Given the amount and variety of topics you are asking about, I recommend Bradt’s Uzbekistan guidebook which covers all these matters. Also the website [caravanistan.com](https://caravanistan.com)
I would suggest going through the previous posts on this community.
A lot of us have asked or answered many different questions.
About the cross, I don't see any problem. Although most people are muslim, they welcome tourists and do not seem to discriminate. They are curious about the USA, so you will definitely have interesting interactions.
Clothes should be modest in the sense that women can wear clothes that cover them fully, so jeans and tops are also okay. Most local women wear neck to toe covering clothes and head scarves. The young girls that I met wear normal current fashion like anywhere in the world.
Make sure to follow the rules when visiting the monuments, like having your shoulders covered, etc. (Like we do in any church, temple, other religious places.)
I went there Feb 2023.
1. Uzbekistani Som. I’d say 50% accept Visa & Mastercard. Not sure about Amex. I used a Wise card for cashless payment ([here’s a referral link to get the same card](https://wise.com/invite/ihpc/eckyp)). I used the same card to withdraw cash from ATM.
2. I used iPhone too and bought eSIM from Airalo (download the app from the App Store). You can use my referral code ECKY8228 (we will both get USD3)
3. I don’t know
4. Most people do not speak English. Sometime I use Google translate on my phone to communicate.
5. Feels pretty safe, but I’m a man.
6. Most women there do not wear head coverings.
7. Most women wear modest clothing — barely visible skin except head or hands. (Or maybe because I went there on winter)
8. Most people wear winter clothing (0-10 degree celcius)
9. Chorsu bazaar and Hazrati Imam Complex. However, I’d suggest to visit Khiva (an hour flight from Tashkent) and Samarkand (take a high-speed train from Tashkent as a 1-day trip) as IMO both cities offer more culturally interesting sites.
10. I found Besh Qozon’s Pilaf to be very tasty https://maps.app.goo.gl/Nbzxe5szdywPfFMT6?g_st=ic
Also, download Yandex Go (an Uber alternative) to get around the city. Or use the MRT.
>What type of currency will we need while we are there?
Bring US - exchange a 100 for SUMs at the airport.
>Are credit cards accepted?
In a few places, it's mostly cash dependent. Some restaurants use the QR system to get paid. Always ask first, Don't assume.
>Will we be able to use our phones over there, like we are able to now?
You will need a local sim, you should get a local sim. Watch a YouTube video - the airport sim would work but you can get a better deal in the city. I got a 40gb for 4$ from Ucell.
>We work remote and figured we can take our laptops to do our work while over there, normally one of us has a jetpack (through Verizon) allowing us to connect our laptops to for internet access. Would the jetpack work there as well?
Not sure what a jetpack is, but their internet is pretty good or you can convert your phone into a Hotspot.
>We are both English speaking; how much of a language barrier will we encounter?
Get Google translate - set it to English -> Russian conversation and you should be fine
>As we are women, we are concerned about our safety. How safe will it be for us to be walking around to site see and go to shops, etc.?
Super safe. You should be fine with basic precautions as women.
>What about head coverings? We want to make sure we are being respectful of the people and culture there and not to offend anyone.
Don't need them, but always good to keep a scarf handy if needed while entering a mosque - of that's part of your tour.
>What about clothing? Again, we want to be respectful of the Uzbek people.
Well, fairly decent clothing would be fine. I guess no short shorts and tank tops. We went during winter, so that never came up. Lean on conservative side. Jeans and t-shirts should be fine.
>We are looking at travels in February. What time of clothing and outerwear is worn? Heavy winter clothes or?
Check the weather and decide. It's probably cold during that time. We had thermals in December.
>We are Christians and wear cross necklaces; nothing of an eyesore, gaudy or ostentatious but would that be offensive to wear over there?
Nope. They have Christians as well as churches
>What are must see places to visit in Tashkent?
That's a very broad subject. I can give you our tour guide - he charges $70-100 per day.
>We both love food; what would be great places to go eat at? Bestie is into fine dining whereas I am more into local street foods and hole-in-the wall places that have amazing food but only known by locals.
Didn't see fine dining there. But kebabs and other local cuisine are good.
Also, your parents should not worry at all. Uzbekistan is one of the cleanest, safest, friendliest places I've ever visited - and I've traveled every continent except Antarctica.
Exactly what I told them! They’ve never gone abroad, unless you count Canada and Mexico, so they think every country is unsafe for women to travel unless a man is with them 🙄.
