By train around Uzbekistan: Start in the capital Tashkent

Writer: Helena Bergström

Uzbekistan is a vast country and we were here to discover the country by train for a week. The trip started in Tashkent, where we had flown in from Scandinavia, and initially we were a group of seven travel writers: five from Sweden and two from Norway. We were here on a press trip organized by the country’s tourism board, and we were all very excited to see what the week had to offer…

By flight from Scandinavia to Uzbekistan

With Turkish Airlines you can fly relatively easily from Stockholm or Oslo to Tashkent, with a stopover in Istanbul. The flights are comfortable and the food is above expectations, but of course the journey was still tiring.

We flew in the middle of the night and the journey was long: about 3 hours and 45 minutes from Stockholm to Istanbul and then about 4.5 hours from Istanbul to Tashkent. The fact that the last stretch takes so long is a reminder that Uzbekistan is far to the east – this is an exotic destination in Central Asia, in a part of the world where Scandinavian mass tourism has not yet found its way.

Finally in place in Tashkent

The Swedish group landed in the early morning hours and was able to get a few hours of sleep before the program started. The Norwegian writers barely had time to check in before it was time to go into town. Around the same time, to our surprise, a nice Frenchman joined our group.

Although everyone was far from rested, it was now time to discover the city. This is what distinguishes our group from ordinary tourists – our program is not adapted for the greatest possible comfort, but to see and experience as much as possible in a short time. Fortunately, we were all seasoned travelers, equipped with a great dose of curiosity and a desire to explore.

Who was traveling? Apart from the two of us, Annika came from Sweden Traveling Friday as well as Hélène and Magnus, who write for newspapers. From Norway we were joined by Merete World with a suitcase and Lena van Travel letters. Yes, and then Charles from France!

Lunch in Tashkent – an introduction to Uzbek restaurants

To gain strength we started with lunch. This meal was consumed in the restaurant Good Hovuz. The group was now introduced to what restaurants often look like in Uzbekistan: large, open and with the feeling of a ‘banquet hall’. It always feels a bit exotic to go to a restaurant in Uzbekistan.

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Here we all ordered a dish, but we soon discovered that it is easier to take some regular dishes to share, at least when there are so many people. To start with, it is customary to order salads and bread, and perhaps soup. Then the meat is served: preferably large portions of chicken, beef or lamb.

Alternative main dishes can be different types of pierogies or dumplings, if of course you do not choose the national dish “plov”. If you are a vegetarian, you need to be extra clear. Uzbeks love meat, and although tourism is increasing, many restaurants still seem a bit unfamiliar with the concept.

Center of Islamic civilization

Peter and I have been to Tashkent before. Two previous trips to Uzbekistan have not only led to a long series of reports, but also to the appointment of tourist ambassadors for Uzbekistan in Sweden.

We were aware that this trip would involve a number of return visits, so it was surprising that the first sight was a building we had never seen before. It all quickly got an explanation: Center of Islamic civilization is so new that it hasn’t opened yet.

Center for Islamic Civilization is a large cultural, scientific and development complex in Tashkent, right next to the historical complex Hazrati Imam Complexwhich consists of several madrassas (historic Islamic schools), mosques and other buildings.

The purpose of the new building is to study and preserve the heritage of Islamic civilization, with a special focus on Central Asia. The building, which has not yet opened, will include a museum, library and research center.

Chorsu Bazaar

After this visit we set off Chorsu Bazaarand we highly recommend this market if you visit the capital of Uzbekistan. It’s vibrant, loud, colorful and inspiring. You can view strange cutting details, vegetables, herbs, nuts, bread baking, tableware, clothing, jewelry and almost anything you can think of. The market is very big!

The metro in Tashkent

The next stop was at the Tashkent metro – ​​not to drive, but to look around. The Tashkent metro is a well-known attraction for several reasons. The art here is interesting for art lovers and history nerds alike. And certainly for everyone else! We visited the station Cosmonautsthat tells the story of cosmonauts who went into space. Read more about different metro stations here:

Dinner in Tashkent

We ended our day in Tashkent with dinner at the restaurant Ibrahim Beck. Here too, large banquet rooms apply, while you can book smaller, more personal rooms.

Here it was, as usual, a starter with various salads and bread. Then came a large tray with different types of meat.

The meat in this restaurant was presented very beautifully and deliciously, along with spectacular smoke.

Morning and breakfast at Windham Garden Tashkent

Definitely the best in the hotel Windham Garden Tashkent was the breakfast. I can say without a doubt that this is the best breakfast we had in Uzbekistan. In addition to live music to listen to (!), items such as quail eggs, lightly cooked crispy vegetables, small pancake rolls with feta cheese and various delicious sweets were offered.

Trains from Tashkent to Dashtobod

After breakfast it was time to leave for our train journey through Uzbekistan. The country has both regular trains and high-speed trains, the latter of which are really very good and very modern. We went on the fast trains Afro-whitewhich operates, among other things, the routes between Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara. You can buy a train ticket via eticket.railway.uz.

When you enter the station, you have to scan your bags through a security checkpoint, just like at an airport, and a conductor checks your ticket before you board.

The trains, which can reach speeds of up to 250 km/h, are equipped with air conditioning, sockets, WiFi, TV screens and modern, fresh toilets. The staff walk around regularly, selling everything from drinks to snacks, fruit salad or ice cream. In our case, we received a bag containing a sandwich, a piece of chocolate and coffee powder at no extra cost. And yes, paper cups and hot water were offered shortly afterwards. Simply a comfortable train journey!

We went on the line from Tashkent to Samarkand, but we already got off in Dashtobod, a train journey that took just over an hour. We were the only ones who got off at this small station and the conductor looked at us in surprise and asked, “Where are you going?”. Maybe he was wondering if it was okay for us to get off here… but it was! We were on our way to Zomin National Park. To be continued!