Tashkent: Soviet Modernism Meets the Silk Road
Tashkent doesn't try to look like a postcard of the Silk Road — a 1966 earthquake flattened much of the old city, and what rose in its place is a wide, green, Soviet-planned capital layered with Islamic monuments that survived or were rebuilt. It's the biggest city in Central Asia, but it moves at an easy pace, with mulberry-shaded streets, a genuinely beautiful metro system, and some of the best plov you'll eat anywhere. Use it as a launchpad to Samarkand and Bukhara, but don't rush through it.
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✈ Plan Your Trip →Top Sights
Chorsu Bazaar
A vast turquoise-domed market where the old city's trade life still happens daily — spices, dried fruit, bread, and butchered meat under one roof.
Khast Imam Complex
Tashkent's religious heart, home to the Uthman Quran, one of the world's oldest surviving copies of the text, kept in a small library building.
Tashkent Metro (Kosmonavtlar, Alisher Navoi stations)
Built as Soviet showpieces with chandeliers, majolica tile and space-themed mosaics; photography was banned for decades and only allowed since 2018.
Amir Timur Square
A leafy central square anchored by an equestrian statue of Timur, ringed by early 20th-century buildings and the grand Hotel Uzbekistan.
Museum of Applied Arts
Housed in a lavishly tiled 19th-century mansion, with rooms of ikat textiles, ceramics and woodwork from across Uzbekistan.
Independence Square (Mustaqillik Maydoni)
A monumental public space with fountains, the Crying Mother memorial, and the arch of Ezgulik marking Uzbekistan's 1991 independence.
Minor Mosque
An all-white marble mosque on the Bozsu Canal, one of the newer landmarks in the city and a striking contrast to Tashkent's older brick monuments.
A Sample Day
What to Eat
Uzbek food centers on rice, bread and grilled meat, and Tashkent's version of plov is considered a regional benchmark.
March to May and September to early November, when daytime temperatures sit in the mild teens to twenties Celsius; summer regularly hits 40°C and is best avoided.
The metro is clean, cheap and covers most sights, plus it's an attraction in itself; Yandex Go (the local ride-hailing app) is the easiest backup for anywhere else.
Ask at Khast Imam or your hotel about visiting a plov center before 10am — the big kazans sell out by early afternoon and locals go early specifically to beat the crowds.
FAQ
Do I need a visa to visit Tashkent?+
Uzbekistan has visa-free entry for citizens of many countries, including most of the EU, UK, US and several others, for stays up to 30 days — check the current list before booking since it's periodically updated.
Is Tashkent a good base for day trips to Samarkand and Bukhara?+
Yes — the high-speed Afrosiyob train reaches Samarkand in about two hours and Bukhara in roughly three and a half, making both easy as overnight or even long day trips.
Is Tashkent safe for tourists?+
It's generally very safe with low street crime, though it's still wise to keep an eye on belongings in crowded spots like Chorsu Bazaar and use registered taxis or the Yandex Go app at night.
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