01
Where are Chimgan, Charvak and Amirsoy?
They are three parts of one mountain district, Bostanliq, north-east of Tashkent, and since March 2026 one minibus loop links them. Charvak is the reservoir: its shore has the beaches and many of the resort hotels. Chimgan (Chimyon in Uzbek) is the village and mountain massif above it, with Beldersay next door. Amirsoy is the all-season resort with two gondolas and ski runs on the northern slopes of Mount Maygashkan.
Amirsoy gives its distance from Tashkent as 65 km (resort page), and the Chinorkent cable-car complex in Khodjikent gives the same figure. A guide on aviasales.uz, updated 28 May 2026, allows 1.5–2 hours by road to the Charvak shore. The national tourism portal gives the highest summit, Greater Chimgan, as 3,309 m (Uzbekistan Travel).
The railway ends at Chinorkent, a station opened on 22 January 2025 on a 1.5 km extension past Khodjikent, near the town of Charvak (Gazeta). That station is where the minibuses start.
| Place | What it is | Public transport stop |
|---|---|---|
| Chinorkent and Khodjikent | End of the railway; the Chinorkent cable car | Chinorkent station (express trains); Khodjikent (regular trains) |
| Amirsoy | Gondolas, ski runs, 38 chalets and the Amirsoy Hills hotel | Minibus stop Amirsoy |
| Beldersay and Chimgan | Mountain villages with hotels and older ski slopes | Minibus stops Beldersoy and Chimyon |
| Charvak shore: Piramida, Bochka | Resort hotels and beaches | Minibus stops Piramida and Bochka |
| Brichmulla and Sidjak | Quieter shore villages further up the reservoir | No minibus stop on the 324/325 route |
02
How do I get there from Tashkent without a tour?
Take the express electric train to Chinorkent and change to minibus 324. It is the cheapest way up, the minibus link is new since 21 March 2026, and one 10,000-som fare covers the whole mountain loop. The times below are from the Tashtrans suburban timetable updated on 8 September 2026, and the fares from its September 2026 fare table.
The express calls at Tashkent Central (also called North) at 08:55 and 12:36, then Salar, Kibray, Chirchik, Gazalkent and Khodjikent. You pay the conductor on board: cash, a bank card or an ATTO transport card, and card payment is 500 som cheaper. Express tickets are also sold online at elektropoyezd.uz, for the current day only (Gazeta, 9 Sep 2025). Tashkent South and Tashkent Central are different stations; our booking guide explains the difference.
Minibus 324 leaves Chinorkent station and runs via Qoranqul, the Pana hotel, Amirsoy, Tibet, Beldersay, Chimgan, Sevarsoy, Layner, Piramida and Bochka back to Beldersay; 325 runs the loop the other way and returns to Chinorkent. The operator, Toshshahartransxizmat, announced 16-seat air-conditioned Ford minibuses, 10,000 som in cash or by card, daily from 06:00 every 15 minutes, and about 40 minutes to the destination (operator post, 20 March 2026). A report of 27 August 2026 gives ordinary-day hours as 06:00–18:30 with 20 minibuses; on the holidays of 29 August to 1 September 2026 they ran from 05:30 every 10 minutes until about 22:00 (Podrobno.uz). That report numbers the routes 324M and 325M.
| Route | Change at | Time | Fare | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Express train + minibus 324 | Chinorkent station | Train 1 h 46 min (08:47 → 10:33), minibus about 40 min | 30,000 som cash or 29,500 by card, plus 10,000 som | Two express trains a day: 08:47 and 12:15 from Tashkent South |
| Regular electric train to Khodjikent | Khodjikent (one stop before Chinorkent) | 2 h 14 min (07:46 → 10:00) | 10,000 som cash or 9,500 by card | Four a day at 07:46, 13:32, 16:50 and 18:55; the minibuses start at Chinorkent |
| Bus 1226, Mashinasozlar metro → Charvak town | None | About 1 h 30 min | 25,000 som | Seasonal; restarted 23 March 2026, marked closed in Tashtrans' update of 14 September 2026 |
| Marshrutka from Buyuk Ipak Yo'li metro to Gazalkent, then taxi | Gazalkent | Not published | Not published | Amirsoy's own public-transport advice |
| Amirsoy paid transfer | None | Not published | On request | Book on +998 95 177 55 99 |
| Taxi or ride-hailing car | None | 1.5–2 hours to Charvak (aviasales.uz) | No published fare | Ride-hailing apps need a local phone number |
03
A day trip by train and minibus: which times work?
