Where to stay in Khujand — pick the right hotel, book in 3 clicks

Local dishes to try in Khujand

1. 1🍚

   Plov / Osh

   Tajik-style rice cooked with carrots, onions, lamb and spices in a huge cauldron, served at feasts and everyday meals alike. Khujand even has a distinctive version made with quail meat.

   📍 National dish
2. 2🥗

   Qurutob

   Another national dish: torn flatbread soaked in a creamy white sauce made from dissolved dried salty cheese (qurut), topped with onions, tomatoes, cucumber and fresh herbs. Refreshing and satisfying even without meat.

   📍 Must-try
3. 3🍢

   Shashlik / Kabob

   Skewers of lamb or beef grilled over hot coals, smoky and spiced, served with non bread and pickled onions. A street-food favourite all over the city.

   📍 Charcoal-grilled
4. 4🍜

   Laghman

   Hand-pulled noodles served in a fragrant broth with vegetables and meat, available both in soup and stir-fried forms. Hearty and warming, found in any local eatery.

   📍 Hand-pulled noodles
5. 5🥟

   Manti & Samsa

   Manti are big steamed dumplings filled with lamb and onion, while samsa are triangular pastries baked crisp in a tandir oven. Both make excellent snacks on the go.

   📍 Stuffed dough
6. 6🥣

   Javari Soup

   A local soup made from a special pulse found only in this region, a dish unique to Khujand and hard to find elsewhere. Worth seeking out in a traditional restaurant.

   📍 Khujand specialty

1. 1🛍️

   Panjshanbe Bazaar

   The largest covered market in Central Asia, housed in a 1964 pink building blending Soviet grandeur and Islamic detail. Its name means "Thursday Market." Inside you'll find fruit, fresh non bread, spices, dried apricots and walnuts, and everyday Khujand life in full swing.

   📍 Legendary market
2. 2🕌

   Sheikh Muslihiddin Mausoleum

   A mosque-and-mausoleum complex in the old town, facing the Panjshanbe Bazaar. Built over the grave of a 12th-century poet and ruler, it features a 20-metre minaret and beautiful carved woodwork.

   📍 Ancient architecture
3. 3🏰

   Khujand Fortress & Sughd Museum

   An ancient citadel above the Syr Darya, its eastern wall rebuilt in 1999. Inside, the Historical Museum of Sughd holds over 28,000 exhibits tracing the city's 2,500-year story from the Persian era onward.

   📍 History by the river
4. 4🚡

   Syr Darya Cable Car

   An aerial cable car gliding about 35 metres above the Syr Darya, linking Somoni Park with Kamoli Khujandi Park. The river and city views are gorgeous, especially at sunset.

   📍 Romantic views
5. 5🌳

   Kamoli Khujandi Park

   A shady riverside park with fountains and a finely decorated mausoleum and statue of the poet Kamol Khujandi. A relaxed spot to sit, read and watch local life unfold.

   📍 Central green space
6. 6🌊

   Kayrakkum Reservoir (Tajik Sea)

   A vast reservoir over 55 km long, about 20 km from the city, nicknamed the "Tajik Sea" since the country is landlocked. Its beaches are open from May to September, with minibuses to Guliston town taking just 20-25 minutes.

   📍 Summer escape
7. 7🗿

   Lenin Statue & Victory Park

   A 24-metre Lenin statue believed to be the tallest in Central Asia. Once standing downtown when the city was called Leninabad, it was moved to Victory Park on the left bank in 2011, a fascinating photo stop.

   📍 Soviet legacy
8. 8🏛️

   Arbob Palace

   A 1950s palace and garden modeled on the winter gardens of Peterhof in St Petersburg, once the headquarters of a Soviet collective farm. Just outside the city, it's lovely for a stroll and photos.

   📍 Soviet-era gardens