The route at a glance
| Time | Place | Cost | Time there |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 | Chorsu Bazaar | free to walk around | 45–60 min |
| 9:00 | Kukeldash Madrasah, Hoja Ahror Valiy mosque | small ticket at the madrasah | 45–60 min |
| 10:00 | Hazrati Imam complex | grounds free | 30–45 min |
| 10:45 | Islamic Civilization Center (optional) | from $25 for foreigners | 1–1.5 h |
| 12:30 | Plov lunch | a portion with salad and tea | 45–60 min |
| 13:45 | Metro: three stations | 2,500 som a ride by card | 1–1.5 h |
| 15:30 | Independence Square, then Amir Timur Square | free | 1.5 h |
Start early, because the old town is at its best before the heat. If you arrive at midday, split the route: Chorsu and the old town one morning, the metro and central squares the next.
8:00 — Chorsu Bazaar
Chorsu is the city's old central market under a large blue dome. Come for hot non bread and samsa, dried apricots and nuts, spices and kurt, the salty dried yoghurt balls. Browsing is free, and bargaining is normal for anything that is not a fixed-price food stall. Carry small notes in som, since many stalls prefer cash.
9:00 — Kukeldash Madrasah and the old lanes
A short walk takes you to the 16th-century Kukeldash Madrasah and the Hoja Ahror Valiy mosque. The quiet lanes of the old mahalla around them are worth a ten-minute detour for crafts, small cafés and ordinary neighbourhood life.
10:00 — Hazrati Imam
Hazrati Imam is the religious and scholarly centre of old Tashkent: a mosque, a madrasah courtyard and a library that keeps important Qur'an manuscripts. The grounds are generally free to enter. Cover shoulders and knees, and ask before photographing people at prayer.
10:45 — Islamic Civilization Center (optional)
The huge new museum complex opened on 17 March 2026 and is open daily 09:00–22:00. For foreigners, a group ticket was listed at $25 plus $10 for the guide and materials, and an individual all-day ticket at $50. Tickets are sold on iticket.uz and at the box office. It is worth it if museums are your thing; if you are short of time, skip it and spend the hour in the old town instead.
12:30 — Plov at a big plov centre
Order plov around noon, when the large cauldrons are in full swing; the first portions appear after about 11:00 and the best plov centres often run out in the afternoon. A portion usually comes with a tomato-and-cucumber salad, bread and green tea. A taxi from the old town to a plov centre is short and cheap.
Make this plan yours
UzGidAI builds a day plan around your start time, pace and food wishes, and replans tomorrow from what you managed to see.
Plan my day13:45 — Three metro stations
Tashkent's Soviet-era metro stations are decorated like palaces. A good trio is Kosmonavtlar (space theme, blue glass), Alisher Navoi (Eastern-style tilework) and Mustaqillik Maydoni (marble, chandeliers). Since 1 October 2026 a ride costs 2,500 som with a contactless bank card or transport card, and 3,000 som with a cash QR ticket. More details are in our Tashkent metro guide.
15:30 — The central squares
Independence Square is a large open civic space, and Amir Timur Square is the city's central square with a monument to Timur, lit up well in the evening. Both are free. If you still have energy, the State Museum of History is nearby.
Getting around and good to know
- Walk between Chorsu, Kukeldash and Hazrati Imam; use the metro for the middle of the day and a taxi in the heat. See our Yandex Go guide for taxis.
- Best seasons are April–May and September–October. In July and August afternoons are very hot, so keep indoor stops for 13:00–16:00.
- The tourist hotline in Uzbekistan is 1173.
- Heading to Samarkand next? Read how to take the Tashkent–Samarkand train.
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