One eSIM for the Silk Road: which plans really cover Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

Part of our Uzbekistan eSIM guide: all articles and key facts →

An eSIM for Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan can be one regional plan or one plan per country, and on the Silk Road the regional option is unusually good value. The catch is coverage: many "Asia" plans skip Central Asia, and few include Tajikistan. We read the plans of Yesim, Holafly, Airalo and others on 20 October 2026 to see which ones really cover each country and what each itinerary costs.

Is one eSIM enough for Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan?

Yes: Yesim's Central Asia plan covers all three countries for the same price as its Uzbekistan plan, so one eSIM is the cheaper choice for most Silk Road trips. On 20 October 2026, Yesim sold 7 days of unlimited data across the region for €24.50 and 10 GB valid 30 days for €16, exactly what it charged for Uzbekistan alone.

Two situations change the answer:

• Your trip includes Tajikistan (Dushanbe, the Fann Mountains or the Pamir Highway): Yesim's Central Asia plan does not cover it. You need a separate Tajikistan plan or a global plan.
• You spend most of the trip in Kazakhstan: Yesim's Kazakhstan-only plans cost less than the regional plan (€21 against €24.50 for 7 days), so a single-country plan wins if Kazakhstan is the only stop.

For prices and networks in Uzbekistan alone, see our comparison of the best eSIMs for Uzbekistan.

Which eSIM plans really cover all three countries?

Of the big brands, only Yesim's Central Asia plan, Ubigi's Asia zone and a handful of global plans cover Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan together. The comparison database esimdb listed 12,872 plans covering Uzbekistan on 20 October 2026. Of these, 8,048 plans from 178 providers also appeared in the lists for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and only 2,826 from 115 providers in the list for Tajikistan as well. Most of them come from small brands we did not verify.

We checked the coverage of the main brands on their own pages:

Yesim's Central Asia page describes "a single eSIM for multi-destination travel with automatic country-to-country switching". Its unlimited plans cover six countries: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Georgia and Russia; its fixed plans add Belarus. Holafly's regional Asia plan and Airalo's Asia plan list none of the four Central Asian countries, so check the country list before you buy a plan with "Asia" in its name.

Ubigi's regional Asia zone lists all four countries, but we could not read Ubigi's prices on its own page in English, so we leave them out of the price comparison.

Maya Mobile sells one global unlimited plan, for "165+ countries", on its Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan pages, and the plan data on those pages lists a network in all four: Beeline in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Beeline and Uztelecom in Uzbekistan, and MegaFon in Tajikistan. Its full speed is limited to 5 GB a day, then 3 Mbps.

How much does one plan cost against two or three?

On the two multi-country itineraries we priced, Yesim's Central Asia plan cost €8 to €31 less than any combination of country plans. All prices are unlimited data plans read on the providers' pages on 20 October 2026, in euros.

Airalo's country plans land in between: €32.50 for 10 days in Uzbekistan plus €18.50 for 5 days in Kyrgyzstan makes €51. Holafly Global costs €89.90 for 15 days and €105.50 for 21 days, about 2.3 times the regional plan, so it only makes sense when Tajikistan or other countries outside Yesim's list are on the route.

Maya Mobile's global plan costs less on paper for unlimited data: USD 19.99 for 7 days, USD 27.99 for 14 days and USD 49.99 for 30 days (€16.99, €23.79 and €42.49 in the euro prices of its page data), against €24.50 for 7 days, €39 for 15 days and €57 for 30 days with Yesim's Central Asia plan. Its full speed stops at 5 GB a day, and it sells no 15- or 21-day package: its 30-day package costs more than Yesim's 15 days (€39) but less than Yesim's 21 days (€46.20). Each package is a one-time purchase, renewed only if you turn on Auto Top-Up.

The saving comes from Yesim's pricing by length: its daily rate falls as the plan gets longer, so one 21-day plan costs much less than three 7-day plans. Fixed plans follow the same logic. Yesim's Central Asia plan sells 5 GB for €9.60 and 10 GB for €16, both valid 30 days, the same as its Uzbekistan plan; 20 GB costs €23.30, against €22 for Uzbekistan alone.

How much data do you need, and is a fixed plan cheaper?

For maps, messaging and occasional photo uploads, a fixed regional plan of 5 to 10 GB costs far less than unlimited data, and Yesim's fixed Central Asia plans cost the same as its Uzbekistan ones. Fixed plans are where buying country by country hurts most, because each country plan comes with its own minimum allowance.

