Tashkent has a lot of great places to visit with kids. This is not surprising, given that Uzbekistan has a very young population and many kids.
Having lived in Tashkent as an expat for 3 years, I’ve had an opportunity to explore many kids’ attractions with my daughter. We’ve gone to most of these places multiple times. Prices are generally very affordable compared to what you’d pay in the US or Europe. Keep in mind that all of these places are popular among locals and therefore get very busy at peak times, so it’s always better to go in the morning when they just open.
Importantly, I list both indoor and outdoor activities for you to pick from. Tashkent is very hot in spring/summer and quite cold in winter, so you’ll be spending a lot of time indoors.
Here is my list of top ten things to do in Tashkent with kids.
Top things to do in Tashkent with kids
Spend a day at Magic City amusement park
Magic City Tashkent (“Tashkent Disneyland”) is a modern amusement park in Tashkent which was opened several years ago. Both adults and children will find the visit to this park interesting and enjoyable. You can easily spend half a day or even a full day there and not get bored.
Magic City Tashkent is located on a large 21 hectare territory, so expect to do a lot of walking. You can also take a train ride around the park if you wish. The park offers various rides and games for kids, Magic Cinema which shows the latest movies, Magic Museum of interesting artifacts, and Magic Aquarium (the first aquarium to be built in Central Asia).
Visiting Magic City is definitely one of the best things with do in Tashkent with kids. If you want to know more about Magic City, check out my blog post:
Magic City Tashkent – All You Need to Know Before Your Visit
You can also watch a short video with highlights of a fun day at Magic City here:
Have fun at the Luna Park indoor playground
Luna park has been our favorite indoor playground for quite some time. Even though new places have been established recently, I still think it’s the best. Kids can do lots of fun stuff there. There are three large climbing walls, slides of all kinds, a large trampoline area, water zone with games, various table activities and so on.
Luna park has two main locations: Riviera Mall and Depo Mall. The one at Riviera Mall is better for smaller kids. Older kids will appreciate one at Depo Mall.
Keep in mind that Depo Mall is also a good place to have a birthday party as it has a dedicated room. Riviera Mall location is not ideal for birthdays as they do not have a party room. However, there is a food court on a different floor and, in theory, you can just take all your guests there once they finish playing at the playground. I do not recommend doing it if you invite a lot of kids since the mall is quite busy and a few of your guests might get lost along the way. Not a great idea.
Price to enter Luna Park (either location) is 140,000 soums for ages 5+. Smaller kids pay 100,000. There are discounts for kids who have a birthday and large groups (10 kids or more). Parents enter for free. This is a whole day unlimited pass.
Spend a relaxing day at Afraganus Mall – Ertaklar Dunyosi playground
This is another great indoor playground in Tashkent. It’s very large and kids will enjoy running around it. There is definitely more space than at Luna Park, so it does not feel as crowded even during the peak times.
There are plenty of places at eat at the Afraganus mall, including Papa John’s, Crispy Creme and Bellísimo Pizza. There is also a Korzinka there if you want to do some shopping while the kids are playing.
Importantly, if you want to organize a birthday party at Ertaklar Dunyosi: they have two party rooms. One is for 10 kids and another one is for 20 kids. They don’t cook the food themselves, but you can easily get it from the pizza places nearby (they are on the same floor of the mall). The party rooms are very nice and comfortable. You can reserve them at the front desk of the playground. We held a birthday party there and were very satisfied.
The playground is open from 10 am till 10 pm. Price is 120,000 soums for ages 1-5 and 160,000 for older kids. Adults enter for free. Additional charges apply for certain activities, like karting and others.
Visit Tashkent City Mall and Sky Park
This is a relatively new indoor playground which is located on the 4th floor of Tashkent City Mall. This is a large sky themed area with lots of interesting games for kids.
The price is quite high compared to other similar playgrounds I described earlier- you will have to pay 260,000 soums for your kid. If the parent wants to enter, he or she will need to pay 30,000 soums. There are very few places to sit down for parents, so that’s not great. I don’t see much value of this particular playground over others, so if you are price conscious, go to the ones I mentioned earlier. But if you are agnostic to the price, then you won’t be disappointed. It’s a cool playground with a lot of stuff to do. They also have a nice area for birthday parties and will serve all the food for your kids, which is a big advantage.
Visit Tashkent Zoo
Visiting Tashkent Zoo is one of the best activities for families in Tashkent. It’s perfect for kids. Adults will also find the trip to the zoo interesting and informative. The zoo is large, clean and well-organized. There are a lot of animal exhibits and many places to eat, rest, and play.
The Tashkent Zoo has the following exhibits: Terrarium, Aquarium, Primates, Parrots, Birds, Predators, Waterfowl, Ungulates, Small Mammals, Vivarium, Animal Breeding Station, and Petting Zoo.
All the exhibits are quite diverse. Visitors can expect see a wide variety of animals, some of which are indigenous to Central Asia and others are exotic. The zoo has all the “usual suspects”- lions, tigers, bears, elephants, giraffes, a hippo, birds, and different primates (macaques, gibbons, mandrills, orangutan). You can plan on spending 3-4 hours at the Tashkent Zoo.
If you want to learn more about Tashkent Zoo, check out my blog post:
Tashkent Zoo – History, Exhibits, Activities, Pictures of Animals
Jump at Metagalaktika
Metagalaktika is Tashkent’s main trampoline center. It’s large, colorful and perfect for spending a few hours for your kids. In addition to trampoline, they have a few games for kids, but mostly this place is for jumping on trampoline.
