Tashkent: What to Know Before You Go

Short answer: book your onward Afrosiyob high-speed train tickets to Samarkand and Bukhara weeks before you fly, tap any contactless Visa or Mastercard directly on the Tashkent Metro turnstiles, and eat your plov at lunchtime rather than dinner before the giant cauldrons empty.

Book Afrosiyob bullet trains to Samarkand and Bukhara well ahead

Tashkent is the starting point for almost every Silk Road rail journey across Uzbekistan. While the Spanish-built Talgo Afrosiyob high-speed trains make the run from Tashkent to Samarkand in just over two hours, demand from both local commuters and tour groups is intense during the spring (April to May) and autumn (September to October) peak seasons. Tickets open on the official Uzbekistan Railways (Uzrailways) website and app roughly forty-five to sixty days before departure; lock in your train seats as soon as your flight dates are set, and check whether your train departs from Tashkent North (Shimoliy) or Tashkent South (Janubiy) in our transport overview.

Photography in the Tashkent Metro and Yandex Go

Until 2018, the Tashkent Metro was considered a strategic military nuclear shelter and all photography was strictly forbidden. Today, that ban has been completely lifted: you are welcome to photograph the ceramic murals, domes and chandeliers across every station (just avoid filming security checkpoints at the entrance). You do not even need to queue for paper QR tickets: simply tap a contactless bank card or phone wallet at the turnstile. Above ground, download the Yandex Go app before arriving to hail metered cars across the city.

Midday plov timing, Chorsu cash and hotel registration slips

In Uzbekistan, plov (osh) is a midday meal: the huge cast-iron kazans at Besh Qozon and neighbourhood oshxonas are unveiled before noon and often sell out by mid-afternoon. Carry Uzbek som (UZS) banknotes for Chorsu Bazaar spice and dried-fruit stalls, and keep the digital or paper registration slips issued by your hotels with your passport until you fly home.