The most convenient means of transportation between Uzbek cities is the locally produced Nexia. They usually stand at the exit from the city, next to bus stations, waiting for four passengers and, after filling, rush them to the neighboring (or not quite neighboring) city - all guidebooks and LiveJournal posts provide approximately this information. Therefore, the last thing we worried about was how to get from Samarkand to Bukhara. The road seemed to us to be a one (maximum one and a half) hour long series of picturesque landscapes from the window of a white Nexia.
The situation turned out to be more complicated. As soon as we approached the UzNexiy parking lot, “chauffeurs” attacked us, pushing each other, interrupting and chaotically shouting at us the names of settlements and numbers, 2-3 times higher than the tariff we knew from the locals. We politely refused all offers, and the crowd of taxi drivers quickly thinned out and switched to someone else. As a result, we got a break to calmly understand the situation. It turned out to be the following: there is a regular bus between Samarkand and Bukhara - the old Ikarus, but you couldn’t count on it, because it didn’t leave according to a schedule, but when it was full. According to the driver, he promised that it would be filled no earlier than the next morning. The Nexia drivers wanted a lot of money and for some reason persistently suggested that we go not to Bukhara, but to Tashkent or Navoi. We rather absurdly stood at a dusty bus stop for about 15 minutes, looking around. The Nexia drivers looked at us searchingly, until one came up and asked:
- How much will you give until Bukhara, brother?
- So much.
- Get in the car.
- How long does it take to travel?
- An hour.
It took 5 hours to get to Bukhara. First, the car stupidly stalled in the middle of the steppe, we waited for an hour for some Uzbek from a neighboring village, he fixed the car, then we gave him a lift home (six of us were driving through a traffic police checkpoint). Then we stood at the gas station for two hours - in Uzbekistan everyone refuels with propane (or methane, I don’t remember) - in a queue of 10 cars, each refueled for 10-15 minutes. On the road, the driver chewed nasvay (this is chicken droppings mixed with lime) and stopped his nexia every 10 minutes to spit out the chewed cake and put a new portion under his tongue.
In general, we reached Bukhara late at night, unsuccessfully searched for our guesthouse, and not finding it, we stopped at the first bug house we came across, which, as it turned out, was called “Gan-Jerusalem” and belonged to a Bukharian Jew.
We woke up around noon to a Bukharan Jew breaking into our room and demanding to pay more or get out. We evacuated in a hurry and went to the heart of Bukhara - Lyabi House.
Lyabi House (“house” in Uzbek (or Tajik) means not a house, but a “pond”) is a large artificial reservoir surrounded (like the Registan in Samarkand) by three beautifully painted madrassas. Now it is undergoing major renovations and at the site of the “pearl of Central Asia” we saw the following:

And here is the Lyabi House itself, drained and repaired

In general, despite the major renovations carried out in Bukhara, the city itself seemed more comfortable and homely to us than Samarkand. For example, on the main square, instead of Tamerlane, there is a monument to Khoja Nasreddin on a donkey.

All historical buildings are located in the center of residential areas. That's why you can see old people sitting at the gates of the old fort.

and children play football under the walls of the Ark citadel, using homemade markers to mark the gates on the fortress walls

Ark is the winter residence of the Bukhara Emir (the summer residence is 4 kilometers from Bukhara, and we did not have time to get to it).

Before the advent of Soviet power, the Emir of Bukhara was a fairly influential guy (although from a certain point he was a vassal of the Russian Empire). He fought with ours twice - first under Alexander II (many of Vereshchagin’s paintings hanging in the Tretyakov Gallery are dedicated to this war), then - in 1920 - with Frunze, who came to liberate the working masses of the Turkestan region from the Despot of the East. The Despot of the East fled even further east, to Afghanistan, and Frunze destroyed most of Ark. In the place where something survived, there is now a museum and souvenir shops, and where Frunze walked there are still ruins.

To prevent the Despot of the East from returning from Afghanistan and rebuilding his Ark, Frunze put a Caucasian Shepherd on a chain. She still guards the ruins

The most interesting thing about the Arch is the view of the city. Actually, there is not much to do in the ruins, museum and souvenir shops.

Another attraction in Bukhara is the Kalyan Mosque with the minaret of the same name (the fourth mosque in the world in terms of area). Unfortunately, they are not allowed into the minaret; the explanation is that some French woman broke her leg there five years ago, after which Islam Karimov, by his own decree, forbade anyone to go up there, and put the keys under his pillow.
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Opposite the large mosque is a madrasah, and a functioning one. Moreover, it worked all the years of Soviet power. For example, Ahmed Haji Kad studied there

As soon as we crossed the border, I received a message from my mobile operator that I had found myself in a land of delicious pilaf and azure mosques. First we came to the capital, but quickly realized that there was nothing for us to do in this city if we wanted to see the real one with its deserts, villages and ancient mosques. As the locals persistently advised us. If you travel in Uzbekistan beyond the borders of Tashkent further into the cotton fields and the Aral Desert, you will be rewarded with the beautiful ancient cities of eastern civilization. Bukhara is one of these.

By the way, the population of the city is very friendly towards tourists. If you get lost, they will always show you the way and also give you advice along the way, where to look and what to see along the way.

Since Bukhara is a tourist and post-Soviet city, the adult local population speaks Russian and Uzbek, while young people speak more Uzbek and English. I have never had any difficulties with communication.

All the way to Bukhara, I did not take my eyes off the windows of the cars in which I was hitchhiking. The nature there is not very rich in diversity, but the hardworking Uzbeks make the vast territories of the steppes fertile and vibrant. Around every small house in a kishlak (village) there is a garden and fruit-bearing trees. And what has always amazed me in Uzbekistan: you can walk along a big city street or a village alley and pick a completely edible and even very tasty apricot. Fruit-bearing trees in the city are an incredible fact for me, who is used to buying packaged fruit in stores.

Short video about Bukhara

How to get there

Bukhara can be easily reached by all possible means of transport - plane, train, bus and car. True, most often you first need to get to Tashkent, where the largest railway station and airport are in the country.

