Uzbekistan Small Group Tours

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is a must-visit travel destination for people who want to learn about the rich history and culture of Central Asia. It is the perfect place to travel & explore the fascinating history of the Silk Road trade through the well-preserved architecture of ancient cities like Khiva, Samarkand, and Bukhara.

Contact Us

Travel Highlights of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan’s cities tell travelers captivating stories about the Golden Age of Islam and the Silk Road; when pioneering advancements in astronomy, mathematics, and medicine took place. Bukhara is where Marco Polo’s father and uncle stayed for three years before moving to the court of the Mongol Khan, and where Avicenna wrote his teachings in medicine, while Samarkand was the capital of the Timurid empire. Marvelous mausoleums, gloriously decorated madrassas, and huge mosques will impress people of all ages. Travelers will feel immersed in the atmosphere of 1001 Nights, yet at the same time, one can explore the Soviet-built cities and visit the forbidden Soviet art expositions at the Savitsky Museum. The best time to travel is Spring and Autumn when temperatures are pleasant for evening tea and for interesting talks with hospitable locals about handicrafts, music, and culture. Read more about our selection of top places to visit in Uzbekistan on our travel blog.

At a glance

  • Population:
  • 31,576,400
  • Area:
  • 448,978km²
  • Languages:
  • Uzbek
  • Time zones:
  • UTC +5
  • Currency:
  • Uzbek Som (UZB)
  • Climate:
  • Continental
  • Geography:
  • Desert
    Highest point: Khazret Sultan, 4,643m
  • Dialing code:
  • +998
  • Electricity:
  • 220V, 50Hz, European plug

Private Tour Enquiry

Need more advice? Our Central Asia experts are happy to help.

*
*

Uzbekistan in photos

Travel information

MONEY & COSTS:

The Uzbek currency is called the Som (UZS). There are many ATMs in the cities of Uzbekistan. Most stores and restaurants accept credit cards, but not all. We recommend you bring at least some money in cash, preferably carrying new USD bank notes of different denominations. They will be easy to exchange and you will be able to pay directly with USD for some souvenirs. An emergency fund of around 500 USD in cash is always good to have during trips to Central Asia.

SAFETY:

Uzbekistan is a safe country and most trips are trouble-free. There is a visible police presence and most citizens are law-abiding. In Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand there is also a "tourist police" with English-speaking officers. That said, you are advised to wear a money belt, watch your belongings, steer clear of dark streets at night and avoid taking rides in unofficial taxis alone. Your safety is our first priority at Kalpak Travel; we know and regularly assess all our Uzbek partners and we closely monitor political events.

ENTRY & EXIT:

Citizens of most countries do not need a visa to visit Uzbekistan for a period of up to 30 days. A notable exception is the United States - US citizens below the age of 55 need to apply for an electronic visa to visit Uzbekistan. You can get the visa yourself through the official government website for 20 USD per person: https://e-visa.gov.uz/. If you book a trip to Uzbekistan with us we will get the visa for you.

BEST TIME TO GO:

The climate of Uzbekistan is continental and dry. The best season to visit is during spring and autumn, from mid-March until early June and then again from September until early November. Autumn is drier than spring, but even in spring chances are high you can enjoy the bluest sky you have ever seen. Autumn is also the time when the country goes to harvest, meaning markets are full of fresh fruit and vegetables. If you don’t mind the dry heat of 40°+ Celsius, summer is the best time to go. There are few tourists and the sky is blue every single day. If you consider visiting Uzbekistan in winter, having the country all to yourself, we recommend going in December, when the day temperature is still around 10° Celsius and the chill wind that characterizes January & February has not yet reared its ugly head.

HEALTH:

Do not drink water, unless it is bottled, filtered, or boiled. Do not use it for brushing your teeth or making ice either. Do not eat ice cream. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled. If you follow these basic rules, you are likely to avoid any health issues like traveler’s diarrhea. Diphtheria, Hepatitis A, and Tetanus are recommended vaccinations for travelers to Uzbekistan. Ensure you are fully insured for medical emergencies including repatriation. Medical services in Uzbekistan are basic at best.
As soon as we receive your deposit, we will confirm your booking and send you additional pre-departure information.

FAQs on Uzbekistan

WIFI
Most of the hotels and hostels in cities provide free Wi-Fi access. In rural areas, homestays and yurt stays generally have no internet access.

Local Sim card

You can buy a local sim card with your registration form in hotel and use it on your phone if it is unlocked. If you wish, our guide may assist you in buying sim card.

Emergency

In the case of emergency your friends/family can call us and we will pass their message to you. Please take note of the 24/7 emergency number indicated in your travel documents.

Uzbek is the official language of Uzbekistan and Russian is spoken in large cities. In Samarkand and Bukhara people speak Tajik as their native language. Uzbek language is similar to Kyrgyz, Kazakh and Turkmen and part of the Turkic family of languages. Tajik is a Persian language and as such totally different from all other languages in Central Asia. In Uzbekistan, you will notice they are using both Cyrillic and latin alphabet. All our guides speak English, but overall in Uzbekistan very few people understand or speak English.

