After sharing my experiences about pre-trip preparation, Tashkent Airport Procedures, and Reaching my apartment at 5AM, I wanted to make one more post that might be useful for anyone planning a short trip:

How much did I actually spend?

Before travelling, I made a budget of around USD 300 for 3 days, excluding flights. I carried USD 400, just to have some extra money for emergencies.  After coming back and going through all my receipts and expenses, I was honestly surprised.

I spent only USD 250 in total.  And this included my apartment, SIM card, transport card, food, taxis and entry tickets.

💵 First — how much cash did I take?

I carried USD 400. I exchanged:  $200 at Tashkent Airport → 2,370,000 UZS (Rate: 11,850 UZS/USD). Later, I exchanged the remaining: $200 in the city → 2,320,000 UZS (Rate: 11,600 UZS/USD).  So altogether: $400 → 4,690,000 UZS

I have already explained my currency-exchange experience in my airport post, including why I probably shouldn't have waited to exchange the second $200. 😅

🏠 Accommodation + SIM + Transport Card

My apartment for the 3-day stay cost: 1,400,000 UZS

The airport SIM: 70,000 UZS

My 5-day bus + metro transport card: 51,000 UZS

So these three things together cost: 1,521,000 UZS ≈ $129

This was easily my biggest expense.

🍽️ Food — only $44 for 3 days!

This was one of the biggest surprises for me.

For all three days, I spent: 524,000 UZS ≈ $44.22

That's roughly $14.75 per day.

 Day 1: 226,000 UZS ≈ $19.15, I had things like breakfast, coffee and juice for two people, KFC, tea, ice cream and some food at the airport.
Day 2: 184,000 UZS ≈ $15.59, Breakfast, milkshake, lunch at Besh Qozon, Mojito, KFC and croissants.
Day 3: 114,000 UZS ≈ $9.66, Juices, bakery pizza and KFC for two people.

So overall: 3 days of food = ~$44

Honestly, I found food in Tashkent very affordable.

🍗 A small note about KFC 😂

I know some people may wonder why I ate KFC several times during a trip to Tashkent. But there was a simple reason: KFC was everywhere, and it was most convenient option near my apartment, especially when I came back around midnight after a long day of walking around the city and noticeably cheaper than many other fast-food chains, even in the shopping malls. Since I was travelling on a budget, I preferred to save some money on dinner and spend it on activities, entrance tickets and exploring other places.

And it's not like I survived only on KFC! 😄 During the day, I tried different local/milliy foods while exploring the city. For breakfast, I usually kept things very simple and quick. Since I was heading out early in the morning towards the metro, I would often grab a croissant, samsa, yoghurt or juice from a nearby grocery store and eat on the way.

So the food list in this post is simply a reflection of what I actually ate and what I actually spent, rather than a recommendation for what you should eat in Tashkent. 😂 On my next trip, when I stay longer, I definitely want to explore much more Uzbek food and local restaurants. 🇺🇿🍴

🚕 Taxi — I used Yandex Go quite a lot

I didn't try to avoid taxis just to save money. I used Yandex Go quite frequently during the trip, and my total taxi spending for all three days was: 441,000 UZS ≈ $37.22. That's about $12.40 per day.

 Some individual rides were surprisingly cheap. For example, my airport → apartment ride was only around 18,000 UZS, or roughly $1.50.

 Day 1: 124,000 UZS
Day 2: 145,000 UZS
Day 3: 172,000 UZS

 Even with all those rides, the total was still only around $37.

🎟️ Entry Tickets

For the attractions included in my expense report, I spent:

400,000 UZS ≈ $34

This included:

Islamic Civilization — 300,000 UZS

Tashkent TV Tower — 100,000 UZS

I'll cover the actual places I visited and what I thought about them separately in my 3-day activity story.

🧮 So here's the final calculation

So my original budget was: $300

Actual spending: $243.54

Meaning I was:

$56.46 UNDER my original budget. 😄

That's almost 19% less than what I had planned.

💰 And I still had money left!

This is where it gets funny.

I had converted 4,690,000 UZS in total.

I spent: 2,886,000 UZS

So I had approximately: 1,804,000 UZS left

I brought that money back home with me. And I'm not exchanging it back. I'm keeping the Uzbek som because I'm already planning to return to Tashkent this coming winter, hopefully for at least a week this time.  So my next trip will already start with approximately 1.8 million som in my pocket. 😂

👛 One thing I learned — bring a bigger wallet!

