Tashkent to Angren: The Road to the Mountains and the Railway Line

Angren lies in the valley of the Akhangaran River, at the foot of the Kurama and Chatkal ranges. For some it is a mining town and a place of work, for others a stop on the way to the Fergana Valley, and for many Tashkent residents it is the start of a weekend in the mountains. The trip is short and generally easy, but it has a few quirks worth knowing in advance.

How long it takes

From Tashkent to Angren is about 110 km by road. By car on an ordinary day the trip takes 1.5–2 hours: much of it is a good multi-lane highway, but getting out of the capital and passing through towns adds time. The train takes roughly the same time but never sits in traffic.

The train: a newer line through the mountains

For a long time the Fergana Valley was connected to Tashkent by rail only through neighbouring countries. That changed when the Angren to Pap line was built, with a tunnel under the Kamchik Pass. Trains from Tashkent towards Namangan and Andijan now run through Angren, and the town has become an important station.

In practice this means:

• you can reach Angren both by suburban train and by through trains to the valley, so check which services stop there;
• tickets for valley trains sell out ahead of weekends and holidays, so book online;
• fares are roughly lower than a taxi but depend on the class of carriage, so check current prices before you travel.

The train's big advantage is that it does not depend on road weather or traffic leaving Tashkent. The downside is a fixed timetable and the need to get to the station.

Buses and minibuses

Intercity buses and marshrutka minibuses run between Tashkent and Angren. They leave from bus stations and informal ranks on the south-eastern edge of the capital. During the day they run often, but choice thins out towards evening. Buses go through Akhangaran and villages along the way, so they are slower than a car.

By car or shared ride

The highway from Tashkent towards Angren is the same road that later climbs over Kamchik into the Fergana Valley, so it carries a lot of lorries and long-distance traffic. Worth knowing:

1. Up to Angren the road runs across plains and foothills, with no serious climbs.
2. There are speed cameras on the highway, and limits drop in built-up areas, so watch the signs.
3. Weekday mornings bring heavy traffic out of Tashkent; Friday evenings bring heavy traffic towards the valley.

If you are not driving, a shared ride is a convenient choice. Yo'ldosh lists trips to Angren as well as drivers heading further into the valley who can drop you on the way. You book a seat in the app, see the departure time and the verified driver, and pay for one seat, which is usually much cheaper than a taxi.

How the road to Angren differs from the road over the pass

This is the key question for anyone continuing to Fergana, Namangan or Andijan. As far as Angren it is an ordinary out-of-town drive. After Angren the climb to the Kamchik Pass begins:

• a winding road with steep climbs and descents;
• a checkpoint where documents are checked;
• weather that can be very different from Tashkent: snow and ice in winter, fog and rain in spring;
• restrictions for some types of vehicles in bad weather.

That makes journey times to the valley harder to predict than to Angren. If Angren is your destination, the pass does not affect you: you arrive before the mountain sections begin. We cover the pass itself in a separate guide to the Angren to Kokand route.

What to see in and around Angren

Angren is not a tourist town, but it is a good base for getting out into nature:

• the Akhangaran valley and its side gorges are popular for picnics and walks in spring and summer;
• the slopes of the Kurama range, where wild flowers and poppies bloom in May;
• the road towards the pass, with mountain views: even without going to the valley you can drive a little higher for the panoramas if the weather allows.

In summer the foothills are a few degrees cooler than Tashkent, which is why city residents like to come here at weekends.

Practical tips

• In winter bring warm clothes even if Tashkent is mild: the Akhangaran valley can be noticeably colder.
• If you take a valley-bound train but need to get off at Angren, confirm the stop when buying the ticket.
• On Sunday evenings the highway back to Tashkent is busy, as many people return from the valley and the mountains.
• Keep your passport with you, as document checks on the highway are possible.

Back to Tashkent

In the morning people travel from Angren to Tashkent for work and study, so early trips can be full. If you want to leave at a convenient time, find a trip in advance on the Angren to Tashkent page. On weekend evenings, transport from the valley passes through Angren already partly full, so booking is especially useful.

You can find a trip to Angren on your date on the Tashkent to Angren route page, and every destination is listed in the routes section.

Cover photo: Jamshid Nurkulov, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.