Local population is friendly and hospitable, especially in shops and restaurants they will ask where you come from etc. Your guide and driver will be knowledgeable locals who can answer all the questions and tell about everyday life in Uzbekistan. If you are interested in getting in touch with locals we recommend you to familiarize yourself with social dos and do nots as explained in our blog article.

Uzbekistan is a secular state and population is predominantly Muslim. Religion is well practiced but still quite moderate. All religious institutions are under state control to avoid extremism. There are still influences from Zoroastrianism and Sufism and people are quite superstitious. The ethnic Russians living in Uzbekistan are orthodox Christians. However, there are very few ethnic Russians still living in Uzbekistan. Most have moved back to Russia during the 1990s.

In Uzbekistan, you will see bright colored national dresses on women and modern European style clothing, men wearing suit and national hat.  Uzbek people love their national clothes but tolerate well how tourists are dressed. Feel free to wear same clothes that you would wear back home.  Only exception to this rule concerns visits of religious buildings like Mosques or Churches. When visiting these places, you will need to wear long pants and women need to cover their shoulders and head with a veil.

No, it is not and we recommend you to drink bottled water, use filter or boil it. Moreover, please do not use tap water for brushing teeth and order your drinks without ice.

Central Asia is generally not an ideal place for vegetarians, however you can order side dish such as plain rice, mashed potatoes and in some places, even grilled vegetables. Most of the national dishes in cafes are made with meat, predominantly mutton. In guesthouses and yurt stays you need to talk to the guide so he can arrange something. In some cases, you can also alter some meals with quick noodles that can be bought in stores. More information of food in Central Asia you can find here.

Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand has nice coffee places that look Starbucks alike, where you can use wifi for free and get some snacks. Outside these places the best coffee you can get is an instant coffee, if you are coffee-lover we recommend taking little Italian coffee machine.

In restaurants, service of 10-15% is usually included on the bill, however, this does not go directly to the waiter, he gets only his salary. Usually, the amount is rounded up and If you are very content with the service you can leave some tips. Our guides and drivers are paid well, but if you are happy with the services provided they will certainly appreciate a little tip.

Most of the hotels are clean and have western standard toilets with showers. In Uzbekistan, tourists are required to stay in hotels, so there will be always nice facilities.

The most expensive services for laundry is in hotels, since they charge 1-3$ per laundry item. Another option would be to wash couple of things by hand in hotel sink

Your safety is the first priority for Kalpak Travel, in organizing our trips we discuss every detail to make sure that your tour runs smoothly and you will have a wonderful experience with us. Our guides are well trained to deal with emergency situations and we will get you help as quickly as possible. In case of serious illness, we will help you to get proper medical assistance, do everything possible to get you to your homeland and inform your family. To join our tours, you are required to have travel insurance. Please make sure it fully covers medical emergencies including repatriation costs.

Main intercity roads have been recently repaired, newly paved and are well maintained. Kalpak Travel has experienced and professional drivers who will drive you safely in Uzbekistan. All our vehicles are well maintained and checked before each departure.

There are two types of trains in Uzbekistan: Soviet and modern high-speed. The modern ones are fast and well equipped. It takes around 2 hours to get from Tashkent to Samarkand and around 3.5 hours from Tashkent to Bukhara. There is also a modern train for the route Tashkent – Kokand – Margilan – Andijan. For all other routes there is only slow Soviet train available. For long distances there are overnight trains, for example Tashkent to Bukhara on Soviet train or Tashkent to Urgench (nearby Khiva).

Importing drones into Uzbekistan has been banned since 2015, so don’t forget to leave your expensive gear at home.

Articles on Uzbekistan

Customer Review

Uzbekistan was a wonderful surprise and the tour arranged by Kalpak Travel exceeded our expectations. Kalpak Travel gave us the very best of everything in terms of transportation, accommodations and food, at an affordable price and we had a really wonderful experience. Uzbekistan is an amazing travel destination.

James, Canada

We've just returned from the ‘Best of Uzbekistan’ tour with Kalpak Travel. Wow, what a trip! The country, friendly welcoming people, sights, history, food, cleanliness, high standard hotels, internal flights, high speed trains (to name just some of the pleasures) impressed us greatly. Undoubtedly Kalpak Travel’s excellence contributed to making this an unforgettable experience.

Hilda, UK

We visited Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, and Tashkent, each very different from one another but all really interesting, and as photographers offered great shots. In Samarkand, we had dinner in a local property and a plov cooking demonstration, great fun and as the lone vegetarian, I can put my hand on my heart and say I had an excellent meal!

Lydia, UK

Uzbekistan is a beautiful country with wonderful people. If you have never been, or perhaps never even thought of Uzbekistan as a travel destination, change your ways and add it to your list... Kalpak Travel made our visit to Uzbekistan a lifetime memory.

Franklin, USA

I have just got back from the 'Best of Uzbekistan' tour with Kalpak and have nothing but praise for the whole team involved in creating such a fabulous trip. Our guide was so knowledgeable and keen for us to have the best experience of his country; he was well organised but flexible and took account of the needs of individuals in the group. Kalpak is a small company but one that has raised the bar in my experiences of travelling with a tour group.

Megan, UAE
Cookie files
close [x]
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive all cookies from this website.