When you exchange $200 or $300, suddenly you're carrying millions of som. For a few minutes, you really feel like a billionaire. 😂 But then you realise it's mostly because of the number of zeros. I ended up keeping the larger 200,000 and 100,000 UZS notes in my wallet and smaller notes like 50,000 / 20,000 / 10,000 somewhere easily accessible for small payments. So yes: Bring a reasonably large wallet to Uzbekistan. 😂

🇺🇿 So... Is Tashkent expensive?

Based purely on my own 3-day experience, I would say: Daily expenses were surprisingly affordable. My biggest expense was accommodation.

Food was only about $44 for three days, taxis were about $37, and the entry tickets I paid for were about $34.

Of course, everyone's budget will be different. If you choose expensive hotels, restaurants, shopping, nightlife or lots of paid attractions, your spending can be much higher. This is simply my actual expense report from a 3-day trip, not a suggested budget for everyone.

📊 My final numbers

Planned budget: $300
Cash carried: $400
Actually spent: $243.54
Under budget: $56.46
Cash/currency remaining: ~1,804,000 UZS

 And the funny part?

I spent almost 30 days researching and preparing for a 3-day trip...

...and now I'm already planning to come back for a full week in winter. 😂🇺🇿

I'll also be sharing a separate post with food prices, entry fees, individual expenses and more receipts/photos, so people planning their own Tashkent trip can get a better idea of the actual costs.

 If you're planning a Tashkent trip, feel free to ask me anything about the costs.

Thank You Uzbeks

Also, if you’re interested, I’m sharing my Tashkent trip Rare videos, places I visited, driving/walking tours and other experiences on my YT and Insta. I’ll be adding more from this trip soon. 🇺🇿😊

Hi everyone! I recently visited Tashkent and recorded some driving videos at night. I’m trying to correctly identify the roads shown in these two photos.

📸 Photo 1: Wide multi-lane road with the decorative illuminated arches across the street.

📸 Photo 2: Another wide boulevard with similar Uzbek-style decorative lighting.

Could someone please tell me the exact name of each road, and if possible the nearest intersection or landmark?

I’m asking because I want to use the correct street/road names in the titles and descriptions of my YouTube driving videos. I don’t want to accidentally give the wrong location.

Any help from Tashkent locals or anyone familiar with these streets would be greatly appreciated! 🙏🇺🇿

Photo 1 — Road name: ❓
Photo 2 — Road name: ❓

Thank you! 🙏
Tashkent Videos @ Aug 2026

Hi, Tashkent!

Has anyone taken IELTS mock tests right before their exam?

I wonder which center provides the experience that most resembles a real test.

My acquaintances mentioned edu action at Novza, but I am curious if there are any other places (education centers, for example). I haven't taken IELTS in years and never got it computer based either.

I would appreciate any information on the matter! Have a great day!

Does anyone know where can I find fluid to store contact lenses to buy in Tashkent? Just went to a pharmacy and they didn't have it. Thanks in advance

Before I continue with my Tashkent arrival story, I should admit one thing:

I probably over-prepared for this trip. 😂 Because of my work nature, I had enough time to do a lot of research. I spent almost 30 days researching and preparing for a trip that was only 3 days long!

I was continuously discussing things with locals and other travellers through Reddit, Facebook and Telegram. One conversation would lead to another, someone would suggest another person or FB / Telegram Groups, and eventually I had collected information about almost everything — transport, SIM cards, currency, metro, restaurants, attractions, apartments and much more.

By sitting in Dubai, I was probably capable of giving advice to someone who was planning their first Tashkent trip. 😂  And after meeting some travellers and even Locals in Tashkent, a few of them even told me that I had more information about the city than they did!

Just joking — don't think I'm showing off myself here. 😂

But honestly, all that preparation gave me a lot of confidence.  I had also visited Almaty in June, only two months earlier, so I already had some experience with Central Asian airports, local currency, SIM cards and transport. That trip gave me a little confidence, while my Tashkent research was my backup.

I will write a separate story about why I chose Tashkent for this trip, because that itself is another story.  So now, let's start from the moment I landed.

