The perfect Uzbekistan Textile Lovers Itinerary

If you asked me about a single destination for the best textile arts, I would have a hard time deciding, but it probably would be Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan textile lovers, this itinerary is for you.

Having written plenty about the textile shopping in Uzbekistan here already, and having published my ideal two-week Uzbekistan Itinerary, I have decided to combine the two into an itinerary with an emphasis on textiles and traditional crafts. So combines major accessible Silk Road sights, getting a taste of modern Uzbekistan and Uzbekistan textile lovers destinations you cannot miss.

This itinerary is designed for self-guided, independent travel, using public transport wherever possible. You can do guided trips, but in terms of safety or accessibility, I personally see no major advantage in going on a guided trip.

Best time to travel

You can visit Uzbekistan all year round.  Museums stay open year round, but smaller hotels may shut over the winter. Chances are that between November and February, you may have all these attractions to yourself, but your choice of hotels and tourist restaurants may be limited – and and you have pretty cold nights and days to deal with.

The most popular travel times are March to May and September to early November, when it’s relatively dry and warm in the day and pleasantly cool at night. In high summer from late June through to August, it gets extremely hot in the day, with sunny cloudless skies, making walking and sightseeing pretty exhausting. My first trip to Uzbekistan was in early to mid-March and I loved it – it was “pre season”, not all hotels and restaurants were open, old towns were moderately busy. My second trip in October, three years later, wasn’t quite as busy as pre-2020, and I feel Uzbekistan still has huge potential as a tourist destination.

Uzbekistan – little known, but huge potential

Uzbekistan is a former Soviet Republic in Central Asia with a rich history and part of the Silk Road leading through it. Scythians, Mongols, Timurids, Russians – they have all been through it and left their mark, and after a few turbulent years post-Soviet rule, Uzbekistan is a safe destination for tourists but still has some clear human rights issues according to Human Rights Watch. Should that deter you from visiting? Only you can decide on that.

Safety in Uzbekistan

As far as travel safety is concerned, Uzbekistan is as safe as it gets. The occasional scan, overpricing, pick pocketing. It does not happen a lot, certainly a lot less than in tourist destinations in Europe. There is an all-present police, and a tourist police, too.

Public transport runs fairly reliably  – but then, I have only used the trains and share taxis so far. Trains are reliable, run to schedule, as cheap and you can travel almost anywhere by train. I have written a separate guide on travelling by train in Uzbekistan, including how to buy tickets, and here is another one on travelling by night train. Share taxis or taxis work great for shorter distances, and any guest house or hotel worth its salt will arrange prepaid taxis for you at a relatively low cost. There are apps you can use, but many are Russian, and may not function on a Western phone.

In summary, Uzbekistan is perfectly fine to visit individually, if you don’t mind the language barrier – as more people learn English instead of Russian, this may change in the future. If you prefer the comfort of reliable door-to-door transport and tried and trusted hotels and meals, then a group tour might be better suited, but bear in mind that textile-centred tours are few and far in between, but I have found some on Silk Road Treasure Tours (Uzbek Company), Creative Arts Safaris and Red Door Tours (Australian Companies)

How to use this itinerary

Feel free to peruse this itinerary in any way you wish. Fel free to ask me anything and I will try to help as best as I can.

This itinerary is based on public transport, using fast trains wherever available. Make sure to book these fast trains well in advance. You can book on the Uzbek Railway site or through a travel agent. Feel free to use my post on how to buy train tickets in Uzbekistan if you want to go the direct route. Alternatively you can go to the station and buy tickets in person – but sleepers and high speed trains tend to sell out a week or more in advance, leaving you with slower trains, especially in the more popular tourist season, as many tour groups use high-speed trains, too.

In the transition from centuries of Russian/Soviet occupation, there is heavy emphasis on use of the Uzbek language, including place names. So, the Uzbekistan we spell in the west is Oʻzbekiston in modern Uzbek. Aside from this, I have tried to use the modern Uzbek spelling of places, with the traditional / English spelling in brackets where applicable.

