Uzbekistan: Travel Guide | Itineraries and Highlights

A few years ago, I started hearing about countries ending in « stan », such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and of course Uzbekistan.

Budget travellers spoke of these as superb destinations that were still authentic. In 2021, I went to the World Expo in Dubai and, while visiting the pavilions of these countries, I fell in love with the destinations presented.

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Travel in Uzbekistan – Itineraries

Book A Guided Tour

More and more agencies are organizing group trips to Uzbekistan, or a combination with a neighbouring country for a cultural experience along the famous Silk Road.

Their duration, typically between 17 and 22 days, is sufficient when including transportation from Canada. We encountered numerous groups, primarily from Europe or East Asia.

For example, G Adventures offers the « Highlights of Uzbekistan » itinerary, a 10-day small-group tour that explores Uzbekistan‘s must-see places, including Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. This well-planned tour includes accommodation, transport and experienced guides.

With prices starting at CAD 2049 per person, this is an affordable way to discover the country, without having to worry about travel logistics.

Uzbekistan: Travel Guide | Itineraries and Highlights - gadventures-ouzbekistan

Plan Your Own Route

For our part, we preferred to make this trip independently. With the help of a travel book and blogs, it was easy to establish an itinerary. Despite the language barrier, getting around between cities was straightforward, and booking hotels via the platforms was no problem at all.

Here is our 17-day itinerary in Uzbekistan, including a brief two-day excursion to Tajikistan:

Tashkent (capital): two days;
Fergana Valley: three days;
Khiva: three days;
Bukhara: three days;
Samarkand: three days;
Excursion to the Seven Lakes of Tajikistan: two days;
Return to Tashkent and departure flight.

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Travel In Uzbekistan – Cities And Regions To Discover

Tashkent

Tashkent, the bustling capital of Uzbekistan, is well worth spending a day or two. While travellers often have mixed opinions about the city, we found it a worthwhile stop for its modern contrast to the rest of the country, its impressive and sprawling bazaar, and its diverse array of excellent dining options.

Places to discover include: Chorsu bazaar, the city’s metro stations, the TV tower for the panoramic view at the top, the Uzbekistan Hotel, Sayilgoh Street and the surrounding park, the Minor Mosque and the Hast Imam building complex.

On our second day, we hired a private driver to visit the Chimgan region and Lake Charvak, a popular nature escape for city dwellers. Two mountains keep their ski lifts open year-round, offering opportunities to admire the peaks and enjoy some hiking.

In Charvak Lake, you can go mountain biking, horseback riding, para-gliding, swimming or just enjoy the scenery. The area is not accessible by public transport.

It’s best to book with an agency or find a driver for the day. Car rental is possible, but not recommended, as the rules of the road are not respected.

The Fergana Valley

The Fergana Valley is a region of artisans. Here you’ll find several artists’ workshops, open to the public, so you can watch them at work and learn more about local products.

The region is much less touristy than the cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, so offers a more typical experience, without the huge tour buses. Fergana served as our focal point, as it is the largest city and offers a wider range of accommodation and restaurants.

From the city, you can head to Margilan to explore its silk production workshops. The most renowned is the Yodgorlik Factory, where you can witness both traditional handcraft and industrial techniques. However, we preferred the free visit to a smaller workshop called Silk Factory, which offered a more intimate and welcoming atmosphere.

In Rishtan, you’ll be captivated by the local ceramic workshops. Here, you can witness every stage of production, even the painters working on their craft. A good place to keep in mind is Rustam Usmanov’s workshop, which invites visitors for free in a truly enchanting setting.

In Choust, there’s a knife-making workshop. However, the town is further from Fergana, and we chose instead to visit Kokand for its Khudayar Khan Palace and Juma mosque.

Khiva

The city of Khiva is located at the far end of the country, but the distance is well worth it. Strolling through this city, resembling a life-sized sandcastle, truly evokes a « wow » effect.

The city’s beauty is undeniable, both during the day and in the evening when it lights up. The ease of walking inside the fortified walls makes for a truly enjoyable visit.

The tourist pass, valid for two days, covers almost all the attractions. These two days are enough to see most of the buildings.

I recommend adding a third day to explore the desert fortresses around Khiva with a tour agency. Islambek Travel is a great, affordable option for this day trip, which can also be combined with transport to your next destination.

Bukhara

Bukhara charms us with its labyrinthine alleyways. The old town is bustling with life and a pleasant place to stroll in the evening. Several restaurants and boutiques are clustered around the Lyabi Houz artificial swimming pool.

Bukhara is the city where we discovered the best restaurants. The city’s attractions are quickly covered, and I’d say two days are enough to see everything.

Don’t miss the Kalon mosque and its minaret, the merchant domes (a former bazaar used as a commercial space), the Ark citadel, as well as the Mirzo Ulugbek and Abdul Aziz Khan madrasas.