Leave on the 08:47 express and be back at Chinorkent for the 14:19 express, or at Khodjikent for the 16:12 regular train. In the September 2026 timetable these are the last two trains to Tashkent; nothing runs back in the evening.
If you miss both, you need a car. A traveller paid 50,000 som for a taxi from Amirsoy to Gazalkent in May 2026 (eurasia.travel forum); the 16:12 train calls at Gazalkent at 16:34. We found no published taxi fare. For the gondola, the lake and a meal together, an overnight stay is simpler than a day trip; that is our advice, not a rule.
- 1
08:47 Tashkent South (08:55 Tashkent Central)
Express train 7201 to Chinorkent, arriving 10:33.
- 2
About 10:40, Chinorkent station
Minibus 324. The operator gives about 40 minutes of travel; Amirsoy comes after Qoranqul and the Pana hotel, and the Charvak shore stops come at the end of the loop.
- 3
Middle of the day
Gondola, lake or a walk. Sightseeing tickets at Amirsoy are sold until 17:00.
- 4
14:19, Chinorkent
Express 7204 to Tashkent, arriving at Tashkent South at 15:52. It calls at Gazalkent at 14:45.
- 5
Or 16:12, Khodjikent
Regular train 6436, arriving at Tashkent South at 18:23. Khodjikent is one stop before Chinorkent; a traveller put the station about 15 minutes' walk from the Chinorkent cable car (May 2026).
04
What do the Amirsoy and Chinorkent cable cars cost?
A return ride on Amirsoy's main gondola costs 115,000 som on weekdays and 135,000 som at weekends for adults aged 14 and over, from the resort's tariff page read on 24 September 2026. You do not need to ski: these are sightseeing tickets, single-use paper tickets with a barcode, or an e-ticket on your phone if bought online.
Children under 4 ride free, according to the same page. It gives the summer gondola hours as 08:00–19:00 and the winter hours as 08:00–16:00 for skiers and 08:00–17:00 for walkers, while the ticket table says 09:00–17:00; we would plan around the ticket hours. The lower car park is free; the upper one costs 150,000 som on weekdays and 200,000 som at weekends (08:30–17:00, free after 17:00). The resort warns that lift times can change without notice in bad weather (lifts and slopes). On 24 September 2026 its daily post listed both gondolas, Amirsoy Express and Prima, as running (resort post).
The Chinorkent cable car in Khodjikent is a separate, shorter outing near the end of the railway, with views over the Charvak reservoir. Its cabins are built by Doppelmayr; its site gives daily hours of 10:00–22:00 and says the lift works only when the weather allows (Chinorkent).
| Ticket | Adults 14+ | Children | Pensioners | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amirsoy Express | 115,000 / 135,000 | 60,000 / 70,000 (from 4) | 85,000 / 95,000 | 09:00–17:00 |
| Amirsoy Express, one way | 70,000 / 85,000 | 40,000 / 50,000 | 50,000 / 60,000 | 09:00–17:00 |
| Prima gondola | 135,000 / 155,000 | 70,000 / 80,000 | 90,000 / 100,000 | 09:00–17:00 |
| Amirsoy Express + Prima | 225,000 / 255,000 | 115,000 / 130,000 | 165,000 / 185,000 | 09:00–17:00 |
| Chinorkent cable car | 115,000 / 135,000 | 60,000 / 70,000 (4–14) | 80,000 / 90,000 | 10:00–22:00 |
05
Can I ski at Amirsoy, Chimgan or Beldersay?
Yes, from late December to mid-March: that is the season the national tourism portal gives for the Chimgan area, and it names February as the month for skiing (Uzbekistan Travel). Last winter Amirsoy had part of its runs ready on 19 December 2025, held its official opening on 27 December (resort post) and was still skiing in March 2026.
Amirsoy publishes 15 km of runs over 660 m of vertical. They are served by the Amirsoy Express and Prima gondolas (2,913 m and 2,193 m long), the Chalet Express chairlift (686 m) and carpet lifts for beginners. The top station is at 2,290 m, and the resort says its snowmaking gives a season of up to 100–120 days (lifts and slopes). The longest run, Papa, is 3,550 m long.
Ski passes for winter 2026–27 were not published on 24 September 2026: the resort's tariff page showed summer sightseeing tickets only. We will add the ski-pass prices when the resort publishes them, and we recheck this page in December. Ski-pass prices you may find online from earlier seasons are out of date, so we do not repeat them.