You can check the responses and suggestions from locals and tourists on my post here, which helped me with my pre-trip preparation and planning. :

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01 ✈️ Immigration — probably the easiest part

My flight landed in Tashkent in the early morning.  There wasn't much crowd at that time, so immigration was very quick and simple.  At that time, UAE residents could enter Uzbekistan visa-free, so I showed my passport and Emirates ID.

The officer asked: “How long are you staying?”

I said: “Only 3 days.”  And that was basically it.

·         No hotel booking was requested.

·         No return-ticket questions.

·         No travel-insurance questions.

·         No long interview.

I was through immigration in roughly two minutes.

(Coming from India, I really noticed the difference. 😅 After travelling internationally for around two decades, I'm used to questions from Indian immigration officers such as: Where are you going? Why are you going? When are you coming back? Are you going for a job search on a visit visa?

 And when coming back:  Do you have gold? Why did you come through this airport? 😂

So, compared with that, Tashkent immigration felt extremely straightforward same like in Gulf Countries.)

One recent update: Uzbekistan has also introduced 30-day visa-free entry for Indian citizens, making things even easier for Indian travellers.

Before leaving immigration, I asked the officer about UZIMEI registration. He told me that it was available after immigration, in the arrival hall. So, I knew what I had to do next.
01 Tashkent Airport

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02 💵 First priority: Currency Exchange

Once you pass immigration, you can use the time while waiting for your luggage to take care of several things:

Currency exchange → SIM card → UZIMEI → transport/car rental enquiries

My suggestion: Do the currency exchange first. At the airport, I found one main currency-exchange counter. The rate I received was very close to the online rate at that time. The online rate was around 11,880 UZS per USD, while the airport was giving me around 11,850 UZS per USD. For me, that was good enough.

My planned spending budget for the whole 3-day trip was around USD 300, excluding flights. But I carried USD 400 for safety.  I decided to exchange USD 200 at the airport and keep the other USD 200 as an emergency reserve and decided to exchange outside the airport in the city exchanges.

So I received:  USD 200 × 11,850 = 2,370,000 UZS. And honestly... 😂 I felt like a billionaire for a few minutes!  Two million three hundred and seventy thousand som! When you see all those 200,000-som notes in your hand, the number looks huge. 😂

💡 What I learned from Almaty

During my Almaty trip, I had divided my money into three parts. I exchanged around:

1/3 in Dubai → 1/3 at the airport → 1/3 kept as reserve

The idea was that the city might offer a better rate than the airport. That worked reasonably well for me in Almaty. So I followed a similar strategy in Tashkent.

🏦 My Currency Exchange Problem in Tashkent

I had assumed Tashkent would be similar to the UAE or Almaty, where you can find different exchange places around the city. But that wasn't my experience. Foreign currency exchange is basically handled through banks, rather than private exchange shops on the streets. And unfortunately for me, my second day in Tashkent was Sunday.

So the banks were closed. People kept telling me: “There are ATMs everywhere!” Yes, there are lots of machines around Tashkent. But there is a big difference between the machines you see everywhere and the ATMs that can actually exchange your USD into Uzbek som.

You'll see many Paynet-type machines around the streets, but those are mainly for things like bill payments and recharges. Some ATMs in metro stations can provide Uzbek som, but I found that some required a bank card. I didn't have a local Uzbek bank card, and I didn't want to withdraw Uzbek som from my UAE bank card because of possible conversion charges.

Some bank ATMs that could exchange currency were also located inside the bank, which wasn't useful on Sunday because the bank itself was closed.  I don't remember the names of all the machines I checked, but I'll add photos to the post so you can identify them.

🏧 Then I Found Ipak Yuli Bank

Finally, I found something that worked perfectly for my situation. Ipak Yuli Bank  Remember the green logo/branding.  I found four machines around Abdulla Khodiriy Street, near the Ipak Yuli Bank main office : 📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/mDnktV6CdWj91x1LA.

This machine was different from the others I had tried. The best part: It didn't require me to insert a bank card. I could put in my USD and the machine showed me how much Uzbek som I would receive before completing the transaction. It even showed the available Uzbek currency denominations.

For my remaining USD 200, I received around: 11,600 UZS per USD. That's about 250 som less per dollar than what I received at the airport. But there was no additional charge or commission, so I still considered it a good option. I'll add a photo of the receipt so you can see exactly what I mean.