There are also three hammam baths in the town and a blacksmith workshop at the Blacksmith workshop. There’s also a small store where you can sample some surprising local wines.

Samarkand

I’ve read a few times to save Samarkand for last, as its monuments are particularly magnificent and starting there could make the rest of the trip disappointing.

It is true that the famous Shah I Zindah is even more impressive than the others, just like the Registan, which will captivate you both during the day and in the evening with its sound and light show.

However, be prepared to share these attractions with many other tourists. You’ll need to arrive early to avoid crowds in your photos. In addition to these main sights, you can visit mosques and madrasas, but they won’t have the same charm as the ones mentioned earlier.

There’s also an astronomical observatory, which I don’t think is worth the asking price. Samarkand is more spread out than Bukhara and Khiva. You’ll sometimes need to take cabs between attractions, which isn’t a real problem considering they cost around $1 per ride on the Yandex app. The city also boasts some excellent restaurants.

Additionally, Samarkand is a good base from which to visit Tajikistan’s Seven Lakes region on a day tour or overnight stay. No visa is required for Canadians.

The border is just over an hour away, and you can get there for $8-10 by cab. Hire a driver on the other side of the border to drive you between the lakes. For a simpler solution, use an agency that will take care of everything.

Another popular adventure is to travel to the Kyzylkum desert to sleep in a yurt and hike in the Nourata Mountains. However, the yurt experience is more a tradition of the nomadic Mongol or Kazakh peoples, whereas the Uzbeks were sedentary.

Travel in Uzbekistan – Transportation

The rail network serves the main cities well, and in my opinion is the best way to travel around the country. Trains of different categories all pass through the same stations and are easy to book via the national app.

Some tourist towns are served by fast trains called Afrosiyob. You’ll need to book early, however, as they often fill up several days in advance.

Personally, we booked our transport between three and 10 days in advance and Afrosiyob were never available. Trains have reserved seats and you can view your seats when booking on the Uzrailwaystickets app.

Please note that both the Sleeper and the Coupe are beds with sheets provided. The difference between the two is that the beds in the Coupe are in enclosed four-bed cabins, while the Sleeper is a large open area.

Food vendors roam the aisles during the journey and there are toilets in every carriage. Our trains all left on time.

As far as internal flights are concerned, there are a few regional airports, served by Uzbekistan Airways. Internal flights are a good option for reaching more distant cities, such as Khiva, or for returning quickly to Tashkent. However, they are not as economical as the train.

For short and medium distances, there are several options. The Yandex application works in the same way as Uber, so you can order a cab and pay for all your fares by credit card, without having to negotiate prices or worry about language barriers.

Prices are ridiculously inexpensive, between $1 and $2 for trips of a few kilometers, while a 75-minute trip cost us less than $10. So it’s an option we used almost daily.

Other options include private cabs, which operate on a negotiation basis, without a taximeter. Shared cabs, for which you’ll also have to negotiate and wait until it’s full before it leaves.

There are also shared minibuses, which are very economical, but they keep stopping and driving like crazy!

Travel in Uzbekistan – Accommodation

We booked all our accommodation through Booking and Expedia. However, if you’re planning to pay in points, be sure to check the payment details before booking. Where it says « No credit card required », payment is often made in cash on the spot.

We found the Expedia app more convenient when card options were limited. Expedia generally gives the choice of paying at the time of booking by card or on arrival. Options were not as flexible on Booking. All accommodations were as advertised.

Here are some practical applications for a trip to Uzbekistan:

Yandex Go
Uzrailwaystickets
Google Translate
Maps.me
XE currency converter
Booking.com
Expedia

Uzbekistan – Save With Points

As we researched the countries of Central Asia, we quickly realized that the biggest expense would be airfare. Being a destination little known to Canadians, there are no direct flights, and prices vary between $2,000 and $2,500 per ticket.

The total price of the trip is then balanced by the low costs at destination. However, we knew that our main objective was to collect points for the plane tickets. So we naturally turned to a loyalty program we knew well, Aeroplan.

My spouse’s account is already combined with mine (with family sharing) and we each had a TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* CardThe welcome bonus was a great help in accumulating the necessary points.

We then made several of our purchases online rather than in-store, via the Aeroplan eStore. In the end, as we had booked a little too late, we were short of points at the time of booking. So I transferred American Express Membership Rewards points to Aeroplan.

I had accumulated these Membership Rewards points with the American Express Cobalt^® Card. The transfer is free, virtually instantaneous, and the rate is 1:1.

For airport lounges, the other card that was our best ally for this trip was the CIBC Aventura^® Visa Infinite* Card which each member of the couple owns. This gave us four free admissions to international airport lounges via the Visa Airport Companion app .

For our departure from Montreal, we visited the National Bank lounge with our trusty National Bank World Elite Mastercard^®, which gives us unlimited access.

