Ski the Silk Road: Amirsoy, Uzbekistan's Alpine Winter Near Tashkent

Can you go skiing in Uzbekistan? Yes. Amirsoy Mountain Resort, opened in December 2019 in the Western Tian Shan about 65 km east of Tashkent, offers 15 km of groomed slopes between roughly 1,630 and 2,290 metres, with snowmaking that supports a season of up to 100–120 days a year. It is about a 90-minute drive from Tashkent International Airport, which makes a ski week easy to combine with Samarkand and Bukhara.

Picture the morning: an eight-seat gondola lifting you out of a valley of juniper and snow, the peaks of the Chatkal Range turning pink above you, and somewhere below, the city that once welcomed Silk Road caravans. By afternoon you can be back in Tashkent over a steaming bowl of lagman. That contrast — Alpine powder in the morning, blue domes by the end of the week — is what makes a winter trip to Uzbekistan unlike anything else on the map.

Skiing in Uzbekistan: Amirsoy, the modern resort in the Western Tian Shan

Amirsoy was conceived in 2017 and opened officially in December 2019. It covers around 900 hectares on the northern slope of Maygashkan Mountain, part of the Chatkal Range in the Western Tian Shan — a mountain region inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lonely Planet once called it "next-season St Moritz", and the resort is today the largest ski area in the country.

According to the resort, there are 15 km of slopes with 660 metres of vertical drop. The longest run, "Papa", stretches 3,550 metres from the summit area; "Charlie" follows the ridge for more than three kilometres. Most terrain suits beginners and confident intermediates, and there is a dedicated ski academy area for first-timers. The resort also describes very dry snow thanks to cold night temperatures — a pleasant surprise for skiers used to heavy, wet Alpine snow late in the season.

Austrian-style lifts on the Silk Road: what German-speaking skiers will recognise

German-speaking guests often say Amirsoy feels strangely familiar. The lift system comes from the names every Alpine skier knows: Doppelmayr gondolas and a chairlift, conveyor lifts by Sunkid, snowmaking by TechnoAlpin and grooming by PistenBully. The main eight-person gondola climbs to 2,290 metres above sea level — and it runs all year round, so travellers visiting this autumn can already ride it for views across the Tian Shan.

Accommodation at the foot of the slopes includes Le Chalet by Amirsoy, a village of wooden chalets with open fireplaces close to the lifts. If you prefer to stay in the capital and ski on day trips, a hotel such as the Courtyard Tashkent keeps you in the capital, with its restaurants and museums, between mountain days.

Usbekistan Reise in winter: ski week plus Samarkand and Bukhara

Winter is the quiet season in the Silk Road cities, and that is exactly why it rewards curious travellers. With fewer visitors in the madrasahs, you can stand alone beneath the Registan's portals, wander Bukhara's old town in crisp, clear light and warm up in tea houses with fresh tandoor bread. A classic combination is three or four days of skiing at Amirsoy, followed by the train to Samarkand and Bukhara.

For travellers who want mountains beyond the ski slopes, our Tian Shan mountain tour is a good starting point, and our VIP 7-day tour of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva can be extended with Amirsoy days at the beginning or end.

Visa-free and easy to plan

Citizens of Germany, Austria and Switzerland can visit Uzbekistan visa-free for up to 30 days, and citizens of around 90 countries now enjoy visa-free entry. That leaves plenty of time for a week on the slopes and a week on the Silk Road.

GoUzbekistan is a licensed tour operator with offices in Tashkent and Bukhara, operating since 2007. We arrange airport transfers, ski days or chalet stays at Amirsoy, rail tickets between the cities and German- or English-speaking guides on request. Create your own custom tour or explore our tours — and plan a winter that starts in fresh powder and ends under turquoise domes. Questions? WhatsApp +998 93 963-00-00 or info@gouzbekistan.com.

Plan your Uzbekistan trip — in your language

العربية

السياحة في أوزبكستان شتاءً: تزلّج في منتجع أميرسوي على جبال تيان شان على بعد نحو 90 دقيقة من طشقند، ثم رحلة إلى سمرقند وبخارى على طريق الحرير. مواطنو نحو 90 دولة يدخلون دون تأشيرة. صمّم رحلتك الخاصة

Deutsch

Ihre Usbekistan Reise im Winter: Skifahren in Amirsoy mit Doppelmayr-Gondel bis 2.290 Meter, danach eine Seidenstraße Rundreise nach Samarkand und Buchara. Deutsche, Österreicher und Schweizer reisen bis zu 30 Tage visumfrei ein. Jetzt Reise planen

Español

Viajes a Uzbekistán en invierno: esquí en Amirsoy, en las montañas de Tian Shan, y después la Ruta de la Seda hasta Samarcanda y Bujará, con monumentos casi sin turistas. Diseña tu viaje

Français

Un voyage Ouzbékistan en hiver : ski à Amirsoy dans le Tian Shan, à environ 90 minutes de Tachkent, puis la Route de la Soie jusqu'à Samarcande et Boukhara dans une lumière d'hiver limpide. Créez votre voyage

中文

乌兹别克斯坦旅游冬季新玩法：在天山脚下的阿米尔索伊滑雪度假村滑雪，再沿丝绸之路前往撒马尔罕和布哈拉，感受安静的冬日古城。定制您的行程

Русский

Туры в Узбекистан зимой: горнолыжный курорт Амирсой в Западном Тянь-Шане, а затем Шёлковый путь — Самарканд и Бухара без толп туристов. Создайте свой тур