Hello everyone! We’re heading to Uzbekistan soon and planning to spend a couple of days in Bukhara. I heard that there’s currently some construction going on in the central historical part of the city. How bad is it really, and is it worth going there before the renovations are completed?
Hi Irina! From what we saw, it looks pretty significant. You can judge for yourself by watching the videos.
But! We absolutely do not regret being in Bukhara during these days! It’s welcoming, nearly empty (there are very few tourists), safe, delicious, and of course, incredibly beautiful. The only thing I would recommend is to book a hotel near the central square (where the Poi Kalyan minaret is). There’s hardly any construction there, and you can stroll around in the evening without any issues. The area around Lyabi House and Chor Minor is where most of the construction is happening, unfortunately.
We booked the Kukaldosh hotel, which is incredibly charming, but in the evenings, it was a bit tricky to navigate through the gravel, stones, and dust. And one more tip—wear shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty!
Oh, and keep in mind that taxis are currently not allowed into the old town (including to our hotel); everything is blocked off due to construction, so you’ll have to walk about 5-7 minutes from the nearest parking spot. We only had backpacks (we left our suitcases at a hotel in Tashkent), so we managed this walk easily. But if you have suitcases, it could be quite unpleasant (dust and stones).
If you’re traveling with suitcases and plan to go soon, you might want to choose a hotel a bit further out. For example, the Mercure Hotel— we were there yesterday at the Safran restaurant. There’s a clear road for taxis, and it’s convenient to get to any point in the center of old Bukhara.
Good day! Does anyone know how much longer this construction will last?
All the latest information is with the taxi drivers! They claim that all the deadlines have already passed, and now there’s no news. They’re worried that they won’t finish in time before the main tourist season kicks off.
But honestly, there’s a certain charm to the situation—there are fewer tourists, and the level of customer service is at its highest possible standard. Although maybe it’s always like this in Bukhara; It's my first time here so I can't compare how it is usually here.