By plane

If you have enough funds, then you can fly to Bukhara from almost anywhere in the world, but most likely through. And in the CIS, almost all flights have a transfer in Moscow. That is, it turns out to be a double transplant. You can fly from Tashkent to Bukhara on any day from 67 USD. Well, how much a flight to Moscow will cost you depends on your location.

Flights to Bukhara

From Moscow you can fly to Bukhara in 4 hours, starting from 150 USD for a direct one-way ticket to Uzbekistan Airways, which are better to buy in advance, because they are not available every day.

Other flights are more expensive and have transfers, and you can still fly by Air Astana, S7 Airlines And Aeroflot, and sometimes all of this at once, since flights are more expensive with two transfers.

From Saint-Petersburg you can fly on a direct flight from 195 USD in 5 hours, which also does not happen every day. But there are similar ones with transfers and waiting hours reaching up to 24 hours at airports. Therefore, you should take care of purchasing tickets in advance. You can view the current cost of tickets for your dates on the airline websites or.

From the airport to the city center

Airport in Tashkent is located almost within the city limits, 7 km from the center, and in Bukhara outside the city, but 5 km from the Center.

There are bus stops near both airports, where, after talking with the drivers, you can get to your desired point in the city. Taxis at airports are, of course, more expensive than usual, but still much cheaper than in other post-Soviet countries. If you go from the city to the airport by taxi, you can start bargaining with 2.5 USD. From the airport to the city, maybe a little more expensive. By bus and minibus, travel will cost about 0.2 USD.

By train

The train is one of the most convenient means of transportation here, apart from an air-conditioned car. And, since the railways in Uzbekistan were built in post-Soviet times and are regularly repaired, the cars are also new and quite comfortable, which is surprisingly very different from those trains that go beyond the borders of the republic. I would not advise you to travel by train to Tashkent from anywhere in Russia and Kazakhstan, where they come from, or throughout Russia itself on these trains. But on the territory of Uzbekistan - yes.

But, if you have sufficient reserves of patience, sleep and food, then you can get to Tashkent, and then with a transfer to Bukhara, by regular flights from major cities in Russia and Kazakhstan: Moscow, Samara, Volgograd, Novosibirsk, and others. Tickets are relatively cheap (reserved seat - from 175 USD, coupe from 250 USD), considering the very long journey of 3.5 days. But this explains the lack of comfort. These trains do not run every day, but several times a week.

Having reached Tashkent, from there you can leave on daily fast day or night trains to Bukhara, tickets for which can be purchased at the box office or online if you have documents (from 14 USDUSD for a seated one, from 18 USD for a parade ground and 25 USD for a compartment). Moreover, the fastest train travels faster than cars on this not very good road (less than 4 hours).

Prices here are based on prices on Russian websites, taking into account the fact that you will buy a ticket in advance. If you go during the tourist season, then this is a well-founded precaution. But I noticed that in Central Asian countries, if you buy tickets within the country at the box office, then a ticket to a similar destination will cost much less than on Russian travel websites. And, if you have time, I would advise you to buy a ticket from Tashkent to Bukhara on the spot, checking the availability in advance on the Internet, of course.

From the station to the city center

Railway station in Tashkent is located close to the City Center, and if you have time between trains, you can easily take buses or taxis to the center and back in about 10 minutes.

Bukhara-1 station is located in the city of Kagan, neighboring Bukhara, and it will take 10 km (about 20 minutes) to get from there to our destination by regular buses or taxis.

Taxi fares start at about 4 USD, it all depends on the degree of comfort and how full the car is. You should check the bus route at the bus stop with the driver or conductor; the fare will be less than 3 USD.

By bus

From Moscow and St. Petersburg

There are no buses from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Bukhara from official carriers. But there are unofficial old and double-decker buses that transport illegal workers from Uzbekistan through and into Russia. I don’t recommend traveling in them at a speed of 60 km/h; imagine how many days you’ll have to spend in them.

From Uzbekistan

It is very easy to get to Bukhara from Tashkent or any other major city in Uzbekistan by bus. Buses depart from the bus station in Tashkent throughout the day. The schedule that you find on the Internet should still be checked on the spot, and you won’t be able to buy electronic tickets. Several buses depart per day (most often when they are full), and if you are late for them, you can always leave the same bus station by taxi. They may drop you off not necessarily at the bus station in Bukhara, but also along the road in the city if you ask.

From the station to the city center

From the Bukhara bus station to the city center it takes about 10 minutes by car or city bus. I wrote about the cost of taxis and bus travel in the section above.

By car

It is very easy to get to Bukhara by taxi or by your own car and it is very difficult to get lost along the way. There is not a very large selection of routes, and if you choose the right direction when leaving the city, then it is enough just not to turn off the road anywhere to arrive at your destination. Since I hitchhiked around Uzbekistan, I knew this part of the route thoroughly.

Since Russia does not directly border Uzbekistan, to get to Bukhara from Moscow and St. Petersburg, you will also have to go through its notorious traffic police. Known for corruption, of course.

I stayed in a small house with a courtyard, a garden and a trestle bed, where you can lie down to drink tea and hide from the heat on sweltering days. If you travel with a company, then, it seems to me, this is the best option. And the cost is not much different from a hostel.

The most convenient area, as you already understood, City center, since it is small and all the interesting places are nearby. The city center outlined on the map has the largest concentration of hotels, hostels, restaurants, cafes and attractions. But this does not mean that there is nothing to see beyond it. It's just ordinary quiet Bukhara city life.

The Shahrud Canal flows through the City Center, but the Northern and Southern parts into which it divides the Center, frankly speaking, are no different in terms of housing.

As you can see, almost all offers from hotels and hostels are concentrated in the central region of Bukhara, close to all the attractions that will be literally in the yard, unless you live in an ancient building, which may well be the case.

In this area, a room in a four-star hotel will cost about 60 USD per night, and a bed in a hostel will cost 10 USD. They can ask for about 30 USD for a house, 3 USD per person for a room, even if you all sleep in one. You can book hotels on, and compare prices from different sites. Next, I will tell you more about prices for living in the city.

What are the prices for holidays?

