Two categories of goods have different rules.
Fixed-price goods (don't haggle): - Fresh produce, meat, dairy — the prices per kilo are established daily and displayed on chalk boards. - Bread (non) — a fair price is well-known locally. - Tea and dry goods sold from open sacks. - Restaurant meals and chaikhana orders.
Negotiable goods (haggling expected): - Ceramics, textiles, suzani, ikat, carpets. - Silverwork, miniature paintings, painted wood. - Karakul hats, silk scarves. - Tourist souvenirs at Bukhara trading domes, Khiva Ichan Kala, Registan shops.
Bargaining flow: 1. Ask the price. If it's the first thing you've asked about, expect a tourist-inflated quote 2–3× locals' price. 2. Counter with 40–50% of that number. The seller looks pained. 3. Meet somewhere around 60–75% of the original ask. Both parties should feel it was a real negotiation. 4. Walking away is a normal move; you'll often be called back with a lower number.
Etiquette: - Smile, laugh, take your time. Uzbek bargaining is genuinely social. - If you name a price and the seller accepts, honour it — don't back out. - Cash (Uzbek som) is preferred; card is accepted at larger stalls but the exchange rate on card is often worse than cash. - Tea may be offered. Accept even if you don't intend to buy — refusing outright is rude.
Uzbekistan in photos
A short visual companion to this entry — photographs from our Uzbekistan travel archive.
Related entries
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Suzani embroidery: buying the real thing
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