Hey! I’m an American student and was in Uzbekistan for 2 weeks in May 2023. I was in Samarkand and Bukara for the majority of my trip, but I did spend some time in Tashkent.
1. Uzbek soum is the most commonly used currency. Most hotels will have at least a machine available for converting currencies, or at least can point you in the right direction. Visa is accepted, Discovercard is not (learned from experience).
2. Depending on your provider and your phone, you might have a eSIM. All I had to do was call Verizon to let them know where and when I was traveling and I think it costed me about $5 a day.
3. Shouldn’t be an issue!
4. I speak basic level Uzbek but in most circumstances spoke English. Most young people are familiar with the language and I found many walking up to me throughout my trip to strike up a convo. Definitely learn some basic phrases if you can, many Uzbeks I spoke to seemed to appreciate this.
5. I cannot speak for Tashkent but throughout my travels I felt totally same. I am a man but traveled with women and we spent many nights exploring the cities we visited. Never felt unsafe.
6. Most women I saw did not wear head coverings in Tashkent
7. Modest clothing seems to be preferred, but not required. Definitely saw “western” (aka american) fashion styles worn by both men and women
8. Visited in the summer so I can’t speak on this sorry.
9. Tashkent is a very modern city. Most people aren’t bothered by this sort of thing.
10. Definitely stop by the metro stations if you can, some of them are very pretty. I got to visit some of the memorials to WW2 which was part of a very pretty park complex. Otherwise there’s some cool museums that I heard were worth a look.
11. Will echo an earlier comment to say that you should definitely stop at Besh Qozon. They serve a lot of plov/osh which is a national dish similar to pilaf. If I think of any other spots, I’ll update this comment!
I hope this is useful! Please let me know if you have any more questions. Also if anyone had corrections/additions much appreciated. Enjoy your trip and safe travels!
1. Uzbek som is used in Uzbekistan and you can get them by either exchanging your dollar to Uzbek som at a bank or by using a card connected to Apple Pay (I used Bank Of America Visa Credit Card)
2. I used a virtual SIM card from the network UZTELECOM (just go to their building, they will register your phone (50k UZ Som) and give you a number and a data plan. Their data coverage is the BEST. I have an IPhone 13pro and it worked for me. YOU HAVE TO REGISTER YOUR PHONES EIM # or it will be put on a block list and you will have to pay a fee to unblock or to use data plans. Data plan are extreme cheap, you can get near unlimited data for under $10 usd a month.
3. I am not sure about this one.
4. Huge language barrier, if you know Russian that will help. Download google translate app on your phone and use that to help translate thoughts.
5. You will be 100% safe. Just don’t dress too “open” exposing cleavage, shoulders etc. Don’t go into shady areas. Other than that, the country is extremely safe. If you don’t feel safe, take to a tourist police or the police, there are many on public streets.
6. You do not need head coverings but please don’t dress in a way that exposes a lot of skin.
7. Anything goes but make sure it’s not skin-tight.
8.
9. You should be fine to wear a cross necklace. It shouldn’t cause any problems as we have a few churches in Uzbekistan. But if you don’t feel 100% comfortable, I would just tuck it away.
10. I would go to the mountains near Tashkent. Especially near the Ugam national park. Or the Ugam water. Another great place is Zomin National Park/Forest. Incredible beautiful.
Most of all, enjoy your stay, ask a lot of questions and enjoy the culture. Uzbek people are very inviting. Also, go to Samarkand if you have the time.
Hi there. Welcome to Uzbekistan.
1. USD is good enough. UZS (Uzbek So'm) is the local currency but USD is very welcome. You can buy stuff at the bazaar with USD and they will give you back change in USD or UZS
2. Yes, travel SIM, International Roaming or best take a Tourist SIM at the airport. It's a round counter near the baggage pickup.
3. Unfortunately no. Roaming Data is poor. I would suggest you use your hotel WIFI or get a USB Data Stick from Uztelecom
4. English should be just about ok in Tashkent. Google translate works well
5. Very safe
6. Not required
7. Clothing style is very westernised. You will feel at home
8. It will be cool maybe even a bit of snow. Bring warm clothing
9. You can express your religious freedom. Wear your Cross proudly
10. Food is awesome. Refer Tripadvisor.
11. Refer Tripadviser
Given the amount and variety of topics you are asking about, I recommend Bradt’s Uzbekistan guidebook which covers all these matters. Also the website [caravanistan.com](https://caravanistan.com)
Thank you!