I have made this into a 10-day itinerary, as 14 days is the standard length of a holiday for many, and trust me, you can see a lot of Uzbekistan in ten days. Plus, you can add an extra day for travel or a stopover.

One date I recommend you keep is the Urgut Market near Samarkand for vintage textiles. While the market is on every day, the suzani sellers are most reliably there on a Sunday, although you may find them on Wednesdays and Saturdays, too. There is also a huge market on near Marghilon on Thursdays, but you will find very similar new textiles in town every day so it is not exactly necessary to visit this market.

I have also included one day to serve as a buffer in case not everything goes to plan. While I like to be flexible, I strongly recommend booking accommodation in Uzbekistan in advance. I booked all mine using Booking.com with a free cancellation option.

Arrival in Uzbekistan

At the time of writing, the route through the new international Tashkent Airport is the most common one. In the past, I used Samarqand (flying via Moscow), bypassing Toshkent altogether. Toshkent has its charms and would be my recommended port of entry at present. There may not be a lot to see for Uzbekistan textile lovers, but it’s a friendly convenient city. Most international flights arrive in the middle of the night. Then, there will inevitably be some queuing at immigration. Last time I arrived in a full A350 and queued for about half an hour – which is tolerable. Immigration procedure was straightforward with a German passport, no questions asked.

Top Tip: Buy a SIM card in the arrivals hall at Tashkent Airport. There isn’t a lot of public internet access. It’s open 24/7, friendly, you can pay by card or in US Dollars

There is a tiny Exchange Office in the Airport, a stall that sells data SIM card (I got a Beeline one for 8 dollars which served me perfectly for 12 days), and an official taxi booking office. It is best to have a hotel booked. Book a taxi or negotiate with the taxis drivers outside for a decent fare. I paid US-Dollars to be driven to my hotel which, at this time of the night, was fine for me.

You do not immediately need Uzbek currency when you arrive, so you might want to save some time and money by not changing money in the airport and take a few smaller US-Dollar notes which are accepted almost anywhere.

Day 1: A taste of Toshkent

Toshkent is a modern capital city with few historic attraction, owing to a 1960’s earthquake and the subsequent Soviet style rebuild. So, while there are some historic buildings like the Kukeldash Madrassah or Hazrat Imam Complex, you will soon see some amazing Silk Road monuments in the following days, so I would concentrate on the modern centre.

You will find a lot of “seismic modernist” Soviet architecture in Toshkent, due to the relatively rapid rebuilding of the city after the 1966 earthquake which destroyed the city (but only killed 10 people) .

Visit Amir Temur Square and then admire the modernist monstrosity that is the Hotel Uzbekistan. You can also visit the State Museum of the Timurids (History Museum) there.

From there, stroll to the Alisher Navoiy Theatre to see if any performances are on during your stay. The area around the opera has several, relatively touristy cafes and restaurants for a pit stop and is a pleasant, park-like area to stroll in.

Alternatively, take a bus or taxi to Chorsu Bazaar. Its design is quite unique, and although all textiles are modern and mostly imported, it is a nice place to check out the local produce. For a smaller, more central bazaar, Mirobod Bazaar is nice, and it has the advantage of some lovely tourist-friendly cafes and restaurants nearby.

Also, don’t forget to go on a leisurely tour of the Tashkent Metro – middle of the day is perfect, as it won’t be too busy then. The best stations are  Paxtakor/Alisher Navoiy (two interchange stations), Kosmonavtlar, Chilonzor, and Mustaqillik Maydoni. They date from late 1970’s post Stalinist pomp to quite sleek and modern, and Toshkent Metro is thought to have some of the most impressive after Moscow and St.Petersburg.

If you wish to spend more time on Toshkent, please visit my separate more detailed Toshkent post.

Where to stay in Toshkent

I highly recommend to book a hotel in a relatively touristy area of Toshkent. I recommend somewhere in the huge block between Mirobod and Shota Rustaveli Streets. You get a variety of nice restaurants, the Mirobod Bazaar, cafes, green walkways and good bus connections.