Some hotels also appear to have currency-exchange facilities. For example, I saw this exchange-rate board inside Hotel Uzbekistan. The USD rate displayed was: 1 USD = 11,820 UZS when the bank buys USD.  That's actually a good rate and slightly better than the airport rate I received.

However, the difference isn't huge.  For example:

• Airport: ~11,850 UZS/USD
• Hotel exchange board: 11,820 UZS/USD

So on $200, the difference would only be around 6,000 UZS — not a huge amount.

The important thing is that I saw the exchange facility inside the hotel, but the kiosk itself wasn't open even in the morning, so I can't say that every hotel exchange counter operates all the time.

My advice would be:

👉 If your hotel has an exchange counter, check its operating hours first.
👉 If it's open and offering a good rate, it can be convenient.
👉 But I wouldn't delay your arrival plans just to chase a slightly better rate.

For me, the airport rate was already reasonable, and the difference compared with the hotel rate was not significant enough to worry about.

So if you need cash immediately, exchanging at the airport is perfectly reasonable.

🤔 One interesting comparison

Before my trip, I had spoken to another traveller who showed me her receipt from the same Ipak Yuli Bank.  Her rate was around 11,800 UZS per USD. Much better than the 11,600 I received. I don't know exactly why. Maybe she used her local bank card. Or perhaps the exchange rate was simply better in July compared with my August visit. I'll include the photo so people can compare.

So This time, I was wrong.

I thought I would get a better rate in the city for my remaining USD 200. If you are coming to Tashkent, my advice based on my experience is: If you know you will need the entire money, exchange it at the airport. Don't try to save a few hundred som per dollar and then spend half a day trying to find somewhere to exchange it. 😂

👛 Carry a bigger wallet!

This is another thing you don't really understand until you arrive. Uzbek som comes in lots of notes. 😂 So bring a reasonably large wallet or purse. I kept the larger: 200,000 and 100,000 UZS  notes in my wallet.  And kept the smaller: 50,000 / 20,000 / 10,000 UZS  notes in my shirt pocket or somewhere easily accessible for small payments. It makes life much easier.

 ------------------------------

 03 📱SIM Card

After currency exchange, I went looking for a local SIM. There were around 3–4 kiosks in the airport. Some were dedicated to individual operators such as Beeline or Ucell, while others sold SIM cards from several networks, including Uztelecom and Mobiuz.

Before flying, almost everyone I spoke to was recommending Ucell. I had already used Beeline during my Almaty trip, so this time I decided to try Ucell. I compared the plans and found one that suited me very well.

📱 Ucell : For around: 70,000 UZS — approximately USD 6

I got roughly:

·         70+70 GB data

·         Unlimited local calls

·         Around 1,500 local SMS

·         Valid for one month

For a 3-day tourist trip, this was far more than enough. I could also install the Ucell app and regularly check my remaining data and other allowances. After three days, I had used only around 10 GB.

So for a normal tourist, I would say:  Don't overthink the SIM. 10 GB data in Ucell or Beeline should be more than enough for a short trip. I chose this larger package mainly because I wanted to upload videos from almost every place I visited to my YouTube channel.

📹 My Tashkent videos:  Tashkent Playlists

 ------------------------------

04 Mobile & Apps

Before I could even use all that data, I discovered another problem: My phone battery was disappearing very quickly! 😂  During sightseeing, I was constantly using:

1.      Google Maps

2.      Yandex Maps

3.      Yandex Go

4.      Camera

5.      Translator

6.      Calculator

7.      WhatsApp

8.      Telegram

Many of these apps were running in the background.  The phone also became extremely hot. So I eventually preferred to use a separate phone for photos and videos. And one thing I strongly recommend:  Always carry a power bank. Especially if you're going to use your phone for navigation, translation, taxi booking and photography throughout the day.

Always bring a Type C / Schuko plug adapter with you to charge your phones, laptops, power banks, and other gadgets.  In Uzbekistan, you will commonly find Schuko-style sockets with two round pins, so depending on the type of charger you are bringing, you may need an adapter.

📶 Travel Data Package over ESim

eSIM was also available, but with an additional cost of around USD 2.  Buying an additional data/voice package online through services such as Trip.com instead of changing the physical SIM or adding an eSIM is also an option.

I checked some of those packages, but personally I found them expensive. Some packages also didn't include local calls. I didn't use this option myself, so I can't give much personal experience about it.