Prices during the tourist season are, of course, higher than usual. If you only speak English and do not understand Russian and Uzbek, prices can be two to three times higher for everything. If you know Russian and don’t understand Uzbek, then only twice. Therefore, bargaining is one of the important parts of traveling around Asia in the culture of oriental bazaars.

Housing

If you're staying or eating at a place with a fixed fee, such as a hotel, hostel or restaurant, then you don't have to worry about overpricing. For the average Uzbek resident they will be high, but for you, as a tourist, they will be quite acceptable. From 60 USD in a four-star hotel in the very center of Bukhara to 6 USD per bed in a hostel per day per person. But if you rent a house or room directly from the owners of the house, then everything depends only on you. What conditions do you need and how much can you reduce the price? We rented a private house for four for 32 USD per day with all amenities, and the locals said that it was too expensive.

Nutrition

Food in Bukhara is very cheap because everything is available and grows almost nearby. Lunch in an expensive restaurant can cost up to 20 USD, and in a regular cafe for 7 USD.

Taxi

Taxi prices are almost the same as what a bus ride would cost for a group. Therefore, if you are not traveling alone, then taking a taxi will be much more profitable. You can hail a taxi anywhere on the street and, when stopping, confidently name your destination and the amount for which you are willing to travel (from 1 USD). You can call it smaller (don’t forget about bargaining).

Cultural program

Tickets and excursions are perhaps the biggest expense on this trip. For you, as a tourist from the CIS, the price will be the same as for tourists from Europe, while for local residents and citizens of the country it is ten times less. Therefore, in Bukhara, you can introduce yourself as local residents who came from Tashkent, if you do not look like a typical tourist.

On average, a ticket to the museum and mosque costs about 4 USD, with a tour - 7 USD.

Main attractions. What to see

The whole city literally consists of historical and cultural monuments that you want to look into. But not all historical buildings are museums, and not all are open. Many have tourist shops, but you can go in for free and see the internal structure of mosques and madrassas, which seem to have not changed in hundreds of years. True, in this case you have to listen to sellers praising their goods, because the culture of trade is very developed here.

Most often, I asked them about various historical facts and received much more information than I had previously read on the Internet. Almost every seller in a tourist area could tell me the whole history of the building in which he sells, answer my questions, and at the same time advise me to buy something from him as a souvenir. Very often, in response to my excuses that there was no money, the price was reduced by three or even four times.

When purchasing tickets, pay attention to the prices and, if you do not outwardly stand out from the local population, you will be able to get in at a price that will be tens of times less than the cost of a ticket for a tourist from the CIS. To do this, you will need to say at least “Assalomu alaikum” at the checkout.

Almost everything worth visiting is located in the historical center of the city, so it is worth planning a walking route. When I was tired, I simply sat down to rest on some historical ruins, benches, or on sun-heated slabs around the houses - reservoirs of clean water, collected to create coolness in the city.

Top 5

Ark

The center of the Old City, the citadel palace, the home of the emirs (city rulers). Now it is a fairly large museum complex, where you can walk for a long time, entering various former administrative buildings, courtyards, mosques, reception rooms, a harem and residential quarters. You can also climb the brick wall, from the height of which you can still see almost the entire city. At that moment I imagined lively battles under the walls and pouring cauldrons of boiling tar.

By the way, if you walk around the Ark along the wall, you can get to another museum, Zindan, which means “prison”. It presents in great detail all the ancient devices with the help of which they oppressed the spirit and body in order to obtain the necessary confessions from the captives of the Emir of Bukhara.

Poi Kalyan

An architectural ensemble in the very center of the city on Registan Square. It is impossible to come to Bukhara and not visit there; literally all roads in the city lead to the Kalyan Mosque, Kalyan Minaret and Miri Arab Madrasah. Only the madrasah is closed to the public, as it is still an educational institution.

If you don't want to go into the mosque, you may miss the opportunity to climb the minaret, from which you can see the entire city. As I climbed the narrow round stone staircase, I imagined a muezzin (a clergyman whose duties include singing loudly from a minaret) who overcame this test five times a day, calling the entire city to prayer. This is truly a severe test for both tired legs and spirit: a dark staircase that goes up and tiny windows in thick walls. But the view from above is worth all the effort. It's breathtaking.

Sitorai Mohi-khosa

I wanted to look at the emir’s life from the inside and went to the emir’s summer palace. It turned out to be not just one building, but a whole complex with gardens and peacocks walking through them - just all the oriental fairy tales came to life before my eyes. The emir's summer residence is located quite far from the city center; we had to endure a bus ride, but the splendor we saw was worth it. The living quarters of the emir and his wives have now become exhibition pavilions, where you can see household items and luxury items of the Uzbek nobility, Bukhara clothing, and religious attributes.

Everyone living in the palace was saved from the summer heat by the gardens and the pond, in front of which there is a huge throne. I was told a legend that the emir loved to watch his concubines bathe and sometimes threw a gift into the water for his most beloved wife. Considering the very hot climate, I understood why almost no residential complex of wealthy Bukharians could do without a huge swimming pool with an adjacent garden.

There are several bus routes from the city center to the palace gates, so you can get there by public transport or by taxi.

Trade domes

It is impossible to pass by them if you walk around the city on foot. You can hear them even in the evening, there are always a lot of people there and there is lively trade, laughter and conversation. Under the domes you can find postcards, souvenirs, national clothes, drawings, dishes and everything you want to buy as a souvenir of this city or country. Bukharians know how to trade, so if you stop among their goods, it will be for a long time. To see the domes themselves, I came in the evening, when there were few people there.

Lyabi-Khauz

And finally, the very center of Bukhara. This is a huge complex of three buildings: the Kukeldash madrasah, Divan-Begi and the Divan-Begi khanaka (the building is slightly smaller than the mosque, but no less beautiful), in the center of which is a large pond called hauz. Around it there are tables of roadside cafes, street musicians are playing. In the courtyards of neighboring houses, music is played and home-cooked food is prepared.

