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Uzbekistan pre-
travel hacks to
know
After moving it year by year on the top
of my travel bucket list, I finally
succeeded to explore
Uzbekistan. Super thrilled because it’s
a dream come true that exceeded my
hopes, longing, and expectations. Four
years in a row relocating, postponing,
and upgrading the Uzbekistan travel
program, to eventually materialize
almost the way I imagined it, with a
little dose of sobering up. I realized the
destination needs serious research,
good planning, and precise
organization for preventing
disappointment and loss of money. Still
in the process of opening for tourists
and learning this amazing Central
Asian country is eager to take a
shortcut to emptying everyone’s
wallet.

I trust there are crucial pre-travel

hacks to know before framing
Uzbekistan’s unforgettable journey.
It’s totally worth it and makes you
believe 1001-night fairytales are
turned into a magical reality. But
sometimes this reality could kick you
out hard, so better absorb the
information below to prevent the pain

Gur-i-Amer Mausoleum, Samarkand

Lyab-i-Hauz, Bukhara

TRANSPORTATION
The transportation issue is the most
essential data to bear in mind while
planning your Uzbekistan trip. The
transport could be missing, tricky, or
too expensive, would challenge your
skills, mastery, and mindset, and would
require your solid preparation and
flexibility. But it could be fun as well

AIRPORTS
Arrival to Uzbekistan usually happens
through two international airports.
The one in the capital of the country –
Tashkent (Toshkent, locally
pronounced). The other one is in the
second largest city and former capital
– Samarkand. Two more airports are
available – in Bukhara and Urgench
(the link to Khiva).

I chose to land in Samarkand and then

take off on a return flight from
Tashkent, which was a brilliant
decision. Both airports are modern,
with all basic facilities, about 7 km
away from the city, which makes the
trip to and from the airport quick,
convenient, and cheap.

I loved the airport in Samarkand.

Pretty new, operating since March
2022, the Terminal is designed as an
open book and looks impressive. It’s
clean, quiet, and welcoming, with lots
of greenery outdoors. There is a self-
check passport control system that
works perfectly for EU passport
holders, so no need to wait in a queue
at the passport control desk. Up to 30
days stay no visa required for EU
citizens. The only requirement is a
valid passport for at least 6 months
before the expiration date.

Samarkand International Airport

In the Arrivals area, it’s easy to detect

the two super important first spots to
visit – the local mobile sim card and
the Taxi2Go kiosks (I’ll brief you more
about the taxi hacks below). Once in
the taxi, enjoy the ride to the city
through spacious clean boulevards,
surrounded by well-maintained
flowered alleys that reminded me so
much about the Soviet Union style.

Oh, here I need to open a bracket.

Uzbekistan used to be part of the
USSR for 67 years and is still heavily
influenced by that heritage. This
Central Asian republic got its
independence in 1991 but is pretty
much linked to the Soviet Union’s era.
Sometimes it could be for good, and
you will get what I mean later.

At Tashkent International Airport

I would highly recommend hopping on

domestic flights for the following
routes:

Tashkent to Khiva (Urgench) and back

Samarkand to Khiva (Urgench)

Bukhara to Tashkent

Bukhara to Khiva (Urgench)

Bukhara airport is super close to the

city. The same cannot be said for the
train station which is in the
neighboring small town of Kagan. I was
booking at the last moment and all the
domestic flight tickets were already
sold out. I didn’t find even a single
ticket available on the Uzbekistan
Airways website. Uzbekistan is a long
long looooong country and most of the
significant cities are spread along its
length. To give you an idea: The
distance between Bukhara and
Tashkent on the Bullet train (the
speedy one) takes about four hours. On
a regular train, it’s eight. On a plane,
it’s 50 minutes.

From Khiva to Tashkent, without a

plane, the situation looks hopeless. No
bullet train. With a regular train, it’s
about 14 hours. I never tried it so I
cannot share my firsthand train
experience. On a plane, from Urgench
airport (30 minutes ride from Khiva), it
takes one hour and 20 minutes to reach
Tashkent. For a 23 kg checked-in
suitcase and 8 kg cabin baggage,
included in the price, a single ticket is
about 65 USD one way.

TAXI
This is the most common way for
tourists to move within Uzbekistan
cities, reaching sightseeing or going to
the airport. Obviously, you need to be
well prepared if you don’t want to be
ripped off (easy to happen) or to spend
a fortune on taxi rides. I would highly
recommend you download the local
application Yandex.taxi. On my iPhone
14, I was unable to download it but
used pretty much the website version
that serves the same.

You need to register which works only

with a local mobile sim card and
number (I’ll give you all info below).
Once you succeed, the application
works similarly to UBER. You can book
a taxi from…to, observe the route,
check in advance the expected final
price, choose a standard, big, or
luxurious car, examine the rate, and
also follow the expected time to the
destination. Easy, on time, cheap, and
hassle-free.

Where is the catch? Well…sometimes

the taxi looks at the edge of its power
or like falling apart. Also, I bumped a
few times into unpleasantly dirty seats,
but as the distance is short, it’s
bearable. Ah, a critical piece of info –
do not expect an air-conditioned taxi.
At the end of June and the beginning of
July, the temperatures in Uzbekistan
hit 38 to 40 degrees C but I have never
experienced an air-conditioned taxi.
The usual ride goes with all windows
open, regardless of how windy it could
be for the passenger. No one asks you
to disagree. Take it or leave it.

