Things to do in Samarkand
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Samarkand
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring: warm days, gardens and apricot blossom, Aman-Kutan wildflowers, joint best season with early starts by late May.
Summer: 33 to 40C plus. Sightsee early and after 17:00, siesta midday, best for pools, lakes and mountains.
Autumn: dry and clear, harvest bazaars and grape harvest, joint best season, mid October often perfect.
Winter: cold, nights below freezing, occasional snow, smallest crowds and lowest hotel prices of the year.
What's on
- Navruz 21 March
Persian New Year and the biggest public holiday: sumalak, street food, concerts and family visiting.
- Sharq Taronalari (Melodies of the East) late August / September in festival years
International traditional music festival staged on the Registan, traditionally biennial, so check the year you travel.
- Independence Day 1 September
National holiday with parades and possible closures.
Best things to do in Samarkand
Registan Square
Three madrasas around one vast square, with Tilya-Kori gilded hall inside, seen best early and again floodlit.
Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis
Climbing lane of turquoise mausoleums around a revered shrine, the most beautiful tilework in the city.
Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum
Timur tomb under a ribbed turquoise dome, dark stone and gold inside, ancestor of Mughal tomb design.
Ak-Saray Mausoleum
Plain brick outside, intricate painted ceiling inside, hidden behind Gur-e-Amir and easy to miss.
Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Timur huge mosque with a 41 metre portal and giant marble Quran stand, impressive above all for scale.
Siab Bazaar
Working market for Samarkand non, dried fruit, nuts, spices, halva and ceramics at local prices.
Ulugh Beg Observatory
Surviving arc of a 1420s sextant that explains how Samarkand scholars mapped the stars.
Afrasiab Museum
Sogdian wall paintings of arriving embassies on the mound of pre Mongol Samarkand, best with a guide.
Where to stay in Samarkand
Around the Registan and Gur-e-Amir (Historic Centre)
first trip, all-round base
Walk to the Registan at dawn and after dinner, eat where locals eat, and feel the city rather than commuting to it.
Russian Quarter / University Boulevard
longer stays, quieter evenings
Tree lined boulevards, greener and quieter, a 10 to 20 minute walk or short Yandex ride to the Registan.
Silk Road Samarkand Rowing Canal Resort District
resort days, families, final-night splurge
Best rooms, pools and spas in Samarkand, but every old city day is a transfer from 7 to 8 km east.
Think twice about
- Station, airport-road and far Soviet-era outskirts
Not dangerous, but inconvenient, characterless and taxi dependent for every sight and meal.
- Unnamed old town listings with no lane access
Some cheap listings sit in lanes a car cannot reach or down unlit alleys, miserable with luggage and hard for drivers to find.
- Siab Bazaar entrance at peak crowd times
Pickpocketing caution at the bazaar and transport hubs. Keep your bag in front and phone zipped.
Best restaurants in Samarkand
Platan
Plane tree terrace on the Boulevard serving refined Uzbek classics plus European and vegetarian plates.
Emirhan Restaurant
Tourist facing rooftop near the Registan with classic Uzbek dishes and a view for a first night.
Oasis Garden
Russian Quarter garden restaurant chosen for its setting and classic Uzbek menu.
Hilton Samarkand Regency Restaurants
The only genuinely luxury dining rooms in Samarkand, with international menus, wine lists and canal views.
Boulevard Restaurant & Bakery
European and Uzbek crowd pleaser with bakery, friendly service and better breakfast and coffee than most.
Restaurant Samarkand
Big traditional group friendly restaurant for plov, manti, shashlik and salads near the centre.
Karimbek
Giant local institution for lagman, fried manti and shashlik, loud when celebration groups land.
Old City Restaurant
Consistent central mid table for shurpa, manti, tandir non and a full Uzbek menu.
Best bars in Samarkand
Sam Craft Pub
Local brewpub for a craft beer evening in a city whose bar scene is mostly cafes and wine.
Best coffee in Samarkand
Doppio Specialty Coffee
Specialty coffee near the Registan, rated among the best coffee stops in Uzbekistan.
Outdoor things to do in Samarkand
Shakhrisabz Day Trip
Timur birthplace with colossal Ak-Saray portal towers, mosques, family tombs and a mountain pass drive.
Seven Lakes (Haft Kul) and Penjikent
Seven blue green mountain lakes reached by a rough road after Penjikent and ancient Sarazm country.
