# Tashkent Metro > 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. A ride costs **2,500 som** by card or 3,000 in cash, trains run daily from about 5:00 to midnight, and photos are allowed. One hour and a single fare cover the best five or six stations. Web page: https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/tashkent-metro - City: [Tashkent](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent), Uzbekistan - YesGo score: 50/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 1 h - Entry: 2,500 som by card, 3,000 cash - With kids: Fine with kids - Fare by card: 2,500 som — ATTO transport card, bank card or app QR code - Fare in cash: 3,000 som — single paper ticket with a QR code - Transfers: Free between lines as long as you don't exit - Day pass: 13,500 som for bus and metro, loaded on a transport card - Hours: About 5:00–24:00; Circle line until 23:00, sources differ on whether it opens at 5:00 or 6:00 - Foreign bank cards: Visa/Mastercard tap-to-pay is hit and miss — get an ATTO card - Photography: Allowed since June 2018 - Time needed: ≈ 1 hour for 5–6 stations - Start: Amir Temur Xiyoboni station, on Amir Timur Square - Coordinates: 41.31111, 69.27972 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **1977** — opened on 6 November — the first metro in Central Asia (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, Tashkent Metro) - **50 stations** — on four lines, about 70 km of track (source: Russian Wikipedia; Aviasales.uz) - **UNESCO** — Kosmonavtlar station joined the World Heritage List in July 2026 as part of Tashkent Modernist Architecture (source: Uzbektourism (gov.uz); Russian Wikipedia, Kosmonavtlar) - **2018** — the photography ban, in force since opening, was lifted on 1 June (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Current Time (RFE/RL), 2018) - **Ganch** — carved gypsum plaster, the traditional Uzbek decoration used on station ceilings (source: Advantour; Eurasia.travel) - **17 / 11 / 8 / 14** — stations on the Chilonzor, Oʻzbekiston, Yunusobod and Circle lines (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Gagarin and Tereshkova** — on Kosmonavtlar's blue ceramic medallions, alongside the astronomer Ulugh Beg (source: Russian Wikipedia, Kosmonavtlar; Current Time (RFE/RL), 2018) - **Lenin Square** — Mustaqillik Maydoni's name until 1991 (source: Russian Wikipedia, Mustaqillik Maydoni) - **Cotton grower** — what Paxtakor means — hence the cotton mosaics (source: Russian Wikipedia, Paxtakor; Advantour) - **2020** — tokens were replaced by ATTO transport cards (source: English Wikipedia; Podrobno.uz) ## Is the Tashkent Metro worth visiting? Yes — even if you have nowhere to go. The metro opened on **6 November 1977**, the first in Central Asia. Each of the older stations got its own theme, stone and lighting, so riding a few stops is like walking through a string of underground halls. It costs less than a coffee and takes an hour. There are 50 stations on four lines. The three original lines are underground; the newer Circle line runs on a viaduct around the outskirts and is purely practical, so skip it for sightseeing. Until 2018 photography was banned — the metro doubled as a shelter and was treated as a military site. Now you can shoot freely, which is why the stations have become one of the city's top sights. The YesGo view: the cheapest great experience in Tashkent. ## Tashkent Metro fare and how to pay Since 1 October 2026 a ride costs **2,500 som** paid electronically and **3,000 som** in cash. Transfers between lines are free as long as you stay inside, so the whole station loop is a single fare. You only pay again if you exit to the street and re-enter. For visitors the reliable option is an **ATTO transport card**, sold at stations and topped up at ticket points or in local apps. A single paper QR ticket bought with cash also works for one trip. Local Uzcard and Humo cards tap straight on the gate, but foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are unofficially reported to work only some of the time, so don't rely on them. Russian-issued cards don't work at all. Many stations have replaced ticket windows with kiosks, so keep some small notes in som just in case. Riding buses as well? A one-day bus and metro pass on a transport card is 13,500 som. > **No tokens any more** Older guides mention plastic tokens — they were withdrawn in 2020. Today it's an ATTO card, a QR ticket or a local bank card at the gate. Buy the ATTO card on day one: it works on city buses too. ## Best stations: what to see - **Kosmonavtlar** — the space station: walls fade from pale to deep blue like the atmosphere, with ceramic medallions of Gagarin, Tereshkova and Ulugh Beg. UNESCO-listed