Since our itinerary included two stopovers before arriving at our destination, the passes came in handy. We also opted to stretch our stopovers as far as possible by choosing the longest ones, so that we were able to visit three more cities before our final destination.

We felt like we were on a mini world tour, stopping in two European cities and Istanbul on the way back. We loved this trick, which diversified our trip!

To bring down the cost of accommodation, it was again the CIBC Aventura Points that helped us. To do this, you don’t have to go through their site, so we used our usual booking sites, Booking and Expedia, and while the transaction was pending, we were able to apply the points to it. You have to make sure that the transaction is in Canadian dollars and still pending for it to work.

What’s more, there are regular promotions where it costs less points. During the summer when we planned the trip, there was a promotion where we could pay for our hotel reservations using half as many points. The destinations that were therefore programmed were really economical in points. The others were booked at the regular last-minute rate.

As mentioned above, the snag with Uzbekistan was that many hotels had the stated « No credit card required for booking ». This complicated matters, as it meant that hoteliers either wanted to be paid in cash, or would accept the card on the spot, but the transaction would then be in local currency.

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
CIBC Aventura^® Visa Infinite* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$139 $0	Welcome offer Up to 60,000 points	Apply NowCompare
ExclusiveNational Bank World Elite^® Mastercard^® Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$150 $0	Welcome offer No welcome offerEnds Nov 4, 2026	Apply NowCompare
American Express Cobalt^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$191.88	Welcome offer Up to 15,000 points	Apply NowCompare
FeaturedTD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$139 $0	Welcome offer Up to 50,000 points	Apply NowCompare

Travel in Uzbekistan – Activities

CIBC Aventura and RBC Avion Rewards also allow you to pay for activities with points. Offers were available in major cities such as Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent, so this is an option to keep in mind, especially if you want a guide for the day.

FeaturedCompare

RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card

RBC RBC Avion Rewards - Elite

Annual fee: $120
Our valuation: $1,050Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$1,050Total$1,050Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.; Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$1,050Total$1,050Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer: Up to 70,000 points; Ends Nov 25, 2026

For a limited time, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card offers a welcome bonus of up to 70,000 Avion points, worth up to $1,500 in travel.

35,000 points upon approval of your application
20,000 points when you charge $5,000 in purchases to your account within the first six months
15,000 points on the first anniversary of your account

You can redeem your Avion points for flights with more than 500 airlines, with no blackout periods or seat restrictions, or transfer them to partner programs such as American Airlines AAdvantage, The British Airways Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and WestJet Rewards.

The card earns you 1.25 points per dollar on eligible travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on all your other eligible purchases. It also includes extensive insurance coverage: emergency medical, trip cancellation and interruption, collision coverage for rental vehicles, and mobile devices.

The annual fee is $120.

Legal

Refer to RBC page for up to date offer terms and conditions

^† Based on the Air Travel Reward redemptions from the Air Travel Redemption Schedule starting at 35,000 Avion points for one round-trip long-haul flight to almost anywhere in Canada or the United States with a maximum ticket price of $750, you will need a minimum of 70,000 Avion Points for two round-trips long-haul flights to almost anywhere in Canada or the United States, exclusive of Hawaii and Alaska. All applicable taxes, service fees and surcharges are the responsibility of the traveler. For more details, including information on redeeming for first class and business class seats, visit: www.avionrewards.com/travel/index.html. For general redemption terms, conditions and restrictions that apply to the Avion Rewards program, please visit: www.avionrewards.com or call 1-800 ROYAL 1-2 (1-800-769-2512).

^ Based on the Air Travel Reward redemptions from the Air Travel Redemption Schedule starting at 15,000 Avion points for a round trip within or to an adjacent Canadian province/territory or U.S State with a maximum ticket price of $350. You will need a minimum of 60,000 Avion Points for four round-trips within or to an adjacent Canadian province/territory or U.S State. All applicable taxes, service fees and surcharges are the responsibility of the traveller. For more details, including information on redeeming for first class and business class seats, please visit: www.avionrewards.com/travel/index.html. For general redemption terms, conditions and restrictions that apply to the Avion Rewards program, please visit: www.avionrewards.com or call 1-800 ROYAL 1-2 (1-800-769-2512).

1 This offer only applies to new applications for an RBC Avion Visa Infinite or RBC Avion Visa Platinum credit card (each, an “Eligible Credit Card”) received between “August 13, 2026” and “November 25, 2026” (“Offer Period”) and approved by Royal Bank of Canada (“Royal Bank”) subject to the conditions below. Additional cardholders(s) (co-applicant and authorized user(s)) on the Eligible Credit Card account, as well as existing cardholders on any RBC Royal Bank personal credit card account transferring to an Eligible Credit Card account during the Offer Period, are not eligible for the offer.

35,000 welcome Avion points (“Welcome Points”) will appear on your monthly credit card statement within sixty (60) days after your application has been approved, provided that your Eligible Credit Card account remains open and in good standing at the time the Welcome points are credited to your account, “good standing” meaning that your Eligible Credit Card account must not be past due for more than two (2) consecutive credit card account statement periods, closed, charged off or in credit revoked status.

