shows from 77,000 som. The Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre is Uzbekistan's main opera house, a 12–15 minute walk from Amir Timur Square. The facade and… - [Chor Minor](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/chor-minor.md), Bukhara: YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free from outside. Chor Minor (“four minarets”) is the 1807 gatehouse of a vanished madrasa: a small brick building with four towers under turquoise domes… - [Islam Khodja Minaret](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/islam-khodja-minaret.md), Khiva: YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Climb ≈ 100,000 UZS. The Islam Khodja Minaret is Khiva’s tallest tower — about 45 m above ground, 56.6 m including its foundations, built in 1908–1910. You can… - [Shah-i-Zinda](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/shah-i-zinda.md), Samarkand: YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ 50,000 som for foreigners. Shah-i-Zinda is a steep lane of some twenty mausoleums built from the 11th to the 19th century around the shrine of Kusam ibn Abbas, on… - [Hazrati Imam Complex](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/hazrati-imam.md), Tashkent: YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free; Quran museum has a small fee. The Hazrati Imam Complex (also called Khast Imam) is the religious centre of Tashkent’s old town: a 16th-century mausoleum, the Barakhan… - [Bolo-Hauz Mosque](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/bolo-hauz-mosque.md), Bukhara: YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free. Bolo-Hauz is the working Friday mosque of Bukhara’s emirs, built in 1712 on Registan Square opposite the Ark gate. Its tall iwan stands on… - [Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/pahlavan-mahmud-mausoleum.md), Khiva: YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · ≈ 20,000–30,000 UZS, separate. The Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum is the shrine of Khiva’s patron saint, a medieval poet and wrestler, under the biggest dome in the old town… - [Amir Timur Monument](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/samarkand-amir-timur-monument.md), Samarkand: YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free. The Amir Timur statue in Samarkand shows the conqueror **seated on a throne**, both hands resting on his sword. It stands in the open… - [Tashkent City Park](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/tashkent-city-park.md), Tashkent: YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free. Tashkent City Park is a free public park with a lake and a 200-metre musical fountain in the middle of the city’s new skyscraper district… - [Trading Domes](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/bukhara-trading-domes.md), Bukhara: YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free. Bukhara’s trading domes are four 16th-century covered bazaars between Lyabi-Hauz and the Kalyan Minaret: Toqi Sarrafon, Toqi Telpak… - [Nurullabay Palace](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/nurullabay-palace.md), Khiva: YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ≈ 80,000–120,000 UZS. Nurullabay (Nurullaboy) Palace is the last residence of the Khiva khans, a 5–7-minute walk north of the West Gate, just outside the Itchan… - [Siab Bazaar](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/siab-bazaar.md), Samarkand: YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free entry. Siab (Siyob) Bazaar is Samarkand's oldest and biggest market, right behind the Bibi-Khanym Mosque: round Samarkand bread, dried fruit… - [Chorsu Bazaar](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/chorsu-bazaar.md), Tashkent: YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free. Chorsu is Tashkent's oldest and best-known bazaar: a giant turquoise dome in the Old Town packed with spices, dried fruit, nuts, sweets… - [Ark of Bukhara](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/ark-of-bukhara.md), Bukhara: YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ 60,000 UZS for foreigners. The Ark is the fortress-residence of Bukhara’s emirs, an artificial hill on Registan Square with walls 16–20 metres high. Inside are a… - [Tash-Hauli Palace](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/tash-hauli-palace.md), Khiva: YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Itchan Kala pass ≈ 250,000 UZS. Tash-Hauli (Toshhovli) is Allakuli Khan's 1830s palace by the East Gate of Itchan Kala: a