Is Uzbekistan safe and should you travel there? This article contains all the safety information you need to know about Uzbekistan to enjoy your trip there in 2026.
For many years traveling in Uzbekistan wasn’t really easy. A long and complicated process was needed to get the entry visa. On top of that, travelers had to register every night in a hotel.
This deterred plenty of travelers who wanted to explore the country. It’s not the case anymore and the visa process is now a lot easier but because of this, Uzbekistan still has an aura of mystery.
People don’t know if Uzbekistan is a safe country to visit or if it should be avoided.
Because of its suffix -stan, the country is often associated with other less popular and dangerous destinations like Afghanistan.
Uzbekistan really has a lot of amazing things to offer but is it a safe country? Well, I traveled several times around to Central Asian country and in this article, I’ll tell you what I think about the safety there.
If you are wondering about visiting Uzbekistan as a solo (female) traveler, backpacking around independently with your friends or family or if it is safe for students and expats to live in its capital city Tashkent, you’re in the right place.
Tip: See my Uzbekistan Travel Page for a complete overview of all my travel guides and blog posts about Uzbekistan!
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Plan your trip to Uzbekistan
- 18 important things to prepare your trip to Uzbekistan
- 26 beautiful places to visit in Uzbekistan
- Uzbekistan Itineraries: 1 to 4 weeks in Uzbekistan
- How to travel around Uzbekistan by train
- What to pack for Uzbekistan
- Uzbekistan Safety Guide
- Uzbekistan Money Guide
- Tours & Experiences: Guided City Tours in Uzbekistan, Adventure Tours in Uzbekistan
1. Is Uzbekistan safe for tourists?
After traveling around Uzbekistan and hearing the reports of expats who live there on a permanent basis, I would say that Uzbekistan is totally safe for tourists.
It wasn’t always this way in the past though. Uzbek cops had the reputation of being extremely corrupt.
There was a time when walking around Uzbekistan without a copy of your passport wasn’t safe. Cops would ask foreigners for their passports but would only return them for a bribe.
For many years the main source of economic growth for Uzbekistan was the country’s export of cotton. The Uzbek economy was really bad and cops saw foreigners as easy prey to make a quick buck.
Since the arrival of a new president in 2016, the country changed its economical focus and decided to develop the tourism industry instead.
Consequently, tons of measures were put in place to ensure the safety of tourists in Uzbekistan. The Uzbek president announced 78 new laws meant to improve the public perception of law enforcement in Uzbekistan and to encourage foreigners to visit the country.
Many cities in Uzbekistan like Samarkand and Bukhara have touristic police dedicated to the safety of foreigners visiting the country.
The Uzbek government is putting out initiatives every year to attract tourism and the country overall is very safe. I can easily say that I felt safer there than in some parts of Europe.
Actually, all five countries in Central Asia – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – were placed in Level 1 countries by the US Department of State, meaning they are among the safest countries in the world to travel to!
Now, this doesn’t mean that bad things don’t happen in Uzbekistan. Petty crimes such as pickpocketing can happen anywhere and especially in crowded areas. The metros of Tashkent, for example, is a place where you should be cautious.
The best way to avoid being pick-pocketed is to be always very alert and aware of your belongings. You should walk around only with what is absolutely necessary.
I always recommend that you keep your wallet in your front pocket or carry a money belt. It’s also good to travel with a slash-resistant and lockable anti-theft bag. I would also recommend getting good travel insurance that covers theft.
2. Is Uzbekistan safe for solo female travelers?
A lot of solo female travelers visiting Uzbekistan ask themselves if Uzbekistan is safe for women. Here is my take on it.
In Uzbek culture, men don’t tend to approach foreign women very often. While traveling around the country by myself, I never experienced cat-calling or being bothered by guys.
I would say that Uzbekistan is very safe for solo female travelers and despite the annoying taxi drivers (whom you actually find all over the world), Uzbekistan is a very nice and safe country to travel in.
The people are genuinely friendly and helpful. They are very curious about you and if you visit the towns or villages, you can certainly expect to get invited for a tea or a meal!
3. Is Uzbekistan safe for students and expats?
When I walked in the streets of Tashkent, I was impressed by how modern and clean the city was. Everywhere I looked there were beautiful parks where families came to relax and sit in the shade of trees.
Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, is a city that attracts a lot of students and expats and I can understand why. The level of safety there is extremely high.
Uzbek cities are very calm and quiet…
Many expats and foreign students are impressed by Tashkent’s extremely low crime rates. This is in part due to the presence of touristic police in the center of the city.
I would say that Uzbekistan is generally very safe for students and expats.
In the parks or the streets of Tashkent, I was very often approached by young Uzbek students wanting to practice their English. People in Tashkent are extremely welcoming and will definitely make expats and students feel at home.