Here you can just sit and look at the life of the city, which seems to have not changed at all for thousands of years. Here people eat, pray and trade in one place. They enjoy life, in general. And here there is a monument to the most famous Bukharian Khoja Nasreddin on a donkey.

The hero of funny folk stories grins slyly and looks at the tourists who are rubbing the donkey’s nose for good luck.

Churches and temples. Which ones are worth visiting?

Almost every mosque I passed in the city is worthy of attention. But there are also the most important ones that are definitely worth getting into. But you should hurry, almost all museums are open from 9:00 to 17:00, but they may be allowed into the mosque a little later. So:

Museums. Which ones are worth visiting?

Bukhara is one big open-air museum. I described the museums that are worth visiting above, since they are all located in historical, ancient buildings, which make up a large part of the exhibitions. Or rather, even most of it.

But here are a few more museums:

• Avicenna Museum, a world famous doctor. It is located about 30 km from the city, so it is better to get there by taxi. Located on the territory of the medical center in a modern building, the exhibition contains many ancient medicinal devices and instruments. Open from 9:00 to 16:30
• Museum of Art. Kamoliddin Bekhzoda- you can get acquainted with the fine and jewelry art of Bukhara artists and craftsmen over the past 100 years. Located in the center of the city. The coolness inside the building saves you from the heat of the day. Open from 09:00 to 17:00.
• House-Museum of Fayzulla Khojaev, the first head of the Bukhara People's Soviet Republic. Here you can try on national clothes and walk around the museum in them, the exhibition of which exactly replicates the interior of an ordinary house of a wealthy Bukhara merchant. There is also an ethnographic exhibition and peacocks roaming freely in the garden. Open from 09:00 to 17:00

Entrance tickets to all listed places cost up to 2 USD.

Parks

There is only one park in Bukhara - Samanid Park, built on the site of an ancient cemetery.

It’s worth going there because it’s the only place in the city where there’s a lot of shade and coolness from the trees, and to look at the ditch irrigation system. A ditch is a ditch through which water flows along pedestrian paths and enters lawns throughout the park.

On the territory of the park there is the Samanid Mausoleum, a very beautiful building, a monument of early medieval culture, one of the oldest in Bukhara, in which there are three burials.

Tourist streets

It is very difficult to describe any one main tourist street in Bukhara, since the city is not replete with long, level streets located at right angles to each other. Therefore, I would note the city center, surrounded by the largest streets, inside which the most active tourist life is in full swing.

What to see in 1 day

I would advise walking around Bukhara for one day only in the center and only on foot. Then you can get a feel for this city in such a short time:

• the route can be built from Ark to Registan Square to the Kalyan Minaret, which is visible from almost anywhere in the city;
• then go through the trading domes, Lyabi-khauz and go to all the buildings you like along the way. These will be either museums, or mosques, or shops or restaurants in no longer functioning mosques;
• then, if you have time, you can simply walk around the city without leaving the cobbled streets of the ancient center, look at the recently excavated remains of ancient baths, go to an inn for caravans of the Great Silk Road;
• and when fatigue takes its toll, allow yourself to relax in the Uzbek way: order not a table at a cafe, but a trestle bed, lie down on it and enjoy tea with flat cakes, pilaf and life.

Food. What to try

It is difficult to die of hunger in Bukhara, even if you have little money. In the city center there are tourist restaurants, the average bill of which is very high for locals, but quite low for tourists, as I already wrote about above.

So finding a place to eat depends on what you want to try. If national cuisine has a folk flavor, then you need to go to a restaurant, preferably one where food is served on trestle beds. The trestle bed is truly an invention for hedonists, on which you can eat lying down and in the shade (very important on a hot day). This is a covered gazebo, in the center of which there is a table for eating, and around there are many soft blankets and pillows for sitting and lying after and during meals. Although, of course, there are also ordinary coffee shops, bars and cafes that can be found in any city in any country with a standard Europeanized menu.

The average check in a restaurant can be up to 30 USD, and in a simple cafe or canteen not in the center - 7 USD.

What to order:

If you like to cook at home, then I will immediately note that in Bukhara it is difficult to find supermarkets with a large selection of products. And most likely, your favorite goods will cost much more here due to the lack of customs unions between Uzbekistan and almost all countries of the world. Therefore, you will have to buy everything you need in small shops, but not fruits and vegetables. For them you only need to go to the bazaars, where everything is fresh and you can try it.

If you adhere to the ideas of vegetarianism or veganism, then I advise you to be more careful when choosing a restaurant, since not in every place you can easily find a meat-free dish. And the further the place is from the city center, the more difficult it will be for you to explain what exactly you need on the menu. By the way, we wrote in more detail about Uzbek cuisine.

Budget

• Wishbone Bukhara Cafe;
• Chor Bakhr restaurant.

Mid-level

• teahouse Bolo Hauz;
• Minor Cafe House.

Expensive

• "Badreddin"
• national house "Rustam"
• Chasmai-Mirob restaurant.

Holidays

In addition to the international holidays that we all already know, in Bukhara you can catch the celebration of the following:

• Nowruz is a New Year's holiday according to the solar calendar among the Turkic peoples, in the celebration of which everyone participates, not only at home, but also on the streets and squares. Therefore, from March 21 to 23, there will be mass celebrations, concerts and people having fun in the city. Festive dishes can be prepared right on the street and distributed and sold to everyone. I advise you to try sumalak: it is cooked all night before the holiday, turning cooking into a kind of ritual, and you can try it only once a year on these days in March.
• Eid al-Adha And Eid al Adha- Islamic holidays, and since the majority of Bukharans are Muslims, these dates acquire great significance in city life. Since these are the dates for the end of ritual asceticism (fasting or hajj pilgrimage), it is customary to have fun and eat delicious food on these days. It's worth noting that sometimes holiday rituals, even on the street, include the slaughter of sheep, so if you don't want to see this, check the calendar before your trip. These holidays do not have exact celebration dates; they change every year.

