Tashkent
The green, modern capital — ornate metro stations, Chorsu bazaar and the region’s best food scene.
A capital that rebuilt itself
Tashkent is an old city that looks young. People have lived in this oasis on the Chirchik river for more than two thousand years, yet most of what you see dates from after 1966, when an earthquake levelled much of the centre and the Soviet Union rebuilt it as a showcase of wide avenues, fountains and monumental architecture. The result is a city of three layers: the old Muslim quarter, the tree-lined Russian colonial grid of the nineteenth century, and the modern capital of today. We like to start trips here because it explains the country you are about to travel through.
How the city fits together
The old town sits in the west, around the Chorsu Bazaar and the Kukeldash Madrasah beside it. A short drive north brings you to the Khast Imam Complex, the religious heart of the city, where the library keeps a Quran manuscript traditionally linked to Caliph Uthman. East of the Ankhor canal is the Soviet and modern centre: Amir Timur Square, Independence Square, the Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre and the main museums, among them the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan and the jewel-box Museum of Applied Arts, a late nineteenth-century residence covered in carved plaster and painted wood.
With one day, your guide will usually do the old town in the morning, while the bazaar is busiest, and the centre after lunch, moving between districts by metro rather than by car. With two days, add museums at a slower pace, the Courage Memorial to the 1966 earthquake, and an evening in a plov centre or a modern restaurant.
Beyond the city
Tashkent's surprise is how close the mountains are. The Chimgan Mountains, the Charvak Reservoir and the Amirsoy Mountain Resort make an easy day out from the city: walking in spring and autumn, a lake in summer, skiing in winter. It is the trip we suggest when travellers have seen enough madrasas and want fresh air before flying home.
Practical notes
Most international flights land in Tashkent, and the high-speed trains to Samarkand and Bukhara leave from the city, so most itineraries begin or end here. Distances are big: the city sprawls, and walking between the old town and the centre is not realistic in the heat. The metro is cheap, safe and fast, and our drivers cover the rest. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons; in summer we plan indoor museums for the afternoon.
Frequently asked
One full day covers the old town, the bazaar and the Soviet centre. Two days let you add the museums at a relaxed pace or a day trip to the Chimgan Mountains and Charvak Reservoir.
It is worth at least a day. Tashkent shows modern Uzbekistan — the metro, the bazaar, the museums — and gives context to the older cities. Most trips start here anyway, as this is where most international flights arrive.
The Afrosiyob high-speed train takes about two hours and is the easiest option. Seats sell out in high season, so book ahead; on our tours the tickets and station transfers are arranged for you.
Tours that visit Tashkent
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