Money, SIM Cards & Practical Essentials in Uzbekistan

Money and cards

The currency is the Uzbek som. Carry cash for bazaars, taxis, tips and small cafes; Visa/Mastercard work in city hotels and larger restaurants but not everywhere. ATMs are common in cities — withdraw in towns, not before remote stretches — and clean, newer US-dollar notes are easy to exchange.

SIM cards and internet

A local SIM (Beeline, Ucell, Uzmobile) is cheap and easy with your passport, giving solid 4G in cities and towns; coverage thins in the desert. Most hotels and cafes have wifi. If you’d rather not swap SIMs, an eSIM bought before you travel works well for the cities.

Tipping and costs

Tipping is appreciated but modest: round up taxis, leave 5–10% in restaurants that don’t add service, and a small daily tip for a private guide and driver is customary. Day-to-day costs — food, transport, entries — are low, so a trip stretches further than in most of Asia or Europe.

Plugs, water and registration

Power is 220V with European-style two-pin plugs, so bring an adapter. Stick to bottled or filtered water. Hotels register your stay automatically — keep the slips, as registration can be checked on departure; on our tours we handle it for you.

We take care of the logistics

On our tours the practical stuff — airport transfers, train tickets, hotel registration, a guide who sorts SIMs and money on day one — is handled, so you can focus on the trip. Have a question we didn’t cover? Just ask.