Money and transport
- Relying on cards everywhere. Ticket desks, bazaars and small cafés often want cash. Always carry som, including small notes. See money in Uzbekistan.
- Changing money on the street. It is illegal and risky: counterfeit notes and bad rates. Use banks, licensed exchange counters and ATMs.
- Taking a taxi without an app. At airports and stations drivers quote inflated prices. Use Yandex Go or agree the fare before you get in: Yandex Go guide.
- Not booking trains. Afrosiyob and the fast Khiva trains often sell out. Book on railway.uz as soon as your dates are fixed: train guide.
Paperwork and route
- Throwing away registration slips. Hotels register you and give a slip; keep them until you leave the country. See visa and registration.
- Ending the trip in Khiva without a flight. The train back to Tashkent is long. Fly from Urgench or do the route in reverse: 7-day route.
- Trying to see everything in one day. Samarkand and Bukhara deserve at least a full day each, and the light is best early and late.
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 dayCulture and climate
- Sightseeing at midday in July. The desert cities reach 40 °C. Go out at 7:00, rest in the afternoon and return in the evening: when to go.
- Forgetting the dress code. In mosques and mausoleums cover shoulders and knees; women may need a scarf: what to wear.
- Photographing people without asking. Most people are happy to pose, but ask first, especially women and older people. Do not photograph military sites or border posts.
A few more tips
- Drink bottled or boiled water.
- Carry a copy of your passport and leave the original in the hotel safe when you can.
- If someone in uniform asks for a fine in cash on the street, politely ask for ID and to pay at the station.
- Save the tourist hotline 1173.