I traveled solo to Uzbekistan and can confirm: you need to be a moderate-to-advanced traveler to comfortably navigate it alone — especially as a woman! (Story of our lives)
That said, don’t panic. It’s all totally worth it, and I also have options to help you out drastically! I ended up connecting with a local tour professional who basically saved me from a lot of stress and helped me with everything from trains to tours. With them, I’ll now be offering seamless travel coordination with vetted local guides — so if you want to skip the stress and book my exact itinerary, you can click here to set up your trip or click here to get notified of our Group Trip next year!
Otherwise, this Uzbekistan travel guide should help you plan it on your own!
Anyway. Uzbekistan really does live up to the hype of dreamy blue-tiled mosques, Silk Road cities, and jaw-dropping history. What I wish I had known beforehand, though? Transportation is tricky. Let’s just say I accidentally booked myself on a packed sleeper train, had a mini panic attack, and ended up bribing station staff with $50 to let me upgrade to first class (which, plot twist, would’ve only been $28 if I’d booked in advance).
So — benefit from my mistakes. Here’s my Uzbekistan travel guide!
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Uzbekistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan. Yep — it’s one of those places your geography teacher probably skipped over, but is now gracing the feeds of our social media accounts.
It used to be part of the Soviet Union, but its history stretches back way further, since it was once a crossroads of the Silk Road trade routes. Today, its cities like Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva still flaunt that Silk Road grandeur, attracting us wanderlusters to come experience its beauty!
Uzbekistan’s story is basically: Silk Road hotspot → Persian empire → Mongol invasion → Timurid dynasty → Soviet republic → independent nation in 1991.
That’s… a lot. But what matters for travelers is that the country is a mash-up of Islamic, Persian, Soviet, and nomadic influences, which is why the architecture looks like something out of a storybook.
I personally wasn’t sure about most of the cultural insights in Uzbekistan that are important to know, and I’m really glad I looked them up beforehand! Most posts said that women need to cover up since it’s a predominately Muslim country, but when I was there, I found it was pretty normal to wear tank tops (it as really hot!).
Also the language barrier was a bit harder than I expected! Hotels, guides, and most train/airport staff spoke English, but taxi drivers and shops didn’t too much. I found that using the microphone option on Google Translate worked wonders!
Here’s an overview of Uzbekistan’s cultural insights:
General vibe: People are friendly, but not overly touristy, so expect curiosity (and a lot of starry eyes if you’re American!)
The best months are April–June and September–October. Summers are brutally hot (think desert oven), and winters are icy and less photogenic. However, if you can handle the heat, go in shoulder season (early July or early September) for less crowds!c.
Uzbekistan is a pretty big country with lots of things to see and do! If you have a short amount of time there, like if you’re trying to see as many ‘Stans as possible, aim for these main things to see:
The main international airport is Tashkent International (TAS). You can fly in from Istanbul, Dubai, Doha, Moscow, and several European hubs.
Pro tip: Use my cheap airfare finder link to book your flights — it’s what I use to find the cheapest options. (Please use my link so I get a small commission, which costs nothing to you!
Like I’ve mentioned, I had some major travel fails attempting the train on my own, but once I got the hang of it, it was really convenient! What wasn’t as easy, was negotiating with taxi drivers.
There are ride share apps in Uzbekistan, but most of them do not work unless you have a local number. If you’ll be there on your own for a while, that might be worth getting, because the apps are around 5x cheaper fares than what the taxis will overcharge you!
The easiest way to get around, of course, is just by doing a tour – whether with a group or solo, it will make everything a lot easier!
Here’s all the options for how to get around Uzbekistan:
Make your life easier and your trip more educational by taking a guided tour! Again, I am now offering the exact same trips I write about as tours, so please contact me (info@mylifesamovie.com) or fill out this form if you’re inertersted!
Otherwise I’ve linked some city tours that sound good in each of the main cities that you should definitely see!
Here’s some perks of taking a guided tour in Uzbekistan:
Well I didn’t have the best first attempt at using the train in Uzbekistan, but I quickly learned from my mistakes, thankfully!
