Uzbekistan in 2026 is easier to visit than ever: citizens of around 90 countries — including the whole EU, the UK, Japan and South Korea — can enter visa-free for up to 30 days, the Afrosiyob high-speed train links Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara in a few hours, and new hotels keep opening along the Silk Road. Here is what has changed, from a licensed local tour operator working on the ground.
Citizens of around 90 countries can enter Uzbekistan without a visa for up to 30 days, among them all EU member states, the UK, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Turkey and the UAE. Most other nationalities can apply for an electronic visa on the official portal e-visa.gov.uz, usually issued within a few working days. Rules change, so always check the current list before booking.
Local tip: carry a printed hotel confirmation when crossing land borders (for example from Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan) — border officers sometimes ask for it. Guests travelling with GoUzbekistan receive full booking documents and, where a nationality needs one, visa support.
Tashkent International Airport is served by Uzbekistan Airways and a growing list of foreign carriers, with direct routes from Istanbul, Dubai, several European capitals, Seoul, and a fast-growing number of Chinese cities. Samarkand, Bukhara and Urgench (for Khiva) also receive international flights, which makes open-jaw itineraries easy — arrive in Tashkent, fly home from Samarkand or Urgench.
The Afrosiyob train covers Tashkent–Samarkand in roughly 2 to 2.5 hours and Samarkand–Bukhara in about 1.5 hours. In spring and autumn the best departures sell out early — book 2–3 weeks ahead, or let us hold the seats for you as part of a tour.
👉 Our VIP Uzbekistan 7-Day Tour includes Afrosiyob tickets and private transfers.
The capital is the gateway for most travellers and deserves more than an overnight stop: the metro stations are underground palaces, Chorsu bazaar is the best introduction to Uzbek food, and the Hazrati Imam complex houses one of the oldest Qur’an manuscripts in the world.
The Registan, Shah-i-Zinda, Gur-e-Amir and Bibi-Khanym remain the heart of any trip. Evening is the best time for the Registan: the square is lit, the heat is gone and the day-trip crowds have left.
Bukhara’s old town is compact and walkable: the Poi Kalyan ensemble, the Ark fortress, the trading domes and Lyabi-Hauz are all within a short walk of each other. Boutique hotels in restored merchant houses are the best way to stay here, for example Reikartz Modarixon Bukhara.
Local tip: visit the Toki-Zargaron jewellers’ dome early in the morning, before tour groups arrive — craftsmen have time to talk and show their work.
Ichan-Kala, the walled inner city, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and best experienced at sunset from the city walls. Stay inside or right next to the walls so you can walk the empty streets after dark.
More on every destination: cities of Uzbekistan.
GoUzbekistan (Lochin Express Plyus LLC, licence No. 662280) is a licensed local tour operator with offices in Tashkent and Bukhara, working since 2007. We handle everything: airport transfers, Afrosiyob train tickets, hotels, private guides and custom routes.
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