Buying 10 GB in each country from Airalo would cost €71.50, and from Yesim €46, against €16 for one Yesim Central Asia plan shared across the three. Smaller allowances follow the same pattern: Yesim's regional plan sells 3 GB for €7 and 5 GB for €9.60, both valid 30 days.

A fixed plan also avoids the question of fair use. Yesim's FAQ says that on unlimited plans "after reaching a certain amount of provided data some speed reduction might be applied", without giving the amount; a fixed plan states its allowance up front.

What if Kazakhstan is the main stop?

Then Yesim's Kazakhstan-only plan is cheaper than its regional plan. On 20 October 2026, Yesim's Kazakhstan page sold unlimited data for €21 for 7 days, €26.10 for 10 days, €34.60 for 15 days and €47 for 30 days, against €24.50, €29.94, €39 and €57 for the Central Asia plan. Its Kazakhstan fixed plans were also cheaper: 5 GB for €8.50 and 10 GB for €14, valid 30 days.

Airalo's Kazakhstan plan sold unlimited data at 3 GB a day, then 1 Mbps, for €24.50 for 7 days and €66.50 for 30 days, and Holafly sold 7 days for €25.50 and 30 days for €68.90. The regional plan only pays off once you add days in Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan: with even 5 days in Kyrgyzstan on top of 10 in Kazakhstan, one 15-day Central Asia plan (€39) costs less than Yesim's 10-day Kazakhstan plan plus its 5-day Kyrgyzstan plan (€26.10 + €17.50 = €43.60).

Where do the sellers warn about weak coverage?

In the mountains and the steppe, in all three countries, according to the sellers themselves. Holafly's country pages each list the places where it says coverage may be weaker, more limited or unstable:

• Uzbekistan: "certain parts of the Kyzylkum Desert, the Ustyurt Plateau, the Nuratau Mountains, and the more isolated areas near the Aral Sea".
• Kazakhstan: parts "of the Altai Mountains, Charyn Canyon, the Mangystau region and along long routes through the inland steppe".
• Kyrgyzstan: parts of "the Tian Shan Mountains, around Song-Kul Lake, along the Ala-Kul hiking routes and at other inland mountain passes".

These are the seller's own warnings, not measurements, and they apply to any eSIM using the same local networks. Treks such as Ala-Kul or a night at Song-Kul are the places to rely on offline maps and to tell someone your route.

Which networks do the plans use in each country?

Yesim's Central Asia plan uses Beeline in all three countries, while country plans from other brands sometimes put you on a different network. Beeline is the brand of the VEON group in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan; in Kyrgyzstan it is used by Sky Mobile, which VEON sold to the state-owned Eldik Bank in August 2025.

• Uzbekistan: Yesim, Holafly and aloSIM name Beeline; Airalo names Unitel, the company behind Beeline; Nomad uses UzMobile.
• Kazakhstan: Yesim names Beeline; Holafly names "Tele2 Kazakhstan / Beeline Kazakhstan"; Airalo says its plan "operates on the KCEL and Tele2 networks", Kcell being the mobile operator that belongs to Kazakhtelecom; aloSIM names Beeline and Tele2.
• Kyrgyzstan: Yesim, Holafly, Airalo and aloSIM all name Beeline.
• Tajikistan: Holafly names "TACOM (VimpelCom)" and Airalo "Tacom LLC(ZET Mobile)".

On a single Beeline plan, the eSIM switches to the local Beeline network as you cross a border, provided data roaming stays on. If you already have a country plan for one stop, you can keep both eSIMs on the phone and choose which one carries data; our guide to running two travel eSIMs at the same time shows how.

What if your route includes Tajikistan or the Pamir?

Then no regional plan from Yesim or Airalo works, and you choose between a separate Tajikistan plan and a plan that covers all four countries, such as Holafly Global or Maya Mobile's global plan. Tajikistan plans are scarce and expensive. On 20 October 2026, Holafly's Tajikistan page sold only seven lengths, from €24.90 for one day to €60.90 for 7 days and €270.50 for 30 days. Airalo sold fixed plans only, such as 3 GB for 7 days at €17.50 and 5 GB for 30 days at €29.50.

Two combinations stand out:

• Light data in Tajikistan: a Yesim Central Asia plan for Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan plus Airalo's 3 GB Tajikistan plan (€17.50 for 7 days); for a trip of a week or less, Maya Mobile's 7-day global package (USD 19.99, or €16.99) covers all four countries on its own, with 5 GB a day at full speed.
• Unlimited data everywhere: Holafly Global costs €84.50 for 14 days, less than Holafly's 7-day Uzbekistan plan (€25.90) plus its 7-day Tajikistan plan (€60.90), which add up to €86.80; Maya Mobile's global plan costs USD 27.99 (€23.79) for 14 days, with full speed limited to 5 GB a day, then 3 Mbps.

