Silk Road of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan lies at the heart of the ancient Silk Road, the legendary trade route that once linked China to Europe. This fascinating country is home to three of the Silk Road’s most important cities, including the capital city of Tashkent, the most populated city in Central Asia. Visitors can look forward to exploring a dazzling array of Islamic architecture and ancient cities, as well as numerous grand mosques, desert citadels, magnificent palaces, bustling market bazaars, minarets and mosaics. Don’t miss a trip to the Nukas Museum of Art, which houses over 82 0000 items and is home to the second-largest collection of Russian avant-garde art in the world. Other attractions include the country’s diverse natural habitats of lush forests, snow-capped mountain ranges, rivers and lakes, as well as arid deserts and the famous shrinking Aral Sea.

You can visit Uzbekistan without a visa for tourism or business for up to 30 days. To enter Uzbekistan, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the date you arrive.

If you’re travelling for any other purpose, or intend to stay longer than 30 days, check the requirements with the Uzbek Embassy in the UK.

If you’re entering Uzbekistan on a visa, check it and carefully note the date of expiry and the number of entries permitted.

Currency 

The currency of Uzbekistan is the Uzbek Sum (UZS; symbol лв) = 100 tiyn. Notes are in denominations of лв1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5, 3 and 1. Coins are in denominations of лв100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 3 and 1 tiyn.

The Uzbek so’m (or soum/som – UZS), and is not available in currency exchanges outside Uzbekistan.  

When travelling outside of the UK, you should take more than one means of payment with you (cash, debit card, credit card) and this is especially true of Uzbekistan. 

Bring enough cash for the duration of your stay. The most widely accepted foreign currency and the easiest to exchange is US dollars. There is a money exchange counter at the airport which offers a reasonable rate of exchange for US dollars. It is also possible to make some purchases in US dollars, as well as using it to tip local guides.

Credit cards are not widely accepted beyond Tashkent and the main tourist areas of Samarkand and Bukhara as Uzbekistan still has a cash economy. There are very few ATMs outside of these main cities and most will only take Visa. At the time of writing, there were no ATMs in Khiva.

There are 2 ATMs at the airport as well as a useful 24 hour money exchange bureau.

How much cash should I bring?

It’s always difficult to suggest an amount to bring as people’s spending habits can vary greatly. You will need enough for drinks and items of a personal nature so we suggest around £200 - £350 (depending on how many carpets you want to buy). If you are thinking of buying some souvenirs to take home then it would be wise to increase that figure, particularly if you’re interested in purchasing a carpet which can cost anything from a few hundred pounds to well over a thousand.

Tipping

Tipping is always at your discretion. It is not compulsory or expected generally in Uzbekistan however tipping is appreciated by service staff and often makes up the wages of local guides and drivers.

We will tip the bus drivers on the groups behalf, and we suggest that you tip our local guide individually as normal at the end of the tour.  We expect this to be around $5-10 per day per person. Of course, this is up to you, but feel free to discuss with other members of the group.

Banking

Banking hours: Monday-Friday 09h00-18h00 and some banks are open on Saturday 09h00-15h00.

Credit cards are acceptable in some of the major hotels in tourist centres. Uzbekistan has said that it intends to introduce its own Visa card in the near future.

The only reliable means of travelling into the interior is by air. Uzbekistan Airways flies to all the major towns and cities in Uzbekistan on a regular basis. Destinations include Andijan, Karshi, Namangan, Navoi (which is 45 minutes by bus from Bukhara), Nukus, Samarkand, Tashkent and Termez.

As with most Central Asian countries, most taxis are unlicensed, so always negotiate a fare before getting in and have your destination noted in Russian or Uzbek. 

Also typical of the region is the shared taxi phenomenon. At taxi ranks or bus stations, drivers will have a destination city marked on board, or will be calling the name out. Negotiate a rate, check with others what to pay, but as a tourist, you may pay more. The car only leaves when full. Try to get the front passenger seat or a window – it can get very hot in Uzbekistan and not all cars have air conditioning.

There are railways linking Termez, Samarkand, Bukhara, the Fergana Valley and Nukus. There are two railway stations in Tashkent. The Trans-Caspian Railway traverses the country from Chardzhou in Turkmenistan via Kagan (near Bukhara), Samarkand and Dzhizak, where the railway branches off to serve the capital, Tashkent. 

Crime

Pickpocketing and bag-snatching are common, especially in crowded places like bazaars and on public transport. 

• Keep sight of your belongings at all times. 
• Beaware of thieves using distraction techniques
• Avoid carrying all of your valuables together in one place, eg handbags or pockets

LGBT+ travellers

• Same-sex relationships are illegal, not recognised and still frowned upon socially. You should refrain from showing affection in public.

Earthquakes

Uzbekistan is in an active seismic zone. There are regular tremors.

Uzbek food is similar to that of the rest of Central Asia. During the summer and autumn, there is a wide variety of fruit: grapes, pomegranates, apricots and honeydew and watermelons which you will see in huge piles at markets and on roadsides. Unlike other Asian cuisines, Uzbek food is not spicy and tends to be quite bland. Uzbeks pride themselves on the quality and variety of their bread that is often decorated with patterns and sometimes colours too. In general, hotel food shows a strong Russian influence, soups, cold cuts, cheeses, yoghurt and meat is generally served, and unless sweet, nearly all plates will be sprinkled with dill. There are a number of restaurants that serve both European and Korean food. Beer, wine, vodka, brandy and are all widely available in restaurants.

It is usual to tip 5 to 10% in restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Restaurants in international hotels usually include service in the bill. 

Uzbekistan has an extreme continental climate. It is generally warmest in the south and coldest in the north. During the summer months, temperatures can climb to 45 degrees Celcius with low; while the winter months reach well below zero. The best time to visit is during the spring and autumn, with September being the absolute optimum month. 

Electrical sockets in Uzbekistan are one of two electrical socket types: Type C (CEE 7/16 Europlug) and Type F (CEE 7/4 Schuko). If your appliance's plug doesn't match the shape of these sockets, you will need a travel plug adapter in order to plug in. Travel plug adapters simply change the shape of your appliance's plug to match whatever type of socket you need to plug into. If it's crucial to be able to plug in no matter what, bring an adapter for all types.

Electrical sockets in Guyana usually supply electricity at 220 volts AC / 50 Hz frequency. If you're plugging in an appliance that was built for this electrical input, or an appliance that is compatible with multiple voltages, then an adapter is all you need. If your appliance isn’t compatible with 220 volts, a voltage converter will be necessary.