The heart of the Silk Road, Uzbekistan dazzles with the blue domes of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, its age-old bazaars and Central Asian hospitality, and today it is easy to visit visa-free for Argentinians.
Uzbekistan is the heart of the Silk Road and one of the most dazzling, still uncrowded destinations in Central Asia. It's the land of legendary cities with turquoise domes, mosaic-covered madrasas and age-old bazaars: Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva are names straight out of a fairy tale, and in person they don't disappoint. Add genuine hospitality, generous food and rock-bottom prices, and you've got one of the world's best cultural destinations for curious travellers.
The classic route is linear and very easy thanks to the fast train: you start in the capital, Tashkent, modern and with a metro full of spectacular stations, and from there go on to Samarkand (home of the Registan), Bukhara (the most intimate museum-city) and Khiva (the walled desert citadel). In the east lies the Fergana Valley, the cradle of local crafts, and in the west the Kyzylkum Desert and the environmental tragedy of the Aral Sea. Everything is connected by fast trains and ever-improving roads.
The best thing about Uzbekistan is a combination that's hard to find: world-class monuments, almost without the crowds of other destinations, at bargain prices and with people who invite you for tea without asking for anything in return. What surprises people is how easy and safe travelling here has become since the country opened up in recent years. It's the ideal time to go, before it becomes fully fashionable.
The official currency is the Uzbek som (UZS), a currency with lots of zeros: a thousand som is worth just a few US cents, so it's normal to pay for anything with wads of notes. The highest-value note is 200,000 som, and even so prices run into the tens and hundreds of thousands. It's a good idea to bring US dollars or euros in cash, in new, undamaged notes, and exchange them at banks or official exchange offices (since the 2017 reform the exchange rate is free-floating and the black market that used to double the rate no longer exists). There are more and more ATMs that accept Visa and Mastercard in the big cities, but outside Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara they can be scarce, so it's best to get around with cash. Many hotels and agencies quote prices in dollars, and keeping some small som notes is useful for taxis, markets and street food.
Full converter for UZS →There are no direct flights from Latin America: you get there with connections, usually via Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), Moscow, Dubai or a European hub, landing at Tashkent International Airport (code TAS), the country's main airport; Samarkand, Bukhara and Urgench (the gateway to Khiva) also receive some international and regional flights. Good news for Argentinians: no visa is needed for tourist stays of up to 30 days, just a passport valid for at least six months. Once in the country, the star of transport is the Afrosiyob high-speed train (Spanish Talgo trains running at 250 km/h), which links Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara in a few hours and in great comfort; book tickets in advance because they sell out. There are also night trains to Khiva and other far-flung destinations, marshrutkas (shared minibuses) and shared taxis for short trips, and cheap domestic flights connecting Tashkent with Nukus and Urgench, handy for reaching Karakalpakstan and the Aral Sea quickly.
The best times to travel to Uzbekistan are spring (April and May) and autumn (September and October): pleasant temperatures, clear skies and, in spring, green, blooming landscapes. These are the high seasons and ideal for exploring the cities on foot without suffering the weather. Autumn adds the bonus of the fruit and pomegranate harvest, with the bazaars at their best.
Summer (June to August) is very hot and dry, with temperatures well above 35-40 °C in the desert: you can travel by getting up early and resting at midday, but it's tough. Winter (December to February) is cold, with a chance of snow, although there's a certain charm in seeing the Registan covered in snow and almost empty, and prices drop. If you can choose, aim for April-May or September-October. An event worth catching is Nowruz (Persian New Year) on 21 March, with celebrations all over the country. Verified July 2026.
Uzbek food is hearty and tasty, a legacy of the Silk Road. The undisputed king is plov (or osh): rice cooked with lamb, carrot, onion and cumin in a large cauldron, different in every region and practically a source of national pride. Also try shashlik (grilled meat skewers), manti and chuchvara (steamed dumplings), soups like lagman (with hand-pulled noodles) and shurpa, samsa baked in a tandoor, and the round non bread served at every table. For dessert and on the side, dried fruit, halva and green tea by the litre.
