Asia

Uzbekistan in December

Very quiet and cheap. Some rural guesthouses close for winter; cities remain open.

Quiet valueCold, highs near 46F (8C), freezing nights

Registan Samarkand, Uzbekistan — UzbekistanPhoto: Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 4.0

The straight answer

December is a quiet, good-value month to visit Uzbekistan. Very quiet and cheap. Some rural guesthouses close for winter; cities remain open.

Weather: Cold, highs near 46F (8C), freezing nights
Crowds: 1 of 5
Prices: 1 of 5

What December is like in Uzbekistan

December is cold, with highs near 46F (8C) and freezing nights. It is very quiet and very cheap. Cities stay fully open, but some rural guesthouses close for winter, and days are short. Monuments like Gur-e-Amir and the Registan look beautiful lit up on long, early evenings.

December suits budget travelers, photographers and anyone who wants the Silk Road cities without crowds. Families can manage in Tashkent and Samarkand with warm clothes, a slower pace and plenty of tea-house breaks. For comfortable, all-day sightseeing, April, May, September and October are much better.

Make the most of December

What is especially good about Uzbekistan this month.

Gur-e-Amir at night

Tamerlane's mausoleum, with its ribbed turquoise dome, is lit up early on long winter evenings.

Crowd-free Shah-i-Zinda

The avenue of tiled mausoleums is almost empty, and the winter light brings out the blues.

Winter prices

Some of the best hotels in Samarkand and Bukhara are at their cheapest of the year.

What to pack for December

A warm winter coat, gloves and a hat
Thermal layers
Waterproof boots with grip
A headscarf for women visiting religious sites

Our timing tip

Check that rural and Khiva guesthouses are open before booking, and plan outdoor visits for the warmer late-morning and early-afternoon hours.

Book Uzbekistan for December.

Sponsored links to Expedia and Vrbo. We may earn a commission; it never changes a verdict.

Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Uzbekistan
Opens a hotel search for Uzbekistan in December, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for December
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in Uzbekistan
Whole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
Rentals on Vrbo
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Uzbekistan
Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Uzbekistan for December. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

Things to do in Uzbekistan

Full guide

Registan, Samarkand

See it at sunrise and again after dark when it is lit up. Midday in summer is brutal on the open square.

Tickets and tours →

Shah-i-Zinda, Samarkand

An avenue of tiled mausoleums, among the most beautiful in Central Asia. Early morning is quietest.

Tickets and tours →

Bukhara Old Town

The Kalyan Minaret, the Ark fortress, and the Lyabi-Hauz pond. Stay inside the old town and walk in the evening.

Tickets and tours →

Itchan Kala, Khiva

A walled city of minarets and madrasas. Climb the walls at sunset; stay overnight to see it after the day-trippers leave.

Tickets and tours →

Tashkent Metro and Chorsu Bazaar

Soviet-era stations decorated like palaces, and a huge domed bazaar for spices, bread, and dried fruit.

Tickets and tours →

Gur-e-Amir, Samarkand

Tamerlane's mausoleum, with a ribbed turquoise dome. Beautiful when lit at night.

Tickets and tours →

Beat the crowds

Aim for late April or early to mid October, when weather is ideal and tour groups are slightly fewer than in the peak weeks of May and September.
Stay overnight in Khiva and Bukhara so you can walk the old towns at dawn and after dark, when day-trippers have left.
Visit the Registan at opening time or late in the day, and return after dark for the lighting.
Book Afrosiyob high-speed train tickets as early as sales open, as they sell out in peak months.

Know before you go

In winter, some guesthouses and small hotels in Khiva and rural areas close, and restaurant choices narrow. Major hotels and monuments stay open.
In summer heat, monuments are open, but walking between them from late morning to late afternoon is exhausting; plan a midday break.
Around Navruz and Independence Day, domestic travel increases and trains fill; book early.
Ramadan has little impact for visitors in Uzbekistan; restaurants and cafes generally stay open.