harem, a reception court and a court of justice… ## Uzbekistan travel guide Before you go: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, high-speed trains, visa and money, weather by month. ## Trip essentials - Visa: Visa-free for many passports, often 30 days - Currency: Uzbek som (UZS); cards accepted in cities - Route: Tashkent — Samarkand — Bukhara — Khiva - Trains: Afrosiyob: Tashkent → Samarkand ≈ 2 h, → Bukhara ≈ 4 h - When to go: April–May and September–October - Time zone: UTC+5 ## Key facts - **4** — UNESCO-listed historic cities: Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and Shakhrisabz (source: UNESCO World Heritage List) - **Silk Road** — Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva were among its great cities (source: Wikipedia, “Silk Road”) - **Navruz** — the spring holiday on 21 March is one of the biggest of the year (source: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage) - **Plov** — Uzbek plov is on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list (source: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2016) ## Best places to visit in Uzbekistan The classic Uzbekistan route is Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva: in a week you can see all four by high-speed train and a short flight. Every place with its YesGo score is in the list above; the “Map” button shows them on a map. | City | Why go | Time | | --- | --- | --- | | [Tashkent](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent) | Metro, Chorsu, plov | 1–2 days | | [Samarkand](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand) | Registan, Gur-e-Amir, Shah-i-Zinda | 2 days | | [Bukhara](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara) | Lyabi-Hauz, Kalyan, the Ark | 2 days | | [Khiva](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva) | Itchan Kala inside the walls | 1–2 days | Ready trips around the country — “Uzbekistan in 7 days” and city itineraries — are above on this page. ## Uzbekistan visa and currency Citizens of many countries — including the EU, UK and US — can visit Uzbekistan visa-free, often for up to 30 days; others can apply online for an e-visa. The currency is the Uzbek som (UZS); cards work in hotels and cities, cash is useful at bazaars. Check the current entry rule for your passport on Uzbekistan’s official e-visa site before you travel. ## Uzbekistan weather by month The best time to visit Uzbekistan is April–May and September–October — warm and dry. Summer heat reaches 36–38 °C, especially in Bukhara and Khiva. Winter is cool, about 7 °C by day. Below is Tashkent. - **January in Tashkent**: day ≈ 7°C, night ≈ -2°C, rainy days: 12. Cool. - **February in Tashkent**: day ≈ 10°C, night ≈ 0°C, rainy days: 11. Cool. - **March in Tashkent**: day ≈ 16°C, night ≈ 5°C, rainy days: 13. Navruz, spring. - **April in Tashkent** (best time): day ≈ 22°C, night ≈ 10°C, rainy days: 11. Warm — a great time. - **May in Tashkent** (best time): day ≈ 28°C, night ≈ 14°C, rainy days: 9. Warm — one of the best months. - **June in Tashkent**: day ≈ 34°C, night ≈ 19°C, rainy days: 4. Hot. - **July in Tashkent**: day ≈ 36°C, night ≈ 21°C, rainy days: 2. Peak heat. - **August in Tashkent**: day ≈ 35°C, night ≈ 19°C, rainy days: 1. Hot. - **September in Tashkent** (best time): day ≈ 29°C, night ≈ 14°C, rainy days: 2. Warm, fruit harvest. - **October in Tashkent** (best time): day ≈ 21°C, night ≈ 8°C, rainy days: 6. About 21° — the best month. - **November in Tashkent**: day ≈ 14°C, night ≈ 3°C, rainy days: 9. Cool. - **December in Tashkent**: day ≈ 8°C, night ≈ 0°C, rainy days: 11. Cool. Each city page has its own weather: Bukhara and Khiva are hotter in summer. ## Tips - Book Afrosiyob train tickets in advance. - Exchange cash at banks for the official rate. ## Questions ### Do I need a visa for Uzbekistan? Citizens of many countries can visit visa-free, often for up to 30 days; others can apply for an e-visa online. Check the rule for your passport. ### Is Uzbekistan safe for tourists? Uzbekistan is generally considered safe and welcoming for visitors; take the usual precautions and check your government’s travel advice. ### What is the best route around Uzbekistan? Tashkent, then the fast train to Samarkand and Bukhara, and a flight or train to Khiva — about a week. ## Sources - UNESCO World Heritage List — sites in Uzbekistan; UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage - Wikipedia, “Uzbekistan”; Tashkent climate (1991–2020 normals) Facts checked: 09.11.2026 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.