Safety. What to watch out for

Since there are a lot of tourists during the season, the townspeople who are accustomed to them find various ways to increase the profits of their business at the expense of them. Once, my friends and I were faced with a situation when, at the entrance to a dilapidated mosque, a girl selling souvenirs and national clothes there demanded an entrance fee from us, which we naturally did not give to her. There were no “box office” signs or ticket prices anywhere, which means they just wanted to deceive us. So, when entering the territory of any building or what remains of it, always check such little things. And when you buy tickets, see if the price includes the services of a guide that you do not need.

Girls, to my surprise, were allowed into all buildings that in the past were only for men. But in the city you will not find Bukhara residents dressed in short shorts or skirts. Therefore, if you want to avoid too much attention from the male population, I would advise you to dress in slightly less revealing clothes. Especially when visiting ancient temples.

In some places that are considered sacred, there are signs with prohibitory inscriptions, pay attention to them if you do not want to break local laws.

A few more important facts, which are described in more detail on our website in the article about. You won’t be able to pay anywhere with a card, nor will you be able to withdraw money from it. It is better to exchange dollars for sums, not rubles, and, of course, on the black market, and not at the official rate at a bank in Uzbekistan. In many places it is prohibited to take photographs (stations, bazaars, metro and main streets), so you need to do it carefully if you really want to.

At night, Bukhara is a fairly calm city. I often walked there among the dilapidated mosques, sat on the steps of the ancient madrasah and admired the Kalyan minaret alone, without a noisy crowd of people around.

Things to do

The most interesting activities after visiting cultural attractions in Asian countries are bazaars, craft exhibitions and, in general, the culture of trade.

Therefore, I advise you to plunge headlong and completely into the variety of bazaars in the squares, where the cries of sellers praising their goods mix with the smells of spices, fruits, the clinking of dishes and conversations in all languages ​​of the world.

Shopping and shops

Everything you want to buy can be found at the market, at a street stand, or right in the museum.

There are no large shopping centers or supermarkets in Bukhara. Here the most expensive things are made by hand: woven or fired, and then sold in their own shop next to some attraction. These include clothing, fabrics (silk and cotton, especially), and household items (pottery, ceramics and jewelry), dishes and books.

The main feature of shopping in Bukhara is bargaining. Polite and enjoyable for both sides of the purchase.

Bars. Where to go

The nightlife of Bukhara is very poor. This can probably be explained by the high religiosity of the townspeople and the fairly small town. And also the quiet hour policy, when at 23:00 all noisy establishments in the city must close.

While walking along the streets, I never once caught my eye on a “Bar” or “Nightclub” sign, but, probably, I was just looking poorly. It is quite possible that if you ask the locals, they will tell you about the nightlife of this city and give you addresses and passwords.

Souvenirs. What to bring as a gift

In general, you probably already know what to bring from Uzbekistan. But every city here, as I understand it, is valued for its artisans, and in Bukhara these are potters and ceramists.

I have never seen such beautiful handmade dishes and jugs anywhere, it’s a pity that transporting them is not always convenient. Although, oddly enough, they are very durable after firing in a kiln. In my presence, a huge lyagan (pilaf dish) was thrown onto the floor, and it remained unharmed - this is the secret of the skill!

So, if you want to bring a piece of clay Bukhara with you, it could be lyagans, mosaic tiles, a tea set of bowls (cups) and a teapot, or even small clay toys and whistles. All this is hand-painted by masters and craftswomen, the compositions of clay and paints of which are kept in the strictest confidence to this day.

When buying such souvenirs in tourist places, you cannot be sure of their quality, only of their beauty. Therefore, if you want really high-quality ceramics, then you should consult with locals who can take you to ceramics workshops, where you can not only choose and buy a gift for yourself, but also watch the process of drawing, sculpting and firing. On the market you can buy a lyagan from 5 USD, but if you buy it in a real workshop, where it will be handmade and in a single copy, then you need to prepare from 20 to 200 USD. Masters usually sell their works themselves, and not through intermediaries on the market.

This is an example of market ceramics, where the bright and stamped designs are very symmetrical and uniform.

And another small, but very memorable and fragrant souvenir from Bukhara - seasonings and spices from the oriental bazaar. Can't compare to prepackaged store bought ones! A glass of spices costs at least 0.7 USD.

How to get around the city

Getting around the city is easier and more beautiful on foot, especially in the center, but to explore the beauty of the countryside, you will have to board a taxi or bus.

Taxi. What features exist

Taxi is the most convenient and, oddly enough, cheapest way to get around Bukhara. A trip from the airport to the city center will cost approximately 2 USD, and around the city it is even cheaper. You can start trading with 1 USD.

In the city, it is customary to hail a taxi with a wave of your hand on the side of the road anywhere on the road, and when stopping, state your destination and the amount you are willing to pay. Payment is not made according to the meter, but according to this agreement and only in cash. Calling a taxi by phone is not popular, as it is more expensive.

Buses

You can travel around the city by buses on not very hot days, otherwise you simply can’t breathe there. The fare is very cheap, about 0.2 USD, but if you are not traveling alone, then you can add up the amount of your fare and get to the same place by taxi faster and more easily.

Transport rental

If you want to drive a rented car throughout Uzbekistan, then this is a completely justified waste of money. But for Bukhara alone, this is completely unnecessary: ​​you can get around the historical center on foot, and you can go to distant areas for a couple of museums by taxi or bus a couple of times.

Traffic rules in Uzbekistan are observed only in Tashkent. Further, on highways and in cities, drivers miraculously understand when to drive and when to let pedestrians pass, since although there are traffic lights, they don’t always pay attention to them. There are no security cameras, and there are no traffic cops hiding in the bushes either.

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Hotels- don’t forget to check prices from booking sites! Don't overpay. This !

Rent a Car- also an aggregation of prices from all rental companies, all in one place, let's go!

Anything to add?

In the spring of 2011, I visited Uzbekistan. In a month I crossed it from west to east, visited Muynak, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, Shakhrisabz, Termez, Tashkent, Fergana, Margilan, Kokand and Andijan. I present to your attention my mini-guide to this country.

Geography

Uzbekistan is located in the center of Central Asia. It borders in the northeast with Kyrgyzstan, in the north and northwest - with Kazakhstan, in the southwest - with Turkmenistan, in the southeast - with Tajikistan, in the south - with Afghanistan. In the east, Uzbekistan is limited by the foothills of the Tien Shan and Gissar-Alai in the south by the Amu Darya River.

