The small questions travellers ask before Uzbekistan: power plugs and voltage, laundry in each city, pharmacies and prescriptions, public toilets, water on trains, alcohol rules, the 2026 vape ban, smoking areas and tipping porters. As of November 2026.
Facts, prices and schedules checked on November 4, 2026
Most Uzbekistan guides cover the Registan and the plov. This one covers the other questions: what plug to bring, where to wash a week of dusty clothes, what you can buy at a pharmacy without a prescription, and whether you may carry a vape through customs. Each section answers one question, so you can scroll to the one you need.
The information is as of November 2026. Rules about alcohol, tobacco and vaping have been tightened recently and may change again, so treat the legal points as a guide and check the official sources named below before you travel.
What plugs and voltage does Uzbekistan use?
Uzbekistan uses 220 to 230 volts at 50 hertz with Type C and Type F sockets, the standard European two-round-pin plug. If you come from the UK, North America, Japan or Australia you need an adapter. Most phone and laptop chargers accept 100 to 240 volts, so an adapter is enough; check the label. Hair dryers and travel kettles from 110-volt countries are not safe without a converter.
Practical advice:
- Bring a multi-way adapter. Some older rooms have only one or two sockets, often far from the bed.
- A short extension cable helps in guesthouses and yurt camps.
- A power bank is useful on the Afrosiyob and during long days of sightseeing. Newer trains have sockets at the seat, but not always working.
- Type C plugs fit most sockets, but without an earth connection, which is fine for phones.
Where can I do laundry in Uzbekistan?
Most hotels and guesthouses will wash clothes for a modest fee, typically charged per item, and return them within a day. In busy summer weeks, ask early in the day. Many small guesthouses will wash a bag of clothes for a negotiated sum and dry it in the sun. Take a small bottle of travel wash and a line if you prefer to rinse items yourself.
If you are in a city for longer:
- Tashkent has self-service and drop-off laundries in the central districts and near the large hotels, as well as dry cleaners known by the Russian name khimchistka.
- Samarkand and Bukhara have laundries in the new town and guesthouses on the old-town streets, usually drop-off rather than self-service.
- Khiva is small enough that guesthouses handle everything.
Self-service launderettes of the western type are uncommon outside Tashkent. A good plan is to schedule the wash for a night where you stay two nights in the same place, for example in Bukhara.
How do pharmacies work in Uzbekistan?
Pharmacies are called dorixona in Uzbek and apteka in Russian, and they are easy to spot by the green cross. In Tashkent and the larger cities there are many, and some stay open 24 hours. Staff in city centres often speak some English, and pointing at the packaging or showing a photo of the pill helps.
What to expect:
- Common over-the-counter medicines, including painkillers, antacids, rehydration salts, antihistamines and basic cold remedies, are available without a prescription.
- Strong painkillers, sleeping tablets, many antibiotics and other restricted drugs require a prescription in principle, although enforcement varies.
- Brands differ, so carry the generic name of your drug.
- Bring enough of any regular medication for the whole trip, in original packaging with a copy of the prescription. Our customs guide and health guide cover what you can bring in.
For anything serious, go to a clinic and not a pharmacy; see our emergency guide for contact numbers.
Are there public toilets at monuments?
Public toilets in Uzbekistan are uneven. The big sights have facilities nearby, but they may be basic, often with squat toilets, and a small fee of a few thousand som is common. Carry some small notes, tissues and hand gel, as paper and soap are not always provided.
In practice, plan toilet stops around cafés, restaurants and hotels, where facilities are better. At the Registan in Samarkand, Ichan-Kala in Khiva and the main Bukhara squares, cafés in the surrounding streets are the practical choice. On long drives, your driver will stop at roadside stations, and the standard varies. Newer rest stops on the main highways are improving.
What about drinking water on trains?
On the Afrosiyob and other fast trains, a trolley or attendant sells bottled water and tea, and fares often include a drink or a snack in business class. On older long-distance trains the carriages have a samovar with boiled water, and you can fill a flask for tea or instant food. Take your own bottle on any train, because the trolley may not reach every carriage.
Do not drink from the tap in Uzbekistan; our guide to health and tap water explains why. Bottled water is cheap and sold everywhere.
Can you drink alcohol in Uzbekistan?
Yes. Uzbekistan is Muslim-majority and secular in practice, and alcohol is sold in licensed shops, supermarkets, restaurants and hotel bars. Wine, beer and vodka are widely available, and a local wine tradition exists around Samarkand. Our guide to Uzbek wine and drinks covers it.
The rules to know:
- Drinking in the street, in parks and at public places is not accepted and can lead to a fine. Keep alcohol to restaurants, hotel terraces and your room.
- Sale to minors is prohibited. The minimum age is set by law; we have not verified the current figure, so carry ID and expect to be asked.
- Some individual restaurants and guesthouses do not serve alcohol, especially in the old quarters and in Ramadan. Ask when you book.
- Driving after drinking is dealt with strictly. Use a taxi.
Respect is the better guide than the letter of the law: a glass of wine with dinner is unremarkable, a bottle on a bench is not.
Vaping, smoking and the 2026 ban
Vaping is the point on which travellers most often go wrong. A law signed in November 2025 bans the import, sale and circulation of electronic cigarettes and their liquids, and the Czech embassy in Tashkent reports that the ban has applied since 1 March 2026. Penalties can reach criminal level, with fines or imprisonment, though voluntary surrender of devices is exempt from administrative liability. We found no official tourist exemption for personal quantities.
Our advice is simple: do not bring a vape, a pod or e-liquid to Uzbekistan, and do not bring them to the airport customs. Reports differ on whether heated tobacco products are covered, so check the final text or your embassy before bringing them.
Ordinary cigarettes are allowed within customs limits. Smoking is banned in most enclosed public places and on public transport, and restaurants usually keep smoking to terraces or marked rooms. Hookah (shisha) is available in some cafés in Tashkent. Ask your hotel.
Tipping porters and drivers
Tipping is appreciated, not obligatory. A few thousand som for a porter who takes your bag to the room is normal, and a small gratuity for a driver or guide at the end of a day is welcome. Restaurants sometimes add a service charge to the bill; if not, rounding up or leaving about 10 per cent is customary. Our money guide gives current figures.
Other small things worth knowing
- Wi-Fi is available in nearly all hotels and many cafés, but speeds vary; a local SIM or eSIM is a better backup (see our SIM card guide).
- Bring a light scarf or shawl and socks. Mosques and mausoleums ask you to cover shoulders and knees, and you remove shoes at some entrances.
- Keep a small bag of tissues, hand gel and a few small notes in your day bag. They solve most of the problems above.
- Baggage on trains is not weighed, but compartments are narrow. A soft bag is easier than a hard case on the Afrosiyob racks.
- Photocopy your passport and keep the hotel registration slips until you leave; our registration guide explains why.
- Cash is still essential at bazaars, with drivers and in small guesthouses. Our money guide covers ATMs and exchange rates.
None of these needs preparation beyond a minute's thought, and all are easier at home than at a station in Khiva.
How TourEast can help
On our tours, your guide handles the small questions: where to find a pharmacy, which hotel will wash your clothes overnight, which café has a decent toilet. Tell us about any special need before you arrive and we plan around it.