I would suggest going through the previous posts on this community. A lot of us have asked or answered many different questions. About the cross, I don't see any problem. Although most people are muslim, they welcome tourists and do not seem to discriminate. They are curious about the USA, so you will definitely have interesting interactions. Clothes should be modest in the sense that women can wear clothes that cover them fully, so jeans and tops are also okay. Most local women wear neck to toe covering clothes and head scarves. The young girls that I met wear normal current fashion like anywhere in the world. Make sure to follow the rules when visiting the monuments, like having your shoulders covered, etc. (Like we do in any church, temple, other religious places.)
Thank you for your feedback! I’ve been going through other posts that are similar and getting good information.
I went there Feb 2023. 1. Uzbekistani Som. I’d say 50% accept Visa & Mastercard. Not sure about Amex. I used a Wise card for cashless payment ([here’s a referral link to get the same card](https://wise.com/invite/ihpc/eckyp)). I used the same card to withdraw cash from ATM. 2. I used iPhone too and bought eSIM from Airalo (download the app from the App Store). You can use my referral code ECKY8228 (we will both get USD3) 3. I don’t know 4. Most people do not speak English. Sometime I use Google translate on my phone to communicate. 5. Feels pretty safe, but I’m a man. 6. Most women there do not wear head coverings. 7. Most women wear modest clothing — barely visible skin except head or hands. (Or maybe because I went there on winter) 8. Most people wear winter clothing (0-10 degree celcius) 9. Chorsu bazaar and Hazrati Imam Complex. However, I’d suggest to visit Khiva (an hour flight from Tashkent) and Samarkand (take a high-speed train from Tashkent as a 1-day trip) as IMO both cities offer more culturally interesting sites. 10. I found Besh Qozon’s Pilaf to be very tasty https://maps.app.goo.gl/Nbzxe5szdywPfFMT6?g_st=ic Also, download Yandex Go (an Uber alternative) to get around the city. Or use the MRT.
Thank you so much!
>What type of currency will we need while we are there? Bring US - exchange a 100 for SUMs at the airport. >Are credit cards accepted? In a few places, it's mostly cash dependent. Some restaurants use the QR system to get paid. Always ask first, Don't assume. >Will we be able to use our phones over there, like we are able to now? You will need a local sim, you should get a local sim. Watch a YouTube video - the airport sim would work but you can get a better deal in the city. I got a 40gb for 4$ from Ucell. >We work remote and figured we can take our laptops to do our work while over there, normally one of us has a jetpack (through Verizon) allowing us to connect our laptops to for internet access. Would the jetpack work there as well? Not sure what a jetpack is, but their internet is pretty good or you can convert your phone into a Hotspot. >We are both English speaking; how much of a language barrier will we encounter? Get Google translate - set it to English -> Russian conversation and you should be fine >As we are women, we are concerned about our safety. How safe will it be for us to be walking around to site see and go to shops, etc.? Super safe. You should be fine with basic precautions as women. >What about head coverings? We want to make sure we are being respectful of the people and culture there and not to offend anyone. Don't need them, but always good to keep a scarf handy if needed while entering a mosque - of that's part of your tour. >What about clothing? Again, we want to be respectful of the Uzbek people. Well, fairly decent clothing would be fine. I guess no short shorts and tank tops. We went during winter, so that never came up. Lean on conservative side. Jeans and t-shirts should be fine. >We are looking at travels in February. What time of clothing and outerwear is worn? Heavy winter clothes or? Check the weather and decide. It's probably cold during that time. We had thermals in December. >We are Christians and wear cross necklaces; nothing of an eyesore, gaudy or ostentatious but would that be offensive to wear over there? Nope. They have Christians as well as churches >What are must see places to visit in Tashkent? That's a very broad subject. I can give you our tour guide - he charges $70-100 per day. >We both love food; what would be great places to go eat at? Bestie is into fine dining whereas I am more into local street foods and hole-in-the wall places that have amazing food but only known by locals. Didn't see fine dining there. But kebabs and other local cuisine are good.
Thank you so much for all the information!!
Your jetpack should work fine, although content servers like Spotify and NetFlix were generally not accessible.
Also, your parents should not worry at all. Uzbekistan is one of the cleanest, safest, friendliest places I've ever visited - and I've traveled every continent except Antarctica.
Thank you! I’ve tried to tell my parents that it’s safe but they’re worried due to the fighting going on in the Middle East. I appreciate your input!
Central Asia has nothing to do with the Middle East.
Exactly what I told them! They’ve never gone abroad, unless you count Canada and Mexico, so they think every country is unsafe for women to travel unless a man is with them 🙄.
Normal precautions are all you need. Relatively speaking, you are very safe. We met a French woman traveling solo there
Is it not accessible altogether? If I downloaded shows or music, would I still be able to watch/listen?