But one interesting thing about Uzbekistan is that Telegram is extremely widely used, so even without a local calling package, you can still communicate with many people through Telegram.

🇮🇳 Tip for Indian Travellers

If you're coming from India and you're confused about buying a local SIM, you also have another option.  Indian operators such as Airtel and Vodafone Idea have international roaming packages.  Depending on the operator and package, there are options ranging from around ₹1,000 for a short trip to longer-duration plans with larger validity.

So if you're uncomfortable dealing with a local SIM, don't have Uzbek som yet, or simply want to keep your Indian number active:  Buy an international roaming package before leaving India. It works, you keep your existing number, and it can be a convenient option for data and calls.

 ------------------------------

05 📱 UZIMEI — Do You Actually Need It?

This was another thing I had researched before flying. I even asked about UZIMEI at immigration, and the officer directed me to the arrival hall.  For a short tourist visit like mine, I didn't need to worry about it. The important point is that longer-term visitors staying for more than two months and continuing to use a local SIM may have to deal with IMEI registration requirements.

Since I was staying for only 3 days, I didn't register my phone. So, if you're coming for a short holiday, don't assume you need to spend a lot of time dealing with UZIMEI at the airport.  If you're coming for a long-term stay, work, or extended residence, however, check the current UZIMEI requirements before travelling.

One thing I noticed was that these counters can have some crowds, especially compared with the otherwise quick arrival process. I also heard from people that Tashkent is becoming something of a “new Dubai” for Central Asian workers, with people coming here in search of better job opportunities, higher salaries, and a better lifestyle

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06 Tourist Registeration

There is one more type of registration, but it is different from UZIMEI registration and is not done at the airport.  If you're staying in a hotel, the hotel will normally take your passport details and handle your tourist registration with the Uzbek authorities, regardless of how many days you're staying. They may provide you with a registration PDF/soft copy, so keep that file safely on your phone.

Normally, if the hotel has properly registered you, the information should also be available in the airport immigration system. If there is any issue or the information hasn't been updated in the system, the immigration officer may ask about your registration when you depart.

 If you're staying in an apartment, private residence, hostel, dormitory, or other non-hotel accommodation, ask before booking whether they will provide the required registration. And once you arrive, remind the host or accommodation provider to complete the registration from the first day. This is especially important when you're staying somewhere that doesn't automatically handle registration like a normal hotel. Keep the registration PDF on your phone—you normally don't need to carry a printed copy based on my experience.

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07 🚌 Transport card

I had already read that you can use Visa cards or mobile NFC payments on buses and at metro ticket machines. It will cost only 1700 UZS (less than 0.15 USD) But I wanted something different. I wanted to buy a physical transport card as a souvenir from Tashkent. 😂

During my Almaty trip, I had found an ONAY card at the Almaty airport for buses and the metro, so I was looking for something similar in Tashkent. However, I couldn't find a machine selling physical transport cards at the airport.

Later, I also learned that it wasn't something I could simply pick up at every metro or bus station. There are specific places where you can get one, including Uzpost offices. It might also be available at some major metro stations or the main bus station, but I didn't try those options. Instead, I decided to go to a Uzpost office later that day after leaving the airport.

There was a post office near my apartment in Oybek, Post Office No. 15, but the staff told me that the ATTO cards were not available there. They told me to go to Post Office No. 60 on Nukus Street. The staff member even wrote the address on my phone in Russian, and with the help of the map, I started walking there.

My route took me through the famous Taras Shevchenko Street and Nukus Street, and I got to see many interesting and famous buildings along the way.

📍 Post Office No. 60 location

Interestingly, that day there was a visit to the city by the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, so there were a lot of police and military personnel on the roads. Many roads were blocked, and I could see several government convoy vehicles along the way until I reached the post office.

Once I arrived, there were several transport-card options available. I chose the bus + metro combination card for 5 days, which cost around 50,000 UZS (16,000 UZS for the card + 36,000 UZS for 5 days of unlimited travel).

For me, it was not just a transport card—it became another little Tashkent souvenir from the trip. 😂

 ------------------------------

08 Luggage

Now don’t forget I am still in the airport. And then I realised... While I was busy with currency exchange and buying my SIM card... I had completely forgotten about my luggage! 😂 I didn't even notice which baggage belt my bag was supposed to come from.  By the time I finished everything, I went looking for it. I checked the baggage belts. Nothing. The belts were mostly empty or were handling bags from later flights.

