Solo woman in Uzbekistan

Hello everyone, after our trip was canceled due to COVID, I’ve decided to travel alone at 66 since my husband is no longer healthy enough to join me. I speak a little English and, while I’m taking this trip as a challenge, I’ll admit it stresses me out a bit. I’ll be leaving in May for 3 weeks. If it’s easy to plan the route and accommodations with Airbnb, I’m a little worried about transportation. Do you think it’s better to hire a guide for visiting the cities? I’d love all your tips. Corinne

Hi Corinne,

Don’t hesitate—go for it! Uzbekistan is a wonderful country, and you’ll feel safe everywhere. Transportation and accommodations are very easy to find and book.

Personally, I always plan my trips myself, and I had no trouble doing so for Uzbekistan. However, I did hire a guide for a three-day homestay in the mountains south of Samarkand, and it remains an amazing memory. His name is Nasrullo Jumanov (nasrullo78@gmail.com), and you can trust him completely. He can organize all or part of your trip—bookings, transportation, whatever you need. He speaks perfect French and is very efficient.

Happy planning! !

Hello, my wife and I used Nasrullo’s services for our 3.5-week trip (see my travel journal on the site). We’re used to traveling independently, but this time I didn’t want to bother with things like transport bookings, especially trains and domestic flights. Nasrullo handled everything. We exchanged a lot about the trip’s organization, the length of each stop (days with a guide and free days), the itinerary, and accommodations. Nasrullo is very patient. And for a very reasonable price, he manages to make great suggestions. I’m still in touch with him, as I’m planning to return to Central Asia in the next few years. Contact him, discuss your plans, and he’ll come up with a great proposal. If you’d prefer to book accommodations yourself, that’s no problem for him. By relying on him, you’ll avoid the stress or hassle of domestic transport, and at each stop, you’ll have access to a French-speaking guide. Happy to provide more details if needed.

It’s really easy to organize. Train bookings are on railways.uz, hotels are super cheap and there are plenty of them. If you’re doing the classic route: Tashkent to Khiva overnight train for 23 € in a sleeper, Khiva to Bukhara for 10 €, Bukhara to Samarkand for 10 €. Even with basic English, no problem. You’re going to love it.

Thanks so much for your advice, I’ll contact him!

A big thank you for your reply—since two of you are recommending this guide, I’ll reach out to them!

You can find my travel journal at this address: https://www.routard.com/forums/t/ouzbekistan-culture-et-rencontres-un-reve-turquoise-realise/310811 You’ll see we had an amazing trip at our own pace! Feel free to ask if you need any extra info.

Hi,

It won’t be a problem. People are happy to help. For transportation, it’s better if you speak a little Russian—it helps a lot. That said, the younger generation speaks English pretty well these days. Honestly, I don’t think you *need* a guide, but it depends on what you’re looking for: a guide can tell you the history of a site, etc., and might show you hidden gems if you ask.

Have a great trip.

Hi there, Uzbekistan is a very safe country. Only students and hotel staff at large hotels speak English. It's easy to book hotels online. For getting around, taxis are the most convenient option. Last year, we traveled from Bukhara to Khiva and back from Khiva to Tashkent by taxi. The cost is very reasonable. For example: Bukhara-Khiva $70 Bukhara-Tashkent $90. Hotels can easily arrange a taxi for you. The roads are in relatively good condition. Driving can be a bit chaotic, but outside the big cities, there’s little traffic. To communicate with you, taxi drivers use translators on their smartphones.

Hi Corinette,

We’re a couple aged 66 and 63, and we’ll be heading to this country as independent travelers (no groups!!) next May.

Thanks to reading blogs, guides, and so on, I’ve put together an 18-day trip with some guided tours and some free days.

We travel light, and I’m used to booking guest houses myself.

If you’re interested, maybe we could share part of the journey together.

Here’s a link to one of our big trips—the Iran one! https://www.myatlas.com/richardchardonnet/reve-d-iran-en-1-mois

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Richard Chardonnet

Hello, I’m planning to visit Uzbekistan in April–May and am looking for someone to join me. Would this interest you? Best regards/CP

Hi Léonie. I’m also planning this trip and would love to share it to arrange outings from the cities by car with a driver. If you’re interested, write to me—we can discuss it. Martine.

Good evening. I’m also planning this trip and would be happy to share it. If you’re interested, feel free to message me—we can discuss it in more detail. Martine

Hi, I sent you a private message. Were you able to read it? Best, CP

Hi Corinette, and best wishes. I’m getting back to you about this trip to Uzbekistan. Have you made any progress on the plan? I’m seriously working on it for spring. I’m also planning to use a local agency to get out of the cities for a few days—lakes, mountains, and maybe even the Aral Sea. Staying in Airbnbs seems like a great way to meet locals. Let me know if you’re still interested in sharing this trip. My email: mlvitry@yahoo.fr so we don’t have to keep coming back to the site. Have a great day, Corinette. Martine

Hi,

Did you get in touch with this guide? Would you recommend them as well?

Thanks in advance for your reply

Sorry I didn’t reply sooner—I reached out to Nasrulo, but he told me he handles full trips, whereas I’m looking for a guide just for specific days.

And did you find another one?

When is your trip planned for?

I'm leaving from May 16th to June 10th, but I need to go see Hélène, a friend of a friend who lives not too far from me. She runs "Hélène Oasis," a guest house in Bukhara, and she's going to give me some tips

Oh, awesome!

If you're going to see this person soon, would you be up for swapping some great tips?

Hi Martine, With this message, you’ll see how we got in touch... I have a question because my trip is pretty much finalized—just missing some info on the Ferghana Valley since I’ve got time to explore the area. Since I believe you’re going there, could you share your itinerary? Best regards,

I see in the messages that you’ve had some responses. For now, we haven’t finalized the details yet. Have a great day!

Hi Richard, I’m starting to finalize my trip—I’ll be there from May 18 to June 10. I’ll end my trip in the Ferghana Valley, but I’m struggling to plan the route and especially the transportation. If you’re planning to go too, could you give me some tips?

I was able to talk on the phone with Nasrulo—he’s really nice, so he’s arranging a night with a family in the mountains above Samarkand.