Solar Sun Institute day trip from Tashkent with wine tasting

Stand inside a working solar furnace and taste seven wines in the Tien Shan foothills

A private day trip from Tashkent to the Solar Sun Institute in Parkent combines a working heliocomplex, one of only two globally, with wine tasting, a pine forest hike, and a walk through a traditional mountain village. You choose the pickup time and can swap or skip sites based on your preferences. The tour runs six hours with a live English-speaking guide and includes door-to-door transport within 10 km of Tashkent. Entry fees and wine tastings are paid separately.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Solar Institute and Nature

• Visit Solar Furnace Sun Institute
• Explore heliostat field and concentrator tower
• Tour Solar Energy Museum
• Relax at traditional Choyxona tea house
• Enjoy kabab, patir bread, and cherry juice
• Hike through dense pine forest
• See Chashma waterfall and Singing Cave
• Walk through Suqoq village

The experience

You'll start at the Solar Furnace Institute, where thousands of heliostats track the sun and concentrate its rays into a central tower. The scale of the installation is the draw here. It's one of only two of its kind in the world. You can climb the concentrator tower (note: the elevator is out of order as of May 2025, so it's stairs) to see panoramic views across the Parkent Valley and the Tien Shan Mountains, or walk the heliostat field to photograph the mirror arrays. The Solar Energy Museum rounds out the science side of the morning.

After the institute, you'll stop at a traditional choyxona (tea house) in the foothills, where you sit on low cushioned platforms or at tables and eat kabab with homemade patir bread and cherry juice while listening to a nearby waterfall. Then comes a hike through the only dense pine forest in the region, a shaded stretch at the base of the Chatkal range where you'll see the seasonal Chashma waterfall and pass through Suqoq village, a tiered settlement of mud-brick houses built into the mountainside. The "Singing Cave" is another stop on the route if you want to explore it.

Wine tasting happens at the facility. You'll sample seven types and can buy bottles to take home. If you're interested, the operator can arrange a deeper wine production tour led by experts. Because this is a fully private tour, you pick the start time that works for your morning, and you can ask to skip any site or swap in something else based on what appeals to you. Transport is door-to-door from any hotel or the airport within the 10 km Tashkent pickup zone, and your guide drives.

What’s included

• Private door-to-door transport from your hotel or airport within 10 km of Tashkent.
• a live English-speaking guide who drives.
• access to the Solar Sun Institute, the tea house stop with kabab and homemade juice, the pine forest hike, and Suqoq village walk.
• and wine tasting at the facility.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day7 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 14:00

AgesAdult (12 to 70 years) · Under 12: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 35

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Tashkent tour guide with car

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want a full morning or afternoon away from the city and have moderate fitness for hiking mountain terrain. The private format means you set the start time and can reshape the day around what interests you most, whether that's lingering at the solar furnace, skipping the forest hike, or adding the wine production tour. Minimum age is 12.

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Top questions

What is the Solar Sun Institute and what will I actually see there?

The Solar Sun Institute in Parkent is a working heliocomplex (one of only two in the world) that uses thousands of heliostats (large mirrors) to concentrate the sun's heat into a central tower. You'll walk the heliostat field to see the mirrors in action, climb the concentrator tower for views of the Parkent Valley and Tien Shan Mountains (via stairs, as the elevator is currently out of order), and visit the Solar Energy Museum on the grounds.

How difficult is the hike through the pine forest and mountain village?

The hike is moderate in difficulty and takes you through a dense pine forest at the foothills of the Chatkal range, where you'll see the seasonal Chashma waterfall and walk through the tiered mud-brick streets of Suqoq village. The terrain is uneven mountain ground, and the tour requires at least moderate physical fitness. It's not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnant travelers.

Can I choose which sites to visit, or is the itinerary fixed?

The itinerary is entirely flexible. Because this is a private tour, you can skip any site, exchange stops for others, or adjust the day based on your interests and comfort. Your preferences drive the route.

What time does the tour start, and how long does it take?

You choose the pickup time that fits your morning routine. There's no fixed departure. The tour runs six hours total, and your guide will pick you up from any hotel or the airport within 10 km of Tashkent and return you the same way.

What's included in the wine tasting, and can I buy bottles to take home?

You'll taste seven types of wine at the facility. If you like any of them, you can purchase bottles to take with you. If you want a deeper dive, the operator can also arrange a wine production tour led by experts, though that would be an additional arrangement.