Whilst it may not receive as much attention as the infamous Silk Road cities like Bukhara, Samarkand and Khiva, Tashkent is definitely not a place to skip. It is a capital city that has an intriguing mix of Soviet-era architecture and religious mausoleums of several faiths, yet it is also a clean and modern city with many parks, fountains and beautiful statues. Despite stories that there is nothing to see here, we wanted to give it a chance and did not regret at all.
Instead of just passing through, we highly recommend to spend at least a few days in Tashkent as a great start of any Uzbekistan itinerary. Read on to discover our favorite sights in Uzbekistan’s capital city!
Don’t Miss: Useful Tips To Know Before Travelling to Uzbekistan
Getting to Tashkent
By Plane
Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport is located in Tashkent which we flew in and out of it. There aren’t many airline options that fly directly to the country other than Uzbekistan Airways, Air Hamburg, Air Astana, Aeroflot, UTair, Ural Airlines, S7 Airlines and Alitalia. However, Tashkent may not the cheapest city to fly into the region. Most travellers fly into Almaty in Kazakhstan and make their way to Shymkent where the border to Tashkent is.
By Train
Taking trains in Uzbekistan is an inexpensive way to get around the country with daily trains to visit cities like Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Nukus or Ferghana Valley. We had very nice experiences with the locals on all of our train rides.
Tashkent is connected by train to Almaty and Shymkent in Kazakhstan and even all the way to Moscow. There is a twice weekly overnight fast train between Almaty and Tashkent which takes about 24-hours. However, the cost of the train ride is almost the same as the flight ticket.
By Bus
Taking bus is super cheap but it can be quite a hassle as the borders are usually at the outskirt, so you have to find a local bus or shared taxi to go to city. We took buses in and out from Tashent and the hassles are just another fun part of travelling.
Getting Around Tashkent
- Taxis – There are incredibly cheap in Tashkent. You should only pay 1,000 Som per kilometre so most trips within the city should cost less than a dollar. The only difficulty is that many taxi drivers don’t speak any English. So you can either show them the picture of the destination or use Yandex Taxi app.
- Bus – Buses cost 1,200 Som per trip and run from 6 am until midnight. It is convenient if you would like to go to places where there’s no metro nearby, e.g Tashkent Railway Station. The best way to catch the correct bus is to ask the staff from your accommodation, or any young locals at bus station.
- Metro – Same as bus, the fare is 1,200 Som per trip and you get to admire one of the most beautiful train station in the world. Metro takes you to most tourist places in Tashkent but take note that none of the signs are in English and announcements are in English. So do your research on your stops before taking the metro because you’re entering a bomb shelter with no sign of reception at all.
Best Time To Visit Tashkent
Spring (April to June) or Fall (September to October) is generally considered the best time to visit. The weather during those seasons in Tashkent is enjoyable and the temperatures are usually around 20°C. Unfortunately, these months are also the most popular for this reason so good-priced and quality accommodations fill up fast. Shoulder months such as March and November can be good months to opt for to get fewer crowds.
Winter in Tashkent can also be a nice time if you want to see the city covered in snow. The average temperature during the winter is usually around 5°C.
What to see in Tashkent?
Minor Mosque
Locally known as “Snow Mosque”, Minor Mosque is the most recently built mosque in Tashkent. Different from other blue-tiles mosques across Uzbekistan, Minor Mosque is completely made out of white marble, making it a great architecture of how history meets modernity.
Nearest Metro Stations: Bodomzor or Minor (Green Line)
Central Asian Plov Center
Plov is an iconic dish in Central Asian and the national dish of Uzbekistan. This exotic dish consists of rice fried with raisins, onions, carrots, and spices topped with variety of meat like lamb, beef and even horse! The rice is usually soaked in lamb fat and cook with large cast-iron pan on top on charcoal stove to get the fragrance. Though it may not be the best plov we had tasted but what really cool about the Plov Center is that you can see how the plov is made in huge pots that can serve hundreds of people! For about 40,000 Som (US$4), we got a large plate of plov, 2 side dishes and 1 jug of refreshing ice tea to share. The plov center closes at 6 pm daily.
Nearest Metro Stations: Bodomzor or Shahriston (Green Line)
Tashkent TV Tower
Standing at 375-meters tall, Tashkent TV Tower is the 11th tallest tower in the world and the tallest in Central Asia. Nearby to Central Asian Plov Center, this unique building is shaped almost like a spacecraft getting ready to launch. For a small fee of 40,000 Som (US$4) and a brief check of your passport, you are able to enter the observation deck on the 6th floor and enjoy the panoramic views over the city. The Tashkent TV Tower is open daily from 10 am till 8 pm.
Nearest Metro Stations: Bodomzor or Shahriston (Green Line)
Memorial to the Victims of Repression
Across the road from Tashkent TV Tower, you will notice a gorgeous park with a large gazebo-shaped structure with a blue dome. It is the memorial to the Victims of Repression, dedicated to the people who fought for the independence of Uzbekistan during the Soviet Union time. There is a museum nearby where you can find photographs, documents and personal belongings of those killed.