If you’re planning to move to Uzbekistan, a great Facebook group to join is Expats in Uzbekistan. There are now many foreigners living and working in Uzbekistan. They connect through this Facebook group and share, tips, advice, and plan activities together.
4. Is Uzbekistan safe to travel for families?
In Uzbek culture, children are very important and are treated with the utmost respect and love. Although Uzbekistan may lack activities for young children, the country is very safe for families.
Because children are such an important part of the Uzbek culture, it might be easier for a family to travel around Kyrgyzstan than for a solo traveler.
Visiting the old cities of Samarkand, Bukhara or Khiva could be a great activity to do with kids.
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Here are a few recommendations I would have for families traveling to Uzbekistan:
- Avoid drinking tap water in Uzbekistan
While tap water in Tashkent is generally considered safe I wouldn’t advise it for young kids. It takes a while for the body to adapt to the tap water of a new location.
Drinking tap water in Uzbekistan should generally be avoided, even by adult tourists.
To avoid buying plastic water bottles, I would recommend bringing a LifeStraw Water Filter Bottle.
This is a bottle that filters water using a filtration device. If you drink water using this bottle, any dirt, bacteria or parasites gets trapped in the filter, while the clean water passes through.
Although Bukhara has some gorgeous pools you should avoid tap water there…
- Be up-to-date with your kids’ basic vaccination
Your children should be up to date with their basic vaccination before traveling to Uzbekistan. You don’t need any compulsory vaccinations to travel to Uzbekistan.
However, vaccinations for Hepatitis A and Typhoid are recommended, especially if you are visiting smaller cities or rural areas, or if you are an adventurous eater.
- Travel with a first-aid kit to Uzbekistan
Scratches, cuts and small bruises can happen quickly and unexpectedly. I would suggest bringing a first-aid kit that contains antiseptic wipes, compresses, and band-aids, as well as painkillers and anti-diarrhea medicine. This is the first-aid kit I recommend.
5. Is it safe to drive in Uzbekistan?
In general driving in Uzbekistan is considered to be relatively safe.
The major highways connecting the country are in a reasonable state and they will keep being better as Uzbekistan’s economy is improving and the country is modernizing itself.
Roads in the Tien Shan and Pamir Mountains are generally in poorer condition than in other parts of the country and may only be passable by four-wheel-drive vehicles.
Driving at night in Uzbekistan can be dangerous as roads are not well lit, and vehicles share the roads with livestock and carts pulled by horses and donkeys.
The speed limit in Uzbekistan is 50km/h inside towns and cities and 100km/h on highways.
Police corruption is less and less frequent in Uzbekistan. There are police checkpoints, but as long as you didn’t do anything wrong, you won’t have to pay bribes.
For a complete list of rules and practical information on the state of roads in Uzbekistan, read this article.
6. Is public transportation safe in Uzbekistan?
Buses and trains in Uzbekistan are considered very safe and a great way to travel around the country. Trains in Uzbekistan are considered the safest and most comfortable mode of transport.
Shared taxis in Uzbekistan, however, are not very safe. They usually are old Mercedez, not safely maintained, and commonly lack the rear seat belts. On top of that, drivers of shared taxis drive insanely fast.
7. Is the food in Uzbekistan safe?
Food in Uzbekistan is very safe and very delicious. The Uzbek cuisine is characterized by dishes that consist mainly of rice, noodles, vegetables and lots of mutton.
As a vegetarian, it can be challenging – but not impossible – to find meat-free meals, but if you’re a vegan, it’ll be very hard to eat a typical Uzbek meal.
Uzbekistan has some awesome restaurants…
Plov is the most popular dish in Uzbekistan. It has rice, mutton, onions, carrots and raisins baked in sheep fat.
In the summer you’ll also find lots of fruit, especially melons. Now it can be normal to have a hard time properly digesting food in Uzbekistan if it’s your first time there. Vegetables that are washed in different water can sometimes cause digestive issues.
Bring some anti-diarrhea tablets with you to Uzbekistan if you want to be totally safe with the food.
8. Can you drink the water in Uzbekistan?
While tap water is generally considered safe in Tashkent, I would recommend avoiding it. While drinking this tap water is perfectly fine for locals it could be problematic for foreigners who are not used to the bacteria present in the water.
To avoid buying too many bottles of water, bring a Lifestraw Water Filter Bottle and you’ll be able to filter tap water anywhere in Uzbekistan.
9. How is healthcare in Uzbekistan?
Modern health care is not available everywhere in Uzbekistan. The health care system is based on the Soviet-style of health care which can seem very different in comparison to Western countries.
