Tashkent Uzbekistan 7 Day Itinerary
Tashkent, Uzbekistan 7-Day Itinerary
As of January 2026, citizens of the US, UK, EU, Japan, Australia and South Korea can enter Uzbekistan visa free for stays up to 30 days, which has quietly turned Tashkent from a transit stop into a real destination in its own right. Seven days here is enough to actually slow down instead of sprinting between the Registan and the airport.
Day 1: Arrival & City Orientation
Skip the taxi touts waiting right at the exit of Tashkent International Airport (TAS). They will open with 100,000 som or more for the 12 kilometer run into the center. Order a Yandex Go instead from inside the terminal where there is wifi, and the same trip runs 30,000 to 60,000 som, about 2 to 5 dollars, with a fixed price shown before you get in. A licensed airport taxi booked at the counter is a fair backup at 50,000 to 80,000 som. Either way budget 20 to 35 minutes depending on traffic.
Check in somewhere central, Hotel Lotte City Tashkent Palace is a reliable business-hotel pick with an on-site pool if you land jet-lagged. Every foreign visitor technically needs their stay registered within three days, but any licensed hotel or guesthouse does this automatically at check-in and hands you a small printed slip. Keep it with your passport; you may be asked for it if you cross an internal checkpoint or fly domestically later in the trip.
Ease into the city on foot rather than diving straight into museums. Independence Square and the nearby Amir Timur Square, with its equestrian statue and the eternal-flame Monument of Courage, are both walkable from most central hotels and make a good jet-lag antidote. For dinner, go to Besh Qozon, also known locally as the Plov Center, in the Chorsu area. It is a genuinely enormous open-air kitchen where cooks stir plov in wood-fired cauldrons the size of small cars, and a full meal with tea runs around 5 dollars a head. Go before noon or after 3pm if you want a table without a scrum.
Day 2: Old City Exploration
The Khast Imam Complex is the one non-negotiable stop in the old city. It holds the Uthman Quran, reputed to be one of the oldest surviving copies in the world, kept in a climate-controlled case inside the Muyi Muborak library. Entry is modest, generally a few dollars, and modest dress is expected for both men and women.
From there it is a short walk to Chorsu Bazaar, an unmissable domed market where vendors sell everything from fresh bread and dried fruit to horse-meat sausage called qazi for locals with an adventurous palate. Prices are in som and bargaining is normal but keep it good-natured. The Kukeldash Madrasah nearby dates to the 16th century and, unlike many restored madrasahs elsewhere in Central Asia, still functions partly as a working religious school, so treat the courtyard with some restraint rather than treating it purely as a photo backdrop.
For lunch, look for a small kebab or lagman spot near Chorsu rather than a tourist-facing restaurant. You will eat better for less. In the evening, wander the quieter lanes around the Abdul Qasim Madrasah, whose blue-tiled facade catches the light well just before sunset.
Day 3: Museums & Modern Tashkent
The State Museum of History of Uzbekistan, sometimes still called the National Museum, gives a genuinely useful primer on the Silk Road, Soviet period, and independence, and is worth two unhurried hours. The Museum of Applied Arts, housed in a former merchant’s residence covered floor to ceiling in carved ganch plasterwork, is smaller but arguably more atmospheric, and shows off the same suzani embroidery and ceramics you will be tempted to buy later at Chorsu.
Spend the afternoon in the newer parts of the city rather than assuming Tashkent is only old madrasahs. The area around Tashkent City and the Amir Temur Museum has genuinely good coffee shops and a skyline that looks nothing like the postcard image of Uzbekistan, which is exactly the point. My honest opinion is that this contrast, Timurid tilework a ten minute walk from glass office towers, is more interesting than either half on its own.
Day 4: Day Trip to Samarkand
This is a genuine day trip, not a stretch. The Afrosiyob high-speed train covers Tashkent to Samarkand in about two hours fifteen minutes to two and a half hours, and economy tickets run roughly 40 euros equivalent, paid in som. Book through the Uzbekistan Railways site or app, or through a reseller like 12go, at least a few weeks ahead since the popular morning departures sell out.
An early train gets you into Samarkand by mid-morning with a full day to see Registan Square, the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum where Timur himself is buried, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, and the tiled staircase of the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis. That is a full, tiring day of walking on stone and tile in the sun, so wear proper shoes and carry more water than feels necessary. Take an evening train back to Tashkent; the last useful return departure is typically early evening, so check the timetable before you leave in the morning rather than after you arrive.
Day 5: Relaxation & Leisure
After four days of cities, head out to the Charvak Reservoir, about an hour and a half northeast of Tashkent in the foothills of the Tian Shan. The turquoise water against the mountains is a genuine surprise for anyone who pictured Uzbekistan as flat desert, and there are simple lakeside cafes for lunch. Hiring a driver for the round trip is easier than public transport for this one, and a shared taxi or private car costs far less than a tour bus package.
Back in Tashkent that evening, the Friday Mosque, known locally as Juma Masjid, in the old city is worth a look for its restrained scale compared to the newer Hazrati Imam complex. For dinner, Afsona is a solid choice if you want a proper sit-down Uzbek meal with live music, in a room that mixes carved wood ceilings with a more contemporary layout, and it is not outrageously priced for what you get.
Day 6: Day Trip to Chimgan
The Chimgan Mountains, about 90 minutes from the city, are the default weekend escape for Tashkent residents, and in summer the cable car up Big Chimgan offers genuinely good hiking with mountain views rather than desert horizon. In winter this becomes a modest ski area, so check the season before you plan gear. Horseback riding is available through informal operators near the base, and a simple lunch of shashlik at one of the mountain cafes, with a view instead of four walls, beats anything you would get back in the city center.
Day 7: Last Hours & Departure
Use the morning for whatever you missed, a return trip to Chorsu for souvenirs, or a last plate of plov, rather than trying to cram in a new sight. Tashkent’s metro is one of the most photogenic in the former Soviet Union, with several stations built like small palaces, and a single ride costs a fraction of a dollar, so it is worth one loop purely for the architecture before you head to the airport.
For departure, allow the same 20 to 35 minutes from the center to TAS that you budgeted on arrival, plus buffer for the security queue at the terminal, which can back up around peak evening flights.
Things to Know
Uzbekistan’s currency is the Uzbekistani som, UZS, and while cards are increasingly accepted in Tashkent hotels and mid-range restaurants, cash is still king at bazaars and with informal taxis. English is limited outside hotels and major sights, so a handful of Russian or Uzbek phrases go a long way. Dress modestly at religious sites, and expect to remove shoes when entering a private home.
Tips
Bargain at Chorsu Bazaar, but keep it friendly rather than aggressive, most vendors expect a little back and forth, not a fight over pennies. Download offline maps before you head into the mountains or to Charvak, since signal drops fast outside the city. In summer, Tashkent regularly hits the mid-30s Celsius, so plan outdoor sightseeing for morning or early evening and keep water on you at all times.