Mosques, mausoleums and madrasas: our favourite Silk Road sights

Discover our favourite sights along one of the most important trading routes in history.

Understanding Uzbekistan: what to read, watch and do before you visit

Get to know Uzbekistan before you travel there.

In photos: the best of Central Asia

Exploring one of our favourite regions with our Photographer of the Month, Cynthia Bil.

Brighten up your day with the world’s most colourful places

Sit back and enjoy this kaleidoscope of colours.

Uzbekistan’s best Silk Road sights

Uzbekistan captures the imagination like nowhere else.

The new way to explore Tashkent: kayaking the Ankhor Canal

Now you can see the Uzbek capital in a new light.

Shakhrisabz

Get better acquaintainted with national hero Amir Timur in his hometown of Shakhrisabz. There has been a settlement here, in the upper reaches of…

Tashkent

The varying, often seemingly incompatible strands of modern Uzbek identity are all entwined here, and to understand both where Uzbekistan has come from and…

Kyzylkum Desert

The best camel treks are around Nurata in the Kyzylkum Desert, where you can ride across the dunes well away from roads and human…

Health and safety in Uzbekistan

Health The medical system in Uzbekistan is seriously overstretched. The quality of medical training has fallen since the end of the USSR era: many…

Poi Kalyon

Leaning out through one of the 16 arches at the top of impressive Poi Kalyon grants you an unforgettable view of a peerless city.…

Khiva

It is rare to come across an entire city that is a museum. Though Bukhara is packed with remarkable sites it is still nonetheless…

Samarkand

The manmade wonders of Samarkand never cease to amaze even the most sated of culture vultures. A dynamic city of well over half a…

Travel and visas – Uzbekistan

Visas Unless your country is on the visa-free list, you will need a visa (paper or electronic) before you fly. The easiest option is…

When to visit Uzbekistan

Climate Uzbekistan has an extreme continental climate owing to its location at the centre of the Eurasian landmass. The hottest period, known as the…