Prices are very reasonable. 30 minutes cost 90,000 soums, 1 hour costs 100,000 soums and 3 hours cost 110,000 soums. You can also get a coach for 50,000 soums per hour.
Metagalaktika is great for holding birthday parties. We’ve gone to quite a few here and kids seem to have a great time. One would think jumping on a trampoline for a long time is boring, but when kids come in a group, they seem to have tons of fun. There is a small cafe where they serve all the regular food for kids (pizza, French fries, various drinks). You can eat there if you just come with your kids, or organize a birthday party.
Take a walk at the Cosmonaut Park
Cosmonaut Park (“Park Metro Kosmonavtov”) located along the Sharof Rashidov Street is my favorite park in Tashkent. When the weather is nice, it’s always full of visitors, both locals and foreign. A lot of families come here to relax on the weekends and get away from everyday problems.
The park is conveniently located in the center, right near the Kosmonavtlar metro station. It’s easy to get here from all parts of the city. You can spot the entrance to the park marked by a characteristic red flower.
There are a number of cafes and restaurants in the park and around it. All you need is to walk around and pick a place which suits your taste and which you’re in the mood for. There are also several free playgrounds for kids, a small but excellent indoor trampoline and some shops and bookstores to look at. The open-air bookstores have been here since Soviet times. One can buy both antique books and new publications. Most books are in Russian but I’ve also seen some in English.
Eat plov at one of the local restaurants
Uzbekistan is famous for its plov. Kids usually love this dish, so I highly recommend going to one of the local restaurants to grab some plov with your kids. In Tashkent, there are so many places where you can try plov, from local market to large plov centers to refined restaurants. Besh Qozon plov center is one of my favorite places to eat plov, but there are many other options as well.
If you want some recommendations on where to find the best plov in Tashkent, check out my blog post:
Where to Find the Best Plov in Tashkent
Skate at the Riviera’s Skating Rink
The skating rink at Riviera Mall is our favorite place in Tashkent to go skating. There are several other rinks but we found them more crowded and less convenient.
The skating rink at Riviera opens at 10:30 am. If you want to have more space, this is a good time to come. They usually have some kids taking a class at this time, but there are fewer visitors. If you go later in the morning or afternoon, there will be many more people.
A big advantage of this skating rink is that they provide skates and dolphins to hold on for free. Price is also quite low – 50,000 soums for 30 minutes. The size of the skating rink is 450 sq.m. and about 50 people can skate at the same time.
Given that weather in Tashkent is often not good (very hot during May- September and cold in winter), this is a great option to spend the time when you cannot be outside.
Go to a museum or see a show
Tashkent is a very cultural city and there are many opportunities to go to a nice performance with your kids. For example, there is an Alisher Navoi theater where you can see an opera or a ballet. Prices are not high and you can get orchestra seats for $20-30. There are also various performances in other theaters and arenas throughout the year – just check the iTickets.uz for ideas. Humo Arena frequently hosts various singers (mostly from the region). The State Conservatory of Uzbekistan regularly puts up various concerts. There are also circus performances at the State Circus of Tashkent. These usually happen in the fall and you will likely see a visiting circus from a neighboring country (e.g., Kazakhstan) or a far away one, like the United States.
Day trips from Tashkent
In this post, I covered top ten things to do with kids in Tashkent. However, you don’t always want to stay in Tashkent, do you?
Keep in mind, Tashkent offers an opportunity to go on many fun day trips with your kids.
Check out my posts about some of our favorite places.
Amirsoy Ski Resort is a great place for both advanced skiers and the beginners. Rano Eco Village is a lovely property about 1 hour drive from Tashkent where you can hike, have a nice meal and feed some animals. Institute of Sun is a scientific institute which will be interesting to visit for kids who are interested in science. And Sukok Forest is a nice hiking area not far from Tashkent. Hope you get a chance to visit some of these places!
Amirsoy Ski Resort in Uzbekistan – Detailed Visitors Guide
Rano Eco Village- Lovely Day Trip from Tashkent, Uzbekistan
I wouldn’t have thought it was safe to travel with kids here. What was your best experience here with kids? Any regrets from this trip?
Tashkent offers a very safe environment for families with kids and many fun activities. Going to amusement parks does not cost very much, while experience is excellent. Food is also great. Like in any country, one needs to stay vigilant as accidents can occur anywhere.
Okay magic city sounds so fun!! Also I have to ask, what is plov?
Plov is a delicious rice pilaf dish which is very popular here in Uzbekistan. If you come here, you’ll definitely eat a lot of plov!
20 years ago, my girls would have been enamored with this area. So much color too. I love the pic of the umbrellas and the colored walkway.
I’m lucky that my daughter is 10 and is able to enjoy all these fun activities. In the US, these things would cost 10 times as much…
Tashkent looks like a hidden gem for family travel. Thanks for the great recommendations!
Tashkent looks like such a cool city to explore with children, with a mix of culture, and local experiences. Uzbekistan has been on my list for some time.
Indeed, this is a great place for families. There are so many things to do, and prices are very low.
So many fun things to do for families. My son would have been so happy to go to the indoor playground about ten years ago. He would have loved it. Plov is a dish we still have to try, but it sounds so good.