Is there wine tourism in Uzbekistan? Yes. On 14–15 October 2026, the Surkhandarya region hosts a festival dedicated to wine tourism and national cuisine at the Khodjaipok sanatorium in Altynsay district, with tastings, a gastronomic exhibition and a cultural programme. In Samarkand, the Khovrenko winery traces its history back to 1868.
Picture a late-autumn afternoon in the far south of Uzbekistan: vines heavy with the last grapes, the foothills turning copper, tandoor bread cooling on a wooden table, a glass poured as the sun drops behind the mountains. This is a side of the Silk Road few travellers know — and in October it opens its doors.
According to UzDaily, the festival on 14–15 October will introduce visitors to the region's grape-growing and winemaking traditions, its national gastronomic heritage, local products and crafts. The programme includes a gastronomic exhibition with tastings, presentations on the development of wine tourism and a national cultural and creative programme, along with meetings between tourism professionals, entrepreneurs and partners. Particular attention will be given to the tourism potential of the Surkhandarya region.
Surkhandarya is Uzbekistan's southernmost region, home to Termez and some of the oldest Buddhist and Islamic sites on the Silk Road. Combining the festival with a few days of history makes for a journey that feels both rare and deeply rooted.
Wine on the Silk Road is not a novelty. The Khovrenko winery in Samarkand traces its origins to 1868, when merchant Dmitry Filatov planted vineyards and began making wine just outside the city. It later took the name of Mikhail Khovrenko, a pioneering wine scientist who developed many of its classic recipes. Today the winery houses a winemaking museum telling this story, and visitors can join a tasting of local wines and brandies.
A tasting fits beautifully at the end of a day among Samarkand's turquoise domes — a gentle counterpoint to the Registan, Gur-e-Amir and Shah-i-Zinda. Our Taste of the Great Silk Road tour is built around exactly this kind of discovery: markets, home kitchens, bakeries and the flavours that travelled with the caravans.
October is harvest season across Uzbekistan. Bazaars overflow with grapes, pomegranates, quinces, melons and walnuts; families gather around cauldrons of plov; and the light softens over the madrasahs of Samarkand and Bukhara. It is the perfect moment for a slower, food-focused journey — cooking with local families, visiting markets at dawn and ending each day at a long table.
For a broader culinary itinerary across several cities, see our gastronomic tour of Uzbekistan, which can be adapted to include wine tastings and the Surkhandarya festival dates.
French citizens can visit Uzbekistan visa-free for up to 30 days, and citizens of around 90 countries now enjoy visa-free entry. Uzbekistan Airways operates direct flights between Paris and Tashkent, and from the capital fast trains connect to Samarkand and Bukhara.
GoUzbekistan is a licensed tour operator with offices in Tashkent and Bukhara, operating since 2007. We arrange transfers, hotels, French-speaking guides on request and festival logistics, so you can simply enjoy the harvest. Create your own custom tour or explore our tours. Questions? WhatsApp +998 93 963-00-00 or info@gouzbekistan.com.
السياحة في أوزبكستان في الخريف: موسم الحصاد والأسواق المليئة بالرمان والعنب، وأطباق البلوف الشهيرة في سمرقند وبخارى على طريق الحرير. مواطنو نحو 90 دولة يدخلون دون تأشيرة. صمّم رحلتك الخاصة
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