Sophie Ibbotson, an experienced tourism expert, will now be sharing her expertise as an author to our website. In her second article, Sophie discusses the best times to visit Uzbekistan and why all seasons are suitable. You can read the first article about must-visit places in Tashkent here.
Sophie Ibbotson, Uzbekistan Tourism Ambassador to the UK, @uzambassador
Spring
What better time to visit Uzbekistan than for New Year? And I don’t mean 1 January, but rather 21 March. This is the spring equinox, when the ancient festival of Navruz is celebrated across the Persian and Turkic-speaking worlds. Although Navruz has Zoroastrian roots, it’s a now enjoyed by everyone in Uzbekistan as a secular holiday.
Most cities in Uzbekistan have official Navruz celebrations in the week running up to 21 March. These events vary from parades to concerts, horse sports and wrestling, to exhibitions and food tastings. Termez arranges a particularly impressive spectacle in the Central Park. Tip: check in at the Termez Palace Hotel. And there’s often something special happening at the State Museum of Applied Arts in Tashkent. Most people spend Navruz itself at home with family and friends, and it is likely you will be invited to spend time with them in the mohalla.
The other reason I love visiting Uzbekistan in springtime is to see the wild flowers, especially in April and May. Normally grey mountain slopes and desert sands erupt with blankets of colour, including from bright red tulips and purple crocuses. These months are also best for birdwatching, so you can combine your love of flora and fauna in a single itinerary.
Summer
There is no escaping the fact that it does get hot in Uzbekistan in summer. Temperatures above 40 Celsius are common, especially in the south of the country and in the deserts. It is a dry heat, though, not humid, and as almost all hotels have AC, you can still find comfortable places to stay.
In the summer, I like to head to the mountains. There are plenty of lovely places to stay around the Charvak Reservoir, including Pyramids Resorts, which has a very welcome outdoor swimming pool. If you start early in the morning, you can have a good hike before it gets too hot, then come back for a dip in the pool or the reservoir, and to relax with a book before having a BBQ in the evening.
Autumn
September and October are always the two busiest months for tourism in Uzbekistan, because the temperatures are optimal for sightseeing. I have two ways of making the most of the weather whilst avoiding the crowds.
First, if you are travelling to Uzbekistan in peak season, prioritise less-visited sites in your itinerary. Most tourists follow a classic route from Tashkent to Samarkand and Bukhara, and maybe Khiva. But they miss out on so much else!
Instead, why not follow an alternative Silk Road itinerary? Termez has phenomenal archaeological sites, including Buddhist monasteries, lost cities, and impressive shrines. In Kokand, the Khudayar Khan Palace has phenomenal tiles, the Friday Mosque has extraordinary woodwork, and you are within easy reach of the handicrafts centres of Rishtan, Margilan, and Chust. Karakalpakstan also deserves to receive many more visitors, not only at the Savitsky Museum and the Aral Sea, but also at the 50-plus desert fortresses of Ancient Khorezm, the Mizdarkhan necropolis, and the shrines of Hakim Ata and Sultan Uvays Dag. You can also stay at the BesQala Yurt Camp, perched on the edge of the Ustyurt Plateau, looking down towards the Aral Sea.
Second, November is always a quieter month, so the UNESCO World Heritage Sites will be a little less crowded. Travel then, and plan your daily schedule to go to the most famous monuments — the Registan, Gur-i Amir, and Shah-i Zinda in Samarkand, and the Poi Kalon in Bukhara — before or after the large tour bus groups. Stay in a very central location like Bibikhanym Hotel or Antica B&B in Samarkand, or Minzifa Hotel in Bukhara, so you can easily get out and about on foot at any hour, without being dependent on your bus driver or a taxi. Rise early and walk straight to the monument you want to see so that you are there as soon as it opens. Thanks to late opening hours, it is also often possible to go later in the day when everyone else is at dinner or getting ready for bed. The Gur-i Amir is particularly magical after dark.
Winter
The quietest time of the year to visit Uzbekistan is during the winter months. Contrary to what you might expect, it is rarely too cold for sightseeing, and often there are bright, sunny days. Buildings tend to be well heated, so wrap up well and enjoy the UNESCO treasures of the Silk Road without the crowds.
In winter, Uzbekistan is also a superb destination for winter sports. I’ve been lucky enough to ski at Amirsoy, Beldersoy, and Chimgan — three ski resorts within easy reach of Tashkent — and Zaamin is developing its skiing infrastructure, too.
For now, Amirsoy is the most modern and family-friendly ski resort not only in Uzbekistan but in all of Central Asia. It opened in winter 2019-2020, and the management company is steadily adding new lifts, runs, and apres ski facilities each season to expand and improve the ski area. Beginners should make use of the excellent value ski school; more advanced skiers can take off with friends or with a guide. If your budget allows, stay at Le Chalet by Amirsoy, just moments away from the ski lifts.
In the Chimgan Mountains there are also fantastic opportunities for back-country skiing. If Nordic skiing or snow shoeing is your thing, great; but if you want an adrenaline overload with your runs, I recommend heliskiing with experts Asia Adventures. They hire helicopters from Uzbekistan Airways, provide experienced heli ski guides, and can also supply rental equipment.