The same portal lists Chimgan and Beldersay as ski areas next to Amirsoy. We found no current official tariff, lift status or opening date for either, so a ski trip based there should start with a call to your hotel. Over the New Year holidays the road fills up: on 2 January 2026 the Interior Ministry's road-safety service made the 4R6 Tashkent–Chirchik–Chimgan road one-way from km 57 to km 92 because of holiday traffic (Spot). New Year and winter in the cities are covered in Uzbekistan in winter; for skiing across the border above Almaty, see Shymbulak and Medeu.
06
Can I swim in Charvak, and where?
Yes, from the end of May; the water warms to 23–25 °C in summer, according to an aviasales.uz guide updated 28 May 2026 (aviasales.uz). It names the 800-metre beach at the Piramids resort and the White Sands beach, and points to Brichmulla and Sidjak for wilder, less crowded shores.
The same guide says weekends at Charvak are crowded and suggests going on a weekday. It mentions boat and jet-ski hire and paragliding, and gives no beach prices; we found none either. Minibus 324/325 stops at Piramida and Bochka on the shore, so the lake and the gondola fit into one loop. Why the mountains help in July and August: Uzbekistan in summer.
07
Where to stay, and what does a room cost?
Places to stay here are mostly resort hotels: in Afisha's list, rooms start at about 600,000 som a night in Chimgan and pass 2 million som in the chalets. The table uses Afisha's summer-2026 round-up of resorts in Tashkent region, prices valid on 25 March 2026, per room per night (Afisha). It is a price snapshot for choosing a level, not a ranking or a recommendation.
Resorts also run their own offers. Afisha publishes a winter edition each December; for a ski trip, use that one.
| Resort | Area | Cheapest listed room, weekday | Same room, weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebesa | Chimgan village | 600,000 (standard); 500,000 in a yurt | Not listed separately |
| Heaven's Garden | Oqtosh | 700,000 | 1,100,000 |
| Krokus Park Resort | Charvak shore | 950,000 | 1,330,000 |
| Amirsoy Hills hotel | Amirsoy | 1,200,000 | 1,600,000 |
| Avenue Park Hotel | Yusufkhona | 1,250,000 | 1,350,000 |
| Piramids | Charvak shore | 1,300,000 | 1,700,000 |
| Sherwood Resort | Khodjikent | 1,360,000 | 1,520,000 |
| Archazor | Chimgan village, Charvak shore | 1,400,000 | Not listed separately |
| Balandda Chimgan | Chimgan | 2,000,000 | 3,000,000 |
| Layner | Chimgan village | 2,200,000 | 2,600,000 |
08
Can I hike up Greater Chimgan or into the national park?
You can walk in the Chimgan and Beldersay foothills without a permit. The national tourism portal says no special permit is needed to visit Chimgan, Beldersay, Khodjikent and the Parkent foothills (Uzbekistan Travel).
These places lie in the Ugam-Chatkal national park, set up in 1990 and covering 574,000 hectares of Bostanliq, Parkent and Ohangaron districts. Since 2016 it has been part of the Western Tien Shan World Heritage property (same source). We found no official visitor fee.
Greater Chimgan (3,309 m) is a full mountain day, and we found no official description of the route to the top. We would go with a local mountain guide; our independent or guided comparison helps you decide. Longer treks, such as the Pskem and Ugam valleys, are not covered here.
If you would rather stay near the lifts, Amirsoy's daily post of 24 September 2026 listed a rope park, quad bikes, archery, a roller rink and bike trails among its activities, open 09:00–18:00 that day (resort post).
09
What is it like in each season?
Winter is for skiing, summer for the lake, and spring and autumn for walks and the gondola views without the crowds. The table sets out what each source says, with dates. For the rest of Uzbekistan by season, see when to visit Uzbekistan, spring and autumn.
| Season | What is open | What to expect | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter (late December to mid-March) | Ski runs and gondolas at Amirsoy; ski areas at Chimgan and Beldersay | February is the month for skiing; New Year traffic on the mountain road | Uzbekistan Travel (undated); Amirsoy opening 27 Dec 2025; Spot, 2 Jan 2026 |
| Spring (late March to May) | Gondolas; minibuses 324/325 from 21 March; bus 1226 from 23 March | In March 2026 Amirsoy reported snow at the top and spring at the bottom | Operator post, 20 Mar 2026; Tashtrans; Amirsoy post, 19 Mar 2026 |
| Summer (June to August) | Beaches and water sports at Charvak; summer gondola 08:00–19:00; Amirsoy's pool from 4 June 2026 | Water up to 23–25 °C; crowded weekends; Amirsoy closed on 7–8 June 2026 for maintenance | aviasales.uz, 28 May 2026; Amirsoy posts, May–June 2026 |
| Autumn (September to November) | Both Amirsoy gondolas and summer activities (24 September 2026) | Bus 1226 marked closed; ski passes not yet on sale | Amirsoy post, 24 Sep 2026; Tashtrans, 14 Sep 2026 |
10
What goes wrong?
