Types of Tourism in Uzbekistan
EXCURSIONS
The most popular sightseeing route in Uzbekistan is a trip to the ancient cities of the Great Silk Road, which include Samarkand, Shakhrisabz, Khiva, Bukhara, Tashkent, as well as Margilan, Kokand and Andijan, located in the vicinity of Fergana.
HIKING
In the period from March to November, the mountainous regions of Uzbekistan attract lovers of hiking and mountaineering. The most popular hiking trails of the country pass through the protected areas of the Chimgan mountains, which stretch northeast of Tashkent, and the Gissar and Turkestan ranges surrounding Samarkand, the Matcha and Fan mountains. The slopes of the mountains are covered with juniper and apple forests, thickets of wild rose and barberry, stormy mountain rivers flow here and numerous lakes and waterfalls are located. Check top-medical-schools.org for travel information in Uzbekistan.
SKIING
80 km from Tashkent on the slopes of the Chimgan mountains there are two ski resorts: Chimgan and Beldersay.
Ski area Chimgan located at an altitude of 1600 m on the northern slopes of the mountains, so the ski season here is quite long – from December to March. Back in the late 19th century, the Tashkent governor Konstantin Petrovich von Kaufman built a holiday home in these places, and the entire elite followed him. The Chimgan ski area has 24 pistes of all difficulty levels. The maximum mark is located at an altitude of 1980 m. Slalom tracks of an increased level of difficulty, there are about 5 of them, have a height difference of about 400 m and are serviced by a chair lift, tracks for beginners have a height difference of 250 m and are serviced by a ski lift. In addition, in Chimgan there are plenty of short rope tows that take beginners to gentle slopes where the sport can be learned. In Chimgan there is an equipment rental point and a ski school with experienced instructors. In addition to skiing, in Chimgan you can go snowboarding, freeride (heliskiing and backcountry) or ride snowmobiles, sleds and skates.
Right at the foot of the slopes there are hotels, cafes and bars. The most extensive hotel complex in Chimgan – “Chimgan Oromgohi”. It consists of several nine-story buildings and many cottages. Its infrastructure includes a restaurant, a bar, a night club, a billiard room, tennis courts, a sauna, indoor and outdoor pools, massage rooms, indoor and outdoor sports grounds, 4 conference rooms, a business center, a laundry and a currency exchange office. Also, tourists are offered three-star hotels “Sky Village” and “Red House” and two-star “Snow Leopard” for accommodation in Chimgan. These hotels were built at the beginning of the 21st century. The first two are made in the style of alpine cottages, they have a developed infrastructure, which includes a restaurant, a bar, a nightclub, a conference room, a business center, a sauna, a solarium, a swimming pool and a gym.
Chimgan on the slopes of Mount Kumbel (2200m) at an altitude of 1600 m is the Beldersay ski resort. The maximum height of the complex reaches 2880 m, so the ski season here is longer than on Chimgan, it lasts from November to April. The elevation difference in Beldersay is about 700 m. Most of the slopes are aimed at confident skiers and snowboarders and are classified as “black” and “red”. Their length ranges from 500 to 1200 m. All tracks are divided into three ski areas: the upper one, which is served by a ski lift, the lower one, served by a chairlift, and the extreme skiing zone with non-rolled snow fields. Also, the slopes of Mount Kumbel are popular among freeride enthusiasts (heliski and backcountry). It is worth remembering that many virgin slopes are prone to avalanches, so you can go here only with experienced instructors, whose services are offered at the ski school. For accommodation in Beldersay, tourists are offered the hotel complex “Beldersay Oromgokhi” with an area of 50 hectares, consisting of hotel buildings and cottages. “Beldersay Oromgokhi” has a restaurant, several bars, a conference hall, a business center, a laundry, a first-aid post, a sauna, indoor and outdoor pools and a billiards room, tennis courts and mini-football fields.
Just below the ski slopes at an altitude of 890 m on the southern shore of the Charvak reservoir, there is another hotel complex – “Charvak Oromgohi”. It consists of three comfortable hotels, which have restaurants, night bars, saunas, massage rooms, a conference room and a business center. In winter, skiers wishing to go in for heliskiing go to Charvak Oromgohi, as there is a helipad on the territory of the complex. Heliskiing is a descent from mountain peaks on skis and snowboards through virgin snow fields, where tourists are delivered by helicopters. Similar descents in the Chimgan Mountains are carried out at altitudes from 1500 to 4100 m. MI-8 helicopters are used to reach the peaks. The optimal group size is 15 people. Chimgan (3309 m) and Kumbel mountains (2200 m).
Another popular winter sport in the Chimgan Mountains is backcountry. It combines elements of hiking, mountaineering, skiing and snowboarding. Tourists go to the virgin slopes on foot. Climbing takes about 2 hours, after which descents are made.
RAFTING
In the vicinity of Tashkent on the Syrdarya rivers and its tributaries – Angren, Ugan, Chatkal and Pskem – you can go rafting. The best time for rafting is the autumn months of September and October. The flow on the Syrdarya and Angren rivers is quite calm, and on the Ugan, Chatkal and Pskem rivers it is more turbulent.
FISHING
Chimgan Mountains are excellent places for fishing, in the rivers and lakes of which there are marinka, naked osman, char, Tashkent perch, Turkestan catfish, Chatkal sculpin, Issyk-Kul and rainbow trout, the Amu Darya River with the schipe living in it, large and small Amu Darya pseudoshovelnose, pike, asp, Aral barbel, bream, sabrefish, carp, catfish, pike perch, silver carp, grass carp and snakehead, as well as the artificial lake Aydarkul, where you can catch carp, pike perch, bream, bream, catfish, asp, sabrefish and snakehead.
TREATMENT
There are two types of resorts in Uzbekistan: balneological resorts, which are based on local mineral springs, and mountain-climatic ones, which use clean mountain air and a favorable climate for treatment.
The main mountain and climatic resorts of the country are located in the Chimgan mountains, about 100 km northeast of Tashkent. These are “Chimgan Oromgokhi”, “Beldersay Oromgokhi” and “Charvak Oromgokhi”. In addition, another popular mountain-climatic resort in Uzbekistan – Khamzaabad – is located in the Fergana Valley on the northern slope of the Alai Range south of the city of Fergana. The resort “Tashkent Mineral Waters” stands out from the balneological resorts of the country.located in the vicinity of the capital. The resort specializes in the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, peripheral nervous system, digestive organs, gynecological and skin diseases. Also popular is the resort “Chimion” surrounded by orchards, 30 km south of Fergana. The resort specializes in the treatment of diseases of the circulatory system, nervous system, movement organs, gynecological and urological diseases. Treatment is based on hydrogen sulfide mineral waters of various mineralization, low-mineralized sulfate-hydrocarbonate-sodium water and silt mud from Balkly Lake. In addition, in the Fergana Valley, not far from Namangan, there is a resort “Chartak”, functioning on the basis of iodine-bromine mineral waters. In the southern part of the country, 20 km from Termez, there is a resort Jayran-Kana. It functions on the basis of local hot sulfur springs, the composition of which is similar to the waters of Matsesta.
SAFARI
One of the most popular types of tourism in Uzbekistan is a camel safari on the sands and dunes of the Kyzylkum desert. Such trips are possible on the territory of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Bukhara, Navoi and Jizzakh viloyats. During the safari, you will be able to get acquainted with the nature of the desert and visit the yurts of desert nomads, where they will cook local dishes and tell you about the culture of nomadic tribes.