You will receive 20,000 bonus Avion points (“Bonus Points”) if a total of $5,000 or more (“Qualifying Transaction Amount”) in qualifying net purchases and/or pre-authorized bill payment transactions (“Qualifying Transactions”) are posted to your Eligible Credit Card account within the first six (6) months from your Eligible Credit Card account opening date (“Period”). The Bonus Points will appear on your monthly credit card statement within sixty days (60) after you reach $5,000 in Qualifying Transactions, provided your Eligible Credit Card account remains open and in good standing at the time the Bonus Points are credited to your account.

Qualifying Transactions exclude cash advances (including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized charges that you set up with a merchant), interest charges and fees. Credits for returns and adjustments posted to your Eligible Credit Card account during the Period will reduce the amount of your Qualifying Transactions. The Qualifying Transaction Amount is based on the transaction posting date of each Qualifying Transaction, not the transaction date. This means that transactions that take place prior to the last day of the Period will not be considered for the Qualifying Transaction Amount if they have not yet been posted or processed by the merchant, the payment network (Visa) or Royal Bank by the last day of the Period.

15,000 additional Avion points (“Anniversary Points”) will appear on your monthly credit card statement within twelve (12) to sixteen (16) weeks after the one- year anniversary of your account opening, provided that your Eligible Credit Card account remains open and in good standing at the time the Anniversary Points are credited to your account.

If you close or change your Eligible Credit Card Account for another type of RBC Royal Bank credit card before the Welcome Points, the Bonus Points and/or the Anniversary Points have been credited to your account, you may lose the benefit of this offer. This offer may not be combined or used in conjunction with any other offer. Royal Bank reserves the right to cancel, modify or withdraw this offer at any time without notice, even after your application has been approved, including if we suspect that you may be manipulating or abusing it, or engaging in any suspicious or fraudulent activity, as determined by Royal Bank in its sole discretion. For complete terms and conditions that apply to the Avion Rewards Program, please visit www.avionrewards.com or call 1-800-769-2512.

^Point redemptions for flights under the Air Travel Redemption Schedule start at 7,500 points for a short-haul one-way Economy Class flight priced at no more than $175 (and start at 15,000 points for a short-haul round-trip Economy Class flight priced at no more than $350). The traveller is responsible for all applicable taxes, administration fees and surcharges. To learn more, including guidelines regarding redeeming points for a Business Class flight, visit www.avionrewards.com/fr/travel/.

2 Avion points are earned on qualifying net purchases only; they are not earned on cash advances (including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized charges that you set up with a merchant) interest charges or fees, and credits for returns and adjustments will reduce or cancel the points earned by the amounts originally charged.

4 To participate in this offer, you must have an RBC debit card or a credit card which is issued by Royal Bank of Canada (excluding RBC commercial credit cards) (“RBC Card”). RBC business clients will only be able to link up to two (2) RBC business credit cards and one (1) RBC business debit card to a Petro-Points card.

You must be enrolled in RBC Online Banking or the RBC Mobile app in order to link your RBC Card to your Petro-Points card. Card linking may take up to 2 business days to process before savings and bonus points can be applied to purchases. A linked RBC Card means an RBC Card linked to a Petro-Points Account. Your linked RBC Card acts as your Petro-Points card. You will automatically earn Petro-Points when you pay for qualifying purchases with your linked RBC Card at Petro-Canada locations and you do not need to swipe your Petro-Points card before you pay. You can redeem your Petro-Points at Petro-Canada using your linked RBC Card. Each time you use your linked RBC Card to purchase any grade of gasoline, or diesel, at a Petro-Canada location, you will save three cents ($0.03) per litre at the time of the transaction.

6 Each time you use your linked Eligible Avion Rewards Credit Card to pay for purchases at a Petro-Canada Location, you will earn a bonus of twenty percent (20%) more Avion points than you normally earn for every $1 in purchases in accordance with the Avion Rewards Terms and Conditions. Please allow up to ninety (90) days from the date the transaction is posted on your credit card statement for the bonus points to be deposited into Avion Rewards account. Authorized Users are excluded from earning Avion points bonus.

6 Each time you use your eligible linked Avion Rewards credit card to pay for purchases at a Petro-Canada location, you will receive a bonus of twenty percent (20%) more Avion points than you would normally receive for each dollar of purchase, in accordance with the terms of the Avion Rewards program. Please allow up to ninety (90) days from the date the transaction is posted to your credit card statement for your bonus points to be deposited into your Avion Rewards account. Authorized users cannot earn bonus Avion points.

7 Coverage underwritten by RBC Insurance Company of Canada. Please refer to the insurance certificate for complete details. rbc-visa-infinite-avion-certificate-of-insurance.pdf

9 Under 65 years of age, 15 days of coverage. For age 65 and over, 3 days of coverage. Coverage underwritten by RBC Insurance Company of Canada.

