The Best Vegan Friendly Hotels in Samarkand
I don’t know about you, but when breakfast is an apple and some dry bread, it’s not my idea of a good morning. Travelling in Uzbekistan as a vegan isn’t easy, and it’s very common to see a hotel list “vegan options” on their booking page, only to get down to breakfast and find your choices are the aforementioned dry bread or black coffee.
My posts on vegan-friendly ryokans in Hakone and Kinosaki are some of the most popular with fellow travellers, so I decided to start researching similar for stays in Uzbekistan. In this post, you’ll find verified vegan friendly hotels in Samarkand to make sure each day spent exploring the Registan or marvelling over the Shah-i-Zinda starts you off with a good meal.
If you’re in the middle of planning your Uzbekistan adventure, I’ve written a separate 10 days in Uzbekistan itinerary that you may find helpful.
Note: I’ll be updating this list as I come across more vegan friendly hotels in Samarkand, so be sure to bookmark it!
My Criteria for this List
Like with the posts I’ve done on vegan-friendly ryokans in Hakone and Kinosaki, I’ve spoken directly to each establishment on this list – and believe me, it was far harder getting this list together.
A lot of business in Uzbekistan is done via Telegram or WhatsApp rather than email, and I can’t tell you how many times my Telegram account got flagged for spam. Apparently sending messages in Russian to Uzbek numbers from a London-based account is “dodgy”, go figure.
For each hotel I spoke to, my messages were along the same lines:
- Do you offer filling, hot breakfast options for vegan travellers?
- Do you offer protein-rich items such as chickpeas, mung beans, lentil soup, or vegetable samsa?
As far as I’m concerned, if your only options are melon and bread, the hotel’s not making the list. If the hotel has said yes, they can offer filling vegan options, you’ll see it here. I prioritised hotels that already claimed to have vegan food or had good reviews from other travellers, but then checked directly for myself.
A note on vegan friendly stays in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan prides itself on its hospitality, and for good reason. Many of the hotels you’ll see on this list are smaller, family run places, so they may cater to the individual guest rather than having a set menu each day.
While I’ve done my best to find us all the best vegan friendly hotels in Samarkand, menus can change, so drop the hotel a message ahead of time to let them know you’re a vegan traveller.
Some of these properties are smaller properties, so if you see your dates available, grab them while you can.
Vegan Friendly Hotels in Samarkand: The Top List
The Loft Guesthouse
If you’re looking for a place that gives you a real homestay vibe, yet is still modern and stylish, The Loft Gueshouse is a solid contender.
They’ve got excellent reviews, and rooms often come in under £50 a night. There’s a garden and outdoor seating area, and you can be at Registan in 8 minutes in a Yandex cab.
What’s the story for vegans?
When I spoke to the owners, they were super warm and honest. Rather than having a set vegan menu, they adopt the typical Uzbek hospitality of “tell us what you need and we’ll make it happen”.
Laziza, one of the family members who runs the loft told me that for previous vegan guests, they’ve made:
- Bichak: These are traditional baked turnovers. Basically the Uzbek version of a Greggs savoury pastry, usually stuffed with pumpkin or fresh greens.
- Pumpkin Manti: Large, steamed dumplings.
- They also mentioned lentil stew, hummus, and legumes and peas.
- They’ve also got the usual high quality dried fruits and nuts, which are a staple of any Uzbek table
Since the Loft’s style is to adapt to each guest, give them a heads up close to your check in date that you’re vegan. They told me they prefer to speak to their guests directly about their preferences, so if you give them a little notice, you’ll likely end up with a breakfast that’s better than most of the hotels in the city.
Check your dates for the Loft Guesthouse here.
Green House Eco Hotel
If you don’t mind being a little further out from the blue-domed centre of Samarkand, the Green House Eco Hotel will give you a real sense of Uzbek hospitality. It’s a small, family run guesthouse with a beautiful garden and even a pool.
