The Timurid capital · Uzbekistan
Samarkand travel guide
Registan, Shah-i-Zinda and the blue domes of Amir Timur.
Samarkand was the capital of Amir Timur’s empire in the 14th century, and its monuments were built to impress. Registan Square, framed by three tiled madrasahs, is one of the most famous sights in Asia. The city is inscribed by UNESCO as a "Crossroad of Cultures".
It is also the best base for day trips: over the mountain pass to Shakhrisabz, or across the border to the Seven Lakes of Tajikistan.
- Time needed
- 2–3 days
- Best time
- April–May and September–October
- Getting there
- The high-speed train from Tashkent takes about 2 hours; Bukhara is about 1.5 hours further west by train. Samarkand also has an international airport.
- UNESCO World Heritage
- Inscribed 2001
Don’t miss
What to see in Samarkand
- 01
Registan Square
Three madrasahs facing one square, best at sunrise and after dark.
- 02
Shah-i-Zinda
A street of tiled mausoleums climbing a hillside.
- 03
Gur-e-Amir
The ribbed blue dome over Amir Timur’s tomb.
- 04
Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Once one of the largest mosques in the Islamic world.
- 05
Ulugh Beg Observatory
The remains of a 15th-century astronomical sextant.
- 06
Siab Bazaar
Bread, dried fruit and spices next to Bibi-Khanym.
- 07
Konigil paper workshop
Silk paper made by hand from mulberry bark, just outside the city.
Photos of Samarkand
Tours
Tours that include Samarkand
Desert Castles of Uzbekistan & the Seven Lakes of Tajikistan
Tashkent → Khiva → Desert fortresses of Khorezm → Bukhara → Samarkand → Seven Lakes (Haft Kul) → Shakhrisabz
Central Asia grand tour: five countries in 21 days
Ashgabat → Darvaza gas crater → Kunya-Urgench → Khiva → Bukhara → Samarkand → Seven Lakes (Haft Kul) → Tashkent → Margilan → Osh → Bishkek → Song-Kul → Issyk-Kul → Almaty
Uzbekistan essentials in 7 days
Tashkent → Khiva → Bukhara → Samarkand
Uzbekistan & Kyrgyzstan: cities and mountains, 14 days
Tashkent → Khiva → Bukhara → Samarkand → Bishkek → Issyk-Kul → Karakol → Song-Kul
Uzbekistan in depth: 12 days
Tashkent → Kokand → Rishtan → Margilan → Khiva → Desert fortresses of Khorezm → Bukhara → Nurata & Lake Aydarkul → Samarkand → Shakhrisabz
Things to do
Experiences in Samarkand
Nearby
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