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District · Tashkent

Chorsu and the Old City

Domed Chorsu bazaar, Kukeldash madrasa and a metro station on the door; choose a guesthouse with a night desk.

sleepeatsee

Key facts

Suits
Bazaar mornings and courtyard guesthouses
Room prices
$
price band of 5
Sights here
2
Eats here
2

What it's like

Feels:
Crowded, loud, warm and food-led; the everyday city
Suits:
Bazaar mornings and courtyard guesthouses
Best time:
07:00–11:00
Watch out for:
Late afternoon in the heat and unlit lanes after dark.
In short:
Domed Chorsu bazaar, Kukeldash madrasa and a metro station on the door; choose a guesthouse with a night desk.

About these names

Clusters here are the four working areas of a first visit. Yunusobod, Mirzo Ulugbek and Chilonzor are big residential districts with malls and restaurants but few sights.

Tashkent spreads over a grid of avenues on a plain, with the Ankhor canal and the Chirchiq river to the north. Amir Temur Square is the modern centre, Independence Square is a short metro ride west, Chorsu bazaar and the Old City are north-west, and the Khast Imam complex is further north-west again. Stations of the Chilonzor and Uzbekistan metro lines connect the first three.

Where exactly

This district is highlighted. Shapes follow this guide's walking areas and places, not official boundaries.

Chorsu and the Old City on the Tashkent mapTap an area for what it is like and who it suits. Shapes follow this guide’s walking areas and places, not official boundaries.
Amir Temur Square area · $$$Chorsu and the Old City · $

Chorsu and the Old City

sleepeatseePrice $

Domed Chorsu bazaar, Kukeldash madrasa and a metro station on the door; choose a guesthouse with a night desk.

Suits: Bazaar mornings and courtyard guesthouses

On the map: Kukeldash Madrasa, Chorsu Bazaar

District guideWalk: Chorsu Bazaar & Old CitySleep: Chorsu and the Old CityIn the districts table

Off the map: Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport (TAS) (25–45 min by the usual route).

Not drawn yet (no coordinates in this guide): Yunusobod and Mirzo Ulugbek. See the table above.

Where’s what, as a list:

  • Amir Temur Square and Broadway: The square, the history museum, Hotel Uzbekistan and the pedestrian street known as Broadway (Sayilgoh) with cafés. Suits: A first visit, hotels with a staffed desk, evening walks. Price band $$$.
  • Chorsu and the Old City: Domed Chorsu bazaar, Kukeldash madrasa and a metro station on the door; choose a guesthouse with a night desk. Suits: Bazaar mornings and courtyard guesthouses. Price band $.
  • Khast Imam: Hazrati Imam complex and the Kaffal Shashi mausoleum; a short ride from Chorsu. Suits: A morning of mosques, madrasas and manuscripts.
  • Independence Square (Mustaqillik): Big open squares and gardens on the avenue; one of the metro's showpiece stations is here. Suits: Evening walk and a metro stop.
  • Yunusobod and Mirzo Ulugbek: Residential districts north and east of the centre; a ride-hail car to any sight is 15–30 minutes. Suits: Long stays, modern cafés, malls, quieter streets.
  • Sleep area Amir Temur Square area: suits A first visit, hotels with a staffed desk, evening walks, price band $$$.
  • Sleep area Chorsu and the Old City: suits Bazaar mornings and courtyard guesthouses, price band $.
  • Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport (TAS), 25–45 min by the usual route.

Stay here?

How this district's sleep area scores for five kinds of traveler, ranked against the other Tashkent districts that have scores. Scores are this guide's 1–5 judgements.

  • First visit

    best of 2

    Chorsu on foot; other sights need a car or the metro.

  • Families

    2nd of 2

    Uneven ground and heat; workable with a carrier.

    Better for this: Amir Temur Square and Broadway

  • Light sleepers

    2nd of 2

    Bazaar sounds start early; guesthouse courtyards are calmer.

    Better for this: Amir Temur Square and Broadway

  • Night owls

    2nd of 2

    Very little after 21:00 in the lanes.

    Better for this: Amir Temur Square and Broadway

  • On a budget

    best of 2

    Guesthouses and small hotels are the cheapest beds in the city.

See

Opening hours and prices from each place page; (check) means typical hours, not yet verified.

  • Kukeldash MadrasaGo

    A 15-minute look at the exterior and forecourt from Chorsu bazaar: go in the morning, skip the interior unless it is open, and use it as a rest from the crowd.

    Hours:
    Exterior always; interior varies.(check)
    Entry:
    Free
  • Chorsu BazaarBook a time

    Go early, before the crowd and the heat; the domed hall for bread, spices and dried fruit, 60 minutes, cash only; skip midday in summer.