since 2026. - **Mustaqillik Maydoni** — white Nurata marble columns, pink Gazgan marble walls and crystal chandeliers. It was Lenin Square until 1991. - **Alisher Navoiy** — blue dome-like vaults and pointed arches that feel like a mosque, with scenes from the poet's work. - **Paxtakor** — columns with glowing capitals and big mosaic panels of cotton. - **Oʻzbekiston** — a ceiling carved in ganch and lamps shaped like cotton bolls. - **Toshkent** — national-style ceramics and the city's coat of arms, right under the railway station square. - **Chorsu** and **Gʻafur Gʻulom** — on the way to the old town if you continue to the bazaar. ## How to get to the best stations from Amir Timur Square 1. Go down into **Amir Temur Xiyoboni** station — the exits are on the square. Tap your ATTO card or buy a ticket. 2. Ride the Chilonzor line one stop to **Mustaqillik Maydoni** for the chandeliers. 3. One more stop to **Paxtakor**. See the mosaics, then follow the transfer to **Alisher Navoiy** on the Oʻzbekiston line. 4. Ride east: **Oʻzbekiston** for the ganch ceiling, then **Kosmonavtlar**. Step off for 5–10 minutes at each. 5. Want more? Go two stops further to **Toshkent** and come back to Oybek. 6. At Oybek change to Ming Oʻrik on the Yunusobod line, ride one stop to Yunus Rajabiy and follow the transfer back to Amir Temur Xiyoboni. The loop takes about an hour on one fare. ## Tashkent Metro map: four lines The map is easy. The **Chilonzor line** (red, 17 stations) runs south-west to north-east through the centre. The **Oʻzbekiston line** (blue, 11 stations) runs north-west to south-east through Chorsu and the old town. The **Yunusobod line** (green, 8 stations) heads north. The **Circle line** (14 stations) loops around the outskirts on a viaduct. The three old lines meet in the centre at three interchanges: Paxtakor–Alisher Navoiy, Amir Temur Xiyoboni–Yunus Rajabiy and Oybek–Ming Oʻrik. Maps hang in every station and carriage, with names in Uzbek Latin script — the spellings used on this page. ## Hours and when to go The metro runs daily from about **5:00 to midnight**; the overground Circle line closes at 23:00. Sources disagree on exact opening times for some lines, so treat these as a guide rather than a timetable. For photos, come on a weekend morning or mid-morning on a weekday, after the commuter rush. Trains are short — four or five carriages — so platforms are compact and clear quickly once a train leaves. In summer the stations are also a cool break from the heat. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] ATTO card, or som in cash for a ticket - [ ] Station names saved in Latin script - [ ] Avoiding the morning and evening rush - [ ] An hour set aside for 5–6 stations - [ ] Phone charged — photos are allowed - [ ] Next stop planned: Chorsu or the centre ## Metro, Navoi Theatre or the Applied Arts Museum | | Metro | Navoi Theatre | Applied Arts Museum | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Palatial 1970s–80s stations | Opera house in Uzbek style | Crafts, with rooms of carved ganch | | Where | All over the centre | Centre | Centre | | Cost | One fare | A performance ticket | Museum ticket | | When | Daily until midnight | Evenings, by programme | Daytime | | Best for | Everyone, kids included | Theatre lovers | Ornament and craft fans | Do the metro first — it's cheap, quick and on your way anyway. Add the theatre or the museum if Uzbek decoration has hooked you. ## Tashkent's history spots compared Historic places in Tashkent rated by YesGo. - [Tashkent Metro](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/tashkent-metro) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · 2,500 som by card, 3,000 cash - [Romanov Palace](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/romanov-palace) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free, outside only - [Navoi Theatre](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/navoi-theatre) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Shows from 77,000 som - [Hazrati Imam Complex](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/hazrati-imam) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free; Quran museum has a small fee - [Chorsu Bazaar](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/chorsu-bazaar) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/tashkent-art-museum) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Closed for reconstruction - [Museum of Applied Arts](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/tashkent-applied-arts-museum) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ UZS 30,000–40,000, unofficial ## Metro, bazaar and old town in half a day The palace stations in the morning, then the Oʻzbekiston line to Chorsu for the bazaar and the Hazrati Imam complex, and the Navoi Theatre in the evening. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Tashkent Metro](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/tashkent-metro) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · 2,500 som by card, 3,000 cash 2. [Chorsu Bazaar](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/chorsu-bazaar) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 3. [Hazrati Imam Complex](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/hazrati-imam) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free; Quran museum has a small fee 4. [Navoi Theatre](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/navoi-theatre) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Shows from 77,000 som ## Good to know The overground Circle line is for commuters, not sightseeing. Ganch, the carved plaster you'll see underground, is the same craft used in Tashkent's madrasas and palaces — see it up close at the [Museum of Applied Arts](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/tashkent-applied-arts-museum). ## Tips - Don't exit between stations — the whole loop then stays one fare. - Shoot from the end of the platform right after a train leaves: the hall empties within a minute. - Chorsu station puts you next to [Chorsu Bazaar](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/tashkent/chorsu-bazaar) — an easy way to carry on the day. - Write down station names in Uzbek Latin script; that's what the maps and signs use. - With kids it's a cheap, cool outing on a hot afternoon. - Want the stories behind each station? A guided metro tour adds the history. ## Questions ### Is the Tashkent Metro worth seeing? Yes. It's Central Asia's first metro and the older stations are decorated like underground palaces. One hour and one fare cover the best five or six. ### How much is the Tashkent Metro fare? Since 1 October 2026, 2,500 som paid by card and 3,000 som for a cash QR ticket. Transfers between lines are free. ### Can tourists pay with a Visa or Mastercard? Sometimes, but it isn't reliable. The safest option is an ATTO transport card from a station, or a single QR ticket bought with cash. Russian cards don't work. ### Where do I buy an ATTO card? At metro stations and official sales points. You can top it up at ticket points or in local payment apps. ### What are the Tashkent Metro hours? Daily from about 5:00 to midnight. The overground Circle line closes at 23:00. ### Can you take photos in the Tashkent Metro? Yes. The ban was lifted on 1 June 2018; before that photography had been forbidden since the metro opened. ### What are the most beautiful Tashkent Metro stations? Kosmonavtlar, Alisher Navoiy, Mustaqillik Maydoni, Paxtakor, Oʻzbekiston and Toshkent. Kosmonavtlar is UNESCO-listed since 2026. ### How many stations does the Tashkent Metro have? 50 stations on four lines: 17 on Chilonzor, 11 on Oʻzbekiston, 8 on Yunusobod and 14 on the Circle line. ### Is the Tashkent Metro safe and easy to use? It's clean, simple and has maps in every station and carriage. Write station names in Latin script and avoid the rush hours. ## How we checked Fares come from the Uzbek Ministry of Transport announcement for 1 October 2026, cross-checked with Afisha.uz. The metro's official website did not load on 30.10.2026, so hours are marked as checking: Wikipedia has every line opening at 5:00, Advantour gives 6:00 for the Circle line, and Aviasales.uz gives 6:00–23:00 for the Yunusobod line. No source guarantees foreign bank cards at the gates. Network length differs between sources (70.4 and 70.8 km), so we say about 70 km. The ganch ceiling at Oʻzbekiston station is described by Advantour; other station details are checked against at least two sources. ## Sources - Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan (gov.uz): new Tashkent public transport fares from 1 October 2026 - Afisha.uz: bus and metro fares, 28.09.2026 - English and Russian Wikipedia: Tashkent Metro, Kosmonavtlar, Mustaqillik Maydoni, Paxtakor, Toshkent stations; Wikidata Q491886 - Uzbektourism (gov.uz): Tashkent Modernism added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, 29.07.2026 - Current Time (RFE/RL): photo essay after the photography ban was lifted, 27.08.2018 - Advantour: Tashkent Metro — station design, hours, fares - Aviasales.uz: Tashkent metro guide, 13.03.2026 - Anhor.uz: ticket windows replaced by QR-ticket kiosks, 2026 - travelto.ru: paying in Tashkent, 2026; Voyage.uz: Tashkent metro tickets and ATTO card, 2026 - Eurasia.travel: Tashkent metro --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. 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