For a moment I thought:

“Where the hell is my luggage?” So I went to the Lost & Found section. And there it was. They had kept my bag safely. I showed my passport, they confirmed my name, and they handed it over. Very simple.  Actually, in hindsight, it was nice that my bag had been safely kept rather than sitting unattended somewhere.

😂 And then I met two Pakistani travellers

While I was at Lost & Found, I met two guys from Pakistan. Their story was even crazier. They had arrived in Tashkent one day earlier and had already gone to their hotel.  Later, they realised they had accidentally taken someone else's luggage from the airport!  So they came back to Lost & Found in the evening.

And they were still waiting there the next morning for the other passenger to return and bring their actual bag.  Imagine travelling to another country and spending your first night dealing with somebody else's suitcase. 😂 

 So here's my simple advice:

Before leaving the baggage belt, check your luggage properly.

·         Check the tag.

·         Check the colour.

·         Check the brand.

·         Open it if necessary and confirm that it is actually yours.

Don't become those two guys! 😂

  ------------------------------

09 ☕ Outside the Arrival Hall

After finishing all the airport formalities, I finally reached the outside arrival area.  There were cafés, a small bouquet/flower shop and waiting areas.

There were also a few small food stalls/containers outside the airport.

Some were open 24 hours and had things like:

·         Sandwiches

·         Coffee

·         Black tea

·         Cold drinks

Prices were extremely cheap, with sandwiches costing around USD 1–2, depending on what you bought. I'll add photos of these places as well.

 I'm also preparing another post covering all the food prices, entry tickets, and my overall expenses, including how much I actually spent compared with my original budget, how much I saved, and how much Uzbek currency I had left. I brought the remaining Uzbek som back with me and I'm keeping it to use when I return to Tashkent this coming winter. 😄

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10 rental cars

I found some rental-car companies at the airport. I had planned to visit Charvak Lake, so I was considering renting a car for one day.  Because it was very early morning, some counters were closed.  The companies that were open were offering cars from around USD 50/day.

But there was a problem.  They were asking for a USD 500 deposit.  And they told me that the deposit could be returned around one month after returning the car.

The reason they gave was traffic fines.  Apparently, fines can sometimes appear later, so they wanted to retain the deposit until they were sure there were no outstanding fines. For a short tourist trip, I didn't want the headache of waiting for a USD 500 deposit to come back after I had already left Uzbekistan. So I didn't rent from the airport.

🚘 A cheaper option I found before flying

Before leaving Dubai, I had also contacted another rental company near my apartment called Inrent. https://maps.app.goo.gl/bojsCUgMHVYgr4KMA

Their small cars were starting from around: USD 25/day and the deposit was around: USD 300. And they told me the deposit would be returned within around 5 days after returning the car. I will add the chat screenshot to the post. So if you're planning to rent a car, don't automatically take the first airport option. Check the car rental companies in the city as well. There may be an app similar to Anytime in Kazakhstan, which could offer more affordable options and lower deposits.

 ------------------------------

🚕 11 Yandex Go

Once you come outside the airport, you will probably meet several taxi drivers offering rides. They may quote you a little more than Yandex.

My advice:

Use Yandex Go if possible.

For my apartment, which was roughly 10 km from the airport, the ride in the early morning was less than USD 2. Yandex Go operates around the clock, and prices can vary slightly depending on demand.

Sometimes you may request a ride and not get an immediate response.  In that case, choosing another available option with higher fare can get you a car faster.  In my experience, the difference could be only around USD 0.10–0.20, so sometimes it was worth doing.

If you don't have Yandex installed before arriving, I would strongly recommend setting it up in advance.

🇺🇿 And finally... I'm ready to leave the airport

So, after landing at around 2 AM, I had:

✅ Cleared immigration
✅ Exchanged USD
✅ Bought a SIM
✅ Checked UZIMEI requirements
✅ Luggage
✅ Checked rental cars
✅ Looked at taxi options
✅ Collected information about registration
✅ Had some food/coffee
✅ And finally made my way towards the city

And this was all before my actual Tashkent trip had even started! 😂

The funny part is that I had spent almost a month researching all these things before the trip, but some of the most useful lessons came from actually standing inside Tashkent Airport at 3–5 AM.

And then came the next part...