When I spoke to the owner of Green House Eco Hotel, they told me that they don’t have a professional photoshoot of their vegan spreads, but they do have a story: An 83-year old vegetarian woman staying at another hotel heard about their cooking and came over as a guest specifically to be fed. They sent me a photo of her, which I’m obviously not going to add in here without her consent, but it looks like they took very good care of her, serving her a beautiful meal in the garden.
The kitchen here focuses on vegetable heavy dishes, and they’ve got the protein we’re looking for. The owner said they usually cook dishes with beans, peas, chickpeas and rice. Like most smaller inns in Uzbekistan, they don’t have a buffet or set menu waiting for you, but they cook dinner and breakfast upon request.
This is a great option if you’re at the end of the trip or travelling onwards afterwards and want to be close to the airport, or you want a chill, quiet stay away from the central tourist strip.
A note on booking: Green House Eco Hotel seem to operate in “booking windows”, which means that they’ll typically only open the books about 6-8 weeks in advance. This is pretty normal in some smaller run places, so don’t panic if you don’t see any availability for a trip 6 months out. You can check your dates here, or bookmark it and set a reminder to come back closer to the time.
Zarafshon Parkside
The Zarafshon Parkside is a gear shift from some of the other options on this list. It’s a 5 star hotel, and while prices are still a fraction of what you’d pay for the same in London, they are naturally higher than the family run guesthouses.
Because it’s a 5 star hotel, you can expect some of the usual amenities like a fitness room, sauna, pool, and a garden.
What’s the story for vegans?
When I spoke to the Zarafshon Parkside, they explicitly mentioned dishes based on legumes (look for nokhat, chickpeas, or lentil-based options). This is a great sign that they understand that a vegan meal should be filling and satisfying, which is why it earns a place on the list of vegan friendly hotels in Samarkand.
While vegan options can often change base on what’s available to the chef, the Zarafshon Parkside said “we always strive to accommodate our guests’ dietary preferences”, and they have a dedicated culinary staff onsite who are well used to cooking for vegan travellers.
You can check availability and book here.
Royal Lux Guesthouse
A lot of the best experiences in Uzbekistan are the ones you didn’t plan and Royal Lux is very much that kind of place when it comes to vegan food. Like some of the other spots on this list, they don’t have a set menu, but they do have a chef who’s willing to get creative.
When I spoke to their owners, they told me that the chef cooks something different every day, adapting to each guest’s needs. The reviews for Royal Lux back this up, with travellers praising the custom, home-cooked vegan breakfasts, and even one couple who brought their own almond milk which the chef happily used in some egg-free pancakes.
Royal Lux is also very affordable, with prices around £35 a night, despite its central location.
Check availability for your dates and book here.
Tips for Booking a Vegan Hotel Stay in Uzbekistan
Because many of the more adaptable, vegan friendly hotels in Samarkand are smaller, family run guesthouses, your breakfast becomes a bit more “choose your own adventure”. This is a country that’s dominated by meat, and even though tourism in Central Asia is booming, veganism just isn’t that widespread (yet!).
Where Uzbekistan has an edge, however, is the hospitality of its people. When you choose a smaller, family run place, you’re much more likely to find a culinary staff who will go out of their way to make you something that leaves you fed, full, and happy.
To make it easier, coming with a list of suggestions will help get a good meal on your table. Some easily veganisable local options are:
- Lentil stew
- Stewed chickpeas
- Manti or Samsa dumplings with pumpkin filling
- Vegan pancakes
- Vegan plov
- Potato based dishes
- Rice, peas, and mixed vegetables
Also, remember to ask for stews or soups to be made without bone broth, and double check that they haven’t made fried dishes with mutton or oxtail fat. Both of these are common “hidden” ingredients.
I’ve listed more tips for travelling in Uzbekistan as a vegan here, and I’ve got all my best general vegan travel tips in my vegan travel hacks post.
And, if you’re staying in Samarkand for a couple of days, why not check out my 2-day Samarkand itinerary post, or my 10 days in Uzbekistan itinerary to help plan your entire adventure.
