What to see, what to do Uzbekistan?

Most shops close on Sundays, but street vendors work seven days a week. In the worst-case scenario, a trip to the nearest bazaar will suffice. In the tourist areas of Bukhara and Samarkand, shops are open every day and close late at night. Similarly, souvenir stores are generally open every day, with a few exceptions.

During Ramadan, some store owners may decide to close. Outside the tourist season, it can also be difficult to find craftsmen, but a simple phone call is enough to open the door.

Points of interest are generally open every day, but most museums have a weekly closing day, usually Monday.

Reservations are rarely necessary, unless you're in a large group. French-speaking guides, on the other hand, should be booked well in advance of the tourist season, as they are few and far between.

Uzbekistan applies a double entry fee to major monuments and museums, with tourists paying more than locals. Nevertheless, tour prices are very affordable compared with France (between 15,000 and 40,000 soums or 1.50 to 3 EUR). In some cases, you'll have to pay extra to take photos with a camera and a zoom lens, or to film, or to benefit from a guided tour or audio guide. Photographs taken with mobile phones pose no problem in most cases, except at prayer time in mosques or mausoleums.

The city of Khiva has introduced a two-day visitor's pass valid for most monuments: 200,000 soums (around 15 EUR). The price for a 3-hour guided tour is 25 EUR per person (in French or English).

Uzbekistan doesn't have a highly developed festive and cultural agenda, but here again, the situation is changing. In Samarkand, the Registan Sound and Light Show is a magnificent spectacle, taking place every evening in high season, as is the Silk and Spice Festival in Bukhara.

The Samarkand Marathon (early November) is gaining a good reputation; three road race courses of 10 km, 21 km and 42 km are on offer, and the events are also adapted for the disabled. Registration for the 42 km costs 150,000 soums. The money raised goes to a charity chosen by the organizers!

In high season, most monuments and museums in major cities can offer you the services of a guide to enhance your visit. Most of the time, these guides will be English-speaking, but French-, Spanish- and Italian-speaking guides are becoming more and more numerous, and are often quickly hired by local agencies to keep up with the destination's tourist success, especially with the French public.

Although anti-smoking laws have not yet been passed everywhere in Uzbekistan, you won't see many people smoking. Occasionally, a few Uzbeks will smoke in the outdoor chaikhanas, set up on the huge sunbeds....

Smoking is prohibited inside establishments, on trains and long-distance buses, and in restaurants and cafés.

In tourist spots like the Registan in Samarkand or the Liab-i-khaouz in Bukhara, many young freelance guides will come to you to offer guided tours of the city. It's up to you to judge the person, as many come to earn a little money during their vacations to finance their studies or practice foreign languages. In any case, set a price before you leave.

When visiting historic monuments, proper dress is required. Signposts show a few examples of proper dress, especially when visiting mosques: women should make sure they cover their heads and wear clothes that cover their legs, and the same goes for men: no shorts or tank tops. Islam in Uzbekistan is fairly tolerant, and respecting local customs will help ensure that it remains so.