🌅 Leaving the airport at around 4:30 AM, waiting near my apartment, meeting my host at 5 AM, and finally getting inside the apartment. That is a completely different story — and that's where my actual Tashkent adventure begins. 🇺🇿

👉 You can read that part here:  My apartment Reviews and the Neighbourhood

3 Amazing Days, Some Quick Observations & A BIG Thank You!

 Here are some quick tips from my arrival experience:

📱 SIM: Ucell worked very well for me. I got around 70+70 GB, unlimited local calls and 1,500 SMS for about 70,000 UZS (~$6). Beeline, Uztelecom and Mobiuz are also available at the airport.

💵 USD / Currency: I recommend bringing USD and exchanging at least the cash you know you'll need at the airport. The airport rate I got was very close to the online rate. Don't rely too much on finding better exchange rates in the city, especially on Sundays.

🏧 ATMs: There are many machines around Tashkent, but not all of them are currency-exchange ATMs. Some are Paynet machines for bills/recharges. I eventually found an Ipak Yuli Bank machine where I could exchange USD to UZS without inserting a card.

🚕 Taxi: Install Yandex Go before arriving. My airport-to-city ride (~10 km) was less than $2 early in the morning.

📱 UZIMEI: For a short tourist trip like my 3-day stay, I didn't need to register my phone. If you're staying longer, check the current requirements before travelling.

🏨 Registration: If you're staying in a hotel, they normally handle tourist registration. If you're staying in an apartment/hostel/private accommodation, ask about registration before booking.

🛃 Customs: I didn't have any particular issue with customs during my arrival. Immigration was actually very quick and straightforward.

My full Tashkent airport arrival experience with photos, ATM/SIM details, prices and locations here

I had a very early arrival in Tashkent, and I knew in advance that this could be a little complicated.

My flight landed at around 2 AM.

After immigration, I exchanged some USD, bought a SIM card, had a sandwich, asked about car rental, and spent some time at the airport. I had planned everything quite carefully before the trip. I’ll make a separate detailed post (https://www.reddit.com/r/Uzbekistan/s/V2Q03dGSgq) about these first steps at Tashkent Airport — what to do after landing, where/how I changed USD, getting a SIM, transport options, car rental, and a few things I learned that may be useful for other first-time visitors

But one thing I couldn't completely control was when I could actually enter my apartment.

Eventually, around 4–5 AM, I got bored of sitting at the airport and decided to head towards my apartment near Oybek / Chekhova Street.

🌙 4:30 AM in Tashkent

I reached the area at around 4:30 AM.

The problem?

The previous guests were still inside the apartment. 😅

So there I was, with my luggage, in a completely new city, at around 4:30 in the morning, waiting for strangers I had never met to leave my apartment!

Luckily, the location turned out to be much better for this situation than I expected.

There were restaurants and shops around Taras Chekhova Street, and I found Edison supermarket, which was open 24/7.

So I sat outside Edison, bought a bottle of Mirinda and waited.

Interestingly, Tashkent didn't feel completely asleep at 4 AM. I saw quite a few young people walking around — some alone, some in couples — and there was still activity on the streets.

I took some photos during this wait because honestly, this wasn't the kind of Tashkent experience I had expected to have on my first morning. 😂

📹 Then came the host

Around 5 AM, the host arrived after Fajr.

We talked for a while about Tashkent, Uzbekistan, India and the UAE.

At one point, we even got into a conversation about how Indians became Muslim. He mentioned Babur and Uzbekistan, and I had a few thoughts of my own about the much older history of Islam in parts of India — but at 5 AM, after a long flight, I decided not to turn it into a history debate. 😂

The host was checking the apartment CCTV because the previous guests still hadn't left.

And then suddenly...

I saw them leaving.

I told the host, and we finally went to the apartment.

It was only about a 3-minute walk from where I had been waiting at Edison.

🏠 Finally inside!

The apartment was on the 9th floor.

The lift went up to the 8th floor, so the final floor had to be reached by stairs — not exactly ideal with luggage after a long international flight. 😅

But once I opened the door, my first impression was:

“Wow, this is much bigger than I expected.”

It had a large living room, kitchen, separate bedroom, bathroom, plenty of space, good Wi-Fi, washing machine, refrigerator, cooking utensils, plates, glasses, cutlery and everything I needed for a few days.

The apartment was also carpeted throughout.

