Every public holiday in Uzbekistan in 2027 with the day of the week: New Year, 8 March, Navruz, Ramazon Hayit, Memorial Day, Qurbon Hayit, Independence Day, Teachers' Day and Constitution Day. Which dates are set by decree, what actually closes, and when to go or avoid.
Facts, prices and schedules checked on November 4, 2026
Public holidays in Uzbekistan are few, mostly fixed, and rarely a problem for travellers. Monuments stay open, trains run and restaurants are full. The two things worth knowing in advance are that the Muslim festivals move each year and are confirmed only shortly before, and that the government regularly shifts working days to create long weekends by presidential decree, usually announced the previous December.
This guide lists every public holiday in Uzbekistan in 2027 with its day of the week, flags which dates are still provisional as of November 2026, explains what actually closes, and suggests which holidays to seek out and which to plan around. Our festivals and events calendar covers the cultural festivals that are not official holidays.
Uzbekistan public holidays 2027: the full list
Official non-working holidays under Uzbek labour law, with 2027 weekdays:
- 1 January, Friday: New Year's Day.
- 8 March, Monday: International Women's Day.
- 9 March, Tuesday (expected): Ramazon Hayit, the end of Ramadan, known elsewhere as Eid al-Fitr. One day; the date depends on the moon sighting and is confirmed by the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan shortly before.
- 21 March, Sunday: Navruz, the spring equinox and Persian New Year. Because it falls on a Sunday, the day off is expected to move to Monday 22 March.
- 9 May, Sunday: Day of Memory and Honour, commemorating the Second World War dead. The day off is expected to move to Monday 10 May.
- 16 or 17 May (expected): Qurbon Hayit, the Feast of Sacrifice, Eid al-Adha. One day; astronomical estimates put it on Sunday 16 May, in which case Monday 17 May would be the day off.
- 1 September, Wednesday: Independence Day, the national holiday.
- 1 October, Friday: Teachers' and Mentors' Day.
- 8 December, Wednesday: Constitution Day.
That is nine holidays. Under the Labour Code, when a holiday falls on a weekend the day off transfers to the following working day for employees on a five-day week, which is why 22 March and 10 May matter for banks and offices.
Which 2027 dates are set by decree, and when
Two separate mechanisms create uncertainty for anyone booking far ahead.
First, the Hayit dates. Ramazon Hayit and Qurbon Hayit follow the Islamic lunar calendar and move about eleven days earlier each year. Ramadan 2027 is expected to run from around 8 February to 8 March, with Ramazon Hayit on or about 9 March; Qurbon Hayit is expected around 16 or 17 May. The government fixes the official day off by decree after consulting the Muslim Board, typically a week or two before each festival. Treat any 2027 date you see online as an estimate until then.
Second, the long weekends. Since 2021 the president has signed a decree each December setting additional non-working days for the coming year and the Saturdays worked in exchange. For 2026 the decree of 24 December 2025 made Monday 31 August an extra day off before Independence Day, giving a four-day break, and five consecutive days were granted around Qurbon Hayit in late May 2026. The 2027 decree had not been published as of November 2026. Expect it in the second half of December 2026; we will update this page when it appears.
The practical consequence: 8 and 9 March 2027 may well become a four-day weekend if Ramazon Hayit falls on the Tuesday and the Monday is already Women's Day, and Independence Day on a Wednesday is a candidate for a bridge day.
What actually closes on an Uzbek public holiday
Far less than many visitors fear. In our experience across the years, and from what we see on official announcements:
- Banks, government offices, embassies and most company offices: closed. ATMs and currency-exchange booths in hotels and at the airport work as normal.
- Museums and monuments: the major Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva sites, including the Registan, Shah-i-Zinda, the Ark Fortress and Ichan-Kala, stay open on almost every holiday; a few state museums in Tashkent shorten hours or close on New Year's Day and 1 September. Check locally the day before if a particular museum matters.
- Bazaars: open, and busiest, on the mornings of holidays. Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent and the Siab Bazaar in Samarkand are at their liveliest before Navruz and the two Hayits.
- Trains and flights: run to the normal timetable, but seats sell out early as families travel between cities. Book the Afrosiyob and domestic flights as soon as dates are known.
- Restaurants and cafés: open, though the best places fill with local celebrations and family tables; reserve for dinner.
- Shops and supermarkets: open with holiday hours.