Holafly warns that coverage may be limited on "sections of the Pamir Highway, in the Fann Mountains, the Wakhan Corridor, and routes near the Seven Lakes". Plan offline maps for those stretches whatever eSIM you carry.

When is a global plan worth it?

A global plan is worth it when your route goes beyond the countries of one regional plan, or when you want a single eSIM for a longer journey. Holafly Global includes 142 countries, among them all four Central Asian countries, with unlimited data from €42.50 for 7 days to €149.90 for 30 days. Maya Mobile's global plan, for 165+ countries, also covers all four, from USD 9.99 for 3 days to USD 49.99 for 30 days (€8.49 to €42.49 in its page data), with full speed limited to 5 GB a day; each package is a one-time purchase, renewed only if you turn on Auto Top-Up. Holafly tells buyers to "check that every destination on your itinerary is included in the plan".

Airalo's Discover plan, which lists 168 countries, includes Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan but not Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan, according to the country list Airalo publishes for the plan. Its fixed plans start at €8 for 1 GB over 7 days and €22.50 for 3 GB over 30 days. That suits a trip limited to Tashkent and Almaty, not the full loop through Bishkek.

For a Silk Road trip that continues west to Georgia or Armenia, note that Yesim's Central Asia plan also covers those two countries, so one plan can serve a Caucasus and Central Asia combination.

Pros and cons of the main options

Yesim Central Asia

• Pros: covers Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan (plus Armenia, Georgia and Russia) at the price of a single-country plan; every length from 1 to 30 days; validity starts on connection.
• Cons: no Tajikistan or Turkmenistan; no published daily full-speed figure for unlimited plans; hotspot "depends on operator"; Beeline only in Central Asia.

Holafly Global

• Pros: covers all four countries, including Tajikistan; any length up to 90 days; the simplest choice for a long overland journey.
• Cons: 1.7 to 2.6 times the price of Yesim's regional plan for the same days (7 to 30 days); unlimited only.

Maya Mobile global plan

• Pros: covers all four countries, including Tajikistan; the lowest unlimited prices in this article for 7, 14 and 30 days; one-time packages, with no recurring charge unless you turn on Auto Top-Up.
• Cons: full speed limited to 5 GB a day, then 3 Mbps, although its headline promises "no caps, no throttling"; packages of 3, 7, 14 and 30 days only, none longer than 30 days.

Country plans (Airalo, Holafly, Yesim)

• Pros: the choice of network per country (for example Kcell and Tele2 with Airalo in Kazakhstan); Airalo publishes its 3 GB daily full-speed rule.
• Cons: more expensive than one regional plan on every multi-country itinerary we priced; several QR codes to install.

What should you check before crossing borders?

Keep data roaming on for the eSIM line, install every plan before you leave home, and do not rely on a local SIM bought in one country working in the next. A travel eSIM connects in roaming, so the switch between countries is automatic on a regional plan. Local SIM cards are different: Beeline Uzbekistan's Hello plan for visitors "is valid only on the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan and is not valid in international roaming", according to its plan page.

Uzbekistan's phone registration rules also favour the eSIM. UZIMEI, the national IMEI system, lists a fee of 0 UZS for non-residents who use a foreign SIM in roaming on its fees page, while a local SIM triggers registration and a fee. Our guide to local SIM cards in Uzbekistan covers those rules in detail.

Before you fly, check three things on the phone:

• eSIM support: find your model on our list of eSIM-compatible phones, for example the iPhone 16 range or Google Pixel phones.
• Unlocked: read do you need an unlocked phone for a travel eSIM.
• Installation and fixes: our Android activation guide, fixes for an eSIM stuck on activating and 10 fixes for a travel eSIM not working abroad.

How we compared

We read the Central Asia, global and country pages of Yesim, Holafly and Airalo, the Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan pages of aloSIM and Nomad, and Maya Mobile's pages for the four countries, on 20 October 2026, and recorded prices, lengths, networks and the list of countries each plan covers. We counted plans that cover several countries with the esimdb database, by matching the same plan across its Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan lists.

Itinerary totals add the prices of the plans named in each row; they assume unlimited data and no top-up. We did not buy the plans or test them at the borders. Prices change often, so check the provider's page before you buy. For another two-country comparison, see our guide to one eSIM or two for Egypt and Jordan.