Best Time to Visit Tashkent

Spring and autumn: the sweet spots

April and May are the easiest months here. April is mild, with a few showers, so a day around the Old City and Chorsu Bazaar (the big domed market) feels comfortable. By May it's warm enough for long walks through Amir Timur Square and the parks without breaking a sweat.

September and October are just as good, and our comfort score rates both Excellent. September is still warm and almost completely dry. October cools down, and it's a great time for fruit stalls piled with pomegranates and grapes. If you're also heading to Samarkand or Bukhara, these are the months to do the whole loop.

Summer: hot, dry and quiet

July is the hottest month at 38°C, and it barely rains. June and August are hot too. Afternoons are for the metro, whose stations are decorated like palaces and stay cool, and for museums. Save Chorsu and outdoor sights for the morning or the evening, when locals come out to eat plov (rice with lamb and carrots).

Summer isn't a big tourist rush, but it's not a bargain-hunter's secret either. If heat wears you down, skip July.

Winter and early spring: grey and cold

December to February is cold and often cloudy, with only three hours of sun on a typical day in January. Nights drop below freezing. It's a fine time if you like empty museums and don't mind bundling up for the walk between them. Snow in the Chimgan mountains, about 80 km away, draws skiers on weekends.

March is a mixed bag. It's the wettest month, at 68 mm, so bring a proper umbrella. But it's also when things turn green. Navruz, the Persian New Year, falls around 21 March. Expect concerts, street food and special dishes like sumalak, a sweet wheat pudding that's cooked overnight. It's the biggest celebration of the year, so it's worth a rainy day.

November is Good, with grey skies, chilly mornings and few visitors. It's a quiet time to see the city.

Which month for which trip

For sightseeing and photos, pick April, May, late September or October. For a cheap, quiet city break with museums and cafés, try November or February. For Navruz, go in March and accept the showers. Skiing? Go in January or February and head up to Chimgan.