Tashkent — Uzbekistan
Highlights
Chorsu Bazaar
The traditional bazaar at the heart of Tashkent's old town, trading continuously since at least the Mongol invasion of 1220. Its recognisable blue dome dates to 1980, rebuilt after the 1966 earthquake in a late Soviet Modernist style — and in 2026 it was named part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing alongside other Tashkent modernist sites. Under the dome: dairy, spices, dried fruit, and a food pavilion serving plov, samsa, and manti. The 16th-century Kukeldash Madrasah sits right at its edge.
Tashkent Metro
Opened in 1977, the metro was built to double as a nuclear shelter during the Soviet era, and it shows — deep platforms, heavy blast doors at some stations, and among the most ornately decorated subway systems anywhere, with each station individually themed in marble, mosaic, and chandeliers. Photography rules have relaxed in recent years; a single ride costs a small flat fare regardless of distance.
Day Trip: Chimgan Mountains
A full day out of the city with a local friend: local bus to the metro, metro across town, then a shared taxi to Gazalkent and another on up to Chimgan itself — mountain views a world away from the Silk Road cities, and a proper change of pace partway through the Uzbekistan leg. The whole round trip runs on a chain of cheap, easy local transport rather than a private tour, which is part of the appeal.
| Leg | Mode | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hostel → metro station | Local bus | 1,725 so'm |
| Across town | Metro | 1,725 so'm |
| Gazalkent → onward | Shared taxi | 15,000 so'm |
| Onward → Chimgan | Shared taxi | 15,000–20,000 so'm |
| Chimgan → Gazalkent (return) | Taxi | ~30,000 so'm |
| Gazalkent → Tashkent (return, per person) | Taxi | 50,000–60,000 so'm |
All cash — roughly 115,000–140,000 so'm per person for the full round trip, depending on which taxi fares apply on the day.
Where to Stay
Stayed at Mi Casa Guest House — some distance from Magic City, not walking distance. Honest take: wouldn't recommend it — the water quality wasn't great and the rooms had no AC. A better-located, better-equipped option is likely available for a similar price.
What to Eat
The first night was a kebab platter — fish, goat, lamb, and chicken kebab — shared with the guesthouse caretaker and fellow guests after a Russian traveler staying at the same guesthouse pointed the way when finding food (and communicating) was proving difficult. Otherwise it was a lot of chicken samsa and shashlik around the city, one afternoon of self-cooked egg biryani using groceries picked up locally, and a daily fallback of bread, milk, and bananas. Plov here is traditionally cooked with beef/meat fat throughout, which didn't work personally, so it was skipped entirely.
Where to Shop
Picked up a pair of pants and a shoe-sole repair (a shoe was causing real discomfort by this point) from a local market, plus some local sweets that turned into a genuine favorite of the whole trip.
2,200 Years of Tashkent
Tashkent is about 2,200 years old, known through history as Shash, Chach and Binket, and grew on the western slopes of the Tien Shan in the Chirchik valley. A citadel and city wall rose in the 9th century; it became a Sheybanid provincial capital in the 16th, was annexed by the Kokand khanate in the early 19th, then the administrative centre of Russian Turkistan after the 1860s. Since 1991 it has been the capital of independent Uzbekistan.
Practical Tips
- Tashkent is Uzbekistan's main international gateway and rail hub — expect to pass back through here more than once on a longer trip.
- The metro is the easiest way to get around and doubles as a sightseeing stop in its own right — budget at least an hour to ride a few ornate stations.
Connected Stories
Tashkent was a gateway, but also where several everyday food and practical memories began.
- What Uzbekistan Tasted Like - for fresh non, shashlik, milk, and hostel kitchen memories.
- Card vs Cash - for the practical money side of the trip.
- ATM Guide - for the bankomat lessons that shaped how I handled cash.
Tashkent Metro
