Traveling to Shahrisabz

Hello, everyone!

In April, I’m planning a solo trip across Uzbekistan, and besides the well-trodden paths of Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand, I’ve decided to visit Shahrisabz, a town slightly off the beaten track. Unfortunately, there’s not much updated information on how to get there, and most of what I found is pre-COVID.

Here’s the plan: I need to travel from Samarkand to Shahrisabz and then from Shahrisabz to Tashkent. It breaks down into two separate tasks:

Getting from Samarkand to Shahrisabz:
This part seems relatively straightforward. I’ve read you can catch a shared taxi at the intersection of Registan and Suzangaron streets. Could someone confirm the current price for this trip?
Getting from Shahrisabz to Tashkent:
This part seems trickier. I’ve found two options:
- First, according to this website, there’s a direct bus from Shahrisabz to Tashkent. The problem? You need a local Uzbek phone number to book a ticket online. Can I buy this ticket on-site? If so, where? And where does this bus depart from in Shahrisabz?
- Second, I could take a shared taxi back to Samarkand and then a train to Tashkent. This option is less convenient because of the transfer, and I have no idea where in Shahrisabz to find a shared taxi heading to Samarkand.

So, besides the questions above, I’d love to hear opinions from the community: Which of these two options do you think is more reliable?

Topic starter 13.12.2024 13:56

Hi again! Reporting back with what I’ve learned and experienced:

Getting from Samarkand to Shahrisabz:
No surprises here. There’s no public transport connecting the two cities directly. Shared taxis still leave from the intersection of Registan and Suzangaron streets. The fare ranges from $6 to $10, depending on your haggling skills. Note that you might have to wait around 30 minutes for the car to fill up with four passengers. It’s best to leave in the morning—prices tend to go up in the afternoon.
Getting from Shahrisabz to Tashkent:
Surprisingly, this turned out to be easier than expected! Forget Kitab and the “wait till it fills up” scenario. Shahrisabz now has a brand-new bus station, located about 3 kilometers south of the city center. It’s modern, clean, and staffed with well-dressed clerks.
- A direct bus to Tashkent departs daily at 10 a.m. There’s also a bus coming from Tashkent to Shahrisabz at the same time.
- Tickets cost 75,000 UZS. You might be able to buy them online, but you’ll need a local Uzbek SIM card for that. Alternatively, you can purchase tickets directly at the bus station.

Important Notes:

The bus doesn’t take the direct mountain pass route like the shared taxis. Instead, it makes a detour through Guzar. After leaving Shahrisabz, the bus is about 2/3 empty, but local farmers hop on in Guzar, filling the remaining seats.
Despite the "Samarkand" sign on its windshield, the bus doesn’t actually stop at Samarkand’s main terminal. It bypasses the city on the outskirts. If you’re heading to Samarkand, you might be dropped off somewhere near the Grebnoy Channel, far from the city center.
The trip is supposed to take about eight hours, with an expected arrival in Tashkent at 6 p.m., but my bus arrived an hour late.

Regarding alternative options, I couldn’t find any trains running from Kitab to Tashkent. There might be marshrutkas (minibuses) that operate on a “when full” schedule, but I didn’t come across any reliable info on those.

Hope this helps future travelers! Feel free to share updates if things change.