10 The discount of up to 20% off the base rate only (time and mileage) (the “discount”) is offered at participating corporate Hertz locations in Canada and the United States. The discount excludes taxes, tax recovery charges, fees, surcharges and the cost of any optional service, such as refuelling. If you are a personal credit cardholder, you must enter the first six digits of your eligible Avion Rewards card in the CDP number field at the time of booking to receive the discount. For business credit cards and commercial credit cards, a CDP number will be generated upon enrolment in the Hertz Business Rewards program. Please use this CDP identification number for future reservations to take advantage of the discount and the Hertz Business Rewards program. To take advantage of the discount, your colleagues and your company’s employees must also enter the Hertz Business Rewards program CDP number at the time they make their reservation with Hertz. Hertz, and not Royal Bank of Canada, is responsible for the sales and refund terms that apply to the discount. For complete terms, visit hertz.ca (external site opens in a new window). Royal Bank of Canada reserves the right to cancel, amend or withdraw this offer at any time, even after you have activated it. To learn more about the Avion Rewards program, go to www.avionrewards.com/fr/ (opens in a new window).

11 This offer is not transferable. To earn 3X the Avion points you normally earn (“Bonus Points”) for every one dollar ($1.00) in purchases, including taxes, you make at any corporately owned Hertz location in Canada, U.S., UK, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Australia and Luxembourg, beginning January 2, 2025 to December 31, 2025 (“Offer Period”), click the “Load Offer” button and pay using one of your eligible RBC Avion credit card (“Eligible RBC Card/Credit Card”) (“Qualifying Purchase”). Franchised Hertz locations are not eligible for this offer.

The up to 20% discount rate applies to the base rate only (time and mileage charges) (“Discount”) and is available at participating Hertz corporate locations in Canada and the U.S.. The Discount excludes taxes, tax reimbursements, fees, surcharges and optional service charges, such as refueling. CDP ID #451401 must be used at time of reservation to receive the Discount.

Upon Hertz Gold Plus Rewards (GPR) registration, you’ll be upgraded to Hertz Five Star status in 48 hours. If you’re already an existing member of Hertz GPR, please follow the prompts on the landing page.

If you change your eligible RBC Avion credit card, you must load the Hertz offer again in Offers. If you cancel your eligible RBC Avion credit card, you will not be eligible for the Discount, Bonus Points or Hertz Five Star status.

Please allow up to 30 days from the date of your Qualifying Purchase, provided your credit card account was in good standing at that time, for the Bonus Points to appear on the account statement tied to your eligible RBC Avion credit card. Cancellations or price adjustments may cancel or reduce the Avion points earned on your Qualifying Purchase, including Bonus Points. Offer may not be combined with any other offer, promotion, certificate, voucher or other discount.

Hertz, not Royal Bank of Canada, is responsible for the sales and returns terms and conditions applicable to your Qualifying Purchase(s) and Discount. For complete terms and conditions please visit: https://www.hertz.ca/avionrewardselite(opens to external site). Royal Bank of Canada reserves the right to cancel, modify or withdraw this offer at any time, even after you have activated it. For more details on the Offers program, please visit rbc.com/offers(opens to external site).

12 You will earn 1.25 Avion points for every dollar spent when you use your RBC Avion Visa Infinite card to pay for travel-related purchases made at merchants classified by Visa’s “Merchant Category Code” (“MCC”) as “travel”, which may include: airlines, accommodations, tour operators, cruise lines, travel agencies and car rental companies. Even though some merchants may sell travel products/services, purchases made at these locations may not necessarily qualify for the 1.25 Avion points per dollar if the merchant is not classified with a “travel” MCC. Also, merchants that are not classified by a “travel” MCC may be located on the premises of merchants that are classified with a “travel” MCC, and purchases made at these locations may not qualify for this added benefit. For more details, please refer to the Avion Rewards Terms and Conditions at: https://www.avionrewards.com/terms-and-conditions/index.html

14 The term “redeem” means using your Be Well points to pay, or partially pay, for eligible purchases using your Be Well card at participating Rexall locations according to the instructions provided by the cashier, the point-of-sale terminal or any other payment processing device. You can redeem the Be Well points you earn for eligible purchases—see section 5 of the Be Well terms (available at https://www.letsbewell.ca/terms-conditions)—or for another purpose that we may provide from time to time.

You must have joined the Be Well program and registered your Be Well card, or otherwise called customer service, to redeem Be Well points. Any Be Well points earned on a Be Well card will remain the property of the Be Well administrator until the enrollment and registration process is complete.

You must redeem a minimum of 25,000 Be Well points at any time, which are worth $10. Be Well points can be redeemed in $10 increments, up to a maximum of $200 (500,000 Be Well points) in a single transaction. A maximum of 500,000 Be Well points can be redeemed within a 24-hour period.

