Trip to Uzbekistan

The list adapts to you

When you add it, the checklist asks a couple of questions and keeps only the items that fit your situation.

• Traveling with kids? NoYes

What's inside

1. Check your passport and entry rules

   Many nationalities enter visa-free or with a simple e-visa. Passports need validity beyond the trip — double-check current rules for yours.

2. Pick the season wisely

   Best months are April–June and September–October. July–August exceeds +40°C: for summer trips, walk before 11 a.m. and after 5 p.m., siesta in between.

3. Buy travel medical insurance

   Healthcare for foreigners is paid; insurance costs pennies next to a possible bill.

4. Bring crisp US dollar bills to exchange

   Cash rules here: foreign cards work only patchily, locals use Humo and UzCard. Bring new, crisp dollar bills — worn notes get refused or discounted.

5. Make copies of your documents

   Photos of passport, insurance and bookings to cloud storage; paper copies separate from originals.

6. Keep every hotel registration slip

   Hotels must register foreigners and issue slips. Collect them in an envelope and keep them until you leave the country — border officers may ask.

7. Pack a first aid kit

   Fever reducer, painkiller, plasters, your regular meds. In summer add oral rehydration salts.

8. Pack a sorbent for the plov initiation

   The cuisine is rich and generous: cottonseed-oil plov, samsa, shashlik. Unaccustomed stomachs struggle at first — a sorbent and moderation save the early days.

9. Drink bottled water only

   Skip tap water everywhere in the country. In summer, carry a bottle at all times.

10. Sun kit: SPF, hat, sunglasses

    Registan and Khiva offer almost no shade, and the pale stone bounces the sun right back at you.

11. Clothes covering shoulders and knees

    For working mosques and madrasahs. A headscarf isn't required everywhere but is handy to carry. Light natural fabrics are your best friend in the heat.

12. Broken-in shoes for tiles and cobbles

    The old towns mean kilometers of uneven tile, cobblestones and steep minaret stairs.

13. A layer for spring and autumn evenings

    Continental climate: a hot day can end in a genuinely chilly evening.

14. Chargers and a power bank

    Type C/F European sockets — US/UK plugs need an adapter.

15. Buy a local SIM with your passport

    Ucell, Beeline, Mobiuz — cheap and quick at official offices. Tourist eSIMs work too but cost more.

16. Book Afrosiyob train tickets early

    The fast Tashkent–Samarkand–Bukhara train is the best way around, and seats sell out weeks ahead. Book online on the railway site as soon as your dates are set.

17. Install Yandex Go for city rides

    Works in Tashkent and Samarkand — cheap, no haggling. In Bukhara and Khiva agree taxi fares before getting in.

18. Haggle at bazaars — gently

    At Siab Bazaar and Bukhara's trading domes haggling is fine but gentler than in Turkey. A smile and two words of Uzbek work wonders.

19. Kids' documents Yes

    Each child needs their own passport. Bring the birth certificate if surnames differ, and check one-parent travel rules.

20. Kids' first aid kit Yes

    Child-dose fever reducer, thermometer, child-safe sorbent and rehydration salts — heat and new food hit kids first.

21. Sun hat and water for the kid — always Yes

    Old-town squares are stone frying pans with no shade. Sun hat, SPF and a water bottle on every outing.

22. Snacks and entertainment for the road Yes

    Trains and transfers run 2–4 hours. Offline cartoons, familiar snacks, water. Locals adore kids — expect spontaneous treats.

23. Check in online for your flight

    Opens 24–36 hours before departure. Free seats together go fastest right at opening.