Itineraries
Where to stay
Near Registan and Bibi-Khanym for walking to the main sights and the bazaar; near Gur-Emir for a quieter old-town base; in the Silk Road Samarkand resort for hotels beside the Eternal City.
The areas: Near Registan and Bibi-Khanym, Near Gur-Emir, Silk Road Samarkand resort.
Where to stay in Samarkand: areas and adviceHotels in SamarkandPlaces to see
All things to do in UzbekistanRuinsAfrasiab Settlement and MuseumThe ruins of ancient Samarkand, dating back to the 8th century BC, with a museum on the site.Entry: UZS[fee]
MosqueBibi-Khanym MosqueThe cathedral mosque of Amir Temur from 1399 to 1404, once the largest in Central Asia.Entry: UZS[fee]
FoodEternal CityA themed 11-hectare old-town park with craft shops, tea houses and national-cuisine restaurants.Entry: Pay as you go
ShrineGur-Emir MausoleumThe tomb of Amir Timur and his family, topped by a large tiled dome.Entry: UZS[fee]
ShrineImam al-Bukhari MausoleumA landscaped memorial complex about 25 km from Samarkand around the tomb of the hadith scholar al-Bukhari.Entry: UZS[fee]
NeighborhoodRegistanThe main square of Samarkand, framed by the Ulugbek, Sherdor and Tilla-Kari madrasahs.Entry: UZS[fee]
TransportSamarkand Railway StationThe railway station of Samarkand, about 2 hours 25 min by train from Tashkent.Entry: Book train tickets ahead
ShrineShah-i-ZindaA pilgrimage necropolis of blue and turquoise tiled mausoleums, built between the 11th and early 20th centuries.Entry: UZS[fee]
MarketSiab BazaarThe old bazaar beside Bibi-Khanym, known for Samarkand bread and halva.Entry: Pay as you go
MuseumUlugh Beg ObservatoryRemains of the 15th-century observatory where Ulugh Beg catalogued 1,018 stars.Entry: UZS[fee]