Nearest Metro Stations: Bodomzor or Shahriston (Green Line)
Chorsu Bazaar
The frenzied and bustling core of Chorsu Bazaar is covered by a Soviet-era blue dome, but the bazaar underneath feels almost like a city of its own. The Chorsu Bazaar is the biggest market and a great place to experience the local flavor of Tashkent! This isn’t a tourist market and you can mostly see locals shopping from raw food products, fresh fruits and veggies, honey and spices to clothing, jewelry, beauty products.
Nearest Metro Station: Chorsu (Blue Line)
Kukeldash Madrasah and Dzhuma Mosque
The Kukeldash Madrasah is the largest madrasah and one of the most famous historical places in Tashkent. Though it might not be as impressive as the three madrasahs surrounding Registan Square in Samarkand, the building still is a beautiful example of Islamic architecture and worth a visit just outside Chorsu Bazaar. You can enter the courtyard of the madrasah for an entrance fee of 10,000 Som (US$1). The Dzuma Mosque is right next to the Kukeldash Madrasah and worth a quick stop to admire the Islamic architecture.
Nearest Metro Station: Chorsu (Blue Line)
Holy Assumption Cathedral Church
Although many Russian have left Uzbekistan after independence but there is still a large Russian minority in Tashkent. The golden-domed Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin is a Russian Orthodox cathedral originally built in 1871.
Nearest Metro Stations: Toshkent or Oybek (Blue Line)
Hotel Uzbekistan
Tashkent is full of post-Soviet era architectural remnants and Hotel Uzbekistan is one of the most iconic sights of Tashkent. It is a large, cream colored concrete building with about 250 patterned slabs over the windows!
Nearest Metro Station: Amir Temur Xiyoboni (Red Line)
Amir Temur Square
Amir Temur is officially recognized as Uzbekistan’s national hero and the most famous Central Asian conqueror. The highlight of the square is the 7-meters high statue of Amir Temur on his horse, which is a popular spot for the locals to take photos and selfies. It is also a nice place for an afternoon stroll and really popular with Uzbekistan families.
Nearest Metro Station: Amir Temur Xiyoboni (Red Line)
Sailgokh Street
Locally known as Broadway, Sailgogh Street is a pedestrian street that unites Amir Timur Square and Independence Square. There are vendors selling antiques and unique paintings, a perfect place to find unique Uzbekistan treasures or just enjoy watching the locals enjoy time with their families.
Nearest Metro Stations: Amir Temur Xiyoboni or Mustakillik Maydoni (Red Line)
Eco Park
Opened in 2017, Eco Park is the first ecological park in the city of Tashkent meant to promote the environmental awareness. The basic concept of the park is to reduce, reuse and recycle which is a great concept. All the entertainment facilities which are built in the park are made using recycled products.
Nearest Metro Station: Amir Temur Xiyoboni (Red Line)
Central Garden
The reason why we visited this place was because we saw some rides from Eco Park. Out of curiosity, we decided to go and take a look. The garden has a larger sector for amusement rides priced around 50 cents to US$1.50 per ride. Surprisingly, the park is very popular among locals, a great place to see how diverse Tashkent is!
Nearest Metro Station: Hamid Olimjon (Red Line)
Independence Square
Independence Square, also known as Memorial Square, is another popular gathering place for the residents of Tashkent. It’s located right in the center of Tashkent. It is used for large gatherings and performances on festive days, like Uzbekistan Independence Day (1st of September) and New Year (1st of January). We were lucky to be there at the right time to witness some military ceremony.
Nearest metro station: Mustakillik Maydoni (Red Line)
Tashkent Circus
The Tashkent circus is another great example of Soviet architecture and almost looks like a stranded blue UFO, much like the circus in Almaty. The Tashkent circus is still very popular and tickets often sell out. We didn’t watch the circus, but we did find it entertaining to people watch at that area.
Nearest metro station: Gafur Gulom (Blue Line)
Metro Stations
One of our favourite thing to do in Tashkent were exploring the metro stations. Like many Soviet metro systems, they have some of the most unique and ornate stations in the world. All the stations has their own unique designs with marble, ceramics, alabaster and chandeliers. The metro stations have been kept a secret until 2018 when photography is finally allowed! Each trip is a flat rate of 1,200 Som (10 cents) so it’s definitely a cheap thrill to do.
Is Tashkent safe for tourists?
The capital of Uzbekistan is very safe for travelers and it even became safer especially after the government introduced a ‘tourist police’. The Uzbeks are very friendly and have no bad intentions whatsoever. There were a couple of times when the locals approached us and offer their help. There might be cases of petty crime such as pickpockets, especially in crowded places and in the bazaars of Tashkent, but they don’t happen often. Just always bear in mind to keep your valuables in a safe place, no matter where you are in the world.
Lastly, if you want to keep a track of all my photos and travels, remember to follow @wanderrsaurus on Instagram!
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