Most problems come from timing: early last trains, crowds at weekends and holidays, and lifts that stop in bad weather. These are the ones to plan for.
- The last train leaves early. The last express leaves Chinorkent at 14:19 and the last regular train leaves Khodjikent at 16:12 (Tashtrans, September 2026). After that you need a taxi.
- Minibus frequency is disputed. The operator announced a minibus every 15 minutes (March 2026). A traveller wrote in May 2026 that the 324/325 minibuses 'run rarely' and were hard to stop on the way back (eurasia.travel forum). This page follows the operator; to check before you go, call the Toshshahartransxizmat call centre on 1062 from an Uzbek number.
- Bus 1226 is seasonal. Tashtrans marked the Mashinasozlar–Charvak bus as closed in its update of 14 September 2026, so do not plan on it in autumn or winter.
- Weekends and holidays are busy. The aviasales.uz guide suggests weekdays for Charvak; at New Year 2026 the mountain road became one-way to cope with traffic.
- Lifts depend on the weather. Amirsoy and Chinorkent both say their cable cars run only when conditions allow, and Amirsoy closed completely on 7–8 June 2026 for maintenance (resort post).
- Rooms cost resort prices. The cheapest rooms in the table above start at 600,000 som a night, and chalets pass 2 million som.
- Building work on the east shore. The Sea Breeze Uzbekistan project covers about 577 ha between Yakkatut and Boladala, with about 7 km of shoreline, built in phases over 10 years; its first phase was approved on conditions (Gazeta, 24 April 2026).
- What we could not check: the Beldersay and Chimgan lifts, the real minibus interval on a weekday, and any park or beach fee. Nobody from OxusRoad rode the train or the minibus for this page.
11
How can OxusRoad help with Chimgan and Charvak?
We arrange Chimgan, Charvak and Amirsoy days as part of an Uzbekistan trip: a car and driver from Tashkent, a resort booking, or a local mountain guide for a walk. Send your dates, group size, where you stay in Tashkent, and whether you want the gondola, the lake, skiing or a hike.
For the city itself, see our Tashkent guide; for cash, cards and a local SIM for ride-hailing apps, see money and SIM and eSIM.
Common questions
How do I get to the Chimgan mountains from Tashkent?
Take the express electric train from Tashkent South (08:47 or 12:15) to Chinorkent, then minibus 324 to Amirsoy, Beldersay, Chimgan or the Charvak shore. The train costs 30,000 som in cash (29,500 by card) and the minibus 10,000 som (Tashtrans and the operator, 2026).
What time is the last train back to Tashkent?
In the September 2026 timetable, the last express leaves Chinorkent at 14:19 and the last regular train leaves Khodjikent at 16:12. There is no evening train, so after that you need a taxi.
Can I ride the Amirsoy gondola without skiing?
Yes. A sightseeing return on the Amirsoy Express gondola costs 115,000 som on weekdays and 135,000 som at weekends for adults, with tickets sold 09:00–17:00 (resort tariff page, 24 September 2026).
Chimgan or Amirsoy: which should I choose?
Amirsoy has the gondolas, 15 km of runs and a published tariff. Chimgan and Beldersay are villages with hotels and older ski slopes, and we found no current official lift information for them. Minibus 324 links all three, so you can combine stops in one day.
When can I swim in Charvak?
From the end of May. The water warms to 23–25 °C in summer, and weekends are crowded (aviasales.uz guide, updated 28 May 2026).
Do I need a permit to hike near Chimgan?
No special permit is needed for Chimgan, Beldersay, Khodjikent and the Parkent foothills, according to the national tourism portal. We found no official park fee.
