Samarkand

Turquoise domes, the majestic Registan and the resting place of Amir Temur — Samarkand is the city that defines the Silk Road.

Samarkand is Uzbekistan’s most celebrated Silk Road city, home to the Registan, Gur-e-Amir and the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis. Its historic core is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Plan two to three days. From Tashkent, the Afrosiyob high-speed train covers the roughly 300 km in about 2–2.5 hours, and we arrange private transfers at both stations.

For more than two thousand years Samarkand has stood at the crossroads of caravans, scholars and empires. Under Amir Temur and his grandson Ulugh Beg it became one of the most beautiful cities of the Islamic world, and the monuments they left behind — the Registan, Gur-e-Amir and Bibi-Khanym — still take the breath away.

We recommend seeing the Registan twice: in the soft morning light, when the tilework glows, and again in the evening, when the square is illuminated. Between visits there is time for the tranquil avenue of Shah-i-Zinda, the fragrant Siab Bazaar and a long lunch of Samarkand plov at a halal restaurant we know well.

Samarkand is easy to reach. The Afrosiyob high-speed train links it with Tashkent and Bukhara, and our chauffeurs meet you on the platform, so your journey flows without a single queue or taxi negotiation.

Good to know

Distance from Tashkent: About 300 km
Getting there: Afrosiyob high-speed train, about 2–2.5 h
Days to spend: 2–3 days
Best season: April–June and September–October
UNESCO: “Samarkand – Crossroad of Cultures”, World Heritage site

What to see

Registan Square

Three monumental madrasas — Ulugh Beg, Sher-Dor and Tilya-Kori — frame the most famous square in Central Asia. Tilya-Kori’s gilded prayer hall is unforgettable.