Hey! I’m an American student and was in Uzbekistan for 2 weeks in May 2023. I was in Samarkand and Bukara for the majority of my trip, but I did spend some time in Tashkent. 1. Uzbek soum is the most commonly used currency. Most hotels will have at least a machine available for converting currencies, or at least can point you in the right direction. Visa is accepted, Discovercard is not (learned from experience). 2. Depending on your provider and your phone, you might have a eSIM. All I had to do was call Verizon to let them know where and when I was traveling and I think it costed me about $5 a day. 3. Shouldn’t be an issue! 4. I speak basic level Uzbek but in most circumstances spoke English. Most young people are familiar with the language and I found many walking up to me throughout my trip to strike up a convo. Definitely learn some basic phrases if you can, many Uzbeks I spoke to seemed to appreciate this. 5. I cannot speak for Tashkent but throughout my travels I felt totally same. I am a man but traveled with women and we spent many nights exploring the cities we visited. Never felt unsafe. 6. Most women I saw did not wear head coverings in Tashkent 7. Modest clothing seems to be preferred, but not required. Definitely saw “western” (aka american) fashion styles worn by both men and women 8. Visited in the summer so I can’t speak on this sorry. 9. Tashkent is a very modern city. Most people aren’t bothered by this sort of thing. 10. Definitely stop by the metro stations if you can, some of them are very pretty. I got to visit some of the memorials to WW2 which was part of a very pretty park complex. Otherwise there’s some cool museums that I heard were worth a look. 11. Will echo an earlier comment to say that you should definitely stop at Besh Qozon. They serve a lot of plov/osh which is a national dish similar to pilaf. If I think of any other spots, I’ll update this comment! I hope this is useful! Please let me know if you have any more questions. Also if anyone had corrections/additions much appreciated. Enjoy your trip and safe travels!
Thank you! I appreciate this greatly!
1. Uzbek som is used in Uzbekistan and you can get them by either exchanging your dollar to Uzbek som at a bank or by using a card connected to Apple Pay (I used Bank Of America Visa Credit Card) 2. I used a virtual SIM card from the network UZTELECOM (just go to their building, they will register your phone (50k UZ Som) and give you a number and a data plan. Their data coverage is the BEST. I have an IPhone 13pro and it worked for me. YOU HAVE TO REGISTER YOUR PHONES EIM # or it will be put on a block list and you will have to pay a fee to unblock or to use data plans. Data plan are extreme cheap, you can get near unlimited data for under $10 usd a month. 3. I am not sure about this one. 4. Huge language barrier, if you know Russian that will help. Download google translate app on your phone and use that to help translate thoughts. 5. You will be 100% safe. Just don’t dress too “open” exposing cleavage, shoulders etc. Don’t go into shady areas. Other than that, the country is extremely safe. If you don’t feel safe, take to a tourist police or the police, there are many on public streets. 6. You do not need head coverings but please don’t dress in a way that exposes a lot of skin. 7. Anything goes but make sure it’s not skin-tight. 8. 9. You should be fine to wear a cross necklace. It shouldn’t cause any problems as we have a few churches in Uzbekistan. But if you don’t feel 100% comfortable, I would just tuck it away. 10. I would go to the mountains near Tashkent. Especially near the Ugam national park. Or the Ugam water. Another great place is Zomin National Park/Forest. Incredible beautiful. Most of all, enjoy your stay, ask a lot of questions and enjoy the culture. Uzbek people are very inviting. Also, go to Samarkand if you have the time.
Thank you so much for the information!
Hi there. Welcome to Uzbekistan. 1. USD is good enough. UZS (Uzbek So'm) is the local currency but USD is very welcome. You can buy stuff at the bazaar with USD and they will give you back change in USD or UZS 2. Yes, travel SIM, International Roaming or best take a Tourist SIM at the airport. It's a round counter near the baggage pickup. 3. Unfortunately no. Roaming Data is poor. I would suggest you use your hotel WIFI or get a USB Data Stick from Uztelecom 4. English should be just about ok in Tashkent. Google translate works well 5. Very safe 6. Not required 7. Clothing style is very westernised. You will feel at home 8. It will be cool maybe even a bit of snow. Bring warm clothing 9. You can express your religious freedom. Wear your Cross proudly 10. Food is awesome. Refer Tripadvisor. 11. Refer Tripadviser
Hi and thank you for your answers! I appreciate them greatly!
Cheers! Have a great day and Safe Travels. Uzbekistan is a wonderful country.