Samarkand at a glance
Samarkand (or Samarqand) is one of the oldest cities on Earth and the highlight of most trips to Uzbekistan. It was a centre of trade in the middle of the Great Silk Road, and in the Middle Ages its science, especially medicine and astronomy, was ahead of the rest of the world. Samarkand is also known as the capital of Tamerlane (Amir Timur), the Uzbek national hero who in the late 14th century conquered lands that now belong to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, parts of Russia, Kazakhstan, China and India. His name can still be seen all around Uzbekistan on streets, squares, avenues and parks.
The Registan, Shah-i-Zinda and Gur-e-Amir are among the finest Islamic buildings anywhere, and together with the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the Ulugbek Observatory and the ruins of Afrasiab they make Samarkand worth at least two days. The city has about 600,000 inhabitants (over a million in the wider urban area), so it feels much calmer than Tashkent. Unlike in Bukhara, the historic monuments are spread around the modern city rather than forming one old town.
- Time needed: 2 days is ideal; one day is possible but busy. A third day adds Shahrisabz or the Seven Lakes of Tajikistan.
- Getting there: the Afrosiyob fast train takes about 2 hours 15–30 minutes from Tashkent and about 1 hour 45 minutes from Bukhara. Seats sell out, so book as soon as sales open.
- Tickets: there is no combined ticket; you pay at each monument.
- Best time: April–May and September–October. June–August reaches 35–40 °C.
- Dress: cover shoulders and knees at religious sites; women should carry a headscarf.
Samarkand tours
Samarkand is the highlight of most Uzbekistan trips, and all the tours below include it. On our Classic Uzbekistan Tour you spend a full day in Samarkand: the Registan, Gur-e-Amir, Bibi-Khanym, Shah-i-Zinda and the Ulugbek Observatory, then dinner with a manti cooking class in a family home. The next day goes to Shahrisabz.
Classic Uzbekistan Tour
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Uzbekistan Group Tour – Tamerlane’s Empire
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How many days in Samarkand? One- and two-day plans
- One day: Gur-e-Amir in the morning, the Registan, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque and the Siyob Bazaar, Shah-i-Zinda in the afternoon, then back to the Registan for the evening lights.
- Two days: add the Ulugbek Observatory, the Afrasiab museum and ancient city, and the paper workshop at Konigil, with an evening wine tasting.
- Three days: add a day trip to Shahrisabz, Amir Timur’s birthplace, or across the border to the Seven Lakes of Tajikistan.
From Samarkand, our Seven Lakes day tour crosses into Tajikistan’s Fann Mountains.
Ticket prices and opening hours (2026)
| Sight | Hours | Ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Registan | 7:00–24:00 (Feb–Nov), 8:00–20:00 in winter | 100,000 som |
| Gur-e-Amir | from about 8:00, open until about 23:00 | 75,000 som |
| Shah-i-Zinda | from 7:00, about 19:00, longer in summer | about 80,000 som |
| Ulugbek Observatory | daytime, open until about 23:00 in season | 75,000 som |
Prices are for foreign visitors (half price for under-18s at the Registan). The Registan ticket is valid for one entry only, so come in the late afternoon and stay for the evening lights. On our tours all entry fees are included.
Samarkand at night
The Registan is lit every evening, and from late February to November a short light-and-sound show runs daily at about 20:00–21:00. You can watch it for free from the steps and benches outside the ticketed square. Since September 2026 the Registan and the Siyob Bazaar stay open until midnight, and Gur-e-Amir, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the Ulugbek Observatory and the Afrasiab Museum until about 23:00 – after 21:00–22:00 the tour groups have gone. The Eternal City at the Silk Road Samarkand complex, a recreated old town with craft workshops, restaurants and street shows, is open until 22:00 (23:00 at weekends).
Hands-on Samarkand
Watch paper being made from mulberry bark at the Meros paper mill in Konigil, founded in 1996 by the Mukhtarov brothers, see silk carpets knotted with natural dyes at the Hudjum carpet workshop, and taste local wine: Samarkand has had a winery since 1868. Wine tasting can be added to our Classic Uzbekistan Tour.
Where to stay in Samarkand
Stay near the Registan or between the Registan and the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, so you can walk to the main sights and back to the evening lights. Family-run guesthouses and boutique hotels in this area are good value; the large hotels of the Silk Road Samarkand complex are about a 10-minute drive from the centre.
Practical tips
- Minarets: the minarets of the Registan are officially closed. Guards sometimes offer an unofficial paid climb; it is best to say no.
- Taxis: use the Yandex Go app to avoid paying double fares.
- Cash: small shops and some ticket desks only take cash, and card terminals can be down.