Sources and checks
Sources checked on 24 September 2026, Uzbek and local Russian-language sources first: the Tashtrans timetable and fare tables (images of September 2026, transcribed by us), the minibus operator's own announcement, the Amirsoy and Chinorkent tariff pages and the Amirsoy Telegram channel, the national tourism portal, and Uzbek media (Gazeta, Kun.uz, Spot, Podrobno.uz, Afisha). Aviasales.uz and a forum post on eurasia.travel are dated third-party reports. Journey times, the day plan and the season summary are our interpretation of these sources. Not verified: how often minibuses actually run on weekdays, Beldersay and Chimgan lift status, any park or beach fee, and winter 2026–27 ski-pass prices. Nobody from OxusRoad travelled the route for this page.
- Tashtrans: Tashkent suburban train timetable (Russian)
Timetable images marked 09.2026, page updated 8 September 2026: express 7201–7204 Tashkent–Chinorkent and regular trains to Khodjikent. Read 24 September 2026.
- Tashtrans: suburban train fares (Russian)
Fare table marked 09.2026: Chinorkent express 30,000 som cash / 29,500 card; Khodjikent 10,000 / 9,500. Payment to the conductor by ATTO or bank card.
- Toshshahartransxizmat: minibuses 324 and 325 (Uzbek)
Operator's own announcement, 20 March 2026: stops, 10,000 som, cash or card, from 06:00 every 15 minutes, about 40 minutes. Channel lists call centre 1062.
- Kun.uz: new minibuses to Chimgan and Amirsoy (Uzbek)
21 March 2026; repeats the operator's route, fare and interval.
- Podrobno.uz: extra trips to Chimgan and Charvak (Russian)
27 August 2026: 20 minibuses, 06:00–18:30 on ordinary days; holiday service from 05:30 every 10 minutes to about 22:00.
- Gazeta.uz: Chinorkent station opened (Uzbek)
23 January 2025: station opened 22 January on a 1.5 km extension from Khodjikent, near Charvak town.
- Gazeta.uz: Chinorkent express fare rise (Uzbek)
9 September 2025: fare to 30,000 som from 25 September 2025; online tickets at elektropoyezd.uz for the current day only.
- Tashtrans: seasonal bus 1226 (Russian)
Published 23 March 2026, updated 14 September 2026: 25,000 som, about 1 h 30 min, status 'closed'.
- Amirsoy: ski passes and tickets (Russian)
Official tariff page read 24 September 2026: summer sightseeing tickets, parking, lift hours; no winter 2026–27 ski-pass prices shown.
- Amirsoy: lifts and slopes (Russian)
Lift lengths, 15 km of runs, 660 m vertical, top station 2,290 m, snowmaking 100–120 days, weather warning.
- Amirsoy: about the resort (English)
65 km from Tashkent; directions by car and public transport; transfer phone; 38 chalets.
- Amirsoy Resort Telegram channel (Uzbek/Russian)
Official daily posts: gondolas and activities on 24 September 2026; season opening 27 December 2025 (post 3158); June 2026 closure (3873); autumn offer (4197).
- Chinorkent cable car: about and tariffs (Russian)
Operator's site read 24 September 2026: return tickets by age and day, daily 10:00–22:00, weather-dependent.
- Uzbekistan Travel: sports tourism (Uzbek)
National tourism portal: Greater Chimgan 3,309 m; ski season late December to mid-March, February the month for skiing. Undated.
- Uzbekistan Travel: Ugam-Chatkal national park (Uzbek)
Founded 1990, 574,000 ha, World Heritage 2016; no special permit needed for Chimgan, Beldersay, Khodjikent and Parkent foothills.
- Afisha: summer 2026 resorts in Tashkent region (Uzbek)
Third-party price round-up, valid 25 March 2026, per room per night. Not a recommendation.
- Aviasales.uz: where to swim in Uzbekistan (Russian)
Updated 28 May 2026: Charvak season, water temperature, named beaches, 1.5–2 hours from Tashkent.
- Gazeta.uz: Sea Breeze Uzbekistan on Charvak (Uzbek)
24 April 2026: about 577 ha on the east shore, 10-year phased build, first phase approved on conditions.
- Spot.uz: one-way traffic on the Chimgan road (Uzbek)
2 January 2026, citing the Interior Ministry's road-safety service: 4R6 road one-way from km 57 to km 92 over the New Year holidays.
- Eurasia.travel forum: getting to Amirsoy on your own (Russian)
Dated traveller report, 2 May 2026: minibuses 'run rarely', taxi Amirsoy–Gazalkent 50,000 som, Khodjikent station to the Chinorkent cable car about 15 minutes on foot.