Zaamin at 100: Uzbekistan's Oldest Nature Reserve Above the Silk Road

High above the cotton fields and the caravan cities, the air turns cool and smells of resin. Ancient juniper trees — some said to be more than a thousand years old — cling to the slopes of the Turkestan Range, and at dawn the only sound is a mountain stream and the call of a distant bird. This is Zaamin, and in 2026 it turns one hundred.

Created in 1926 as the Guralash reserve, Zaamin is the oldest nature reserve in Uzbekistan. A century later, the adjoining Zaamin National Park — often called "the Switzerland of Uzbekistan" — is one of the most rewarding ways to add wild mountain country to a classic Silk Road journey.

Zaamin National Park: Uzbekistan's mountain escape beyond the Silk Road cities

Most travellers know Uzbekistan for Samarkand's Registan, Bukhara's old town and walled Khiva. Far fewer know that the country's east rises into real mountains. In the Zomin district of Jizzakh region, the northern slopes of the Turkestan Range are cloaked in archa (juniper) forest, among the most extensive in Central Asia, cut by gorges, alpine meadows and clear streams.

The reserve itself is strictly protected, while the national park beside it welcomes visitors with walking trails, viewpoints, guesthouses and a long-established mountain sanatorium tradition. Wildlife includes Siberian ibex and a rich birdlife, and the night skies are some of the darkest you will find within reach of the Silk Road cities.

Hiking, yurts and clean mountain air: things to do in Zaamin

• Juniper forest walks — easy to moderate trails through centuries-old archa trees, with views across the Turkestan Range.
• Mountain picnics and village hospitality — fresh bread, honey and dairy from the valleys, served with green tea in the open air.
• Stargazing and photography — crisp autumn nights and golden-hour light on the ridges.
• Wellness — Zaamin's cool, clean air has drawn visitors to its sanatoria for generations.

Autumn is a beautiful time to go: the summer heat has faded, the skies are clear and the lower valleys glow with changing colours around the evergreen juniper slopes. Pack a warm layer for evenings.

How to add Zaamin to your Uzbekistan tour — and why 2026 is the year

Zaamin sits between Tashkent and Samarkand, which makes it a natural two-day mountain break on a Tashkent–Samarkand–Bukhara–Khiva route. Uzbekistan has never been easier to reach: the country now offers visa-free entry to citizens of 94 countries, and it recorded 9.1 million visits by foreign nationals in the first eight months of 2026 — up more than 21% year on year — with travellers staying longer and venturing further beyond the classic cities.

That is exactly where Zaamin shines: a centenary landscape, still quiet, that turns a sightseeing trip into a journey. Combine it with the Afrosiyob high-speed train to Samarkand and a few nights in Bukhara's old town, and you have Uzbekistan's cities and wilderness in a single week or ten days.

Plan it with GoUzbekistan — a licensed local operator since 2007

GoUzbekistan is the travel brand of Lochin Express Plyus LLC, operating since 2007 and licensed as a tour operator (licence No. 662280) by Uzbekistan's Committee for Tourism Development. From our base in Bukhara we design private, flexible routes that blend the great Silk Road monuments with places like Zaamin that most itineraries miss.

Celebrate Zaamin's hundredth year in person: create your own custom tour or explore our tours and let us add the mountains to your Silk Road.

Plan your Uzbekistan trip — in your language

العربية — جبال زامين وطريق الحرير

اجمع بين السياحة في أوزبكستان ومدن طريق الحرير مثل سمرقند وبخارى، وبين هواء جبال زامين النقي وغابات العرعر العريقة. صمّم رحلتك الخاصة الآن.

Deutsch — Usbekistan Reise mit Bergen

Ergänzen Sie Ihre Seidenstraße Rundreise durch Samarkand und Buchara um den Zaamin-Nationalpark, Usbekistans ältestes Naturschutzgebiet – 100 Jahre alt. Entdecken Sie unsere Usbekistan-Reisen.

Español — Viajes a Uzbekistán entre montañas

Une la Ruta de la Seda — Samarcanda y Bujará — con los bosques de enebros del Parque Nacional de Zaamin, la reserva natural más antigua de Uzbekistán. Diseña tu viaje a medida.

Français — Voyage en Ouzbékistan côté montagne

Associez Samarcande, Boukhara et la Route de la Soie à l'air pur de Zaamin, la plus ancienne réserve naturelle d'Ouzbékistan, qui fête ses 100 ans. Découvrez nos circuits.

中文 — 乌兹别克斯坦旅游：扎敏国家公园

在撒马尔罕和布哈拉感受丝绸之路之外，走进乌兹别克斯坦最古老的自然保护区——扎敏，2026年迎来百年纪念，千年刺柏林与清新山风等您来。立即定制您的专属行程。

Русский — Туры в Узбекистан: горы Заамина

Дополните путешествие по Шёлковому пути — Самарканд и Бухара — горным отдыхом в Заамине, старейшем заповеднике Узбекистана, которому в 2026 году исполняется 100 лет. Выберите тур в Узбекистан.