Craning my neck to survey the gleaming tilework adorning the Hazrati Imam Complex in Uzbekistan's capital of Tashkent, it hits me — nowhere except perhaps the Caribbean Sea have I seen so many variations of blue. From teal to turquoise, from azure to aqua, they compete with each other in the depth and vividness of color.

The secret, our guide Rimma Khusainova tells my tour group, lies in the ancient glazes, whose enduring brilliance remains a mystery despite dogged experimentation by restoration experts. "Even when they use copper oxide like the ancients did, it's the proportions, the type of clay, the salt in the composition, the temperature of the firing. They've analyzed it, but they still can't figure out the formula."

Those blues and the intricate mosaic artistry of the mosques, madrassas (religious schools), and minarets they adorn are luring a fast-growing number of travelers to retrace the storied Silk Road, along which caravans carried textiles, spices, and perfume between the East and West. With four of the route's wealthiest and best-preserved cities surrounded by colorful desert — beyond Tashkent, Khiva's Itchan Khala, the historic center of Bukhara, and Samarkand are all UNESCO sites — Uzbekistan beckons you to wander ancient walled towns, shop for rugs in labyrinthine bazaars, visit with families in desert yurts, and discover a multilayered culture spanning 2,000 years of history.

Tashkent

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Like most visitors, I began my explorations in the capital city of Tashkent, home to the country's largest international airport. While you won't find many direct flights from the U.S., you can fly most routes with a transfer in Istanbul, Dubai, or Doha, Qatar. If you're in New York or London, however, you're in luck; In July 2024, Uzbekistan Airways began direct flights to Tashkent from JFK and Gatwick.

Much of Tashkent's architecture reflects the country's century-long rule by the Soviet Union, which ended in 1989. While fans of Soviet modernism will find numerous prime examples, most visitors head straight for the Hazrati Imam Complex to see the 16th-century Madrasah Barak Khan, the Friday Mosque, and the Moyie Mubarek Library Museum, which houses the 7th-century Quran of Osman, one of the oldest Qurans in the world.

You don't get far in Uzbekistan before hearing about the deeds of Amir Timur, the great 13th-century central Asian military strategist and founder of the Timurid Empire, which at its height extended from Turkeyʻs Aegean coast to northwest China. A statue, depicting him on horseback, looms over the city's central square. If the name rings a cultural bell, you may know him as Tamerlane or Tamburlaine (a western moniker for Timur the Lame,) featured in Renaissance plays, classical operas, and even a poem by Edgar Allen Poe.

My favorite place to stop in Tashkent was Chorsu Bazaar, an enormous domed market jammed with stalls selling produce, sweets, nuts, and an eye-opening range of animal products. Stop to watch bakers pulling fresh non (bread) from clay tandoor ovens.

Getting around Uzbekistan is fast and fun thanks to the Afrosiyob high-speed trains, which whisked me between the cities of Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara. The planned launch of service to Khiva in late 2025 or early 2026 promises further ease. I traveled with Exodus Adventure Travel, a U.K.-based small-group tour company that has specialized in central Asia since 1974. I also met numerous travelers navigating the country independently, particularly by train.

Where to Stay: The centrally located Wyndham Tashkent is a favorite for modern amenities and generous breakfast options. Just across the street, the Hyatt Regency Tashkent has an indoor pool and four restaurants to choose from. The Intercontinental Tashkent features 40 luxury suites and an executive lounge, and several dining options including a rooftop restaurant with some of Tashkentʻs best views.

Khiva

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Stepping through the west entry gate of the Itchan Kala, Khivas walled old city, I'm instantly lost in the past, marveling that this 2,500-year-old desert slave trading hub emerged with portions almost intact after centuries buried by sand. I'm also quite literally — and happily — lost, following a tourist map down twisting alleyways between sun-washed buildings of beaten clay, towers and domes spiking the sky in all directions.

Top among Khiva's 20-odd historical sites, the Summer Mosque and the Tosh-Hovli Palace dazzle with colorful tile, delicate Islamic calligraphy, and carved woodwork. Even more elaborate tilework adorns the twin-domed Pahlavon Maumud Mausoleum and the 10th-century Juma Mosque, with its hundreds of wood columns of walnut and black elm. At sunset, climb the watchtower at the Kunya Ark fortress to see the cityscape aglow.

If reaching Khiva by air, you'll fly into the city of Nukus (about a three-hour drive south to Khiva), where you won't want to miss the Savitsky Museum and its outstanding collection of Russian avant-garde art once secreted away to avoid destruction by Soviet oppression.

Also in the region, the city of Moynaq (about a three-hour drive north of Nukus) draws photographers to capture the eerie desolation of abandoned boats left behind by the retreating Aral Sea. Others venture into the Kyzylkum Desert to climb the ruins of the 6th-century fortress Ayaz Kala and experience nomadic Karakalpak culture at the Ayaz Kala Yurt Camp. No time for an overnight? Support the local economy by partaking in the camp's traditional tea, accompanied by an array of snacks.

