Tourist Destination In Central Asia – The answer is a resounding yes. Central Asia, especially Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, is one of the safest places in the world to visit. The region is known for its political stability and lack of terrorism, making it an ideal vacation destination for travelers looking for a safe place to see some amazing sights.
Visiting Central Asia is not only safe, but also very beneficial! The region has a long history of welcoming visitors and travelers.
Tourist Destination In Central Asia
There are a number of festivals and events on the calendar across Central Asia. The most popular event is the Bukhara Festival in Uzbekistan, which takes place every year in April or May. Featuring music, dance, art exhibits and more. If you are interested in horse riding or horse breeding, you can also check out the Kyrgyzstan Horse Festival (held every June) or the Kazakhstan Music and Dance Festival (held every September).
Destination Uzbekistan: Our Travel Guide • Serialhikers
Do I need to hire a guide or can I use a phone app/downloaded online guide?
Guides are often the best way to learn about the history and culture of a region. They can also help organize your itinerary in areas where English is not widely spoken and point out highlights on a map that might otherwise be missed by tourists relying solely on their phones’ GPS functions (which are generally not accurate enough).
I hope this post helped you decide whether or not to visit Central Asia. It’s true that it’s a very safe place and if you do your research and plan ahead, you’ll have an amazing time. Plus, there are so many things to do and see that even if you only have a week in the region, there will still be plenty of new experiences for everyone! So what are some of your favorite things about traveling here? Share them with us in the comments below! Uzbekistan is one of those countries that average people would have trouble putting on a map. But it is a fantastic country.
I have been to Central Asia twice; things are changing there very fast, it’s quite hard to recognize the place now, – compared to when I first visited the place in 2010.
Tashkent Travel Guide
They even got a fast train in Uzbekistan these days. Even Norway hasn’t managed to build it yet.
If the great Registan was located in France or Spain instead of Uzbekistan, then it would undoubtedly be one of the most visited tourist places in the world. But being where it is, the place is still nice and quiet; without long queues and without hassle.
One of the reasons why Uzbekistan is not a well-known tourist destination could be the problem of obtaining a visa.
You need to get an invitation from an official travel agency registered in the country, which is actually quite easy to get. After you receive the invitation, you must go to the embassy.
Central Asia: Places To See
Filled with the invitation letter, you should be able to get your visa at the embassy on the same day.
Looking for a complete guide on travel costs in Uzbekistan? Check out my friends in the Lost with Purpose guide.
Most people arrive in Uzbekistan, around the country’s capital, Tashkent (unless crossing the border from Turkmenistan by land).
The capital is a nice and very clean city, with big wide boulevards, parks and the normal western restaurants you would expect in a capital. Tashkent has a few interesting sights such as the flea market and the old town, but I would recommend moving on as the city is MUCH more expensive than the rest of the country.
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Samarkand is by far the most touristic place in Uzbekistan. You have a decent amount of western restaurants, a few good coffee shops, lots of souvenir stalls and even a few bars selling ice cream and cold local beer.
Samarkand was one of the main stops on the old historic Silk Roads from China to the west. This city has so much to offer that you can easily spend 4/5 days if not a week exploring the city and its surroundings.
Bukhara was one of the great trading places on the historic Silk Road. You can easily spend another four days exploring Bukhara; it has so much to offer.
The Ark is a massive fortress located in the city of Bukhara, originally built and occupied around the 5th century AD.
D15n Great Silk Road Adventure Central Asia By Orient Silk Road Express (4 Stans)
As well as being a military structure, the Ark encompassed what was essentially a city which for most of the fort’s history was inhabited by various royal courts that had influence over the region around the city.
Bukhara is another big city in Uzbekistan. It is one of the most historically important cities in the world, but still unknown. Bukhara has a fair chain of hostels, souvenir stalls, some great restaurants and some of the best food I’ve had in all of Uzbekistan; I arrived here in Bukhara.
Along with Samarkand and Bukhara, Khiva is an important and often overlooked historical site on the former Great Silk Road.
According to legend, Khiva was founded around 2,500 years ago when Noah’s son, Shem, discovered a well in the middle of the desert and exclaimed “Khi-je!” (which the locals will be delighted to roughly translate as “sweet water”)
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This squat minaret is an iconic symbol of Khiva, mainly due to its exquisite blue and green tiles and the fact that it remains unfinished. It was originally intended to rival the Kalon Minaret in Bukhara.
However, the architect fled before he saw it finished, fearing that the Khan would kill him. Technically, you’re not allowed to climb to the top of this minaret, but the guards have been known to give visitors “unofficial” tours of the interior structure, for a fee.
I found Khiva to be my favorite city in Uzbekistan, Samarkand and Bukhara stand had a lot more to offer in terms of sights and history, but I liked something about the atmosphere in Khiva, the city seemed relaxed.
Between Tashkent – Samarkand – Bukhara you have a fast train twice a day, you can get from Tashkent to Samarkand in about 2 hours and to Bukhara in another four and a half, and you also got a night train from Tashkent to Samarkand ( quite comfortable, I took it ) The night train was about 17 USD to sleep with your own bed.
Pearl Of Central Asia
There is no train station in Khiva, but you can take a train to Urgench, about 40 km away, and then either a bus or a shared taxi to Khiva.
They also got a bus system which works well but I would recommend taking the train, it’s a very long distance between cities and they didn’t seem to be the best quality buses, but if you’re on the road you don’t have much choice.
There are shared taxis that run between cities all the time, it’s gone much faster than the bus and probably much more comfortable, etc. I paid 10 USD for a shared taxi from Bukhara to Khiva, it is a trip of 470 km.
The best place to change money is on the “black market” at the local bazaars, I personally have never had a problem with it, the exchange rate when I did it was around 100 USD-260,000 soms, but it varies a bit from day to day talk about the rate before you agree on the amount you get.
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ATMs in banks work with foreign cards. Cash can only be withdrawn in Tashkent and other major cities, such as Samarkand and Bukhara, but when I was in Uzbekistan most of them were out of cash for days, so you should carry a decent amount of USD/Euro with you to exchange.
Accommodation in Uzbekistan can be a pain; it is very important to have a stamp on your registration for EVERY night, while in Uzbekistan they will be checked at the border and only hotels/guesthouses that are officially registered will be able to give you a paper. The paper itself is just a receipt with a stamp and the date you stayed there, but it’s very important to get it.
By far the most popular place for travelers, great location about 1 minute from Registan and 1 minute from a supermarket, guaranteed to meet other travelers here, big yard, clean western toilets and very helpful English speaking staff, you get a stamped receipt without asking
Very good location, opposite the western entrance to the old town, several restaurants just a few steps away and about 10 minutes walk to a decent supermarket.
Central Asian Art
As mentioned in the accommodation section, it is very important to get a registration confirmation for each night in the country, if you are taking any night trains, keep your ticket until you leave the country, you will be asked at the immigration desk at the airport/land borders when leaving the country ,
I personally had no problem with it, and the guy at the immigration desk I used didn’t care about it, but another tourist who was at the immigration desk next to
