The world’s oldest Quran, a high-profile mysterious death and a mind-blowing underground metro line. Yes, Tashkent has got it all as well as other great things to do!
Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan is the largest city in Central Asia with a population of 2.5 million. While a lot of travellers prefer to skip the bustling capital and instead spend more time in the Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, we strongly recommend spending at least a couple of days in Tashkent.
The city of Tashkent is quite modern, while also housing a history that spans over 2000 years. The city was (in)famously destroyed by Genghis Khan’s Mongol army in 1219. Thereafter, a golden period of reconstruction under the Timurid empire began. The city flourished as one of they key points on the ancient Silk Route.
The entire city of Tashkent was rebuilt in true Soviet style after a devastating earthquake in 1966. Lots of gardens, wide roads and pathways, spaced out buildings, large fountains and a modern metro system.
Today, Tashkent is a modern metropolis, however, with a very Uzbek feel to it. You will still find most people wearing traditional Uzbek dresses, which makes it a very unique capital city to visit.
Here’s a list of some of the top things to do while you are in Tashkent –
Table of Contents
THINGS TO DO IN TASHKENT
1. Haggle at Chorsu Bazaar
This is one of the main bazaars in Tashkent, and is easily reachable via the metro line. It is a large lively bazaar with a huge blue dome and you’ll find everything from meats, dry fruits, handicrafts, jewellery, vegetables, carpets etc. The morning and evening hours tend to be the busiest, while it slowly wanes through the afternoon.
If you intend to buy something, the trick is to find a seller of your choice and negotiate if you are buying several items at once from the same seller. Even if you don’t intend on purchasing anything, it is still a great place to see locals going about their business.
It is located close to the Chorsu metro station, which is on the blue Uzbekistan line. You will then have to brave a short walk through cramped shops selling you all sorts of things as well as black money hoarders.
2. Amble up to Kulkedash Madrasah & Juma Mosque
This is the largest madrasah in Tashkent and located a short walk from the Chorsu Bazaar. While not as impressive as the madrasas we encountered in Samarkand and Bukhara, this is worth a quick visit.
Unfortunately, it was closed on the day we visited and we only managed a few pictures from the outside. Next to the Kulkedash Madrassah, is the blue-domed Juma Mosque.
3. Watch the sunset at Amir Taimur Square
Amir Taimur aka Tamerlane, and also known as Taimur the Terrible in some circles is an Uzbek hero, revered across the country. The former sultan of the Timurid empire is also one of the most famous Central Asian conquerers.
If you are in Tashkent you will end up coming to the Amir Taimur Square. The ideal time to visit is late evenings. Don’t be surprised to see students or locals coming up to talk to you. We even got interviewed by some kids who were doing some research on tourism in Uzbekistan. Yes, video camera et al.
You can reach the Amir Taimur square by alighting at the Amir Taimur metro station, which is on the red Chilonzor line.
4. Feel tiny in front of Hotel Uzbekistan
The Hotel Uzbekistan is a stunning building in the middle of Tashkent. Built in Soviet brutalist fashion, it’s a great photo-op. You can also have a beer, while overlooking the Amir Taimur square.
5. Pay homage at the Shastri Monument
Did you know in Tashkent lies the unsolved mystery of a high-profile death, the cause of which is still unknown to this day?
Back in 1966, Tashkent was still part of the Soviet Union. It played host to India and Pakistan who had just agreed to a ceasefire after a war in 1965. The peace treaty was signed by the Indian prime minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri and the president of Pakistan, Ayub Khan on 10th January, 1966.
In the wee hours of 11th January 1966, Shastri was found dead having just had some milk before retiring for the night. The Soviets arrested the chef who had served Shastri, on the alleged count of poisoning but was let go later. Mysteriously, when Shastri’s belongings were returned to India, his flask of milk was missing.
Strangely, no post-mortem of Shastri’s body was conducted. The Indian government has since refused to declassify the documents related to Shastri’s death. Our trip to Uzbekistan coincided with the release of the Bollywood movie, The Tashkent Files, which is a thrilling movie that talks about the conspiracy behind the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri, India’s 2nd prime minister.
In his honour, the Soviet government unveiled a pink granite bust of Shastri in 1976, 10 years after his death. There is also an Indian cultural centre named after him. You can reach the Shastri Monument by walk from the Yunus Rajabiy/Amir Taimur metro interchange on the red/green line or the Hamid Alimjon metro on the red line.
6. Gorge at the Central Asian Plov Center
No trip to Tashkent is complete without savouring the plov at Central Asian Plov Center. At peak times (lunch hours), the Plov Center can easily seat around 400-500 people.
The plov is prepared in 4-5 massive cauldrons, near the entrance to the Plov Center. You can choose from chicken and lamb plovs and order it on your way inside. You can also choose to experiment with some horse meat. Do not forget the lemon tea which is available at a separate counter inside the Plov Center.
The plov center can be reached by taxi or by metro. Alternatively, the Shahriston metro station, which is the end station on the green line, is a 10 minutes walk away.
Pro Tip – There are several local hidden gems where you can find great plov in Tashkent. One such place is Do’mbrobod Osh, which we simply discovered off Google Maps.
7. Marvel at the stations on the Metro Station Tour
The Tashkent metro station tour wasn’t really on the top of our list, but it turned out to be our favourite activity in Tashkent.