Generally, the medical personnel is knowledgeable but the system lacks the modern health care technology available in the rest of the world. There are very limited numbers of medical staff that speak English.
If you need medical attention at any point during your time in Tashkent, I highly recommend Tashkent International Clinic.
This clinic is located in the city center of Tashkent and staffed with a few English speaking doctors. Their address is:
38 Sarikul street, Tashkent
100105, Uzbekistan
Tel: (+998) 71-291-0142
(+998) 78-120-1144
This is where the clinic is located:
If you need specialized healthcare while you are in Tashkent, I also recommend having a look at this list of all the clinics and hospitals in Tashkent.
In all cities of Uzbekistan except the capital, Tashkent, regular ambulance service can be reached by dialing 03. When dialing from mobile phones, please dial #03 or 103. In Tashkent city, the number for regular ambulance service is 103.
10. Travel Insurance for Uzbekistan
It’s important to have good travel insurance before traveling to Uzbekistan. The ones I recommend are IATI Travel Insurance and HeyMondo. These insurances cover medical assistance and unforeseen things that can happen while traveling.
IATI and HeyMondo are one of the few policies that won’t require you to be in your home country to purchase, renew or extend your insurance. If your trip happens to go on a little longer than planned, you can easily extend your plan online.
Need Travel Insurance for Central Asia? I use and highly recommend HeyMondo Travel Insurance. As a reader of Journal of Nomads, you get a 5% discount off your insurance plan!
11. Are there areas of Uzbekistan you should avoid?
While most cities in Uzbekistan are considered very safe for tourists, the border areas of the country are not always safe and should be avoided by tourists unless it’s for a border crossing.
12. Is there terrorism in Uzbekistan?
There have been terror attacks in Uzbekistan in the past. On July 30, 2004, suicide bombers struck the entrances of the US and Israeli embassies in Tashkent.
Two Uzbek security guards were killed in both bombings and the Islamic Jihad Union reportedly carried this out.
While these were frightening events, Uzbekistan is, in general, a very peaceful country. There haven’t been any terrorist or active terrorist groups in Uzbekistan for the last 15 years.
13. Is Tashkent a safe city?
Tashkent is a very safe city for tourists. It’s a very modern city that travelers from different nationalities come to visit.
I was baffled to see how modern, clean, and peaceful Tashkent is. Before going to Uzbekistan, I was expecting Tashkent to be a chaotic and unsafe city but that was far from the case.
From peaceful little parks, brilliantly designed urban planning, police officers smiling and greeting us every morning, the whole city has an aura of safety.
Walking around Tashkent, you’ll be seeing and meeting people from all over the world.
Violent crime is almost unheard of in Tashkent but you should still be careful and wary of pickpockets if you walk around big markets or bazaar.
14. Helpful Russian phrases for Uzbekistan
Traveling in Uzbekistan is becoming easier and easier since more guides now speak English. Remember though that a big part of the population still speaks only Uzbek and Russian.
Learning a few words or expressions in those languages before visiting the country will definitely be handy. I learn a new language using the audio classes of Pimsleur. This is a great learning method to study a new language. It helped me a lot to quickly reach a basic level of Russian.
I also recommend bringing a small pocket phrasebook like the Lonely Planet Centra Asia Phrasebook & Dictionary as it contains useful phrases that you might need on your trip around Uzbekistan.
I also suggest you install the Google Translate App for Uzbek translations (only online) and download Russian into your app that you can use offline.
Uzbekistan is a country that I love so much. While it can sometimes be hard to communicate with people there and get the comfort that you are used to back home, it is a great destination for adventurous travelers.
Whether you are a family traveling to Uzbekistan, a solo female traveler or a young backpacker, I’m sure you’ll have a safe and unforgettable experience there!
Have you been to Uzbekistan before? Do you plan on going there soon? Let me know in the comments below!
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Hi,
do you think Uzbekistan is safe for LGBTQ+ tourists?
Hi Jasania, Uzbekistan is safe for tourists but I wouldn’t show in public that you’re LGBTQ, the culture and people aren’t open to it yet.
Hi Everyone,
I am Hadi Abdullah Al Mamun, age-48 from Dhaka, Bangladesh. I want to visit Uzbekistan for a Tourist. How will it suitable for me? Please share your experience already who was visiting Uzbekistan?
Thank for all.
I just returned from a two week stay in Uzbekistan (4/23). It is an amazing country with incredibly beautiful architecture and warm, friendly people. I highly recommend travel there. As an older woman (late 60s) traveling alone I felt very safe at all times. A visa is not required for those over 65. The only negative is the cab drivers who will charge you outrageous amounts of money. I recommend getting the Yandex app for your phone (like Uber/Lyft). Even extended trips around town will cost $2-3 USD on Yandex whereas cab drivers will charge $10-20 USD.