I stayed at the Sapiens Hotel, a new property staffed by lovely people (and a resident cat) in a quiet side street of Shota Rustaveli Avenue. The cheaper rooms have no lift (yet), it lacked some finishing touches in the rooms, the breakfast was not amazing – apart from that, I highly recommend it. Especially because it was so friendly, because of the location and the cleanliness. I paid about 30 Euro for a twin room.

Another really nice one, a bit off the beaten track but handy for the airport and train stations, is the Resident Hotel.

Before my plans got turned upside down, I had a booking at the ATECA Suites Hotel. It was more expensive but had four stars and looked spanking new with a very pleasant decorating scheme. Expect to pay about 55-90 Euro per room per night.

For those who love a blast from the past, the Hotel Uzbekistan is a very famous Soviet-era hotel right in the representative centre of Uzbekistan. Unfortunately, there isn’t much else around there except roads, monuments and pleasant park-like boulevards, but it is very thin on the ground in terms of cafes and restaurants. I did visit, and while it’s impressive from the outside, the interior downstairs has definitely been refurbished some 30 years ago and looks more like a 1990’s midrange hotel. But I saw many tourists there, so it is still quite popular.

Day 2: Buxoro

I recommend taking the fastest train possible to Buxoro, which is the furthest destination on this itinerary. This would be the Afrosiyob Express, which leaves in the early morning and takes just over four hours for the 600km journey. This means you will be in Buxoro for lunch!

Depending on your time of arrival in Bukhara, take it easy and explore on foot. You can probably see the highlights of Buxoro in a short day, but you will be seriously side-tracked by shops and beautiful cafes.

A good place to start your walk is the Lyabi Hauz, a pool surrounded by some smaller madrassahs and lots of touristy cafes and shops. It’s a good reference for orientation in Buxoro.

Follow the pedestrian road connection the three ancient trading domes and walk all the way up to the northernmost trading dome the Toqi Zargaron. The street is lined with shops, and I am not going to lie they are all aimed at tourists. The middle trading dome, Toqi Telpakfurushon, is my favourite and a fourth one on the way, Tim Abdulla Khan Trading Dome, is perhaps the most atmospheric.

Take a look at the small but perfect early 15th Century Ulugbek Madrassah and its neighbour, the Abdulaziz Khan Madrassah. Then walk across to the Po-i-Kalyan Ensemble, with the stately Kalan Mosque and its elegant brick minaret, the Mir-i-Arab Madrassa and the Khanaka Amir Alimkhan.

Amble back through some smaller side streets or have some refreshments at Silk Road Tea House or head to a restaurant.

Now, for the shopping… Buxoro has its fair share of textile and carpet shops but would concentrate on the sights, to be honest. When you take the route described above, you will find a number of nice shops, so when you return from your exploration, take a look…

Firstly, the Tim Abdullah Khan Trading Dome is atmospheric, with some ikat fabric and some carpets, but my favourites are two textile shops: Minzifa Textiles and Feruza’s Ikat Store.

Let’s start with Feruza’s Ikat Store. The shop is well known, not least for its knowledgeable and cheerful owner, Feruza Ahrarova. It is conveniently located between Lyabi Hauz and the Toqi Sarrafon.  It is not marked on any maps online. Don’t be disheartened, it really is quite easy to find and well signposted. The owner sources quality cotton and silk ikat fabrics from the Fergana Valley and although I was not a fan of the cotton, the higher-prices cotton-silk and silk fabrics were great. Feruza also has some vintage machine-loom silk in the traditional pattern.

Minzifa Textiles is in the “middle”  Trading Dome, Toqi Telpak Furushon. The shop is quite large and cavernous and offers a wide range of different quality Uzbek fabrics, from ikat to larger pieces of cotton fabric, and also suzani and carpets. In comparison to Feruza, I thought the choice of cotton ikat was a bit better, as they had some 60cm wide ikat as well – easier for sewing Western style garments.

