Layover guide · TAS · Last reviewed 27 June 2026
Layover in Tashkent International TAS: what to do hour by hour
Two separate terminals on opposite sides of the airfield, one genuinely good lounge that opened in 2025, and a capital city about 8 km from the curb. Tashkent has rough edges, but a daytime layover here rewards anyone who plans around them.
- Layover verdict
- Fine for 2 to 5 hour daytime connections now that the Anjir lounge exists, weak for overnights, and genuinely worth leaving the building with 6 hours or more if you qualify for visa free entry, because the center is only about 8 km away.
- Best move
- If you are connecting international to international in Terminal 2, the Anjir Business Lounge near gates B5 to B11 carries the wait comfortably and sells entry at the door. If you are connecting to a domestic flight, treat the transfer itself as the task, because Terminal 3 is a separate building reached by road.
- The one thing to know
- Terminal 2 international and Terminal 3 domestic have no airside link. Any international to domestic transfer means immigration, a road journey around the airfield, and a fresh check in, so allow at least 2 hours. Verify before travel.
First, orient yourself
The 10 minute version of TAS
Tashkent International, officially Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport, is Uzbekistan's main gateway and the busiest airport in the country. The layout is the first thing to understand. International flights use Terminal 2 on one side of the airfield. Domestic flights use Terminal 3 on the other side. The two buildings are not connected airside, not joined by a walkway, and not within sensible walking distance, so a mixed itinerary always involves a landside road transfer.
Inside Terminal 2 the airside is modest by hub standards once you clear immigration and security, with a duty free run, a few cafes, and seating that mostly comes with fixed armrests. The headline addition is the Anjir Business Lounge near gates B5 to B11 on the second floor, open since February 2025 and running 24 hours. It changed what a Tashkent layover feels like, because before it there was very little reason to arrive early.
Free wifi exists, but logging in needs an SMS code sent to your phone, which is a real obstacle if you have no roaming, and the connection is inconsistent even once you are on. Download anything you need before your inbound flight rather than counting on the network at the gate. Charging points are limited, so pack a power bank.
Getting into the city is the easy part. A car ordered on the Yandex Go app reaches the center in 15 to 20 minutes for roughly 25,000 to 55,000 som, about 2 to 4.50 US dollars. The catch that defines whether you leave at all is the visa rule, covered below, plus the time you lose clearing immigration in both directions.
Hour by hour
What your layover actually buys you
3 hours
Stay in the building and use the lounge
Three hours is comfortable for an international to international connection in Terminal 2 and tight for anything involving Terminal 3. Clear transfer security, find your departure gate in the B range, and settle into the Anjir Business Lounge if you hold access or want to pay the roughly 42 US dollar door rate. The lounge has hot food, showers and proper workspace, which beats the concourse seating by a wide margin.
If your connection is to a domestic flight, three hours is the realistic floor, not a cushion, because you exit through immigration, cross the airfield by road, and check in again from zero at Terminal 3.
5 hours
A shower, a meal, and a plan for the night gap
Five hours in Terminal 2 is the sweet spot to stay airside in comfort. The Anjir lounge caps individual stays at around 2 hours, so use it for food and a shower, then move to the duty free area or a cafe for the rest. If you would rather not pay, the cafes near the gates are the better seating, since the standard benches have fixed armrests that make lying down impossible.
For a transit passenger facing a longer wait, the Qo'noq sleep lounge in the Terminal 2 transit zone sells capsule beds and showers by the block, which turns a five hour gap into a usable rest rather than a slog.
8 hours
The city is genuinely realistic if you qualify
With 8 hours and the right passport, central Tashkent is an easy run. Order a car on Yandex Go and you are downtown in 15 to 20 minutes for a few dollars. The metro is cheap and worth seeing for the stations alone, though it does not reach the airport, so use bus 40 to the main train station if you want the budget route back, about 30 minutes.
