Since ancient times, Uzbekistan has been in the center of Great Silk Road and has a great historical, cultural and architectural heritage.

By Sher Karimov
Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva are the brands of the ancient culture of the East. The landscapes of mountains and deserts of Uzbekistan attract attention and admiration of the Internet community. Therefore, the tourism potential of this country can hardly be overestimated and the government is making significant efforts to develop it.

Tourism in Uzbekistan has always drawn people from far and wide. For anyone who knows about the country, this is easy to understand - bright colours, intricate patterns, rich flavours, and friendly people await every visitor. Traces remain of great empires that have long since been blown away by the sands of time, while modern life evolves in new directions.

This landlocked Central Asian nation offers more than a single person can explore in a lifetime. Whether you crave a night in the soothing serenity of a remote mountain village or a walk through the streets of history, Uzbekistan will not disappoint. Uzbekistan tourism is all about exploring what you’re interested in, and you’ll be sure to find it here!

While a strong focus is placed on Uzbekistan’s capital city and UNESCO World Heritage sites in Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, there’s so much more to this country. Try a new dish, like the exotic green noodles of Khiva known as shivit oshi, or learn how the masters of Margilan make the intricate silk patterns for ikat textiles. Maybe you want to go completely off the grid with a night in a traditional desert yurt to experience how nomads have lived for centuries, or into half-forgotten oasis cities that fed the caravans of the Silk Road as they crossed the continent.

There’s just no substitute for experiencing Uzbekistan for yourself. No photo can capture the scale of the vast Kyzylkum Desert or the warmth of a traditional meal cooked by a local family, tasting of spices and the comfort of home. Uzbekistan is so unlike anything you’ve experienced before that it’s guaranteed to leave you with amazing lifetime memories.

Uzbekistan Tourism: Safety and Security

With a country name ending in the ominous ‘-stan’, safety is the first question on many people’s minds when it comes to Uzbekistan travel. If security is your main concern, let us assuage your fears! Uzbekistan is a safe and tourist-friendly country that opens its arms to travelers the world over. Consider the following:

• The 2019 Solo Travel Safety Report ranked Uzbekistan as one of the top 5 safest nations in the world to visit. This includes independent female travelers, who overwhelmingly report feeling safe while in country.
• Threat of terrorism and violent crime is extremely low, while statistics for petty crime remain much lower than in most major tourist destinations.
• Policemen and border patrol agents have shown a very positive stance towards foreigners and tourists in recent years, and most are eager to make you feel at ease and provide assistance as needed
• People in Uzbekistan remain very welcoming towards tourists and will often going out of their way to assist a guest in need. In fact, a warm reception by the gentle and hospitable people of Uzbekistan is one of the factors that endear the country to many. 

Andijan weather is not much different from the weather in the whole valley. Mild winters, during which minus temperatures are not so common, can occasionally change with a sharp cooling. At such moments, you always need to have warm things in stock. Fortunately, this does not happen often, and if it does, then a maximum of a couple of days.

The Ferghana Valley is famous for its handicraft workshops. And it’s not just that! The most frequent gifts from Andijan are pottery, woodwork and, of course, weaving artworks - Khan Atlas, Adras and Silk. If you spend a little precious time and go to the city of Shahrikhan, which is not far from Andijan, then you will fall into paradise for a knife lover. All knives are made there exclusively by hand, and the quality of their manufacture is famous throughout the country. Prices vary by material, hardening method and name of the master. When buying knives and other souvenir cutting works of local art, do not forget to take a certificate from the master confirming that it is a souvenir.