And while you are there, also check out the decorative scissors in shops around the north entrance of the Toqi Telpak Furushon. Mine are not terribly sharp, but they are extremely decorative.

Where to stay in Bukhara

I stayed at the Minzifa Boutique Hotel and at the Chor Minor Hotel. Both are, in my opinion, excellent, with cafes and restaurants nearby, and most sights are accessible on foot.

Top Tip: Bukhara is the place to stay in a beautiful restored property boutique hotel. There are many, starting at about 25 Euro per night.

The Minzifa Boutique Hotel is a beautifully decorated hotel in the old Jewish Quarter of Bukhara, in walking distance to most sights and many restaurants. I have written a more detailed review and if you want to stay in a traditionally styled hotel, this is one of the best bets.

If Minzifa is full, the nearby  Komil Boutique Hotel offers as similar experience with an OTT lavish breakfast room. Expect to pay between 45-80 Euro per night for a double room in these beauties, and note prices vary wildly depending on demand.

The Chor Minor Hotel should cost roughly half that and is in a more modern, but nice effort on bringing some traditional painting into the building,and generally they do make a good effort in this much smaller hotel. It is in a somewhat more local area than the other two, but in easy walking distance to the touristic centre. Also, the owners are super friendly!

Day 4: Buxoro

Hopefully, you have found some nice textiles and can tackle the second day in Buxoro for more sightseeing. This really depends on your interests. There are plenty more places to discover in Buxoro.

I suggest taking a nice long walk to the Ark and Bolo Hauz Mosque, then move on to the Samanid Mausoleum in the outskirts of the city.

There is also the Central Bazaar (fresh market) nearby. Return via the residential area south of the Kalyon Complex and look for the Hoja Zaynuddin Complex (in online maps also marked as Imam al-Bukhari Residence) for a glimpse of a largely unrestored 16th Century mosque complex. Find more information here and be aware it’s not an official tourist sight, so if a caretaker or imam are there, they may let you visit.

It is perfectly safe to walk but if you are not into long walks, take a bus or taxi to the Mausoleum (Somoniylar maqbarasi).

Another beautiful place to visit is the Chor Minor, a preserved pretty gatehouse of a madrassah in a very traditional residential area.

There are also some beautiful madrassahs and mosques near Lyabi Hauz, including a half-sunken former Zoroastrian Temple with a carpet museum inside (Magoki Attari Mosque). Behind Lyabi Hauz, the old Jewish Quarter starts, with yet more old residences, two synagogues (Ohel Yitzchak Synagogue, a bit more hidden, and the main Bukhara Synagogue), bakeries and a small farmers market. Also, the Jewish Quarter has some beautiful small hotels in restored buildings, and a handful more smaller madrassahs. And this probably leads you into evening. There are puppet and dance performances for tourists in some of the madrassahs around Lyabi Hauz where you can buy tickets on the same day.

For me, I would just be happy to have an early dinner at a restaurant with a view like Minzifa, Chinor or Old Bukhara – touristy but with a beautiful terrace. And if you are lucky enough to stay in a restored madrassah or palace, enjoy the evening with tea and biscuits by candlelight!

Want more Buxoro details? Here is my full post.

Day 5: Samarqand

Take an early high-speed train to Samarkand. The train times from Samarqand to Buxoro aren’t fun, basically you get some middle-of-the-night high speed and sleeper trains. Take into consideration that it’s a good half hour car ride to the long distance train station in Kagan from Buxoro.

So, your best bet might be a 5.30 Sharq train which will get you to Samarqand in time for breakfast, or the triplet of afternoon and early evening Afrosiyob trains which are best taken the day before to give you at least two full days in and around Samarqand.

Samarqand is very different to Buxoro. While the historical centre of Buxoro is relatively small, coherent and can easily be walked, Samarqand is the third largest city of the country (Namangan is second-largest) and its magnificent monuments tend to be somewhat grander, and relatively far apart and with bits of modern development between them.