- Imam al-Bukhari complex: the shrine 25 km from Samarkand charges entry since May 2026.
Samarkand Table of Contents
History of Samarkand
Samarkand is one of the oldest cities of Central Asia. The Afrasiab settlement dates from the 8th–7th century BC, and Uzbekistan celebrated the city’s 2,750th anniversary in 2007; in 2025, based on excavations at Afrasiab and Koktepa, its age was officially revised to at least 3,000 years. Thanks to its location between India, China and Persia, Samarkand was one of the main points on the trading routes, including the Silk Road, for 20 centuries and a cradle of science in the Middle Ages. In the beginning of its recorded history it was part of the Sogdian civilization that prospered in many parts of Central Asia. In 329 BC it was conquered by Alexander the Great, who knew it as Maracanda.
From 875 to 999 the city was one of the largest political and cultural centres of the Samanid Empire, and for 17 years it was even the capital of this state. Like almost everything in Central Asia, it was destroyed by the Mongols led by Genghis Khan. Tamerlane revived the city, and thanks to him Samarkand grew and became a capital again.
Tamerlane’s grandson, Ulugbek, continued the work of his grandfather and developed the city further by building a large number of madrasas and other buildings. At this time Samarkand became the scientific center of the east. The architectural masterpieces erected during the time of Tamerlane have mostly survived to this day in very good condition. Later, Samarkand was part of the Bukhara Khanate and also ruled under the Bukharan emirs. Samarkand also played an important historical role during the time of the Uzbek SSR as it was the main city of the Soviet state from 1925 to 1930.
Must See Sights in Samarkand
During the almost three thousand years of Samarkand’s existence, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane have visited it. Tamerlane made Samarkand the capital of his empire and built palaces and mosques of indescribable beauty in it. These architectural ensembles are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and it is quite possible to see most of them even during a short weekend visit.
Samarkand Registan
Registan was the main trading square of ancient Samarkand and still holds its grandeur in the very central location of modern Samarkand. It is also the number one sight to see while in Samarkand.
Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis
Shah i Zinda is Samarkand’s most beloved site holding the stunning avenue of mausoleums that contains some of the richest tilework in the Muslim world. Shakh i Zinda reflects all the historical milestones in the development of the city and is a huge religious monument.
Gur-e Amir Complex
Gur-Emir’s tomb, where lie the remains of the great ruler and conqueror Tamerlane, as well as many of his family members. There are also several other nice sights on the way from Gur e Amir towards Registan.
Mausoleums of Samarkand
Ak-Saray Mausoleum
Ak-Saray mausoleum is located to the southeast of the Gur-Emir complex. It is considered to be a male necropolis of the last Samarqand Timurids, descendants of Abu-Said (1451-1468/9). The lack of sufficient historical information makes this structure mysterious. The construction of the Ak-Sarai was initiated by the governor Abu Said in the 70s of the 15th-century. He ordered to build it when the burial capacity of the Gur-Emir was nearly carried out.
From the outside, the mausoleum looks very simple, with walls without any decorations, a dome on a white drum, windows covered with bars. However, the interior decor amazes visitors with its sophistication and luxury. Inside, the mausoleum resembles a beautiful box, decorated with mosaics and gilded paintings. Aksaray, which translates as “White Palace”, consists of one cruciform room and three small rooms located at the entrance. The mausoleum was built according to the new technical constructions and methods.
Ishratkhana Mausoleum
The Ishrat Khana mausoleum is among the latest of the Timurid-era monuments erected in Samarkand. It was built in the 1460s during the reign of Abu Sa’id Mirza (1451-69). He was the great-grandson of Timur via his son Miran Shah.
The initial idea of building Ishratkhon in the 15th century came to the ruler of Samarkand to create a huge palace in which joy and fun will always reign. “Ishrat-khana” means “house of joy”, there are many legends about the meaning that are not that hard to imagine. However, its unknown why this palace soon began to be used as a burial vault for many children and women from the Timurid family.
Ishratkhona gradually fell into decay without reconstruction. Only a small fragment of the facade of this building has survived to this day.
Rukhobod Mausoleum
The most ancient, severe and ascetic architecture in Samarkand is the Rukhabad mausoleum. There are no bright and colorful mosaics, unusual decorations or glaze here.
The mausoleum was erected in 1380 by the order of Amir Temur. A famous mystic, scientist and philosopher of that time called Burkhaneddin Klych Sagardzhi is buried here. He is well-known for his work in spreading Islam in Samarkand and China. He was also a very influential person in the court of the Yuan dynasty and his wife was a “Chinese princess”.
