Day Trips from Tashkent: Mountains, Lakes and Samarkand in a Day

Tashkent is where most journeys through Uzbekistan begin, and it is a good base for a few days. Within two hours of the city the Western Tian Shan rises to more than 3,000 m, with alpine meadows, a turquoise reservoir and a ski resort; and thanks to the high-speed train, even Samarkand fits into a single day. This guide lists the day trips from Tashkent that we run, with what each one shows and how long it takes.

Key facts

• Base: Tashkent; every trip below starts and ends at your hotel in the city.
• Closest mountains: Chimgan and Amirsoy, about 80 km and 2 hours by road.
• Most popular: Chimgan, Amirsoy and Charvak Lake in one day.
• History in a day: Samarkand by the Afrosiyob high-speed train, with a local guide in Samarkand (9–14 hours).
• Something different: the Solar Furnace in Parkent, 55 km from the city.

Chimgan, Amirsoy and Charvak Lake

This is the classic escape from the city. The road to the Chimgan Mountains (about 80 km, around 2 hours) runs past villages, gardens and streams. At the Amirsoy resort a cable car takes you up to the Kumbel ridge at about 2,300 m, with a clear view of Big Chimgan (3,300 m). At the Chimgan camp site you can take another cable car or ride horses along the gorge, and the day ends on the shore of the Charvak Reservoir, framed by green mountain slopes. See our Chimgan and Charvak tour and the Tashkent mountain tour.

Rafting on the Ugam River

For a more active day, the Ugam River in the Ugam-Chatkal National Park is 80–100 km from Tashkent. The route suits beginners and intermediate rafters: after a safety briefing with professional instructors you raft about 8.5 km in roughly 40 minutes, with all equipment provided. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, when the water level is right. Afterwards the drive along the Charvak Reservoir has some of the most beautiful viewpoints in the region. See rafting on the Ugam River.

Samarkand in one day by high-speed train

Yes, Samarkand is possible as a day trip. We take you from your hotel to the station for the Afrosiyob high-speed train; in Samarkand a local guide shows you Registan Square, the Gur-Emir Mausoleum, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, the Ulugh Beg Observatory and Siab Bazaar, with lunch at a local restaurant. The day lasts 9–14 hours. If Afrosiyob tickets are sold out, we use the Sharq train or an air-conditioned car instead. See Samarkand in one day from Tashkent and our Afrosiyob train guide.

The Solar Furnace in Parkent

One of the largest solar furnaces in the world stands at 1,100 m in the foothills of the Tian Shan, near Parkent village, 55 km (about 1 hour 20 minutes) from Tashkent. You walk through the heliostat field of 62 mirrors, the solar museum and the concentrator, which you can climb; on some days it melts materials at up to 3,000 °C (not on weekends). The whole trip takes about 6 hours. See the Solar Furnace tour.

Tashkent itself

If you have only one day, you can also spend it in the capital: old Tashkent around the Hazrati Imam ensemble and Chorsu Bazaar, and the modern city with its decorated metro stations. See the Modern Tashkent tour.

With one more day: the Fergana Valley

The Fergana Valley does not fit into a day, but two days are enough: the morning train to Kokand and the Khudoyar Khan Palace, the ceramic masters of Rishtan, and the silk workshops of Margilan. See the 2-day Fergana Valley tour.

Which day trip should you choose?

• Nature and fresh air: Chimgan, Amirsoy and Charvak.
• Adventure: Ugam rafting in spring or autumn.
• History: Samarkand by high-speed train.
• Something unusual: the Solar Furnace.
• Snow: Amirsoy in winter.

Plan it with TravelBliss

All these trips are private: your own car and driver from your hotel in Tashkent, and a guide where the tour includes one. Write to us on WhatsApp with your dates and we will suggest the day trips that fit your stay.