Registan Square, Samarkand
Hotel Uzbekistan, Tashkent
Woodworking Workshop in Khiva
Gulshan Farmers Market in Khiva
Timetables are at the time of visit.
Day 1
Tokyo Narita 0900 (Asiana Airlines OZ107) > Seoul Incheon 1130
Seoul Incheon 1635 (Asiana Airlines OZ573) > Tashkent 2015
Accommodation: Hotel Uzbekistan
Day 1 Tips
・I was not sure if I could trust it, but this year, the ride-hailing app Yandex Go allowed to select in front of the Terminal 2 International Arrivals Building of Tashkent Airport as a pickup location. It appears the airport had a dedicated lane for ride-hailing apps. There were a few taxi touts this year, and since I did not want to deal with them, I quickly made my way to the Departure Building where I knew my way around.
・I finally stayed at the “Hotel Uzbekistan,” which still kept a distinct Soviet-era atmosphere. It certainly has a unique charm.
Day 2
Tashkent
・Chorsu Bazaar
Tashkent Central Station 08:55 (Train #716) > Samarkand 12:26
Samarkand
・Siyob Bazaar
・Bibi-Khanym Mosque
・Registan Square
Accommodation: Sangzor Boutique Hotel
Day 2 Tips
・Since I could not get a train leaving Tashkent around 2:00 p.m., I took an express train leaving Tashkent late in the morning. I still wanted to visit the Chorsu Bazaar, so I got up early. Apparently, the market officially opened around 8:00 a.m.; but vegetable market and bakery, where I wanted to see, were already open early in the morning.
・While I was seeing bakeries in the Chorsu Bazaar, perhaps because it was too early for tourists, a baker sold me a single slice of freshly baked bread and even filmed the oven. It was the most delicious bread I have ever had.
Day 3
Samarkand
・Guri Amir Mausoleum
・Shahi-Zinda
・Hazrat Khizr Mosque
・Registan Square
Dinner: Emirhan Restaurant
Day 4
Shahrisabz
・Ak-Saray Palace
・Abdushukur Agalik Madrasa
・Dorut Tilawat Complex
Samarkand
・Registan Square
・Shahi-Zinda
Dinner: Labi G’or
Days 3–4 Tips
・I asked the hotel in Samarkand to arrange a taxi to Shahrisabz. The round trip takes about 7 hours, including a 2.5–3-hour stay there.
・Perhaps because it was during the Asian Development Bank conference, Registan Square was crowded at night. Even so, I decided to try taking a photo of the Square with no people in it. I failed on the first attempt but succeeded on the second. The Square closes at midnight, but visitors are asked to leave around 11:50 p.m., so staying until the very end doesn’t guarantee seeing the Square empty (although it worked last year). The miraculous moment lasted only two minutes, starting around 11:47 p.m. After that, visitors began emerging from the inside of three madrasahs, forcing me to end the shoot.
Day 5
Samarkand around 3:00 a.m. (train) > Khiva around 12:30 p.m.
Accommodation: Isakhoja Boutique Hotel
Day 5 Tips
・It seems difficult to exchange Uzbek sum back into original currencies, but the train experience reminded me that it was important to have cash on hand just in case. By the way, credit card transactions often automatically add a surcharge, it is probably still better than exchanging cash.
・On sleeper trains, the lower berths are definitely the way to go. Even if two people traveling in a four-person compartment, think it is better to take two lower berths. Due to the structure of the train cars, the upper berths shake more and tend to keep heat. I never thought the science I learned in school would be proven in a place like this.
・Yandex is available in Khiva as well, but I got the impression there are not many vehicles.
Days 6–7
Khiva
・Itchan Kala
Dinner:
・Mirza Bashi Tea House
・Terrassa Cafe and Restaurant
Days 6–7 Tips
・If photography is the main focus, need to plan carefully.
・I found the Watch Tower to be the best spot for viewing the cityscape.
・Terrassa Cafe and Restaurant is absolutely exquisite around sunset. Both the food and the night view are wonderful.
Day 8
Khiva
・Gulshan Farmers Market
Urgench 1615 (Uzbekistan Airways HY56) > Tashkent Terminal 3 1735
Tashkent Terminal 2 21:55 (Asiana Airlines OZ574) > Incheon 08:15+
Day 8 Tips
・Need to use Yandex to move from Tashkent Domestic Terminal 3 to Tashkent International Terminal 2 as there is no bus service.
・I hailed a Yandex taxi in Khiva to visit a local wet market. As expected, tourists do not go there, I attracted quite a bit of attention. There is also a supermarket nearby.
Day 9
Seoul Incheon 12:20 (Asiana Airlines OZ104) > Tokyo Narita 14:55