It is interesting that Uzbekistan is one of two countries in the world (the other is Liechtenstein) that not only do not have access to the World Ocean, but also do not border on any country that has such access. To get from Uzbekistan to the ocean shore, you need to cross at least two borders.

Most of the country is plains. Only near the border with Tajikistan are the Gissar-Alai ridges located: the Zeravshan ridge between Samarkand and Shakhrisabz and the Gissar ridge to the south and east of Shakhrisabz. And to the northeast and east of Tashkent, on the border with Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, there are the Pskem and Chatkal ranges (belonging to the Tien Shan system), better known as the Chimgan Mountains. In the very east of the country, separated from Tashkent by the Kurama Range, lies the large and fertile Fergana Valley - the largest intermountain depression in Central Asia, surrounded by mountains on almost all sides.

Climate of Uzbekistan

The climate in Uzbekistan is sharply continental. Summers here are hot, dry and sunny, winters are cool but not too long. In January it is usually from +4 to −8 degrees Celsius, in July - from +22 to +42. It is best to come here in late spring (from April to May) or early autumn (from September to October), when the temperature is from +20 to +25. The coldest and windiest part of the country is Karakalpakstan, the warmest is Termez and the surrounding area. The difference in temperature between them can reach 10-20 degrees.

The forty-day period from the end of June to the beginning of August is called “chilla” in Uzbekistan. At this time, during the day the temperature can be above +50, and at night it does not fall below +30. It is better not to visit the country at this time.

Population of Uzbekistan

The population of Uzbekistan is 29 million people. Of these, 51.4% live in cities, and 48.6% in rural areas.

During the Soviet years, people from other union republics (mostly Russians) came to Uzbekistan. In the 1990s, many of them left the country. Today, Uzbeks make up 84% of the population, Russians and other Slavs - 4.5%, Tajiks - 4.5%, Kazakhs - 2.5%. Many Russians live in Tashkent and Fergana, many Tajiks live in Samarkand and Bukhara. In the west of Uzbekistan live the Karakalpaks, a Turkic-speaking people close to the Kazakhs. They have their own national autonomy - the Republic of Karakalpakstan. The total number of Karakalpaks in the country is small - only 2%.

Languages

The official language of the country is Uzbek. It is a Turkic language and is closest to the Uyghur language spoken in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. Initially, the Uzbek language used the Arabic alphabet; during the Soviet years it was translated first into the Latin alphabet and then into the Cyrillic alphabet. With independence in the early 1990s, the authorities began to translate the language back into the Latin alphabet, but the process was delayed. Today, two alphabets operate in parallel in the country - Cyrillic and Latin. There are more official inscriptions (placards with street names, road signs, city maps) in Latin, and more popular inscriptions (inscriptions on minibuses, price tags in markets, signs for shops and restaurants) in Cyrillic. There are many signs and inscriptions in Russian. Approximately 2/3 of the residents of Uzbekistan speak Russian fluently, and the rest know certain words and phrases. People speak Russian best in Tashkent, worst in rural areas and small towns.

Since there are many Tajiks living in the country, their language is also very popular. For example, in Bukhara and Samarkand, Tajik has almost replaced Russian as the language of interethnic communication: many Uzbeks and Russians know it.

Religions

In Uzbekistan, Sunni Islam is traditionally practiced. After independence, the number of adherents of Islam increased, but still religion does not have a serious impact on the life of society. The most secular cities in the country are Tashkent and Fergana, the most religious are small towns and villages in the Fergana Valley and Central Uzbekistan. Russians in Uzbekistan are not very religious, although many adhere to Orthodoxy. In some cities, pre-revolutionary churches have been preserved.

Entry into Uzbekistan

G Russian citizens do not need a visa to visit Uzbekistan, but they do need a foreign passport. Also, citizens of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine can enter the country without a visa.

You can import foreign currency into Uzbekistan without restrictions. Uzbek soums can be moved across the border (import and export) only within the limits of 50 minimum wages (50 thousand soums x 50 = 2.5 million soums). You can export currency within the amount imported into the country.

In addition, you can import no more than 1 thousand cigarettes and 1.5 liters of alcoholic beverages into the country.

Any currency you have, be it rubles, dollars, Uzbek sums or any other money, must be declared upon entry.

Take two declaration forms from the customs officers and fill them out, indicating the currency and the most valuable things (laptop, photo or video camera, etc. - preferably indicating the specific model, as well as the approximate cost). One copy will remain with the customs officer upon entry, the second (on which he will put a stamp) you will keep until the end of the trip. When leaving, you will need to fill out another declaration form and give two copies to the customs officer for comparison.

Be careful and include in the declaration the entire amount, down to kopecks, cents, etc. Customs officers often find fault with travelers who have forgotten to indicate any currency they have. The problem is that the form has only three lines to indicate the currency. If you have more, add numbers 4, 5, 6, etc. at the bottom and indicate the corresponding types of currency. If there is no space in this section, you can use the “Other valuables and products” section.

As a rule, customs officers at the entrance and exit X-ray things, ask to see the contents of the backpack and count the available currency. All this can take several hours, so don't expect to get through the Uzbek border quickly.

Previously, Uzbek customs officers had an extremely liberal attitude towards the law: they could extort money, try to “seize” valuables and otherwise violate the law. Fortunately, their harmful activity has decreased in recent years, but you still need to be on alert at the border. Be careful and serious about going through Uzbek customs.

Registration

A foreigner must register in Uzbekistan if he stays in the country for more than three working days (holidays and weekends are not counted). The registration procedure is regulated by a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which contains the annex “Rules for the stay of foreign citizens and stateless persons in the Republic of Uzbekistan.” It is quite vague and non-specific, but in Uzbekistan there has been a certain tradition of issuing this very registration.

So, you can register in several ways.

