Orientation
Fergana is the capital of Fergana Region in eastern Uzbekistan and the natural base for exploring the Fergana Valley, including the craft towns of Margilan (silk) and Rishtan (ceramics). The city was founded in its modern form in 1876 and retains wide, tree-lined boulevards and Russian Empire-era buildings, giving it a distinctly different feel from other valley cities. Russian is spoken frequently on the streets, which can make getting around and asking for directions easier for many visitors.
Getting Around the City
Fergana has no metro or tram network, so visitors rely on a mix of shared taxis, minibuses (marshrutkas), buses, and ride-hailing apps. The city is compact enough that some areas are pleasant to walk, particularly the tree-lined central boulevards, but for longer hops across town the shared-taxi and marshrutka network is the main mode of transport.
Trains
Fergana itself is served by the Margilan railway station; Fergana-1 and Fergana-2 handle goods and freight trains only, so they are not useful for visitors. Trains depart Tashkent for Margilan multiple times a day, with a one-way ticket costing roughly 55,000 som. Margilan is also reachable from Fergana by shared taxi or marshrutka in about 20 minutes for under a dollar, which makes the rail connection practical for onward travel.
Buses and Minibuses
Buses and minibuses (marshrutkas) form the backbone of local and regional public transport. From Fergana's bus station you can reach Kokand in about an hour, with buses running roughly every 30 minutes and fares around $1.50. For shorter trips within the valley, shared taxis and marshrutkas are usually faster than buses.
- Fergana to Margilan: about 20 minutes by shared taxi or marshrutka, under $1.
- Fergana to Rishtan: about 40 minutes by shared taxi, $2–3.
- Fergana to Kokand: about 1 hour by bus from the bus station, buses every 30 minutes, around $1.50.
- Fergana to Andijan: a modern air-conditioned bus runs roughly hourly for about 15,000 som per seat; taxis and minibuses are faster alternatives.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Shared taxis are the most common way to move around Fergana and between valley towns. They are inexpensive and depart when full, so you may wait a short while at a stand before setting off. Ride-hailing apps such as Yandex Go have limited availability in the valley, so it is wise not to rely on them exclusively; local shared taxis remain the dependable fallback.
For longer intercity runs, dedicated taxi stations serve the main destinations:
- Kokand Taxi Station: opposite the main bazaar; seats around 30,000 som.
- Namangan Taxi Station: right next to the library.
- Andijan Taxi Station: on the north end of the bazaar.
- Tashkent Taxi Station: on the outskirts of town.
Walking
Fergana's wide, tree-lined boulevards and Russian Empire-era architecture make the central areas pleasant to explore on foot, and the city's compact core means several sights and amenities are within a comfortable walk of one another. For anything beyond the centre, though, the distances and heat make shared taxis or marshrutkas the more practical choice.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Fergana City Airport (FEG) handles multiple daily flights from Tashkent, with a flight time of about an hour and one-way fares around $40. Domestic flights from Tashkent operate nearly once or twice a day through either Uzbekistan Airways or Silk Avia. International connections include Uzbekistan Airways flights from Kazan, Moscow Domodedovo, St. Petersburg, and Tashkent, and Turkish Airlines flights from Istanbul on certain days. Once you land, the practical options into the city are the same as elsewhere in Fergana: shared taxis and marshrutkas, with ride-hailing apps only sporadically available.
Arriving from Tashkent
Most visitors reach Fergana overland from Tashkent via the Kamchik Pass, a drive of roughly four to five hours through a mountain tunnel connecting the Tashkent plain to the Fergana Valley floor. Shared taxis run the Tashkent–Fergana route throughout the day, with fares commonly cited in the $8–15 per person range. Taxis depart from Kuyluk bazaar and Severniy (north) train station in Tashkent. If two people are travelling, buying the whole back seat can be worthwhile for extra space on the long drive. Expect a checkpoint where all foreigners must present passports and registration documents, and police there may check registration cards thoroughly, so keep your paperwork in order.
By rail, trains from Tashkent to Kokand take about 3.5 hours and cost $4–8 depending on class; from Kokand you can continue to Fergana by bus or shared taxi.