Aman-Kutan Gorge
Limestone gorge with juniper forest, stream, cave and picnic walking south west of Samarkand.
Aydarkul Lake and Nuratau Yurt Stay
Vast quiet lake and yurt camp by the Kyzylkum edge, with Nurata fort and sacred spring en route.
Silk Road Samarkand Rowing Canal and Eternal City
Five kilometre canal loop for walking, running and boating beside the Eternal City showcase.
Horseback Riding in the Zarafshan Foothills
Half day rides through steppe tracks, orchards and village country south of the city.
Bagizagan Winery
Working winery with vineyard and production tour plus cellar tasting of Uzbek wines and cognacs.
Cycling and Zarafshan Valley Walks
Guesthouse arranged bike rental and valley walks at village pace, with craft and cooking days.
Best hotels in Samarkand
Zarafshon Parkside Hotel
Large garden set five star in the city with spa and pool, luxury still connected to Samarkand.
Mövenpick Samarkand
International brand full service hotel about 15 minutes walk from the Registan, with pool and breakfast.
Kosh Havuz Boutique Hotel
Courtyard boutique five minutes walk from the Registan, quietest in courtyard facing rooms.
Jahongir Guest House
Long running family guesthouse near Gur-e-Amir with big breakfast and tours arranged without hard sell.
Jahongir Premium
Smarter sibling of Jahongir on Chirokchi Street, family run with tour and driver help.
Antica Family Guest House
Family house behind Gur-e-Amir around a flower filled courtyard garden, famous for breakfasts.
Imran & Bek
Family run guesthouse within walking distance of the Registan, breakfast included, drivers arranged.
Furkat Guest House
Family run guesthouse on Mullokandov Street within walking distance of the Registan, breakfast included.
Is Samarkand expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | UZS 400,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | UZS 1,150,000 a person |
| Splurge | UZS 2,500,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Meros Paper Mill: a few days ahead
- Khovrenko Wine Museum and Tasting: a few days ahead
- Seven Lakes (Haft Kul) and Penjikent: a few days ahead
- Bagizagan Winery: a few days ahead
- Ohalik Village: a few days ahead
- Zarafshan National Park: a few days ahead
- L'Argamak Hotel: weeks ahead
- Sangzor Boutique Hotel: a few days ahead
- Afrosiyob tickets go on sale about 60 days ahead and sell out in peak season. Use only the official rail site or app.
- Book hotels early for April to May and September to October, when the best guesthouses and top hotels fill.
- Book Khovrenko tastings and Konigil demonstrations via a hotel or operator a day ahead.
- Book Seven Lakes 2 to 3 days ahead in season and confirm Sarazm inclusion and your Tajik visa position in writing.
Is Samarkand safe?
- Samarkand is exceptionally safe and people walk the centre after dark routinely. Violent crime against tourists is theoretical.
- Watch pickpockets at Siab Bazaar and the station, and take care crossing wide boulevards, where traffic is the daily hazard.
- Drink bottled water only and carry tissue for non hotel toilets.
- Respect shrine dress and photography etiquette. Cover shoulders and knees and carry a scarf for working shrines.
Samarkand travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The Registan audio guide is thin and time limited. A shared licensed guide or a good guidebook chapter is better value.
- Unofficial minaret climb offers at the Registan are not a ticketed attraction and carry no safety or insurance cover.
- Restaurants closest to Bibi-Khanym and the Registan steps charge the most for the weakest food in the centre.
- The Eternal City is an enjoyable resort showcase with zero historic fabric. Do not let it displace Shah-i-Zinda or Afrasiab.
- Afrasiab without a guide often underwhelms. The trap is the unguided visit, not the site.
- One day Samarkand from Tashkent and back means midday monuments and no evening Registan. Sleep at least one night here.
Getting around Samarkand: public transport and more
- Walk the monumental spine. Registan to Bibi-Khanym is a pedestrianised boulevard and Gur-e-Amir is a short walk.
- Use Yandex Go for taxis, set up before arrival, and confirm the app price instead of hailing unmetered cars.
- Take the Afrosiyob train between Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara. About 2 hours to Tashkent and 1.5 to Bukhara.
- Arrange a hotel pickup or Yandex from the airport, about 20 minutes from the Registan.
Who Samarkand suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Samarkand your trip
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