Visit Uzbekistan in Winter

In the last five years Uzbekistan has exploded in popularity. And for good reason: the people are endlessly welcoming, the architecture is superlative-defying, the food is delicious and the artistry astounding. However, popularity does have its downsides, and the Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Khiva and Bukhara are beginning to suffer from overcrowding during the peak seasons of May-June and September-October.  

If you’d like to visit Uzbekistan without the crowds, and have the luxury of  world-class sites such as Registan Square to yourself, why not consider travelling in winter instead? While it won’t be hot, it’s usually lovely and sunny between November and March, and it really is wonderful to wander the backstreets of Khiva on a bright winters’ day. We first visited Samarkand on a cold February day ten years ago, our breath balling in the chill air, the madrassas of Registan Square bright against a clear blue sky. We were the only foreigners there, which made it even more special.

You’ll have warm welcomes throughout the winter months, opportunities to see hot loaves being baked fresh every day in Samarkand and you’ll even get to sample the famed winter melons, like nothing you’ve ever tasted before.

If you like skiing, you could also bookend your trip with a day or on the slopes of Uzbekistan’s brilliant Amirsoy resort, only a couple of hours’ from the capital, Tashkent.

To discuss a tailor-made trip to Uzbekistan this winter or spring, contact us here.