Boston to Kokand (BOS–OQN) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

US passport holders enter Uzbekistan visa-free for up to 30 days. No advance application is needed. Uzbekistan waived visa requirements for US citizens in 2019. Passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the date of entry. At Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport (TAS), immigration stamps your passport. Register with local police within 3 days of arrival; hotels handle this automatically for their guests and provide a registration slip to keep until departure.

Uzbekistan sits at the heart of the ancient Silk Road. Samarkand (the Registan, Shah-i-Zinda, and Bibi-Khanym Mosque), Bukhara (the Ark Fortress, Kalon Minaret, and Lyabi-Hauz), and Khiva (the walled inner city of Itchan Kala) are all UNESCO sites and form the classic Uzbekistan circuit. The Afrosiyob high-speed train connects Tashkent to Samarkand in 2 hours 10 minutes and to Bukhara in 3 hours 20 minutes.

No direct flights connect the US to Uzbekistan. Route through Istanbul (about 5 hours to TAS on Turkish Airlines or Uzbekistan Airways), Seoul Incheon (about 8 hours on Uzbekistan Airways or Korean Air), or Dubai (about 4 hours on flydubai). Total travel time from the US East Coast runs 15 to 22 hours. Uzbekistan uses the Uzbekistani som (UZS), trading at roughly 12,800 UZS per $1. Card payments work at hotels, restaurants, and larger shops in Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara. ATMs are available in cities. US dollars are exchangeable at banks and official exchange offices. Afrosiyob train tickets cost UZS 120,000 to UZS 250,000 ($9.40 to $19.50) for Tashkent to Samarkand. Plov (rice pilaf with lamb, carrots, and chickpeas) is the national dish, served at every bazaar for UZS 25,000 to UZS 40,000 ($1.95 to $3.10).

MBTA Silver Line SL1 bus runs from South Station (Red Line, Amtrak) through the Ted Williams Tunnel to all Logan terminals; free from the airport, $2.40 inbound. Journey from South Station takes 15–20 minutes depending on traffic. The Blue Line Aquarium station connects to a free water taxi ($12) across the harbor to Logan; scenic but weather-dependent.Taxis from downtown Boston cost $30–45 with the Ted Williams Tunnel toll included. Ride-hails are comparable. The Sumner and Ted Williams tunnels both serve the airport; check traffic before departing, as both frequently back up. Logan is only 3 miles from downtown but tunnel congestion often extends that to 30+ minutes.