But anyway, let’s get to sightseeing. I highly recommend staying in the historic part of Samarkand near Tashkent Street which is new and a bit featureless, but relatively inoffensive, partially pedestrianized and very convenient with decent hotels and restaurants nearby. It also has a toy train service for those with mobility issues between the Registan and the main bazaar.

The “main”essential” attractions you want to see are Registan, Gur Emir Mausoleum, Bibi Khanym Mosque and Shah-i-Zinda. And to be honest the Registan is the most magnificent by a mile. You could spend whole day here.

So pick what you want to see – all except Shah-i-Zinda are walking distance from Tashkent Street, but whatever you do, allow for plenty of time for the Registan ensemble and try to see it at different times of the day.

I have been about five times, and the late afternoon to dusk was the very best time for me, really magical. Also, all three complexes have lots and lots of shops inside, but as far as textile purchases go, wait until you have been to Urgut.

Finish the day with a nice meal. I had a bit of trouble finding anything spectacular in SAmarkand and just went to the Bibi Khanym Tea House because they had some vegetarian food. Platan and Old Town are some long-established touristy restaurants with Uzbek and international classics a bit of a distance away (recommend a taxi)

Where to stay in Samarkand

I have written about and recommended two very different guesthouses before, the Antica Family Guesthouse and Hotel Rahmon.

Antica Family Guesthouse is well-known and in pretty much every travel book. I did like it, it’s certainly comfortable and friendly, they speak good English (and many other languages) but thought you could maybe find somewhere more luxurious for the price. If you come in the warm season, their garden is definitely a big advantage, and it is very close to the Gur Emir and the Russian part of town – for restaurants.

Hotel Rahmon is a very simple guesthouse with a nice courtyard garden, and the family running it is super friendly. But – bathrooms are tiny, beds are rock-hard, but everything is extremely clean and works and for the price of around 10-15 Euro per room, it cannot be beaten.

But then, I found the Old Radio Hostel. In the most peculiar but super convenient location in the “backyard” of the Registan, this traditional home has a couple private rooms as well as dorms. The host family is lovely, some great home cooking and excellent local knowledge from the English-speaking son of the family, who will really go out of his way to help and make arrangements for you.

 In terms of location and lovely host, you cannot beat the Old Radio Hostel. If you rather stay somewhere a bit fancier, Sangzor Boutique Hotel next door is a modern faux-madrassah style building with relatively inoffensive historicising style and all mod cons, and excellent reviews.

Day 6: Samarqand and Urgut Bazaar

This day should ideally fall on a Sunday so you can make the most of the huge Market in Urgut, about 40km from Samarkand. It can totally be done individually, but many private tours exist to take you there. I recommend doing the trip individually, because you never know whether whoever guides you there will ask for a commision.

Take some money in cash – US Dollars are best, Uzbek Som are good, Euro may get accepted but not at such a good rate. When I visited in 2022, all prices for suzani were quoted in US Dollars.

Getting to Urgut is a breeze. Get yourself to Amir Temur Park where it runs along Registon Ko’chasi and look out for the Statue of two gold-coloured tigers. There will be cars waiting on Umatov Ko’chasi – they are shared taxis that will take you right to Urgut Market for a fixed price. It was around 15.000 or 20.000 Uzbek S’om back in 2022, just under 2 Euro. when you get to Urgut, you may feel somewhat overwhelmed by the absolutely humongous market with a couple of modern concrete malls, smaller buildings, open-air stalls… while you will find modern textiles, hold out for later in the trip and head to the suzani sellers, because they are pretty unique in Uzbekistan.

You want to face away from the tall new mall buildings and the parking lot /carpet warehouses behind it and walk straight ahead through some of the smaller bazaar streets lined with single-storey buildings. Just keep walking through the general market. You may see modern textiles, homewares, some food… keep walking until the crowds thin out and you come to some to some older Soviet-era cream-coloured warehouses. With a bit of luck, you will see suzani hanging outside the buildings here and there, just follow the trail until you some to a longish lane with suzani sellers. They are mostly women, selling out of their little warehouses, with textiles piled high. Pretty much all are vintage, some are very fine work, some not, you can probably trust all are handmade.