In Ontario and British Columbia, Be Well points cannot be redeemed for prescription drugs. As the laws of each province and territory may change from time to time, you are encouraged to consult your pharmacist for more information in this regard.

Be Well points you earn when you make a purchase cannot be redeemed immediately for that same purchase. They can only be redeemed for a future eligible purchase that must be made at least 12 hours after earning those Be Well points.

16 To receive a complimentary DashPass subscription for $0 delivery fees on orders of $15 or more at eligible restaurants when you pay with your Eligible RBC Credit Card, you must subscribe to DashPass by adding an Eligible RBC Credit Card, accept the DoorDash terms and conditions, and activate your benefit by clicking “Activate Free DashPass” before November 16, 2028 (“Offer Period”). If you are an existing DashPass subscriber and have already added an Eligible RBC Credit Card to your account you must activate your benefit by clicking “Activate Free DashPass” during the Offer Period. If you have been charged for DashPass you will receive a refund to the method of original payment, in the amount of the monthly subscription fee for the month you activate your complimentary subscription. For all clients, by clicking on “Activate Free DashPass” you agree to the DoorDash terms and conditions which can be found at https://help.doordash.com/consumers/s/terms-and-conditions .

Eligible RBC Credit cardholders include primary cardholders, co-applicants, authorized users, primary business cardholders and secondary business cardholders on an Eligible RBC Credit Card account.

The DashPass monthly subscription fee will be waived (“Complimentary DashPass Subscription”) and you will receive either a 6 months or 12 months Complimentary DashPass Subscription based on the Eligible RBC Credit Card you use to subscribe to DashPass.

DashPass subscriptions purchased through third parties, including third-party payment accounts, or online or mobile digital wallets (like Apply Pay and Google Pay) are not eligible for the Complimentary DashPass Subscription.

Eligible RBC Credit Cards: Your Eligible RBC Credit Card may only be used with one DoorDash account to receive a Complimentary DashPass Subscription. Once you have received a Complimentary DashPass Subscription you cannot use the same eligible RBC Credit Card to obtain a Complimentary DashPass Subscription with another DoorDash account.

You are only eligible for one 12 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription and one 6 months Complimentary DashPass Subscription during the Offer Period. The Complimentary DashPass Subscription commences on the date you subscribe to receive the Complimentary DashPass Subscription. For example, if you subscribe to a 12 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription in on the last day of your second month of a 6 months Complimentary DashPass Subscription you will receive a total of 14 months of Complimentary DashPass Subscription. In order to validate your credit card as an Eligible RBC Credit Card, Royal Bank may need to administer a $0.50 charge to validate your card enrollment. This charge will be reversed in 3 to 5 days once your account has been validated.

12 Month Complimentary DashPass Subscription is available for the following Eligible RBC Credit Cards:

As an RBC Avion Visa Platinum, RBC Avion Visa Infinite , RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege, RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege for Private Banking, WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard, RBC Rewards Visa Preferred, RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard, More Rewards RBC Visa Infinite, RBC British Airways Visa Infinite, RBC Avion Visa Business, RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business, WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard for Business (Elite Benefit cards) cardholder.

You are eligible for a Complimentary DashPass Subscription for 12 months from the date you subscribe to receive the Complimentary DashPass Subscription. You will be auto-enrolled into full-price membership at the then-current rate after the end of the 12 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription. Your RBC credit card account must be open and not in default to maintain the benefits of DashPass.

6 Months Complimentary DashPass Subscription is available for the following Eligible RBC Credit Cards:

As an Rewards+TM Visa‡, Signature^® RBC Rewards^® Visa‡, RBC^® Visa‡ Platinum, RBC^® Visa‡ Cash Back, RBC^® Cash Back Mastercard‡, RBC^® Visa‡ Classic Low Rate Option, RBC^® Visa‡ Classic, RBC^® Student Visa‡ Classic, RBC^® Visa‡ Classic II Student, RBC^® Visa‡ Gold, RBC^® U.S. Dollar Visa‡ Gold, RBC Rewards Visa‡ Gold, RBC RateAdvantage^® Visa‡, WestJet RBC^® Mastercard‡, RBC ION Visa, RBC ION+ Visa, More Rewards RBC Visa, RBC Staff VISA Classic Expense, RBC Staff VISA Gold Expense, RBC^® Visa‡ Business, RBC^® Visa‡ Business Gold, RBC^® Visa‡ CreditLine for Small BusinessTM, or RBC^® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡, WestJet RBC^® World Elite Mastercard‡ (Premium Benefit Cards).

You are eligible for a Complimentary DashPass Subscription for 6 months from the date you subscribed to the Complimentary DashPass Subscription. You will be auto-enrolled into full-price membership at the then-current rate after the end of the 6 months Complimentary DashPass Subscription. Your RBC credit card account must be open and not in default to maintain the benefits of DashPass.

