Best places to visit in Uzbekistan

Tashkent is a nice city to visit - Uzbekistan has some economic development here, far from the traditions of the East and very touristy cities of the West.

Urgench is a crossroads when traveling towards Khiva. Beyond this asset, the city has no particular appeal.

Once inside the walls of Itchan Khala, despite this funny feeling of being in a museum (with boutiques) rather than in a city, time seems to have no effect on Khiva, which is even more memorable than Samarkand.

Bukhara is considered to be the holiest city in Central Asia. It's a key stop on a trip to Uzbekistan between mosques, madrassas (Islamic schools), and even mausoleums that have been here for thousands of years. 

Uzbekistan is Central Asia's most visited country, and Samarkand was a key staging post on the Silk Road with its celebrated Islamic monuments.

Founded as a military fortress by Alexander the Great in 300 BC, Nurata has little of interest to offer to modern travelers.

The small Uzbek town of Shakhrisyabz reveals an incredible and historic palatial complex.

While the city of Urgut lacks architectural significance, it does play host to one of the country's most lively and remarkable bazaars.

Like the rest of the Ferghana Valley, Kokand is not a town that attracts a lot of tourists; nonetheless, a day spent there can be full of pleasant surprises.

A rather modern city, far from the main tourist attractions, Fergana is a quiet city that is at the heart of Uzbek culture and at the same time influenced by the Russian community that is still present there.

Located deep in the Ferghana Valley, Margilan is a town with a rich history, and which is famous for manufacturing silk.

The largest Uzbek town in the Fergana Valley, Andijan still bears the scars of the massacre of May, 2005.

The country's second city, Osh, has retained relatively little of its three millennia of history, but it nonetheless remains a pleasant place for a brief stopover.

Rishton is a nice little village with a number of pottery factories. Perhaps it isn't worth staying 3 days, but coming here is a good idea!

Deep in the depressing concrete jungle of Nukus is, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, one of Uzbekistan's finest museums.

Meaning "hot lake" in the Kyrgyz language, Lake Issyk Kul offers magnificent views of the surrounding snow-capped mountains.

With a lunar landscape that creates an atmosphere like that of an old western film set, where hulks of rusty old boats decay in what was once the largest port on the Aral Sea, Moynaq makes a strange impression on visitors.

If you visit Khuva during your stay in Uzbekistan, make sure that you plan a visit to the Toprak Kala Citadel. The site, and the views, are well worth the effort.

The capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, is a bright, golden, immaculate city with unparalleled charm and mystery.

Merv is an ancient, historic Islamic city on the Silk Road and is one of the finest examples of early Islamic culture.