A ticket on the metro costs just 1200 Uzbek Soum (₹10/$0.13) for unlimited commute through the beautiful metro stations of Tashkent (as long as you don’t exit any of the stations). We spent nearly a day traversing through the city, exploring a total of 21 (out of 29) stations.
Interestingly, the Tashkent Metro was built by the Soviets in 1977, and also doubles up as a nuclear bomb shelter (still visible today as large steel doors between metro exits). Photography was banned till as late as mid-2018, when the Uzbekistan government realised its tourist potential.
Also check out our photo-guide of our favourite Tashkent metro stations.
Some other things that definitely deserve a mention, if you have an extra couple of days to spend in Tashkent –
- The Romanov Palace, near the Mustaqilik Maydoni metro station is an interesting monument. It was the residence of the grandson of the Tsar of Russia who was banished to Tashkent because he fell in love with an American woman.
- Independence Square is located near Mustaqilik Maydoni metro station, and is a large open garden with fountains and installations dedicated to the independence of Uzbekistan. It was earlier named the Lenin Square, till the demolition of Lenin’s statue in 1991.
- The State History Museum, near the Mustaqilik Maydoni metro station is a 4-floored museum containing tonnes of artefacts and exhibits from Uzbekistan’s long line of history.
- The German Kirche is the only Lutheran/Protestant church in Tashkent. It is situated close to the Shastri monument.
- The Hast-Imam complex is the main religious center in Tashkent, and is situated close to the G’afur G’ulom metro station. It is a large complex that contains mosques, madrassah’s as well as a library that houses the Uthman Quran, the oldest copy of the Quran in the world.
Additionally, you can plan day trips to the Chimgan Mountains and the Charvak lake, both of which are located in the Ugam Chatkal National Park. They are a couple hours drive outside Tashkent. The Chimgan mountains are known for its short hikes.
GETTING IN & GETTING OUT
Flights
If you are flying into Uzbekistan, it is most likely you will be landing at the Islam Karimov International Airport in Tashkent. Aeroflot, Ural Airlines, Air Astana fly into Tashkent and you may want to check the cheapest flights from your home airport.
The national carrier, Uzbekistan Airways connects Central Asia’s largest cities to most major airports in the world – Delhi, Mumbai, Dubai, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Jeddah, London, Paris, New York, Seoul etc. You can book your flight tickets directly on the Uzbekistan Airways website.
Our flights from Mumbai to Tashkent and back cost us ₹29,000/$395 per head. Our one-way domestic flight from Nukus to Tashkent cost us ₹3940/$105.
Trains
Given its strategic position, Tashkent is extremely well connected to the rest of Uzbekistan. There are regular trains through the day to Fergana Valley, Samarkand, Bukhara, Urgench and Nukus. A one-way journey to Nukus can take over a day.
Trains are not only a great way to gaze into the Uzbek countryside, but also to speak to the friendly locals who will make you feel at home. We thoroughly enjoyed our train journeys in Uzbekistan.
Check out the full train timetable on Advantour, but make your bookings on the Uzbekistan railways website. The site is mostly in Russian, even if you choose to use the English version of the website.
We caught one train from Tashkent, to Margilan in the Fergana Vallley. It cost us ₹660/$8.5.
WHERE TO STAY IN TASHKENT
Budget – Topchan Hostel
Upon arrival in Tashkent, we stayed for a night at the Topchan Hostel, which is owned by a Russian guy called Rafael. Due to the temporary closure of the Pakistan airspace, our flight was delayed by a couple of hours. We asked to arrange for a pick-up from the airport which cost us an additional $10. We were lucky to get an entire room to ourselves, which was quite comfortable. The common areas like the kitchen and the loos were quite clean too.
An alternative to Topchan Hostel in the same price range, is the Art Hostel.
Mid-Range – Hotel Hon Saroy
After mostly staying in hostels and cheap hotels, we didn’t mind splurging a little bit for our last night in Uzbekistan. We chose the Hotel Hon Saroy, which is situated close to the international airport. The rooms were extremely comfortable and spacious, and the bath & toilets were luxurious in the least. The staff in the hotel was great. They agreed to exchange our remaining Uzbek soum for USD, at a competitive rate.
Luxury – Ichan Qal’a Premium Class Hotel
TRAVELING IN TASHKENT
Metro
The metros are the best and the fastest way to travel around the capital city of Tashkent. Super-cheap, reliable and convenient, it is also a great way to explore the beautiful underground marvel that is the Tashkent metro. Keep the metro map handy for reference.
Taxis
We highly recommend downloading the Yandex app, which is a taxi-booking app. The prices are standard, so you can be sure you are not overpaying for your rides. You could still hail a taxi from the road, since most drivers are happy to take you to your location as long as it falls on their way. Ensure to agree to a fee beforehand and haggle hard.
Mashrutkas
We really didn’t catch a mashrutka (minivan) in Tashkent. However, there are plenty around if you are looking for something really really cheap. However, these take time to fill, and if you are short on time, we wouldn’t really recommend it.
Have you been to Tashkent? What did you enjoy about the city and what activities would you recommend? Let us know in the comments.
OTHER UZBEKISTAN RESOURCES
Enjoyed this blog? Here are our other Uzbekistan-related blogs –
The Complete Uzbekistan Travel Guide 2020
The 10 best Tashkent Metro Stations
10 Awesome Things to do in Samarkand
Pin it!