DoorDash not Royal Bank of Canada, is responsible for (i) services and products provided through DoorDash; (ii) DashPass, including the DashPass Benefits, the administration of DashPass and (iii) the DoorDash terms and conditions. The Complimentary DashPass Subscription offer may be amended or withdrawn at any time. To learn more about DashPass, visit www.doordash.com/dashpass (opens to external site). For full DashPass for RBC Program Terms and Conditions, visit rbcroyalbank.com/credit-cards/documentation/pdf/full-doordash-tcs-en.pdf

Annual fee

Primary card$120

Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000

Household$100,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

1.25xTravel
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,369

2nd Year Value$271

Transfer partners

American Airlines AAdvantageAirline
British Airways ClubAirline
Cathay Asia MilesAirline
WestJet RewardsAirline

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Included

Travel medical (55-64)Included

Travel medical (65+)Included

Trip CancellationUp to $1,500

Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000

Delayed BaggageUp to $500

Lost BaggageUp to $500

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $2,500

Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded

Extended Warranty+1 years

Mobile DeviceUp to $1,500 / 1 years

Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

Travel in Uzbekistan – Practical Information

Where is Uzbekistan?

Every time I mentioned that I was going to Uzbekistan, the response was: « Where? This Asian country is bordered mainly by Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. More broadly, I’d say it’s north of the Arabian Peninsula, south of Russia, west of China and east of the Caspian Sea. The country’s capital is Tashkent.

Do I need a visa to visit Uzbekistan?

In recent years, many of the « Stan » countries have eliminated the visa requirement for visitors, which has greatly contributed to the increase in tourism. Uzbekistan is now open to Canadians, as well as to the French, visa-free for trips of 30 days or less.

Is it safe to travel in Uzbekistan?

The Canadian government assigns the country the lowest level of risk, which is to take normal security measures. It is therefore very safe to travel there, even independently.

What language is spoken in Uzbekistan?

The main language is Uzbek, but as a former USSR nation, Russian is also widely spoken. With tourism just beginning to take off, it’s difficult to be understood in English. English- and French-speaking guides take advantage of the situation to charge higher prices. However, Uzbeks are used to using translation apps to make themselves understood.

What currency is used in Uzbekistan?

The country’s currency is the Sum, and its value is low. You’ll get around 9,000 sums for one Canadian dollar. It’s easy to withdraw them from ATMs with our Canadian cards. U.S. dollars are also accepted, but are much less common. There’s no guarantee that you’ll get your dollar change. However, they are a good option if you’re nearing the end of your trip and don’t want to withdraw again. Some ATMs allow you to withdraw US dollars.

Are credit cards accepted in Uzbekistan?

Card payment was fairly widespread, but I couldn’t say it was accepted everywhere. Transportation, high-end and mid-range restaurants, a majority of hotels, and several tourist attractions accepted payment by card. We used Visa and Mastercard, but didn’t try American Express.

It was more difficult to pay for independent guides (outside the agency), in bazaars, in some hotels, artisans and street food stalls using a credit card.

How can I stay connected in Uzbekistan?

There are SIM card kiosks at Tashkent airport, open 24 hours a day. Prices are negligible. We paid less than $6 for a 44 GB, 1500 SMS and unlimited calls, all valid for 30 days.

You can also turn to eSIMs, which have the advantage of not wasting any time on arrival, but prices are nowhere near as competitive. For example, Airalo offers 3 GB for three days for $13.50.

When should you travel to Uzbekistan?

Uzbek summers are scorching hot, while winters are cold. We recommend visiting the country in spring or autumn. We visited in October, and temperatures ranged from 21 to 28 degrees during the day, dropping to around 12-18 degrees in the evening. The climate is fairly similar across the country, and rain is rare. We were told that there are 300 days of sunshine a year, and rain is mostly concentrated from December to April.

What’s the food like in Uzbekistan? Is it affordable?

Food: Uzbekistan is a great place to eat. Meat cooked over charcoal is the order of the day. It’s an excellent place to eat lamb at an affordable price. You’ll easily find meat kebabs, somsas (similar to an empanada), mantis (like a big dumpling) and their national dish of Plov (rice flavored with meat and vegetables). The restaurants all had an impressive menu of salads and soups. The Uzbeks have long been a sedentary people, and fresh produce from agriculture is plentiful.

Prices for meals on the go at the bazaar or street stalls hover around $2, while the fancier restaurants will serve you a two-course meal including a beverage for around $20. Be aware, however, that the religion is predominantly Muslim and, while it’s easy to order alcohol in restaurants, we didn’t see any pork on the menus.

Bottom Line

Uzbekistan is an ideal destination if you you’re looking for:

A change of scenery;
Safe travel;
To discover a choice cultural destination;
Succumbing to excellent gastronomy;
Luxury on a budget
Discover an authentic, little-known destination.