First and foremost – you definitely need to book the train tickets in advance! They sell out quickly for the fast train, and you don’t want to get stuck on the slow sleeper train!
If you book a tour (or through me) the train tickets will be done for you, but if you’d like to do them on your own, here’s the information:
Taxis will always charge tourists a lot more, which is justified, since you likely make a lot more money than locals. But some can really try to take advantage. Ask your guide or hotel how much a taxi should be to where you’re going, or ask them to use their ride share apps to book for you and you pay in cash.
Otherwise here’s some tips for using the taxis in Uzbekistan:
As mentioned, ride-share apps only work if you have a local Uzbekistan number. You can get one if you buy a local SIM card, but it might not be super worth it for short stays.
If you do get a number, the popular apps include Yandex Go and Maxim.
Quick and often affordable — handy if you’re heading to Khiva. Book with my affil link for the cheapest deals (please!), it’s no extra cost to you and just gives me a small kickback to help support this free content!
Most people will say that you need at least a week in Uzbekistan. But for many of us who don’t have that much time off of work or life, and also want to see the other “‘Stans”, it’s not very do-able. I was able to see three of the main cities of Uzbekistan in 4-5 days, on an intense schedule, and I thought that was enough time!
The only one I missed was Khiva, because I needed to get to the border to start my Turkmenistan tour, but I could have squeezed it in, if I weren’t alone and already having problems with taxis!
So if you have to pick just a few of the best places in Uzbekistan, here they are!
Samarkand is the crown jewel of Uzbekistan and easily one of the most photogenic cities in the world. Once the beating heart of the Silk Road, it was the capital of Tamerlane’s empire, which explains why it’s overflowing with grandiose mosques, madrasahs, and mausoleums. Walking around Samarkand feels like stepping into a living museum where every tile tells a story — and yes, it’s every bit as blue and magical as Instagram makes it look.
Highlights:
What and where to eat:
Try Platan for Uzbek-European fusion or Samarkand Restaurant for traditional plov and shashlik.
Day Tours for Samarkand:
If Samarkand feels grand and monumental, Bukhara is intimate and atmospheric. This city has over 140 protected monuments, but it’s not just a museum — it’s still very much alive. You’ll wander through narrow alleys, stumble on mosques tucked behind markets, and end up sipping tea in a courtyard café. It’s the kind of place where history isn’t behind glass; it’s part of daily life.
Highlights:
Day trip: You can easily visit Bukhara as a day trip from Samarkand or Tashkent on the fast train.
Eat: Grab lunch at a café by Lyabi-Hauz lake — atmospheric, if a bit touristy.
Tashkent often gets skipped because it doesn’t have the fairy-tale architecture of Samarkand or Bukhara. But give it a chance — it’s the modern capital with wide boulevards, leafy parks, lively bazaars, and surprisingly quirky attractions. It’s also where you’ll find some of the best shopping and most affordable luxury stays in Uzbekistan.
Highlights:
Stay: Radisson Blu Tashkent — comfy rooms, a gorgeous pool, killer breakfast buffet, and genuinely helpful staff.
TOURS
Khiva is the Silk Road city that time forgot. Unlike Samarkand or Bukhara, the old town here — Itchan Kala — is a fully preserved walled city. Walking through its gates feels like stepping back several centuries. The desert light makes the turquoise domes almost glow, and since it’s less visited, it’s far quieter than Samarkand or Bukhara.
Highlights:
Khiva sits near the Turkmenistan border, so if you’re adventurous, it’s a good jumping-off point for crossing over. (Check out my [Turkmenistan blog post] if that’s on your radar.)
Uzbekistan blew me away — but it also tested my patience. It’s beautiful, exotic, and rich with history, but also confusing, hot, and occasionally overwhelming.
If you’re a seasoned traveler ready for an adventure, go solo and embrace the chaos. But if you want smooth sailing, book through me — I’ll hook you up with vetted local guides, seamless itineraries, and zero panic attacks on sleeper trains.
👉 Ready to explore Uzbekistan? [Click here to start planning with me.]
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