Things to do in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan covers about 449,000 square kilometres in Central Asia. It is doubly landlocked, like Liechtenstein. Tours in Uzbekistan mostly follow the old Silk Road cities, which grew rich on trade.

The three cities most trips are built on

Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara make one line across the country. Each has a different job.

• Tashkent. The capital and largest city, with about three million people, much of it rebuilt after the earthquake of April 1966. The old town, Hast Imam, the Chorsu bazaar and the decorated metro stations are the sights.
• Samarkand. Timur's capital from 1370. The Registan's three madrasas, Bibi-Khanym, Timur's tomb at Gur-e-Amir and the Shah-i-Zinda tombs are all inside the city.
• Bukhara. A compact old town of domes, madrasas and a citadel, walked in a day. Two days give time for the emir's summer palace and the Sufi shrine outside the walls.

High-speed Afrosiyob trains join the three. Tashkent to Samarkand takes a little over two hours, and Tashkent to Bukhara a little over three.

Beyond the line

Khiva lies far to the west across the desert. Its walled old town is a World Heritage site. North of it, in Karakalpakstan, the Aral Sea has shrunk to about a tenth of its former area.

The Fergana Valley sits to the east.

How trips are put together

City tours run as a day, on foot or by car with a guide. A five-day circuit links the three by train. Samarkand is also a long day trip from Tashkent, about three hours each way by road.

Tours booked here cover the three cities only. Some city tours need three people, and several run in Russian, so check the language.

Practical

• Weather. July highs reach 36C in Tashkent and 37C in Bukhara. January highs are about 7C, with nights below freezing. Bukhara gets about 130 mm of rain a year, Tashkent about 460.
• Season. April to June and September to October are the comfortable months.
• Dress. Shoulders and knees covered at mosques and madrasas. A light scarf helps.
• Money. The currency is the soum.
• Lunch. Plov, rice cooked with meat and carrot, is the national dish and the standard lunch.