Tashkent to Karshi: train, plane or car

Karshi (Qarshi) is the capital of Kashkadarya, a region in the south of Uzbekistan between Samarkand and the Afghan border. It is an old city, known in the Middle Ages as Nasaf, with a few historic monuments, including mosques, madrasahs and an old brick bridge, as well as a large bazaar. Few tourists stay long, but it is a useful hub for travelling south: towards Shakhrisabz, the birthplace of Timur, and Termez.

The railway from Tashkent to Karshi runs via Samarkand. Afrosiyob high-speed services have been extended to Karshi on some departures, making the journey roughly 3–4 hours. Slower Sharq and regular trains take longer, and overnight trains towards Termez also stop in Karshi. Train types and timetables change, so check current services.

Tickets go on sale about 45 days in advance; you need your passport. Our train ticket service can check availability, and our guide to trains in Uzbekistan explains classes and booking.

Karshi airport has domestic flights from Tashkent, taking just over 1 hour, and some international routes, mainly to Russia. Schedules vary; check current timetables. Flying is useful if you arrive in Tashkent late or are going straight on to the south.

By road, Karshi is about 500 km from Tashkent, via Samarkand. The drive takes 7–8 hours without long stops. From Samarkand, Karshi is about 3 hours by the main road via Guzar, or via Shakhrisabz over the Takhtakaracha pass, a scenic mountain route that is slower but much more beautiful. A private car with driver lets you combine Karshi with Shakhrisabz in one day. See our transfer service.

If you have a few hours in Karshi, walk through the old centre around the Kok Gumbaz mosque, a large domed Friday mosque traditionally linked with the time of Ulugbek in the 15th century, and the nearby madrasahs. The brick bridge over the Kashkadarya river, built in the 16th century and repaired many times, is one of the few old bridges still standing in Uzbekistan. The bazaar is busy and colourful, with the fruit, carpets and textiles of the region. Karshi is also known for its carpet weaving, and for the hospitality of the Kashkadarya villages around it.

• Shakhrisabz: about 1.5–2 hours by road, with Timur’s Ak-Saray palace and the Dorut Tilovat and Dorus Siyadat complexes. See how to get to Shakhrisabz.
• Termez: about 260 km south, 4–5 hours by road, or by train. See how to get to Termez.
• Bukhara: about 160 km north-west, 2.5–3 hours by road.

A southern loop might be: Tashkent → Samarkand → Shakhrisabz → Karshi → Termez, then fly back to Tashkent. See Tashkent to Termez and Samarkand to Termez.

Kashkadarya has hot summers, with July temperatures often above 35 °C, and mild winters. The best months are March–May and September–November. In spring the steppe around Karshi is green and the mountains of the Hissar range to the east are still snow-capped.

• Fastest: the Afrosiyob where it runs, or a flight.
• Combining with Shakhrisabz: a car with driver from Samarkand.
• On the way to Termez: a train or car, stopping in Karshi only briefly to see the mosque, the bridge and the bazaar.

Karshi has a few hotels for an overnight stop, mostly modern and simple; most travellers prefer to stay in Samarkand, Shakhrisabz or Termez and pass through Karshi.