The Fergana Valley in 3 Days: Kokand, Rishtan and Margilan

The Fergana Valley often gets skipped on a first trip to Uzbekistan, which is a shame. There are no showpiece ensembles on the scale of the Registan, but there is plenty you will never see in the tourist cities: workshops where crafts have passed down through families for centuries, huge bazaars and wonderfully hospitable people. Three days is the minimum to see the valley's three main craft towns, Kokand, Rishtan and Margilan, without rushing. We use Fergana as a base: it has more hotels, and all three towns are within an hour and a half's drive.

The plan at a glance

• Day 1: Tashkent to Kokand, then on to Fergana in the evening.
• Day 2: Rishtan and back to Fergana.
• Day 3: Margilan, then the road back to Tashkent.

Two nights in the same hotel is the big advantage of this plan: no packing your bags every morning.

Day 1: the Kamchik Pass and Kokand

Leave Tashkent early, around 7 or 8 a.m. The road from Tashkent to Kokand is about 230 km and usually takes 3.5–4 hours. It crosses the Kamchik Pass at roughly 2,200 m: hairpin bends, tunnels and viewpoints where everyone stops for tea. In winter and early spring the pass can have snow and fog, so travel in daylight and with an experienced driver.

Kokand was the capital of the Kokand Khanate. What to see in four or five hours:

• the 19th-century palace of Khudayar Khan, with its tiled facade and a museum inside;
• the Juma Mosque, whose veranda rests on nearly a hundred carved wooden columns;
• the Narbutabey Madrasa;
• the Dakhma-i-Shakhon necropolis and the Modari Khan mausoleum, burial places of the khan's family.

Have lunch in town: the valley is famous for its plov and samsa. Afterwards drive on to Fergana, about 90 km and an hour and a half. Rishtan lies on the way, but its workshops are better seen in the morning when you are fresh.

Day 2: Rishtan and its blue ceramics

Rishtan is a town of potters. The local clay and a glaze called ishkor, made with plant ash, produce its famous turquoise-blue colour. From Fergana it is about 50 km, under an hour. Coming from Kokand, the road from Kokand to Rishtan takes about an hour.

What to do in Rishtan:

1. Visit one or two well-known family workshops. The masters show the whole process: preparing the clay, throwing on the wheel, painting and firing.
2. Have a go at the potter's wheel yourself; many workshops welcome it.
3. Buy directly from the maker. Prices are approximate and depend heavily on size and how intricate the painting is; bargaining is fine, within reason.

Plates and large lagan platters are wrapped in paper and cardboard, but carry them in your hand luggage if you are flying. In the afternoon return to Fergana: stroll in the central park, look round the market and rest.

Day 3: Margilan and silk

Margilan is right next door: the drive from Fergana to Margilan takes 20–30 minutes. It is one of the great silk-weaving centres of the entire Silk Road.

• The Yodgorlik silk factory shows the full cycle: unwinding cocoons, ikat-style abr dyeing of the threads and weaving on hand looms. The factory shop sells atlas and adras fabrics.
• The Said Ahmad Khoja ensemble, an old madrasa with a mosque in the centre.
• Kumtepa Bazaar, a vast market for fabric, clothing and household goods. It does not run every day, so check the market days in advance.

Head back around lunchtime. The drive from Margilan to Tashkent is about 320 km, 5–5.5 hours over the same pass.

What to eat in the valley

Fergana cooking is noticeably different from that of Samarkand and Bukhara. In Kokand and Fergana plov is made with the local devzira rice, often with yellow carrots and chickpeas, and it is eaten before lunch, when the cauldron has just come off the fire. Be sure to try tandoor-baked samsa, thin flatbreads, Kokand halva and tea with dried fruit. In summer and autumn the valley's bazaars overflow with apricots, cherries, grapes and melons, arguably the best in the country. If someone invites you home, accept the tea: it is a sign of respect, and a long conversation around the dastarkhan is part of the journey too.

When to go

The best times are April to June and September to October. In spring the valley is in blossom; in autumn the fruit harvest fills the richest bazaars of the year. Summer afternoons go above 35°C, but the valley is greener and more humid than the desert regions. Winter trips are possible, though the pass is sometimes closed for a while in bad weather.

Useful tips

• Craft workshops are private homes. Let them know in advance if you are coming as a group.
• Friday is the main prayer day; wait until prayers are over before looking inside mosques.
• At the bazaar, ask before photographing people.
• Carry cash: workshops and market stalls do not always take cards.

Getting there and around

A train runs between Tashkent and the valley through the Kamchik tunnel, but a car is more flexible: you can stop at the pass and go straight to Kokand. A shared ride on Yo'ldosh is usually cheaper than a taxi, drivers are verified and you book your seat in the app. Within the valley distances are short, and rides between neighbouring towns are easy to find. Look for rides on Tashkent to Kokand, Kokand to Rishtan and Fergana to Margilan, or open all routes.

Cover photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.