The gate to all of this is the visa rule. Uzbekistan runs visa free entry of up to 30 days for around 90 nationalities, and several others qualify for a 5 day visa free transit when arriving by air. Clear immigration, see the city, and budget being back about 3 hours before an international departure. Verify before travel.
Overnight
Book a capsule, do not bank on a bench
Terminal 2 operates around the clock and nobody moves you on, but there are no rest zones and the seating fights you. The clean overnight answer is the Qo'noq sleep lounge in the Terminal 2 transit area, which sells capsule beds and showers to transit passengers, with a separate Qo'noq capsule unit in the check in area for landside waits.
If you have cleared into the country, a short taxi reaches city hotels, but the in airport capsule keeps you on the right side of immigration for an early international departure. Book ahead, because the overnight flight banks fill the pods quickly.
City escape
Leaving the airport: the honest math
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is leaving realistic | From about 6 hours, given the 8 km distance and immigration in both directions |
| Document to leave | Around 90 nationalities get visa free entry up to 30 days; some others get a 5 day visa free air transit. Verify before travel |
| Taxi | Yandex Go app to the center, 15 to 20 minutes, roughly 25,000 to 55,000 som, about 2 to 4.50 US dollars |
| Bus | Bus 40 links the airport to the main train station and metro in about 30 minutes for the budget route |
| Avoid | Drivers who approach in arrivals quoting several times the app price; order in Yandex Go and walk to the marked pickup |
| Be back at the airport | About 3 hours before an international departure, allowing for immigration and security |
The return is where the buffer goes. Coming back you clear security, and an international departure means immigration and the SMS gated systems again, none of it fast at Tashkent. Treat 3 hours back at the airport as a floor. With under 6 hours, the lounge and a meal in Terminal 2 are the smarter use of the time than a rushed dash into the city.
Check lounge access for TAS
The Anjir Business Lounge in Terminal 2 takes Priority Pass and sells entry at the door, so you do not need status or a business ticket to use it. See the full door list with hours, access methods and current prices.
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FAQ
Tashkent layover questions
How long do I need to connect at Tashkent?
For an international to international connection within Terminal 2 the logistics are short, since you stay airside in one building, but transfer security and the SMS gated systems are slow, so give yourself well over an hour. For an international to domestic connection allow at least 2 hours, because you clear immigration, cross the airfield by road to Terminal 3, and check in again from zero. Verify before travel.
Does the Tashkent airport lounge take Priority Pass?
Yes. The Anjir Business Lounge in Terminal 2, open since February 2025, accepts Priority Pass, LoungeKey and DragonPass, and sells entry at the door from around 42 US dollars. It runs 24 hours and sits near gates B5 to B11 after security, with a maximum stay of about 2 hours.
Can I leave the airport during a layover at TAS?
Around 90 nationalities, including the UK, most EU states, Japan and, from January 2026, the United States, get visa free entry to Uzbekistan for up to 30 days, and some other nationalities qualify for a 5 day visa free air transit. The center is 15 to 20 minutes away by taxi. Rules change, so verify before travel.
How do I transfer between Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 at TAS?
The terminals sit on opposite sides of the airfield with no airside link, so every transfer happens landside by road. A taxi takes 5 to 10 minutes, and local buses also connect the two, though shuttle timings are to be confirmed. Allow at least 2 hours for an international to domestic connection, since you clear immigration and check in again.
Can I sleep overnight at Tashkent airport?
Terminal 2 runs around the clock, but there are no rest zones and most seating has fixed armrests. The realistic option is the Qo'noq sleep lounge in the Terminal 2 transit area, which sells capsule beds and showers to transit passengers, with a separate Qo'noq capsule unit landside in the check in area. Book ahead, because the overnight banks fill it quickly.
Is the wifi free at Tashkent airport?
There is a free network, but logging in requires an SMS code sent to your phone, which is a problem for travelers without roaming, and performance is inconsistent once you connect. Treat it as a bonus, not a plan, and download anything important before you land.
Keep planning
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