Tamerlane deeply honored Sagardzhi as his mentor and as a deeply religious person. To express his gratitude, Timur decided to build this magnificent tomb. There are tales that Burkhaneddin Qlych Sagardzhi personally asked Tamerlane to have his remains buried in Samarkand. So, Timur promised to fulfill this request, and after the death of the saint he kept his word. Sagarji died in distant and alien China but Amir Timur returned him to his hometown and laid the lifeless body of his mentor in a this great tomb.
Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Mausoleum
Bibi Hanym’s mosque is an enormous cathedral mosque and it was once the largest mosque in the Islamic world.
Afrasiyab Settlement and Museum
The old center of Samarkand is located on the Afrasiab hill, built by a legendary Turanian king. The settlement occurred in the 8th – early 7th century BC and covers an area of more than 200 hectares. River cliffs on the north and east and deep valleys in the south and west protected it. Through the Achaemenids period, the city was surrounded by a massive wall holding an internal hallway and towers. Scientists identify Afrasiab with the ancient Sogdian capital of Marakanda. The whole area of the old settlement can be easily seen in Samarkand as it is generally higher than the surrounding area and a totally unbuilt area just northeast from the city center.
Observatory and Memorial Museum of Mirzo Ulugbeg
Memorial Museum of Ulugbek has been set next to the ruins of his observatory. The museum has a collection of documentation relating to Ulugbeg heritage.
The museum staff has recreated the environment in which he lived and worked. Various miniatures by Uzbek artists depict the scenes where Ulugbek is engaged in public affairs with his colleagues and communicates with his students. The museum’s collection also includes articles and books of Ulugbek’s period which allows seeing the full significance of his heritage.
Ulugbek made a huge contribution to the development of astronomy. He explaining the foundations of this science and indicated the coordinates of more than 1000 stars. The construction of his observatory started in 1424 on the Kuhak hill and in five years later it was equipped with a goniometer with a radius of 40.21 m. The building itself was three-story and had a height of 30.4 m.
Chorsu Art Gallery (Chorsu trade dome)
The Chorsu trading dome is a historic building in the centre of Samarkand, next to the Registan on Tashkent Street. Chorsu means “four ways” in Persian: it stands where the roads to Shakhrisabz, Bukhara and Tashkent met, on the site of an older market. The present building dates from 1785, under Emir Shahmurad of Bukhara. It is a domed hexagon whose walls form a twelve-cornered prism, with one large central dome and smaller domes over the four entrances. Until the 20th century merchants sold hats, clothes, medicines and books here.
In 2005 the building was completely restored and a three-metre layer of earth was removed from around it. Today it is the Chorsu Art Gallery, showing works by Uzbek and especially Samarkand artists and sculptors.
Hazrat Khizr Mosque
The Hazrat Khizr mosque is named in honor of the same named Islamic saint and wanderer. It lies on the southern slope of the Afrasiab hill, at the crossroads near the central bazaar. A legend says that Hazret-Hyzr helped the leader of Samarkand, Kusam ibn Abbas, to escape and become immortal. The 8th-century mosque that once stood here was burnt to the ground by Chingis Khan in the 13th century and was not rebuilt until 1854. In the 1990s it was lovingly restored by a wealthy Bukharan and today it’s Samarkand’s most beautiful mosque, with a fine domed interior and views of Bibi-Khanym, Shah-i-Zinda and Afrosiab from the minaret. Carved ganch and coloured paintings on the ceiling decorate the interior.
Inside the yard of the mosque there is the tomb of the first president of Uzbekistan; Islam Karimov and during weekends a long line of people can be seen as people still want to pay respect to the loved president. There is also a nice view from the stairs of the mosque towards Bibi Khanym mosque and the other central parts of Samarkand.
Visit also while in Samarkand
Samarkand Siyob Bazaar
Next to the Bibi Khanum mosque lies Samarkand’s main Siab bazaar, concentrated on the old town. It is a farm market where you can find fresh melons and other fresh fruits and vegetables sold in the same way as already for the centuries. Early mornings and Sundays offer the most activity.
Samarkand Centre of Handmade Paper
For ages, Samarkand was famous for its silk paper, a favorite of Tamerlane and gloried for its strength and resistance to insects. During the reign of Amir Temur, paper production continued to be one of the main branches of handicraft in the area. There were 42 paper workshops in Samarkand at the beginning of the 18th century. In addition to Samarkand, similar workshops were opened in Kokand, Bukhara and Tashkent.
Cotton, silk, and mulberry bark were used as raw materials for the production. Currently, there is one silk paper factory remaining in Samarkand which is open for guests. There you can observe the production process, beginning from the watermill that continuously pounds the mulberry pulp to the naturally pink rough paper, which is then polished smooth with agate stone or seashell.
