Is Uzbekistan Family Friendly? Our Experience Travelling Uzbekistan With Kids
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 12 hours ago
The short answer? A huge yes.
Before travelling to Uzbekistan with kids, we honestly didn’t know what to expect.
Central Asia felt mysterious, adventurous, and completely different from anywhere we’d travelled before.
But Uzbekistan completely surprised us.
In fact, it ended up being one of the easiest, warmest, and most surprisingly family-friendly countries we’ve travelled through.
From wandering ancient Silk Road cities to sharing sweets at breakfast each morning, Uzbekistan completely won us over.
Here are a few reasons why we think Uzbekistan is such an incredible destination for families travelling with kids.
They Absolutely Adore Children
One of the first things we noticed in Uzbekistan was just how much locals love kids.
Everywhere we went, people smiled at our girls, and waved at them. We were constantly met with kindness and curiosity. It never felt intrusive — just genuinely warm and welcoming.
In smaller towns and old cities especially, local children were always eager to play, particularly in Khiva, where the young girl next door invited our girls over to play and pat her cat.
It felt incredibly safe, wholesome, and welcoming, especially in Khiva, which quickly became one of our favourite cities in all of Central Asia.
We stayed in a beautiful traditional guesthouse right in the heart of Khiva’s old city, which made exploring with kids incredibly easy. You can check availability here.
We’ve shared a full guide to exploring Khiva with kids, including what the girls loved most and our favourite family-friendly experiences inside the old city walls.
The Old Cities Are Perfect for Exploring with Kids
One of the best things about travelling in Uzbekistan with children is how walkable many of the historic areas are.
In places like Khiva, Bukhara, and parts of Samarkand, there are very few cars inside the ancient old towns and around the major tourist sites.
That meant we could relax while wandering narrow alleyways, stopping for photos, or letting the girls explore without worrying about traffic.
The mud-brick streets, mosaic-covered mosques, and hidden courtyards felt like something out of a storybook — and because so much of it is pedestrian-friendly, sightseeing with kids felt super easy.
In Bukhara, we stayed in a beautifully restored caravanserai inside the old city. These historic inns once hosted Silk Road traders travelling between Asia and Europe, and staying in one was honestly one of the highlights of our trip.
You can check prices for traditional caravanserai stays in Bukhara here.
We’ve written a full guide to visiting Bukhara with kids, including our experience staying in a traditional Silk Road caravanserai.
It Felt Incredibly Safe
Uzbekistan felt like one of the safest countries we’ve ever visited.
Petty theft and stealing seemed almost nonexistent . We never once felt uneasy walking around, even in busy areas or at night, and there was a calm, relaxed atmosphere everywhere we travelled.
The locals were respectful, families were out late in the evenings, and the tourist areas felt incredibly safe and welcoming. We also noticed there was no pushy selling at the markets, which was really nice.
The Food Was Delicious (and Surprisingly Kid-Friendly)
We’ll admit, before arriving we weren’t entirely sure how our girls would go with Uzbek food (or even us!)
Yes, there were a few unusual things on menus — including fermented horse milk and some adventurous meat dishes — but overall we found the food hearty, comforting, and very family-friendly. And plenty of vegetarian options.
There was plenty of:
fresh bread
rice dishes
soups
grilled meats
salads
fruit
pastries
And the breakfasts? The girls were obsessed.
Every breakfast table seemed to come with little sweets, jams, pastries, cakes, or chocolates. Uzbekistan definitely has a sweet tooth, and our girls thought that was the greatest thing ever.
Everywhere Was Clean and Well Looked After
One thing that genuinely surprised us was how clean Uzbekistan felt.
The streets, public squares, train stations, hotels, and historic sites were all incredibly tidy and well maintained. Even in busy areas, everything felt so lovely and calm.
The major tourist cities especially were always beautifully looked after.
The Train System Makes Family Travel Easy
Travelling between cities on the trains was comfortable, clean, and far easier than long road trips with children.
The girls loved watching the changing desert landscapes roll past the window, and it gave us all time to relax between destinations. It's great to have the freedom to walk around the carriages - and if you book a sleeper you have plenty of space to stretch out and get comfortable.
Everyone we met on the trains was genuinely so kind and made us feel so welcome. We have travelled many countries by train and Uzbekistan felt incredibly easy.
If you’re planning to travel Uzbekistan by train, we found 12Go Asia, really helpful for checking routes, schedules, and booking tickets between cities.
There’s So Much History Without It Feeling Overwhelming
Sometimes historic travel can be tricky with kids. Museums and ruins don’t always hold their attention for long.
But Uzbekistan felt different.
The giant turquoise domes, towering minarets, ancient caravanserais, and maze-like old cities felt magical and immersive — almost like walking through a real-life Aladdin set.
The girls loved:
climbing fortress walls
wandering tiny alleyways
shopping in markets
watching wood works and crafts being made
It never felt like “boring sightseeing.”
Samarkand felt like stepping into a real-life fairytale, with giant turquoise domes, bustling markets, and some of the most beautiful Islamic architecture ever! We’ve shared all our favourite experiences in our Samarkand with kids guide.
A Few Things to Know Before You Go
Like anywhere, travelling with kids in Uzbekistan comes with a few small challenges too.
A few things worth preparing especially for with young kids:
Summers can be very hot
Footpaths can be uneven in old cities
English isn’t widely spoken
Long train journeys need extra snacks
Some bathrooms and amenities are very basic
But honestly? None of these felt difficult enough to outweigh how enjoyable the experience was.
We also always travel with comprehensive travel insurance when travelling through more remote parts of the world with kids. Thankfully we never needed it in Uzbekistan, but having that peace of mind always helps us relax and enjoy the adventure more. We personally use Travel Insurance Direct or World Nomads for our family travel.
Raising Curious Children Through Travel
One of the things we loved most about travelling through Uzbekistan with kids was how naturally educational the experience became.
Instead of learning about history from books, the girls were walking through ancient Silk Road cities, hearing stories about Genghis Khan, standing inside centuries-old madrassas, and experiencing history firsthand.
But it wasn’t just history they were learning.
They watched woodworkers carefully handcraft tiny jewellery boxes and were even invited to use the tools themselves and work on the boxes. They saw women sewing traditional textiles, wandered through bustling local markets, and listened to new languages being spoken around them every day.
They learnt about food, culture, architecture, craftsmanship, religion, and the different ways communities live and work together — simply by being there and experiencing it all for themselves.
It reminded us that some of the most meaningful learning happens outside a classroom, through curiosity, connection, and real-world experiences - something we’re really passionate about as parents.
Final Thoughts
Uzbekistan completely exceeded our expectations as a family destination.
It was safe, welcoming, fascinating, clean, affordable, and full of genuinely kind people. Our girls still talk about the breakfasts, the friendly local children and cats, and walking along the old city walls.
If you’re considering travelling through Central Asia with kids, don’t overlook Uzbekistan.
It might just surprise you as much as it surprised us.
After Uzbekistan, our Silk Road adventure continued into Tajikistan — a completely different world of dusty mountains, winding dirt roads, turquoise lakes, and remote villages that felt like another world away from Uzbekistan’s ancient cities.
More Central Asia Family Travel Guides
We really hope this post helps inspire and encourage more families to explore Uzbekistan and the incredible countries of Central Asia for themselves. It’s a part of the world that completely captured our hearts, and we truly believe it has so much to offer adventurous families travelling with kids.
If you’re planning your own Silk Road adventure, you might also enjoy some of our other Central Asia family travel guides:
Comments