In addition, be prepared for the

peculiarities of the local culture. It’s
not that the Uzbeks are impolite or
bad-mannered. On the contrary, they
are one of the sweetest, kindest, and
most hospitable nations I have ever
encountered in my travels. But I never
had my suitcase placed in the trunk by
a taxi driver. Nor a door open or any
kind of help or a trace of chivalry.
Remember, it’s a learning process and a
completely different culture.

Samarkand, Bibi – Khanym Mosque, 14-15

centuries

Registan (14 century), Samarkand at sunset

If you are unable to download or use

any Taxi application, just be ready to
negotiate the price. Uzbekistan
accommodates kind of a Middle
Eastern culture, and everything is
negotiable, including the taxi. When I
landed in Samarkand it was Monday
and the city was expecting to welcome
the Uzbek president. So Yandex taxis
were not allowed to reach and stop at
the airport. I was forced to deal with
Taxi2Go, present at the Arrivals
terminal, with an offer of 50,000 Sums
(Uzbek currency). That’s double the
regular rate of 25,000 Sums from the
airport to the city of Samarkand and I
already knew it.

Eventually, managed to only decrease

it to 40,000 Sums, despite my long
years of negotiating practice. Both
parties were aware I had no other
choice because of the presidential visit
restrictions. Again, all windows open,
no air-conditioning but the taxi driver
was so kind to guide me and answer my
questions on the way to the hotel.

Islam Karimov (First president of independent

Uzbekistan) monument in Samarkand

Never, absolutely never, negotiate and

pay more than 20,000 Sums (= 1.72
USD) per ride within the city, wherever
in Uzbekistan you are. Everything
extra is a rip-off. You may not feel it as
it’s super cheap, but it’s not worth the
quality of the ride. If you are
uncertain how to get a taxi, ask your
hotel reception for assistance. All
receptionists in Uzbekistan (and even
every no receptionist) have Yandex.
taxi application installed on their
smartphones. They can easily book you
a taxi through the option “Booking for
someone else”, then you pay cash
(only) upon arrival at the destination.

TRAINS
That’s my favorite, most convenient,
and cheapest way to move through
Uzbekistan. Highly, highly, highly
recommended on the line Tashkent –
Samarkand – Bukhara.

The Railways system is well-developed

in Uzbekistan. There is a train called
“The Bullet” operated by the leading
Uzbek company Afrosiyob. I was on
this train twice in VIP class which is
like 1st class on European trains.
There is also a business class which is
pretty much like VIP. And then I saw
Econom (Economy) signed wagons on
the same train but never been inside
(believe to be quite comfortable too).

Bullet Train

The Bullet train shortens the travel

time between the cities to half the
regular one. It’s clean, with folding to
sleeping position seats, a power socket
under the seat for charging the mobile
or laptop (you need to have the two-
pin EU plug, not only the USB cable),
luggage storage, well-maintained
washrooms, and restaurant wagon
linked to the VIP class.

There is a catch, though! All the

tickets, during the tourist season, are
usually sold out a month in advance.
Due to my experience, they are not
really sold out, but a regular passenger
does not have regular access. Let me
explain.

Bullet Train Wagons

There are three ways to buy a ticket

safely and cheaply for the Uzbekistan
Bullet train. The first one is through
the Uzbek Railways official website
which miraculously served me twice. I
somehow managed to buy the last
available seat for both directions I
needed just 6 days before my trip.
When I tried it in English, the system
spitted me out without any chance to
book. When I tried in Russian (I speak
it fluently), I saw the last available
seat and immediately booked it for
112,000 Sums only. Don’t freak out, it’s
actually about 10 USD for VIP class on
the Bullet train from Samarkand to
Bukhara which takes one hour and 45
minutes ride in total.

You need to first register on the Uzbek

Railways website with a valid email
address. When the ticket is booked
and paid online, it’s sent directly to
your email address. Regardless of
whether the ticket is printed out or
saved as a .pdf file on the smartphone
screen, both ways are well accepted on
board. The system immediately
generates the wagon number, the class
of service, and the exact seat number
booked for the journey.

Bullet Train VIP class

The second way is through the

12Go.Asia website. When on the
Uzbek Railways website there was no
seat available for the Bullet train on
my return ride from Bukhara to
Samarkand, I checked on 12Go.Asia.
Found, booked, and purchased the last
remaining again at a price of 11 USD.
Always check the 12Go.Asia website,
as I find it a reliable, quick, and safe
way to be updated about all possible
options and to secure your preferred
one. The ticket looks exactly the same
as the one purchased from the Uzbek
Railways website.

The third way is from the cash desk at

the train station. But it’s risky for
many reasons. The chance to get there
an available ticket for the Bullet train
is close to zero unless someone
canceled their trip at the last moment.
The other catch is – most probably the
cashier doesn’t speak English, so if
you don’t speak Russian or the local
language, better keep the Google
Translate application ready for use.
Fingers crossed to be understood and
served.