The Best Things to Do in Tashkent
Most Silk Road trips start in Tashkent — and the capital is worth more than a layover. Here is how to spend a day in Uzbekistan’s biggest city.
Khast-Imam and the world’s oldest Quran
The Khast-Imam complex is Tashkent’s spiritual heart and home to the 7th-century Uthman Quran, one of the oldest in the world. The serene courtyard, madrasas and library make a calm, moving start to any trip.
Chorsu Bazaar
Under its great turquoise dome, Chorsu is Tashkent’s oldest and liveliest market — mountains of spices, dried fruit, bread and cheese, and a butchers’ hall that is pure theatre. Go hungry and graze your way through: this is the city’s stomach.
The Tashkent Metro
Once forbidden to photograph, Tashkent’s metro stations are underground palaces of marble, mosaic and chandeliers, each themed — cosmonauts, poets, cotton. A few stops between sights double as a free museum; Kosmonavtlar is the showpiece.
Soviet and modern Tashkent
Rebuilt after the 1966 earthquake, Tashkent wears its 20th century openly — grand squares, Independence Square, the Amir Timur museum and leafy boulevards. It is a fascinating counterpoint to the medieval cities and a window into modern Uzbek life.
Using Tashkent in your trip
Tashkent is the arrival and departure hub and the start of the high-speed train south. A day here on the way in or out is plenty for the highlights. We can add a half-day city tour around your flights — just ask.
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