A bit of negotiation is encouraged, but it’s best to stay friendly and tasteful. paid around 100 Euro for a huge (over 2 metres) finely worked suzani and about 15-20 Euro for smaller square 1-metre ones.

If you would like to buy vintage suzani, this is the place to buy them. I don’t think there is anywhere better.

Return the way you came if you find the taxis ever again, or just head for the buses in the parking lot, most of which will go to a suburb of Samarqand, from where you can easily catch a taxi back to the city centre. I wrote a detailed Urgut Market post with some more information.

If you leave early enough, you will still have a nice half day to spend in Samarkand even if you go gaga at the suzani.

So, if you haven’t paid your respects to the Registan Ensemble enough, I recommend taking a taxi to the Ulugbeg Observatory if you are vaguely into history and astronomy – if not, skip that and taxi to Shah-i-Zinda. You can also walk there from Tashkent Street at a push, it’s about 2.5km slightly uphill from the Registan along a main road, and it opens until late.

Now, Shah-i-Zinda gets really hyped online but is a necropolis and pilgrimage site – it is said that a cousin of the Prophet Mohammad is buried here, so it’s not really a suitable spot for photo sessions like some foreigners seem to think.

The whole ensemble as well as individual mausolea are stunning, but unfortunately the restoration was not only a bit heavy-handed but not terribly sustainable, as there was a lot of peeling going on when I visited in 2019.

If you can, my advice would be to take the night train to Marghilon tonight-  direct connection, and a night train in Uzbekistan is quite the experience!

Feel free to read more Samarkand details here and there.

Day 7: Travel to Farg’ona

Today will be a travel day but can be made comfortable if you book the right trains. There is no reason to take the hair-raising share car journey from Toshkent to Farg’ona now- only if you are seriously interested in the mountain scenery. But if that were the case, I would hire a car in Tashkent and drive myself with plenty of scenery and walking stops and just hold on to the car in Fergana Valley.

Also, get some cash because finding an ATM that takes foreign cards and isn’t out of banknotes is a bit difficult in the Fergana Valley. Exchange Booths? You should be so lucky. With plenty facilities in the Silk Road cities and Toshkent, just get some cash there. Major stores will accept credit cards in the Fergana Valley

If you take the train, you have several options. My recommendation would be to set off from Samarqand the night before. This would be the Xiva to Andijon night train, leaving Samarqand around 21.45. I have taken this train from Xiva to Samarqand, and it’s really nice – one smooth ride in a sleeper to Marghilon, where you will arrive just after 8am.

If you rather not travel at night (it’s perfectly safe), then you will spend consider Sharq No. 11, leaving Samarqand around 08.30, getting into Toshkent at lunchtime, and take the 18.00 O’zbekiston express train, which gets you into Marg’ilon before midnight. You can store luggage at Tashkent Railway Station and have a brief trip into Tashkent if you wish. The area around Amir Temur Square or the opera house is probably goof

Another option would be the comfortable Afrosiyob high-speed or Sharq fast trains to Toshkent, hang around in Toshkent then take the late afternoon “O’zbekiston” Express train which is very comfortable indeed.

You can definitely travel easily in a day but there is no good train connection that lets you start in Samarqand at a comfortable early morning time unless you switch to a shared taxi in Toshkent.

Where to stay in Farg’ona

When speaking of Farg’ona I really mean the cities of Farg’ona and Marg’ilon, which basically are interconnecting. There are plenty buses and minibuses connecting the cities and taxis are cheap and plentiful.

Farg’ona is slightly more “Western” and “Soviet” in style and has more tourist-friendly restaurants and bars. Marg’ilon, on the other hand, is larger, has more textile industry and is a lot more traditional – and also dry.

I stayed in Marg’ilon at the Guest House Evergreen near the train station and highly recommend it – but it is simple and it is a rather long way to the centre. This is a traditional Uzbek House around a courtyard run by the loveliest people – who don’t speak much English.