Eating is dirt cheap: a full meal in a local café costs around 3 to 7 dollars, and a plate of plov at a plov centre just a couple of dollars (verified July 2026). The best food is in the no-frills eateries and bazaars, not in tourist restaurants. Green tea is the social drink par excellence and is usually free or nearly so. Tipping isn't a strong custom, although rounding up is appreciated in tourist restaurants. Note: plov is heavy, so it's eaten at midday, not at night.
Uzbekistan is a very safe country for travellers, even more than many expect: violent crime against tourists is very rare and people are extremely hospitable. The precautions are the same as anywhere: watch out for pickpockets in bazaars and crowded transport, and use app-based taxis or agree on the fare before getting in to avoid overcharging. The country has opened up a lot in recent years and today exploring the Silk Road cities is easy and relaxed, including for women travelling alone with the usual precautions.
Health-wise, make sure your routine vaccinations are up to date, plus hepatitis A and typhoid. Don't drink tap water: bottled only. The most common issue is an upset stomach from the change in diet, so be careful where you eat and bring basic medication. Quality medical care is concentrated in Tashkent; travel insurance is highly recommended. The emergency numbers are 102 (police), 103 (ambulance) and 101 (fire), and the unified 112 also works. Verified July 2026.
Uzbekistan is one of the cheapest destinations in Asia. A backpacker can get by comfortably on 25 to 40 dollars a day, and with 30 to 50 you travel with a good margin: a hostel bed from around 10 dollars, a private room with breakfast in Bukhara or Khiva for about 15 dollars, meals for a few dollars and very cheap transport. A mid-range budget of 60 to 100 dollars a day gets you boutique hotels in restored historic houses, something well worth it in the Silk Road cities.
Concrete examples (verified July 2026): most monument entry tickets cost 3 to 5 dollars (Khiva's old town, with a combined ticket, is around 12); a metro ticket in Tashkent, about 20 cents; a full meal in a local café, 3 to 7 dollars; and the Afrosiyob fast train between cities, depending on class and route, about 10 to 30 dollars. The country uses the Uzbek som, with lots of zeros, and although cards are increasingly accepted, it's best to carry cash (dollars to exchange) for small places. These figures are for reference.
The languages are Uzbek and Russian (very useful and widely spoken), while English is little understood outside the tourism sector, so a translation app and learning a few words help. Spanish isn't spoken. It's a Muslim-majority but secular and relaxed country: there's no need to cover up to walk around the streets, although in mosques and mausoleums it's best to dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered, and women should keep a headscarf handy). The hospitality is enormous: it's normal to be invited for tea or food, and refusing outright can come across badly.
The voltage is 220V with type C and F plugs (the round European ones), so from Latin America a universal adapter works well. Connectivity is good in the cities: buy a local SIM (Beeline, Ucell or Uzmobile), cheap and with plenty of data, as soon as you arrive. A tip from someone who's been: register your accommodation. In Uzbekistan you're given a registration slip for every night (the hotel does it automatically), and although checks have relaxed, it's worth keeping those papers in case you're asked for them when leaving the country. And don't miss teahouse life: it's where local culture comes alive.
The history of Uzbekistan is, to a large extent, the history of the Silk Road. In the heart of Central Asia, in the fertile region the Greeks called Transoxiana —the land "beyond the Oxus River"—, the caravans linking China with the Mediterranean made legendary cities like Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva flourish. For more than two thousand years, Persians, the armies of Alexander the Great, Sogdian merchants, Arab conquerors, the hordes of Genghis Khan and the horsemen of Tamerlane all crossed paths here, leaving a legacy of blue-tiled mosques, madrasas, mausoleums and observatories that are now World Heritage Sites.
This crossroads of peoples and religions was also one of the great cradles of learning. From its soil came the mathematician Al-Khwarizmi, father of algebra; the physician and philosopher Avicenna, whose Canon governed medicine for centuries; the compiler of traditions Al-Bukhari; and the prince-astronomer Ulugh Beg, who measured the sky from Samarkand with astonishing precision. Under Tamerlane and his Timurid descendants, the region lived through an artistic and scientific renaissance that lit up the entire Islamic world.
Read the full history of Uzbekistan →Pick a region and open each destination to see what to do, prices and how to get there.
These are the sources we cite most across this country's guides, with how many times each appears. Hard data —tickets, opening hours, requirements, transport— comes from the official source and carries the date we checked it. Restaurant and hotel picks come from guides and reviews, and we say so on each page.