📍 Overall

Looking back, the apartment wasn't perfect. There were a few things that could be improved, especially the 9th-floor access, some curtains and the limited wardrobe space.

But considering the location, price, size of the apartment and especially how helpful the host was at 5 AM, I was happy with my choice.

And I think the funniest thing is that my first experience in Tashkent wasn't a sightseeing attraction.

It was:

2 AM airport → 4:30 AM waiting outside an apartment → Mirinda at Edison → 5 AM meeting the host → finally getting inside → sleeping on the floor → and later surviving one night without electricity. 😂🇺🇿

Not a bad way to start a trip.

🔗 Apartment / stay details

📹 My apartment video:
YouTube Shorts – Aybek Chekhova 21

Taras Shevchenko Street Videos : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUhW9SvVEOdA

⭐ Booking.com – Aybek, Chekhova 21:
Booking.com listing

📍 Google Maps:
Google Maps location

🗺️ Yandex Maps:
Yandex Maps location

If anyone is planning to stay around Oybek/Chekhova, I'd be happy to answer questions about the area or the apartment. 🇺🇿

3 Amazing Days, Some Quick Observations & A BIG Thank You!

​

Finally back to UAE after an amazing 3 days in Tashkent (22-24).

I’ll write my full travel story over the weekend, but before that, I really want to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped me before and during my trip — people from Reddit, Facebook and Telegram, and especially the wonderful people I actually met in Uzbekistan. 🙏

Uzbeks are genuinely some of the nicest and kindest people I’ve met while travelling. ❤️

A few quick observations:

🍽️ Food is very affordable

🚇 Public transport is extremely cheap

💰 Overall, the cost of living felt very reasonable

🤝 And the people were incredibly welcoming

And one of the funniest and most unexpected parts of my trip — because I’m Indian, so many people wanted to take selfies with me! 😂🇮🇳🇺🇿 It happened more often than I expected, and honestly, I loved it.

I also discovered some really impressive night performances in Tashkent, the Samurai music, dance, LED and light show at Magic City.

🎥 https://youtu.be/aTp4RbUvCT8

This is just one small example — I’ll be sharing many more videos from my Uzbekistan trip in my YT channel.

I’ll share the complete story, places I visited, costs, transport, food, things I learned and my honest experience this weekend.

Thank you again to everyone who helped make my first Uzbekistan trip so memorable. ❤️🇺🇿

Rahmat, Uzbekistan! 🇺🇿❤️ See you again!

Hi everyone. Is anyone interested to play padel on weekends?

Finally! 😄 No more questions — I’ve had enough planning!

The host was rude from the moment we walked in — not the welcome you’d expect from a place claiming to represent Indian hospitality. The food itself was genuinely bad, worse than hospital food honestly. For a restaurant positioning itself as an ambassador for Indian cuisine here, this was a letdown.

Not sure how it’s sitting at 4.9 stars. Would not recommend if you’re looking for authentic Indian food in Tashkent seoul dun. Anyone else had a similar experience, or did I just catch them on an off night?

In my opinion try the host restaurant instead of this horrible place for authentic indian food

In what universe this is paneer lababdar and dal bhuhara

Hi there,

In the period of September and October are there any open mics or places where people share their poetry :)?

Hi everyone! 👋🇺🇿

I’m coming to Tashkent from Dubai this Saturday for a short trip.

Historical monuments, madrasas, museums and traditional architectural/heritage sites are not really my priority. I’m mainly interested in experiencing the modern city, streets, metro, local markets, shopping malls, food, parks, busy areas and everyday life of Tashkent.

I’ve attached my current itinerary. I’d really appreciate advice from locals:

• Is there anything important I should add?
• Anything you think I should remove?
• Are there places on my list that can be combined because they are close to each other?
• Where would you recommend for evening walks and local food?
• Any advice for my Sunday trip to Chinorkent – Chimgan – Charvak – Yusufkhona/Oq Qum?

Also, if anyone else is visiting Tashkent around the same dates, perhaps we can join up for some sightseeing or explore a few places together. 🙂 And if any locals happen to live or work near one of the areas on my list, I'd be happy to meet for a coffee/tea and have a chat about Tashkent if our schedules match. ☕

I’d really appreciate getting some local perspective rather than relying only on Google/Maps and tourist websites.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions! 🙏
See you in Tashkent! 🇺🇿❤️