Tashkent walking tour & city guide

Squares, parks and the old town

The modern centre turns around Amir Timur Square, a round park with an equestrian statue of the fourteenth-century ruler. Around it stand grand public buildings, and a short walk away is the Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre, with a fountain-filled square in front. Sayilgoh Street, known locally as Broadway, is a pedestrian street of cafés and souvenir stalls between the two.

To the west lies the old town. Chorsu Bazaar sells bread, spices, dried fruit and nuts under a huge blue dome, and nearby the Hazrati Imam complex groups a mosque, madrasas and a library that keeps an early copy of the Quran. Newer Tashkent shows in Tashkent City Park, with its lake and modern towers, and in the white Minor Mosque beside the Ankhor canal.

A classic walk: Amir Timur Square to Chorsu Bazaar

Start at Amir Timur Square, walk down Broadway and visit the square in front of the opera theatre. Ride a few stops on the Tashkent Metro, whose stations are decorated with chandeliers, mosaics and marble, to reach the old town and Chorsu Bazaar.

Spend time in the bazaar's food halls, then walk through the quiet lanes of the old mahallas to the Hazrati Imam complex. In the evening, head back to the centre or to Tashkent City Park, when the fountains and the new skyline are lit up.

Good to know

April to May and September to October are the best months; summers are very hot and dry, and winters are cold. The metro is cheap and easy, and ride-hailing apps are widely used. Dress modestly when visiting mosques and madrasas. Fast trains link Tashkent with Samarkand in around two hours, which makes it easy to combine the two cities.