    Hours:
    Daily from about 06:00; many stalls close by 17:00–18:00.(check)
    Entry:
    Free

Eat

What to order and what locals pay, from each eat page. Prices are estimates; check the menu.

  • Plov and samsa near Chorsu bazaar

    Walk-in plov and oven-baked samsa at the bazaar canteens; go before 13:00 — plov is a lunch dish and stalls can run out; pick the busiest counter.

    Order: Osh / plov: By the portion; ask for 'bitta osh' (one portion).

    Price: A portion of plov costs UZS 35,000–70,000 for everyone at canteens; bazaar stalls do not change the price for foreigners in general.

  • Tandoor bread and sweets row at Chorsu

    A breakfast or snack stop: buy hot non from the tandoor row, add samsa, dried fruit or halva, and eat at once; go at 07:00–09:00 for the best loaves.

    Order: Non: Ask for 'issiq non' (hot bread).

    Price: Bread is a fixed-price staple: UZS 5,000–15,000 a loaf for everyone.

Sleep

  • Chorsu and the Old City$

    Bazaar mornings on foot, but choose a guesthouse that confirms a night desk or door code in writing; lanes are narrow and cars stop at the edge.

    Rooms: US$20–45 (check)

    Skip this if: Night desk and door arrangements are not standard.

    4–8 min walk to Chorsu Bazaar & Old City · 20–28 min walk to Khast Imam (Hazrati Imam) Complex

Shopping

Markets and shopping streets from the Tashkent buying guide that name this district.

  • Chorsu bazaar · Bread, spices, dried fruit, nuts, meat, produce and household goods under a blue dome · Daily, about 06:00–17:00 (check) · haggling: yesCash only in som; go before 10:00 for the calm hour.
  • Suzani embroidery, ceramics, silk scarves, wooden boxes · Craft shops near Chorsu and the Old City; museum shops · About 09:00–19:00Ask for the maker and the region; antiques need an export permit, so buy new.
  • Dried fruit, nuts, spices, halva · Chorsu bazaar dry-goods aisle · About 07:00–17:00Taste first; vacuum-pack for the flight.

Getting there and around

Where to get off

  • Car or metro to Chorsu · for Chorsu Bazaar
  • Walk 5 minutes from Chorsu bazaar or a car to the madrasa forecourt · for Kukeldash Madrasa
  • Chorsu bazaar · 3 min walk to Plov and samsa near Chorsu bazaar
  • Chorsu bazaar, bread row · 2 min walk to Tandoor bread and sweets row at Chorsu

Walks inside the district

  • Chorsu bazaar → Kukeldash madrasa (exterior): 6–8 min on foot (Walk, about 0.4 km)
  • Chorsu bazaar → Plov and samsa near Chorsu bazaar: 2–3 min on foot (Walk, about 0.1 km)
  • Chorsu bazaar → Tandoor bread and sweets row at Chorsu: 1–2 min on foot (Walk, about 0.1 km)

On to the next area

Minutes are this guide’s typical walking and ride times (p50–p90); traffic and heat stretch them.

Walking loop

A loop that starts and ends at the same place, through this district's sights and eats. Pick a length; download it for Organic Maps, OsmAnd or Google Earth.

About 84 min in all: 14 min on foot, the rest at the stops. 4 stops, back to where you started.

1234
  1. Kukeldash MadrasaStart here · stop about 10 min
  2. Chorsu Bazaar6 min walk · stop about 30 min
  3. Tandoor bread and sweets row at Chorsu1 min walk · stop about 15 min (snack, or note it for later)
  4. Plov and samsa near Chorsu bazaar1 min walk (estimate) · stop about 15 min (snack, or note it for later)
  5. Back to Kukeldash Madrasa: 6 min walk (estimate)

Walking minutes come from this guide’s route graph where it has one; “estimate” means straight-line distance plus a quarter for street detours at an easy pace. Opening hours are not checked: look at “Open now” below before you set off.

Half-day walk

In the day plans: Day 3 — Chorsu bazaar, car to the airport at 12:00 (Tashkent in 3 days)

Photo and sunset spots

Safety at night and noise

  • Chorsu bazaar and the Old Cityday: oknight: caution

    Pickpockets in the crowd; lanes are dark and dogs roam after the bazaar closes.

  • Quiet nights

    Bazaar sounds start early; guesthouse courtyards are calmer.

  • Nightlife

    Very little after 21:00 in the lanes.

  • Late arrival

    Small guesthouses may not staff a night desk: send your flight number and ask for a door code.

Nearby districts

Built from this guide’s Tashkent districts table, place, eat and sleep pages, route graph and city notes. Hours, prices and rules change: anything marked (check) is typical, not verified. checked: 2026-09.