The most difficult way is to go with a citizen of Uzbekistan to the migration service. You will need to bring copies of your passport and the passport of the homeowner, a number of documents (it is better to check the list in advance), fill out several forms and pay a fee (about $5 for CIS citizens). Do not forget to make a copy of your passport for yourself, since the migration service will take the original and will not issue any certificates. In a few days you will receive the coveted registration, which is a stamp in your passport.

The second way is to spend the night in hotels that do the registration themselves. This method is chosen by most travelers. Not all hotels can accept and register foreigners, but only those that have a special license, but fortunately, almost all major cities have “licensed” hotels, including inexpensive ones, where they can accommodate and register you. Hotel employees should give you a receipt for payment, which will be your registration. Most hotels provide free registration.

If you have an unregistered break in your trip (for example, your last registration expired on the 15th, and you only received a new one on the 17th), there seems to be nothing wrong with that. Although the law does not give an unambiguous interpretation on this matter, the police usually do not find fault with this. However, prepare a convincing explanation just in case. Like, “drove all night by car,” “spent the night on the shore of the lake in a tent,” “waited until the morning at the train station,” etc.

The third way is to structure your trip so that you leave the country every three working days. You can completely skip Uzbekistan during this period, but for a full inspection of this country, of course, three working days will not be enough.

The law does not clearly state from what day the countdown of the day required to obtain registration begins, but according to established practice, border guards and police do not count the day of entry. That is, if you checked in on Monday, you can check out on Thursday, and if you checked in on Thursday, you can check out on Tuesday (weekends don’t count).

Proponents of ultra-budget travel who do not want to spend money on hotels can cross the border every three working days and immediately come back. This can be done in Andijan (close to the Kyrgyz border), Kokand (border with Tajikistan), Denau (border with Tajikistan), and most conveniently in Tashkent (the border with Kazakhstan is located on the northern outskirts of the city).

Well, I’ll add that lack of registration is “failure to comply with the established procedure for temporary or permanent registration.” It is punishable by a fine of 50 to 100 times the minimum wage, or deportation from the country (Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Administrative Liability, Art. 225). The minimum wage in Uzbekistan since December 1, 2010 is almost 50 thousand soums, respectively, for lack of registration you can officially be charged 2.5-5 million soums (about 1000-2000 dollars). Be careful, there are cases where people were actually forced to pay such huge sums!

How to get to Uzbekistan

By plane. The easiest way to fly from Moscow is to Tashkent. Several airlines operate on this route, so finding a ticket for the desired date will not be difficult. Aeroflot, Transaero and Uzbekistan Airways fly to Tashkent from Moscow. Tickets from Moscow to Tashkent and back cost approximately 20 thousand rubles.

Uzbekistan Airways does not sell tickets directly online. Contacts of representative offices in Moscow and other cities can be found on their official website www.uzairways.com

By train. Trains run to Tashkent from Moscow, Chelyabinsk, Ufa, Novosibirsk, Kharkov, Saratov and St. Petersburg. The last two trains travel through western Uzbekistan and pass through Nukus and Samarkand.

In addition, Tajik trains pass through the territory of Uzbekistan Moscow- Dushanbe, Moscow - Kulyab and Saratov - Khujand. True, in Uzbekistan they make “technical stops”, so you cannot buy a ticket to Uzbek stations, but you can buy tickets to Tajikistan and just get off in Uzbekistan. In this case, you will, of course, greatly overpay, but if there are no other options, this option is suitable. The train travels from Moscow to Tashkent for almost three days. A ticket for a reserved seat carriage costs almost 7 thousand rubles, which is not much cheaper than a plane ticket.

All trains go through the territory of Kazakhstan, so get ready for long waits at the border, visits from border guards and customs officers and other troubles.

By bus or car. Russia does not border Uzbekistan, but there are two main roads going there through Kazakhstan: the first is Atyrau (which can be reached from Saratov or Samara via Uralsk, or directly from Astrakhan) - Beineu - Kungrad; the second - Aktyubinsk (which can be reached from Orenburg or Orsk) - Kyzylorda - Turkestan - Chimkent - Tashkent. The first leads to the western part of the country, the second to the capital of Uzbekistan. From Western Siberia you can travel through the main Kazakh highway Astana (or Pavlodar) - Karaganda - Alma-Ata. Only, before reaching Almaty, in the area of ​​the village of Burubaital (the southern tip of Lake Balkhash), you will need to turn left to Taraz and Chimkent.

Officially, there are no direct bus flights from Russia to Uzbekistan, but there are irregularly running private buses for guest workers and shuttle workers, which you can look for in the market of your city.

Around the country

By plane. Tashkent is connected by air to all regional centers of the country. Flights are operated by the state-owned monopoly company Uzbekistan Airways (O’zbekiston havo yo’llari). The official website of the airline is www.uzairways.com. True, it is not particularly useful for a traveler: you cannot buy a ticket there, or even find out the tariffs, you can only look at the current schedule.

From Tashkent, planes fly to the following cities: Andijan, Bukhara, Fergana, Karshi, Namangan, Navoi, Nukus, Samarkand, Termez, Urgench. Here are approximate prices for flights from Tashkent (one way prices): Andijan - 70 thousand soums ($30), Bukhara - 77 thousand soums ($32), Termez - 87 thousand soums ($36), Urgench - 120 thousand soums ($50), Nukus - 110 thousand soums ($46). A round-trip ticket costs twice as much as a one-way ticket.

Tickets for domestic flights can be purchased both at any airline office in the country and at the airline’s representative office abroad. In Tashkent, tickets are sold at the main air services agency near the railway station (Amir Temur ko'chasi st., 51, tel. 140 48 10, 8.00-13.00, 14.00-19.00). Contacts of Uzbek Airlines representative offices in other cities can be found on the company’s website.

By train. Uzbekistan has a well-developed railway connection: almost all major cities of the country are connected by railways. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, some branches ended up abroad. For example, sections on the Kungrad-Navoi and Karshi-Termez lines remained on the territory of Turkmenistan, and the road from the central part of the country to the Fergana Valley remained on the territory of Tajikistan. However, the authorities have built new railways, so that it is possible to travel from central Uzbekistan to Kungrad and Termez without entering Turkmenistan. Only there is no railway to the Fergana Valley yet, and due to the difficult terrain it is unlikely to be built in the foreseeable future. The Tashkent-Andijan and Bukhara-Andijan trains running through Tajikistan were canceled in 2010, so it is impossible to get to the Fergana Valley by train.