SponsoredCompare

Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card

Scotiabank Scene+

Annual fee: $120
Our valuation: $500Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$500Total$500Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.; Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$500Total$500Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer: Up to 50,000 points; Ends Nov 1, 2026

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card offers an excellent welcome bonus.

Until November 1, 2026, you can earn up to 50,000 bonus Scene+ points, broken down as follows:

30,000 Scene+ points by charging $2,000 in purchases to the card within the first 3 months
20,000 Scene+ points by making $7,500 in purchases on the card in the first year

This represents a value of up to $500 for travel (including Airbnb).

With the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, you earn 6 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà par IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! grocery stores. FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.

Also, you earn 5 points per dollar for:

Grocery stores
Restaurants
Entertainment centers

And 3 points per dollar on gas, transit and streaming services purchases.

You can redeem your points on travel purchases (flights, hotels, all-inclusive and even Airbnb). You can also use your points as cash back rewards with Scene+.

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card also offers no foreign transaction fees, excellent insurance for your travel or purchases, concierge service, exclusive American Express benefits like the Front of the Line program.

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* The potential value of savings and rewards during the first 12 months includes the value of the welcome offer, the potential value of points earned in the first year and the value of foreign transaction fee savings as of May 22, 2026:

$300 in travel rewards (30,000 bonus Scene+ points) for new Scotiabank Gold American Express Cardholders who make purchases totaling $2,000 in the first 3 months

$200 in travel rewards (20,000 bonus Scene+ points) for making purchases totaling $7,500 in the first 12 months

$59 in foreign transaction fee savings based on the average annual amount of foreign currency purchases made per account over the last 24 months (saving on the 2.5% foreign transaction fee typically charged by other credit card issuers);

$398 corresponding to the potential value of points earned in the first year (38,500 Scene+ points) based on the average amount of purchases made, per account, over the last 24 months, assuming an average spend of 28% of purchases in categories eligible for accelerated earn rates of 6X, 5X and 3X points.

Maximum potential value after the first year = $957 (rounded to $950)

The actual value of offers, savings realized and rewards earned will vary depending on card usage and eligibility for offers. Conditions apply.

1 Offer Description and Conditions: The 50,000 Scene+ points offer (the « Offer ») applies only to new Scotiabank Gold American Express credit card accounts (the « Accounts ») opened between July 2, 2026, and November 1, 2026 (regardless of the date you apply for the account), subject to the conditions below. All other program terms and conditions continue to apply during the Offer period. The Offer may be changed, cancelled or extended at any time without notice and cannot be combined with any other offer.

To qualify for the 30,000 bonus Scene+ points (the « 30,000 Bonus Points Offer »), you must make eligible purchases totaling at least $2,000 within three months of the account opening date. To qualify for the 20,000 additional bonus Scene+ points (the « 20,000 Additional Bonus Points Offer »), you must make $7,500 in eligible purchases on your new account during the first year (twelve months). Eligible purchases mean purchases, less refunds, returns and any other similar credits, and exclude payments, cash advances (including balance transfers and quasi-cash transactions), interest charges, card fees and other fees.

Fulfillment of the Annual Bonus: Bonus points will be credited to the Scene+ account within approximately eight weeks after you qualify for a bonus, provided the account is open and in good standing. In the case of a joint account with a primary borrower and a co-borrower, bonus points will be credited as follows: (i) the 30,000 bonus points and the 20,000 additional bonus points will be credited to the Scene+ account linked to the account of the borrower who made the transaction that reached the eligible purchase threshold ($2,000 or $7,500) within the appropriate timeframe (the first three months or the first 12 months). If a supplementary cardholder makes the transaction that reaches the eligible purchase threshold for the 30,000 bonus points or the 20,000 additional bonus points, the bonus points will be credited to the Scene+ account linked to the primary borrower’s account. Points can be transferred between the Scene+ accounts of a primary borrower, co-borrower or supplementary cardholder by contacting Scene+. An account is in good standing if it is not delinquent, the credit limit is not exceeded, and the holder(s) have complied with the terms of the Revolving Credit Agreement applicable to the account. All other program terms and conditions continue to apply during the Offer period. The Offer may be changed, cancelled or extended at any time without notice and cannot be combined with any other offer.

Eligibility and exclusions: You are not eligible for the Offer if you are currently a primary or secondary cardholder of a Scotiabank personal credit card or if you have been within the past two years, including if you transfer your balance from an existing Scotiabank personal credit card account, and if you are a Scotiabank employee. Subject to the exclusions mentioned above, Scotiabank small business credit cardholders are eligible for this Offer.

Rates and Fees: The current annual fee is $120 for the primary card and $29 for each additional card (including those issued to joint account holders and additional cardholders). The preferred annual interest rates currently applicable to the account are: 21.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances (including balance transfers and quasi-cash transactions).
Rates, fees, features and benefits, which are described in the application statement, are subject to change.