Another lovely very tourist-oriented place is Guesthouse Ikathouse – an old Soviet-era building lovingly decked out in textiles. Lots of very simple tea houses and shashlyk houses mean you won’t go hungry, but don’t expect Western style restaurants in Marghilon.

For a more tourist-friendly experience, stay in Farg’ona. I previously stayed there at the Sakura Inn which is lovely but basically it is inside an apartment building with no outside space – but plenty restaurants, cafes and shops across the road. The owner speaks several languages including English and is extremely helpful, facilities are very modern and spotlessly clean.

If you prefer a hotel, Voyage Hotel is a modern spotless mid-range central hotel, or if it is a pool you are after, try the Ziyorat Luxury.

Day 8: Farg’ona and Marg’ilon

So, while the Fergana Valley might not feel like the Silk Road Extravaganza you may have seen so far, it is where most or O’zbekiston’s industry and traditional crafts are located. The Fergana Valley boasts oils fields, refineries, chemical industry, textile industry – while still managing to farm cotton, silk, grain and fruit.

The most famous place for textile lovers that is accessible is the Yodgorlik Silk Factory in Marg’ilon. Very easy to find, and first port of call.

The basic visit is free, and you can walk around most of the factory buildings freely but be prepared for massive language barriers. It may be a better idea to take a tour – they cost 50000 Uzbek S’om (about 4 Euro) but may not always be available.

I headed to the building with the most noise first, where Soviet looms were running smoothly churning out ikat at dizzying speed. ANother room houses even older mechanical looms – mostly decorative now, although some were being used.

But of course, it might be better to visit in chronological order to understand traditional ikat fabric production, where the yarn is dyed and then woven into the intricate pattern on a narrow loom. So I walked into another, more simple shed, where older ladies were unravelling silk cocoons, the spinning machines and finally the preparation and dyeing of ikat threads.

It is very easy to spend two or three hours here, especially since the factory is quite tourist-friendly, with a little garden and very nice – but pricey- shop.

Then, I hit the shops. First, the bazaar for  incredibly tasty bread and fruit. Marghilon Bazaar basically is tourist-free and there is no hard sell whatsoever.

There are also several large textile shops all over town. I passed a few on the bus into town, but there was one right by my bus stop, so I went there after Yodgorlik… and it became my favourite. It is called Gold Silk near Marghilon Train station.

From what I could see they are trying to promote their craft and turn the old caravanserai building they are in into a major visitor centre with accommodation, cafe, and workshops. I saw some of the ikat demo again, but it was not as interesting as Yodgorlik, being somewhat removed from the actual production site, but the shop, well, the shop was the best I have come across in all of Uzbekistan.

Gold Silk Shop is huge, with hundreds of patterns in cotton of different qualities, cotton-silk, pure silk, silk velvet… it really leaves no wish unfulfilled. Prices were really civil, probably the best prices in all places I visited for decent quality, and you could pay in cash or with a credit card. The only limitation really is that 99% of the fabric is narrow classic ikat of 40-50cm width.

Day 9: Farg’ona Valley

This gives you a long day in Farg’ona Valley with yet more shopping opportunities and some relaxation time. Alternatively, you could visit Kumtepe Bazaar on your first day in Samarqand, then add an extra sightseeing day in Samarqand, and return to Toshkent on Day 9 – either by returning to Marg’ilon by the afternoon and taking the O’zbekiston Train from Marg’ilon, or hiring a taxi for the day which will take you to Rishton, then to Qoqon (Kokand), where you can join the O’zbekiston Train as well.

This is not strictly textile, but it would be a shame to skip Rishton when visiting the Fergana Valley. While Rishton has some interesting sights, it is the ceramicists that really make this a cool craft destination.

Rishton is best visited by taxi, but minibuses do the journey, too. Rishton has numerous ceramics showrooms and ateliers, but my favourites were Rustam Usmanov and Alisher Nazirov.