The official website of Uzbek Railways is www.uzrailway.uz. For a traveler, it is almost useless, since you cannot buy tickets there. However, you can see the schedule of all Uzbek trains at www.uzrailway.uz/rus_p_6.html. In addition, a tourist may find the website www.uzrailpass.uz useful, where current prices for travel on Uzbek trains are posted.

Train prices in Uzbekistan are tied to the Swiss franc exchange rate and change (usually increase) every week. The cost of travel in a reserved seat car is approximately 4000-6000 soums (1.7-2.5 dollars) per 100 km of travel.

You can buy a ticket at ticket offices at train stations or offices selling train tickets (sold at a small premium) right on the day of departure, but if you are going to travel on the weekend, it is better to take care of this in advance. Uzbek Railways is part of the Express system, and theoretically tickets for them can be bought in Russia: at railway ticket offices and on the Internet (on the website ticket.rzd.ru). True, tickets for Uzbek trains are sold in Russia with a markup of 30-50%. As in Russia, train tickets in Uzbekistan are personalized. They can only be purchased with a passport, and the conductor checks the passengers' documents upon boarding.

The interiors of Uzbek carriages are not much different from Russian ones. As in Russia, there are compartment, reserved seat and general carriages. There are express trains "Registan" (Tashkent - Samarkand), "Shark" (Tashkent - Bukhara) and "Nasaf" (Tashkent - Karshi), which travel at an average speed of more than 100 km/h. They usually have seats and two categories of carriages: first and second class. The classes differ only in the presence of a TV and some other useless amenities. The fare in second class is approximately the same as in a reserved seat carriage on a long-distance train.

By bus and taxi. Uzbek buses are the cheapest in the entire former Soviet Union. This property more than compensates for the chaos and confusion that reigns in the bus service.

Large and quite comfortable buses (most often Mercedes) run over long distances (more than 200 km). Thanks to the flat terrain, they travel quite quickly: for example, from Tashkent to Samarkand (310 km) you can travel in 4 hours, and from Tashkent to Bukhara (620 km) in 8 hours. In some areas (for example, between Bukhara and Nukus) the speed is noticeably reduced. Since buses are prohibited from traveling at night in Uzbekistan, they usually depart in the morning in order to be there by evening. If the distance is not too far (for example, from Tashkent to Samarkand), as a rule, there are several flights during the day. Bus station buildings in Uzbekistan are empty and abandoned, and only on the platform in front of them are buses waiting for passengers.

There is something like an official schedule, but it is often not followed. Sometimes there is additional transport that is not indicated in any schedule: the bus owner simply arrives at the bus station, hangs a sign on the bus with the name of the city and invites customers. Only Tashkent - Samarkand flights leave strictly on schedule, and tickets for them can even be bought at the ticket office. In all other cases, payment is made directly on the bus.

On short and suburban routes (the concept of short and suburban transportation includes all distances less than 200 km - for example, only minibuses run in the Fergana Valley, and there are no large buses), small Isuzu buses and Damas minibuses run. They are sent as they are full from morning to mid-day (after 15-16 hours they will be difficult to find). Damas is a symbol of the Uzbek automobile industry, cheap, but very uncomfortable. This is a minibus less than three and a half meters long and less than one and a half meters wide. It accommodates the driver and seven passengers. Even a thin person without luggage will feel cramped here. The doors open on both sides.

Prices for transportation in large buses are 3000-3500 soums (1.25 - 1.5 dollars) per 100 km of travel. On minibuses, the fare varies from 2,000 to 4,000 soums (0.8 - 1.7 dollars) per 100 km.

Another popular way to travel around Uzbekistan is intercity group taxis. If you want to get somewhere quickly, it is better to use this transport. And in some directions (for example, where the road goes through a mountain pass) there is no alternative to them: for example, from Samarkand to Shakhrisabz or from Tashkent to the Fergana Valley you can only get with the help of such a taxi.

Group taxis depart from a place popularly called "pyatak". For example, in all cities of the Fergana Valley there is a Tashkent nickel - a place from which taxis depart to the capital. The cost of travel in a group taxi is 5-10 thousand soums (2-4 dollars) per 100 km. This is more expensive than taking an Uzbek bus, but by Russian standards it is still inexpensive (cheaper, for example, than taking an intercity bus in Russia). If minibuses and taxis go in the same direction, their prices usually differ by half.

You need to keep in mind that taxis do not travel long distances. Let's say, from Tashkent to Bukhara you will need to take three taxis: Tashkent - Samarkand, Samarkand - Navoi and Navoi - Bukhara. It’s better to leave in the morning: then there is more choice of taxis, and passengers quickly fill up. After lunch, you will have to wait a long time for other passengers, and the taxi driver, taking advantage of the situation, may ask for a large amount.

Urban transport. In most cities there is no civilized bus service. Large city buses are only available in Tashkent. The main type of urban transport in Uzbekistan is Isuzu and Damas minibuses. The fare is 300-600 soums. Payment to the driver or conductor.

Tashkent is the only city in Central Asia that has a metro system. It has been operating since 1977 and consists of three lines.

Electric transport in the entire country exists in only two places: in Tashkent there are several tram routes, and between Urgench and Khiva there is a trolleybus line created in 1997.

“...but there are private buses that run irregularly for guest workers and shuttle workers” - I wouldn’t recommend this type of travel at all, because you still have to go through 3 days on a train, and an illegal bus... it’s terrible...
“City taxis in Uzbekistan are quite cheap” - but the price, oddly enough, is different for everyone; for foreigners or decently dressed people, it will be higher...
But in general, Samarkand and Bukhara really have something to see there.
And it’s still better to go there in the spring. Everything has been in bloom since mid-March.
In autumn, for the most part, Uzbekistan looks lifeless

Informative! Thank you! I didn’t even know about some points...)