The Samarkand paper factory is a fascinating site for technology lovers as they utilize the motion of water in ingenious ways in different parts of the paper production process. It is also possible to buy ready made products like the beautiful post cards and puppetry dolls. The factory area is also populated by tall trees which makes it a nice site to visit even during a hot day, at least in comparison to the large architectural sites of the city which are mostly without any shade. Small streams also criss cross the area bringing the water the much needed water for power and other process needs.
Khovranko Winery
Samarkand is famous not only for its medieval mosques, mausoleums and madrasahs but also for its wine. Modern winemaking here dates back to 1868, when the merchant Dmitry Filatov founded a winery and brought grape varieties from abroad. There are of course much older wine traditions in the region, especially in the Zerafshan Valley in neighbouring Tajikistan.
The winery, later named after the winemaker Khovrenko, has a small museum and a tasting room where you can try Uzbek wines and brandies on a guided tasting. Be aware that most Uzbek wines are sweet or very sweet.
Samarkand Silk Road Tourist complex
Silk road Samarkand is a newly built tourist complex along the rowing canal in the Samarkand district, including eight hotels and replicas of the major ancient and medieval architectural sights of Uzbekistan. There are also handicraft workshops that each focus on certain craft and region of Uzbekistan. The complex also has frequent performances and several restaurants to try the different cuisines of Uzbekistan. The centerpiece of the complex is a caravanserai area with shops and Medieval architecture, called the Eternal City. The whole complex is very well made and worth a visit.
Good day trips from Samarkand
Urgut Town
The Urgut town is situated 40 km to the southeast of Samarkand. The town’s bazaar is popular among the visitors with its folk crafts produced by the historical value. On Sundays, people all over the nearest cities come to buy various goods, including national clothes, shoes, fabrics, household items and much more, produced by local craftsmen of traditional crafts.
Agalyk Mountains and Devsharshara Waterfall
Samarkand is presented to tourists as an oriental fairytale city of mosques, madrasas and minarets. However, not many people are aware that Samarkand is surrounded by beautiful mountains and waterfalls. In order to see all the natures of wonder one has only to leave the city limits and soon incredible bright landscapes appear.
Hazrati Daod (David's cave)
There is a cave with a legend related to David and goliath just a 50 km drive away from Samarkand towards southwest. The cave allegedly has hand prints from David and it is a popular place for pilgrimage.
Iman Al Bukhari Complex
Iman Al Bukhari is a complex where lies the tomb of the outstanding Sunni scholar Imam Al Bukhari. The complex is located near Samarkand, 25 km North of the city in the Khoja Ismail village.
In addition to the day trips mentioned above, Samarkand is a great base to visit Northern Tajikistan. Panjakent, seven lakes and few other sights can be easily visited within a day or two.
Visit Samarkand
Samarkand by Plane
Samarkand airport, north of the city centre, has direct flights to Istanbul, Moscow and many other Russian cities, Baku and Astana, plus some seasonal routes; most other international connections go via Tashkent. Domestic flights from Tashkent take about an hour, but most travellers take the fast train instead.
The renewed airport terminal is shaped like an open book, a symbol of Ulugbek’s famous star catalogue.
Samarkand by Bus / Taxi
The road connection from Tashkent to Samarkand is about 330 km. You can take a bus from the Tashkent bus station located at Bunyodkor ave 7, near the metro station “Almazar”. The journey will take 4 hours and 30 minutes and the road condition leaves room for improvement.
Samarkand bus station is located 200 m east of thee Ulug Beg’s Observatory. From there you can take a minibus or shared taxis to Bukhara or Tashkent. When traveling southwards, for instance to Termez you need to get to Grebnoy Kanal bus station which stands in the eastern outskirts of the city. In addition, if you need a ride within the city or the nearby surroundings, Yandex taxi is available in Samarkand.
Samarkand by Train
Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Qarshi and Shahrisabz are linked by the high-speed Afrosiyob trains, the fastest and most convenient way to travel between these cities. From Tashkent the Afrosiyob takes about 2 hours 15–30 minutes; since February 2026 an economy seat costs about 311,000 som. The slower Sharq train takes about 3.5 hours and is cheaper. Tickets go on sale about 60 days ahead on the official website (foreign cards are often refused there, so an agent can help), and in spring and autumn the Afrosiyob sells out weeks in advance.
Samarkand is also connected by train with Khiva, Nukus, Termez and the Fergana Valley. The railway station is about 6 km northwest of the city centre on Rudaki Street and is a fine example of Soviet architecture combined with Uzbek style.