Hi CYNTHIA,
Thanks for the outstanding article about my home country. It is beneficial and exciting.
Thank you Otabek 🙂
We visited Uzbekistan two years ago just as COVID was starting. We are in our 70’s, so we took a tour. We had two days on our own in Tashkent before the tour. The people were amazing. Most people we encountered spoke some English except at the first hotel which we booked ourself. The manager saw we didn’t eat much of our breakfast, so he asked what we liked and the second morning we got what we requested. Twice we asked people for directions and they drove us to our destination and refused money for their efforts. The metro was beautiful and easy to negotiate. The Tamerlane Museum was very interesting and the Minor Mosque was beautiful. Our tour didn’t visit either place. Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand were also beautiful. If we go back, I probably would not take a tour.
Hi Fred, I’m glad you had such a fantastic time in Uzbekistan! The Uzbek people are indeed really lovely, hospitable and helpful.
Nowadays it’s easy to travel independently around the country and visit the main places of interest. A tour can be good if you like more background info about the history of the places. I hope you got that during your tour 🙂
Hey everyone I recommend you all to use app called Yandex Go for taxi rides it’s like an uber app. And It also accepts VISA cards. You can get anywhere with this app. And Also Yandex Go available In Russia and Kazakhstan. Btw its not that expensive also saves you from paying extra.
Thanks for your recommendation. The Yandex Go app is now also available in Kyrgyzstan and indeed, it’s a very good and reliable way to get a taxi! I’ll update all this info very soon!
How easy (and safe) is it to get a taxi from the Tashkent airport to a hotel on a Monday morning? Are US dollars accepted? Is a credit card accepted?
It is safe to get a taxi from the Tashkent airport to a hotel. You can get a taxi at the airport itself, although quite pricey, or you can ask your hotel to arrange pick-up for you. It’s better to exchange some US dollars at the airport. Taxi’s don’t accept credit cards. Enjoy your trip to Uzbekistan Annie!
Yea, you will find taxies waiting outside the airport and chances are there you will be lifted by them. But they are good people. Dollars are accepted almost everywhere and you can get Uzbek currency in exchange of dollar at the airport exchange office.
Just returned from Uzbekistan following a three week work related trip.
We found Tashkent to be a very safe destination, with some great restaurants and friendly locals. They even have the obligatory Irish Bar and Restaurant (recommended) and Ye Olde Chelsea Arms (again, recommended).
English is rarely spoken and English menus are only available in some restaurants. Google translate is extremely useful, but Uzbek is not supported offline, Best using Russian.
Be careful if changing money in the street. It is illegal and you are likely to be ripped off or presented with fake bills. We were offered half the official rate on one occasion.
If travelling by train, opt for business class or better still VIP. The additional cost is minimal to a Westerner also, book early or you may not get the seat you desire. Advise booking high speed trains at least 3-4 days in advance.
We also visited Qarshi, which was ok. No real western style restaurants, other than burger and pizza restaurants.
A visit to Andijan through beautiful countryside and mountain scenery. This is a very verdant area, but very little to do, except in the bigger hotels. We only stayed one night for a quick site survey.
Thank you for sharing your experiences Steven! I’m happy to hear you had a great time in Uzbekistan!
Well, knowing Russian is not going to help one much unfortunately. Locals are very concerned over their own native language and surprisingly most of the people don’t understand Russian. They would treat you waaaay better if you speak a biiiit of Uzbek 🙂
Yes, I agree, if you can speak a bit of Uzbek, the locals are really going to love you for it! 🙂
I suggest Russian as it’s more accessible to learn and widely spoken in Central Asia, including in Uzbekistan. I got by with speaking Russian there 🙂
To be honest I am Uzbek and you can deal with it even without Uzbek because knowing russian considered more of prestigious than Uzbek itself. 95 percent of population understand russian but only 10 or 15 percent actually can talk in it
Russia is not thought of warmly or with fondness so speak Uzbek
Hi Gloria, I didn’t have any problems speaking Russian in Uzbekistan. The Uzbeks were still very kind to me. I recommend learning some Russian as this language is widely spoken. Of course, if one decides to stay in Uzbekistan for a couple of months, then it would be helpful to learn Uzbek.
Hi- Yes, I plan to travel to Uzbek as a solo woman but to stay in public places or places where others stay. I am most interested in the dance and music of Uzbek. If there are any specific festival dates throughout the year that are noteable, maybe you can refer to when they are or where I might find that information. We must all sit tight right now cause of Covid but its good to navigate and collect informatio about future trips. Thank you!
Hi Ang, this link might help: https://www.advantour.com/uzbekistan/festivals.htm