Where to stay: The Hotel Arkanchi, located within the Itchan Kala old city, offers spectacular views from its rooftop terrace and a breakfast buffet rich in local dishes. Marble and crystal lend old world elegance to the Farovon Khiva Hotel, located further out in the modern city. Said Islom Khoja is a top choice among the cluster of comfortable tourist hotels just outside the old city walls. 

Bukhara

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A major center of Medieval theology and culture, Bukhara comes close to overwhelming with its number and variety of mosques, madrassas, bazaars, and caravansaries (ancient inns), most dating from the 9th to the 17th centuries. A good place to start is Ulugbek Madrasah, built in 1417 and the oldest preserved Islamic college in central Asia. Across the street, equally splendid Abdul Aziz Khan Madrasah houses a warren of craft stands.

Nearby, a restored caravansary bursts with colorful ceramics, kilim rugs, and embroidered suzani textiles. Listen as musician Avliaklov Jalol demonstrates the gijak (a bowed stringed instrument) and tanbur (a long-necked lute), and watch blade-sharpening demonstrations at the family-run Ikromov Samadjon knife shop.

Other highlights include the former mosque Magokhi Attori, which houses a textile museum, the Sufi center Nadir Divan Begi Khanaka with its sophisticated waterworks, and the Bolo-Hauz Mosque, photogenically reflected in its adjoining pool. At the Nadir Divan Begi Madrasah, originally a caravansary, watch for the designs of peacocks and lambs with human faces, typically off-limits in Islamic art.

Further out, climb the imposing ramp to the Ark or fortress of Bukhara and savor the sprawling views. Get a glimpse of early 20th-century royal life at Sitorai Mohi Hosa, the summer palace of the last emir before the Russian takeover in 1920, and seek out the small mosque Chor Minor, distinctive for its four minarets.

The heart of the historical district centers on the 16th-century Kalon Minaret and Mosque and the Miri Arab Madrasah across the way. Stay to watch the sunset set the walls afire, after which the plaza is awash in colored lights, lending it a carnival-like atmosphere. Another way to finish the day: with a traditional hammam scrub bath at Hammom Kunjak, for women only, or Bath XVI Century for men.

Where to Stay: The elegant Hotel Shariston boasts a prime location in the old city center, with airy, light-filled rooms and an attentive staff. Local ceramics and crafts lend the Mercure Bukhara Old Town an authentic ambiance, and amenities include a gym, pool, and on-site hammam. Situated in a historic madrassa rich with carved columns and tilework, boutique Minzifa Hotel offers comfortable rooms furnished with traditional textiles and a bountiful breakfast spread.

Samarkand

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Described by 14th-century Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta as one of the greatest cities of the world "and most perfect of them in beauty," Samarkand remains the crown jewel of Uzbekistan tourism, one increasingly polished by government investment. You'll see this in the recently unveiled 640-acre Silk Road Smarkand complex, where you'll find eight towering luxury hotels and the Eternal City, a lavish theme-park-style Silk Road recreation filled with restaurants and shops.

Wealth and power are on full display at the enormous Registan Square, where three ornate madrassas dating from the 15th to the 17th centuries surround a sprawling plaza. Noting that the complexʻs vast scale was designed to intimidate the empire's enemies, Rimma comments: "It was written, 'If you doubt our might and power, see the size of our constructions.'"

Don't miss the stars in the portal of the Ulugbek Medrassah, reflecting that ruler's passion for astronomy, which continues at his nearby observatory, startlingly modern considering it was built in 1438. The splendor continues at the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum of Amir Timur, where his onyx sarcophagus sits under a vividly painted puzzlework of paper mache.

For mosaic fans, however, nothing comes close to the Shah-i-Zinda, a multi-domed necropolis where each tomb vies with the next in its swirling florals and dizzying geometric designs.

Where to Stay: The Mövenpick Samarkand, located in the city center, features spacious rooms and suites encircling an elegant atrium-style lobby. In the Silk Road Samarkand complex, the art-themed Savitsky Plaza features views of Samarkand's rowing canal and a lively bar, while the sculpture-filled Hilton Samarkand Regency offers both an indoor and outdoor pool.

Where to Eat

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Uzbek cuisine is best known for rich, savory stews and soups, but it's the salads and vegetable dishes that I went home raving about. Try lavlagi salat (beetroot salad), ulli karam (fried cauliflower), and ghavrat haalatz (smoked eggplant salad). Uzbek steamed dumplings, called manti, may be filled with meat, potatoes, or pumpkin. Lagman, hand-pulled Uzbek noodles, are reliably delicious in combinations of lamb, beef, and vegetables. Learn to cook plov (pilaf), Uzbekistanʻs national rice dish, at Bukharaʻs family-run Davlat House.

Know Before You Go

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