Rustem Usmanov is probably the one with the broader appeal, a lovely courtyard open studio, a small museum and tons of beautifully painted ceramics for sale. The master himself was present on our visit and lovingly wrapped our numerous little artworks. 

The atelier of Alisher Nazirov is much smaller – and his style is different – he studied in Japan which reflects in his ceramics.

Altogether, it is very easy to spend more than half a day in Rishton, as the ceramics ateliers are quite far apart. Upon prior notice, you can also try out making our own ceramics, and you can stay in some of the ateliers as quite a few have small guesthouses and restaurants attached but will require prior notice.

Rishton is very pleasant and you can easily spend a day there. Alternatively, you can return to Farg’ona and indulge in a bit of cafe life. Take a walk through pleasant central Farg’ona and its parks, then settle in a cafe or bar. Yes, you heard that right. Farg’ona is probably one of a few places outside Toshkent with bars, and because it is a very compact city, it is easy to find them. My favourite is Beer House (great local beers and grills, vegetarians are catered for) and Merry Berry for coffee and sweets.

Day 10: Kumtepe Bazaar and return to Toshkent

If you timed your visit right and visited Urgut on a Sunday, today would be Thursday – and you should visit the huge Kumtepe Bazaar, which only opens on a Thursday morning. This sprawling market is another treasure trove for textiles – or pretty much anything you might need if you want to set up house in the Fergana Valley.

Bear in mind you might not find anything that different from the shops in Marghilon, but the vast bazaar is really impressive – a bit more orderly than Kumtepe, with more ikat. The ikat is in a large greenhouse-like building quite close to the entrance of the market.

And it’s not only ikat you get in Kumtepe – you can find all sorts of fabrics, blankets and furnishing materials there, but usually from man made fibres.

And here, you may find some wider ikat, too. Quality-wise it’s similar to Gold Silk, I would say.

And of course – more vintage Soviet silk. The vintage silk isn’t quite as easy to find. A detailed Kumtepe Bazaar post is here. Have a good exit strategy

The later afternoon O’zbekiston Train is a very convenient one to return to Toshkent, arriving in the late evening. If you rather skip Kumtepe, you can take a taxi to Qo’qon, visit the Xudoyorxon O’rdasi (Khan’s Palace) and catch the O’zbekiston train from there in the evening.

Either way, you should be back in Tashkent by the end of Day 10, or of Day 9 depending whether you spend extra time in Samarkand or the Fergana Valley – and you may have an extra day in Tashkent. I find itineraries work well with a “buffer day”, just in case.

Toshkent doesn’t have any of the souvenir and textile shopping opportunities of any of the other destinations. If you are desperate, then Chorsu Bazaar has a nice-looking section of ready to wear clothing between the Chorsu Central Bazaar (the huge blue domes market hall) and Kukeldash Madrassah, near the flower market.

Another nice looking shop, though completely aimed at tourists, is Human House, near Rustaveli Boulevard.

The Small Print on Uzbekistan Textile Lovers Itinerary

I visited Uzbekistan twice – in spring 2019 and in autumn 2022 on a self-organised solo trip. This Uzbekistan Itinerary is based in my experience and a lot of online research and was first published in December 2024.

All prices, train schedules and exchange rates are correct at the time of updating.

Right now I struggle a little with the appropriate spelling of place names, so while I try to use their modern Uzbek names, the English and sometimes even German spelling comes through. I understand that “international” spelling may bring this post up in searches better, so for now, I will keep using some anglicised spelling like “Uzbekistan” rather than the Uzbek ” Oʻzbekiston”. Names and spellings  may change over time ( see: “Türkiye Cumhuriyeti“) and I do my best to keep track but it is not always possible, and last not least this remains an English-speaking blog so English it is in most cases.

I am very grateful for any comment of feedback – especially, if you have gone on an organised tour, which ones would you recommend?

I was not paid for any of these recommendations. This post contains some affiliate links to Booking.com, meaning that I may earn a small commission if you book your hotels through these links.

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