Why you should travel to Uzbekistan
If you’re a tourist then Uzbekistan is a great country to travel to! The country, especially in those cities on the Old Silk Road, really leans in to their history, and it works and feels quite authentic. If the idea of traveling to such a region tickles you then you will have a great time here. And for real, it does feel like the heartland of the ancient Silk Road. It’s very affordable, like the rest of this region. If you’re travelling around Central Asia, you might also notice that English is spoken a little more here than in neighbouring Kazakhstan.
What languages are spoken in Uzbekistan?
They speak mainly Uzbek here, which comes from the Turkic group of languages. It’s actually really amazing to watch an Uzbek person speaking in Uzbek to someone from Kazakhstan or Turkey, where the native languages are similar. If you travel to Uzbekistan as a tourist, then you will probably find you can get by easily with English in the tourist areas and in the industries catering to visitors. Russian is also spoken, given the history of the region, and it might be considered the second language of the country, though the only official language is Uzbek.
What currency do they use in Uzbekistan?
Uzbekistan’s currency is the Som. When I was visiting in 2023, it was around 1 USD to 12,500 UZS. Given the instability of the currency, I would check on this if you were planning a trip there. If you travel more broadly in the region, you might note that Uzbekistan is cheaper than in Kazakhstan. Our taxis in Samarkand and Bukhara were regularly no more than a couple of US dollars. Hotels were very affordable too. It’s worth noting, however, that I did not stay in the capital, Tashkent. We only visited Samarkand and Bukhara, which are smaller cities, and they may have been cheaper because of their size.
Is Uzbekistan a good travel destination?
Oh boy, yes it is! Uzbekistan has some incredible cities that boast Silk Road histories such as Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. I imagine some of you might also have heard of the Mongols? Those guys came here too (given they conquered half of Asia it’s probably not so surprising!). There’s an entire heritage-listed area next to Samarkand, called Afrasiab, where the ancient city was levelled by the Mongols. If you like ancient history, this place has it in spades.
Also, for the architecture nerds (I mean this in the kindest way!) then you will love this country. The amount of Muslim architecture with blue mosaic work in Samarkand alone is incredible. You can spend ages just looking at the tile work. And if you’re like me, you will probably create a Pinterest Board for blue mosaics after visiting this place. However, for all of its beauty, there will be some of you who tire easily of seeing so many beautiful religious buildings. Some of you may have memories of tours including one too many cathedrals and churches in Europe, probably organised by a well-meaning friend or relative. Similarly here you may be struck by mosque and mausoleum fatigue after spending a day or two here. This is particularly relevant to Samarkand. So pace yourself!
There are easy enough travel links within the country, including several different train lines connecting the old Silk Road cities. And, unlike neighbouring Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan is relatively small and there is only a few hours between incredible cities.
So, if the urge takes you to find out more about the Silk Road and explore some of this ancient part of the world, why not come and travel around Uzbekistan!
How to get to Uzbekistan
There are six international airports in Uzbekistan. As a tourist you’ll probably be aiming for Tashkent (the capital and biggest city), Samarkand, or even Bukhara. Several international carriers operate flights into Uzbekistan, notably Turkish Airlines, Indigo and FlyDubai. Uzbekistan’s national carrier, Uzbekistan Airways, offers direct flights between Tashkent and many big cities, such as London, Paris, Frankfurt and Dubai. We flew with Air Astana, the national carrier for Kazakhstan, direct from Almaty to Samarkand.
What do I know about Uzbekistan?
I’ve been living in Central Asia since mid 2021 with my family. Visit my About Me page to understand more about my perspective.
Check out my posts on Uzbekistan
- One week in Uzbekistan (2023)
- Stay tuned for hotel and restaurant reviews!