- Alcohol: sold as normal, except that some venues close during the daytime of Ramazon Hayit as a courtesy.
The one practical trap is registration and paperwork. If you need an official document, a visa extension or a bank transaction, do it before the holiday.
Navruz, 21 March: the holiday to seek out
Navruz is the one public holiday worth planning a trip around. Towns set up long tables in the streets, families cook sumalak overnight in huge cauldrons, and there are concerts, wrestling and horse games in every region. In 2027 the official day is Sunday 21 March with the day off on Monday 22, so the celebrations will run across the whole weekend. Hotels in Samarkand and Bukhara fill, and the weather is usually mild and green. Our Navruz guide explains where to go and what to eat; our spring guide covers the season around it.
Ramadan and Ramazon Hayit in March 2027
Ramadan is not a public holiday and daily life continues; many Uzbeks fast, many do not, and restaurants stay open during the day in every tourist city. Expect quieter mornings, a rush of family iftar meals after sunset, and in 2027 the month coinciding with the first warm weeks of spring.
Ramazon Hayit itself is a joyful day. Mosques overflow for the morning prayer, families visit cemeteries and elders, and homes serve sweets to anyone who calls. It is a good day to be in a mahalla with a host family and a poor day to attempt bank business. With Women's Day on Monday 8 March and the Hayit expected on Tuesday 9 March, offices may be closed for four days; monuments will not be. Our guides to halal travel and to culture and etiquette cover how to behave as a guest.
Qurbon Hayit in May 2027
Qurbon Hayit, Eid al-Adha, is expected on Sunday 16 May 2027 with the day off probably on Monday 17 May, subject to the official announcement. In 2026 the government granted five consecutive days around this festival, so a similar bridge is possible in 2027. Families sacrifice a sheep and distribute the meat; bazaars are frantic the day before and quiet on the day. Mid-May is also peak tourist season, so this is the week to book earliest: trains between Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara and the better hotels are full weeks ahead.
Independence Day, 1 September: crowds and fireworks
Independence Day is the national holiday, marked by a concert in Tashkent, fireworks and decorations in every city. In 2027 it falls on a Wednesday. Whether Monday and Tuesday become bridge days depends on the December decree; in 2026 the Monday was added. For travellers the effects are:
- Tashkent's central squares and some roads close for rehearsals and the event in the days before.
- Hotels in the capital are busy with official delegations; Samarkand and Bukhara are less affected.
- Trains are full on the days either side as people travel home.
- The weather is hot but turning, and early September is the start of the best autumn weeks.
It is a fine time to be in the country, provided your Tashkent transfers are booked and your guide knows which streets are closed. Our Tashkent travel guide has the city layout.
The quieter holidays: New Year, 8 March, 9 May, 1 October, 8 December
New Year is the biggest family celebration of the winter, with decorated trees, fireworks and a late night on 31 December; 1 January is sleepy, and shops open late. Winter trains run normally and the snow-dusted Registan is almost empty. See our guide to Uzbekistan in winter.
Women's Day on 8 March is a day of flowers and gifts; restaurants are booked out for lunch. The Day of Memory and Honour on 9 May brings wreath-laying ceremonies and a quiet, respectful mood at war memorials. Teachers' Day on 1 October and Constitution Day on 8 December are low-key single days off with no effect on tourist services.
None of these requires you to change plans, though 8 December is worth knowing if you need a bank or a ministry.
Dates to seek out and dates to plan around in 2027
Seek out:
- 19 to 22 March: Navruz weekend, the most colourful days of the year.
- Late August to 1 September: Independence celebrations, with the first autumn evenings.
- 9 March: Ramazon Hayit, if you want to experience a religious festival as a guest.
Plan around:
- 14 to 18 May: Qurbon Hayit falling in peak season; book trains and rooms early.
- 31 December to 2 January: office closures and late openings, if your trip needs paperwork.
- Any holiday when you need a bank, a notary, a visa extension or an export certificate for a carpet.
And a reminder that Saturdays listed as working days in the December decree affect government offices, not the tourist sector.
Travelling over a holiday with TourEast
We watch the December decree and the Muslim Board's announcements each year and adjust our 2027 group departures so that trains, museum visits and hotel nights fit around the long weekends. If you want to be in Uzbekistan for Navruz or a Hayit, tell us early; we can plan a private or small-group itinerary that puts you at a family table on the day and keeps the practical side, from train seats to museum hours, out of your way.
