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Itineraries · Crafts

Craftspeople of the Fergana Valley: 4 days

Margilan silk, Rishtan ceramics, Chust knives and the khan's palace in Kokand — a journey through Uzbekistan's most populous and most craft-rich valley.

4 daysFergana → Namangan → AndijanApril, May, June, September, October

Best time to go

Craftspeople of the Fergana Valley: 4 days
Photo: Enric · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

4 days

Day by day

  1. Day 1

    Fergana

    Train from Tashkent through the Kamchik Pass tunnel to Kokand: the 19th-century Khudayar Khan Palace and the Juma Mosque; on to Margilan for the evening.

    Palace of Khudayar KhanEnsemble · Fergana

  2. Day 2

    Fergana

    Margilan: at the Yodgorlik factory you can follow the whole process from unreeling cocoons to weaving atlas and adras ikat; visit the bazaar if it is market day.

    Yodgorlik Silk FactoryCulture & arts · Fergana

    Fergana

    In the afternoon, Rishtan, whose potters are famous for their turquoise-and-blue glazes.

  3. Day 3

    Namangan

    Namangan Region: Chust, home of knife-makers and skullcap embroiderers; the Mulla Kyrgyz Madrasa in Namangan; time permitting, the ruins of ancient Akhsikent.

    Chust Knife WorkshopsCulture & arts · Namangan

  4. Day 4

    Andijan

    Andijan: the memorial park dedicated to Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur and the old town; evening train back to Tashkent.

    Babur National Park (Bogishamol)Park & garden · Andijan

About the route

The Fergana Valley is a fertile oasis ringed by mountains and the country's crafts capital. Here you can watch silk travel from cocoon to cloth, see Rishtan's potters at the wheel and meet the knife-makers of Chust.

Workshops let you talk to the makers and buy directly from them — good for quality and good for the craftspeople.

Getting around

Train from Tashkent to Kokand and from Andijan back to Tashkent. Distances within the valley are short, so a car with driver or taxis work well.

There are also flights from Tashkent to Fergana, Andijan and Namangan.

When to go

Spring and autumn; even summer is milder in the valley than elsewhere. Factories and workshops are generally open on weekdays — check ahead for weekends.

Craftspeople of the Fergana Valley: 4 days

Sights along the way

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